Quoting Mark Tapley <mtapley@swri.edu>:
I don't know to what extent the maximum-energy-delivered swing plays a role in real combat, compared to the surprise move that deposits just a *little* energy at a vulnerable point. I think some of the other regulars can probably comment on that in a much more informedmanner than I can.
The center of percussion is very useful for 'real' combat, but NOT because it delivers the maximum force (because it really doesn't). It's because it takes the minimum force to use for force delivered. Because all the fancy math (and the math used in the example isn't fancy, but figuring the CoP isn't for sissies in the general case) reduces to the fact that if you hit at the CoP, there is not only no sting in the hand, due to no vibration induced in the weapon, but that there is also no force pushing the hand around. This means that you can swing more times with the same stamina, which is very useful indeed. Trust me, ideal blows feel as if they took no effort. The CoP for a cylinder is located at the distance from one end that the grip is located from the other. Thrusts are a different matter, as they do not rely of rotation. You will often find in the SCA that fighters wear out their swords in the same place every time, and that that place in often the CoP.
Neil Gilmore raito@raito.com ===== Post to the entire list by writing to tft@brainiac.com. Unsubscribe by mailing to majordomo@brainiac.com with the message body "unsubscribe tft"