Early American H2H

[SGTC]

I don't really know if this post belongs here, but since I've noticed most of us are interested in "primitive" living skills, I figured this might be the place to get an answer. Any way, here is the question. In the movies 'Last of the Mohicans' and 'The Patriot' Daniel Day Lewis and Mel Gibson's characters have a VERY similar fighting style. I realize that these are just movies and have no relevance on the real world, but I was wondering if any body knows much about the fighting style of early Americans and Native Americans. Any info will be appreciated.

 

[szorn]

The truth is that there really wasn't a systemized method of H2H in the early days of Native Americans. From my understanding early native americans would lean toward "wrestling" type movements or use their knives and tomahawks. Although, I am sure that through realistic trial and error they were able to find movements that worked well for them. As you saw in the movie "The Patriot" few of these men actually knew how to fight. Even the British soldiers, who were well trained, had very little knowledge of H2H. You see the guys running around with bayonets attached to their empty rifles but few new how to use them.

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STEVE

 

[GLP-1]

I disagree up to a point. Their was a fair bit of training in bayonette combat, just remember that they were typically used to break the will of the opposing force. Who wants to stand around and catch 17 inches of steel through their guts? Available records indicate relatively few casualties on the field from bayonettes.

Also, British line troops were considered to be the scum of the earth by their own commanders. They were generally street toughs, dock thugs, or desperately poor Irish, Scottish, or English farmboys who joined to be fed. Wanna bet they didn't have some experience scrappin'?