Quote Originally Posted by cmacq View Post
There is more to this than just the spear and close order formation fighting. It has to do with mock and real mêlée and weapon reliability. Everything is different when someone is actually trying to kill another, and for several good reasons, many simply do not understand how easy it is to break a weapon.

Closing the shield taps knowningly, deflects down the underhanded spearhead, pinned to ground by the press, and with one quick step the staff snaps, as one sharp overhead thrusts into a gaping hole that was a mouth, causing day to fade as limbs go limp.

One more thing; when one is actually trying to kill someone with a real weapon, made from real period materials and design, as the arm and hand swing forward into the overhand thrust, the tip of the spearhead is travelling much faster than the axis. This is because the tip of the spearhead moves in a shallow ark. Therefore, the great value of the spear is not as much reach as when in mêlée it can potentially achieve similar speed and force ratios produced by the iron sword. However because of its design the spear is much more likely to survive repeated impacts. On the other hand, given that all else is equal, the iron sword of this period, depending on its lenght, is much more likely to shatter. Then again if the sword is too short, the benefits of overhand use are lost, and it simply becomes a underhand thrusting weapon.

Unlike mock battle, the point, of real combat is to kill, as quick as possible; not to play at killing.
I see your point...
The thing I cannot understand though, is why would they "fortify" the abdomen-area of the linothorax, if they fought in that fashion. It's a very unlikely spot to be hit by an overhand blow. Also, as the guy in the video states, the armpit-area was totaly unprotected by the linothorax armor, which is strange , given that that part of the body would be exposed while attempting an overhand hit.

The argument that convinced me in this videos is that by holding the spear underarm you can stab both over and below your shield, while by holding it overarm you are limited.