Not a bad vid overall. It's subdued due to the lack of gear and the relative inexperience of the fencers. I think the longsword guy does have some kendo experience due to the way he holds his middle guard, which should be held with the hands back by the hip, unlike Chudan. I suppose it could be Fiore's Posta Breve, but all his other stuff looked reasonably "German". Notice how he charges the cut from Breve, rather than strike directly from Vom Tag on the shoulder (Hasso in JSA) with a Schielhau to neutralize the threat of Chudan's point. If he's intending the guard to be Pflug instead, he should thrust with all speed as soon as he gets within range of JSA guy, while being aware of a possible exchange of thrusts to which he would vulneralble on entry.
But this is also a friendly match with no protective gear and wooden swords, and highlights the distortions that particular format brings to the matchup.
The over-reliance of the middle guard (Pflug, Breve, Chudan) in sparring is usually the mark of a beginner. While it feels safe because you have your sword in front of you, more experienced fencers often highlight guards with more offensive potential, such as Vom Tag (Hasso, Jodan) without neglecting the former. In Kendo, Chudan is very important due to the negligible weight of the Shinai, making more open guards harder to use effectively.
Incidentally should you ever spar a Kendoka with properly weighted weapons, Guards like Vom Tag and Tail (Hasso and Waki) are very nice to use. Very often Kendoka rely on Chudan to determine where the "one-step" distance is. Denying them that visual aid makes them prone to misjudging the range initially which you can then use to set up a good first strike.
Best regards,
-Mark
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