A Fencer's Ramblings

Henry's Rules - The Essentials

2012-02-14T20:13:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Sometime ago I mentioned that I would post something of my own rules of fencing and I have had a long think about this particular subject. Much like the Jethro Gibbs (NCIS) list mine is a work in progress and tends to grow and change somewhat as I find new things to add. In order to reduce this I have decided that I will talk about my most essential rules in this blog.

1. Don't get hit - defence is most important.
2. Hit the opponent - only real way to victory.

All the other rules that I have come up with are supplementary to these two and assist in some way to achieve them. As I have mentioned above I have a much longer list of rules also about 20 in number which I have assembled from various experiences in my fencing career to date. I use them here and there in training my students and obviously during fencing. Rather than listing all the ones that I have to date, there is a more useful purpose that can be gained from this discussion.

My personal piece of advice is that each fencer should develop their own list of rules to follow. In this at least one thing is most important, they will not be set in stone, they will change. You need to be flexible in your approach and understand that things in your fencing world will change and that will result in a change in some of your rules. The core rules will stay the same and it is these ones which you should hold most closely to.

Most of the rules which are developed for fencing are focused on the technical aspects, but you should also take into account those more social aspects which are of importance. These will reflect your attitude both on and off the arena of combat. This is in order to give a broader perspective on what you are doing in your fencing and your interactions with other fencers. The social aspect of fencing is often glossed over in favour of the more technical aspects, but it is of importance for the longevity of your fencing career.

Two rules. Pretty simple really they summarise what fencing is all about, striking without being struck. It is important that we consider the other rules which are presented as they assist us in achieving the goal which is presented by the two rules. Consider your own list. Expect it to grow and change. They are a useful way for organising your fencing thoughts.

Cheers,

Henry.

Latest Project - Mod to Early Mod - Update 2

2012-02-05T22:12:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Some time ago I mentioned a project that I was working on focusing on Early Modern English (EModE), essentially writing a manual and then transforming it into the English language of the sixteenth century. The approach to this project and so forth can be found on my previous blog about this particular project (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/latest-project-mod-to-early-mod-update.html). This is one is to update the proceedings to this point in time.

Well, I have gone through Saviolo (1595) His Practice in Two Bookes looking for the spellings of words in their EModE forms and placed this all in one place. Now I am alphabetising and putting all the words into a more usable format. I am hoping that some rules may form from the collection of these words. I will be moving on to other texts in order to add some breadth to the lexicon which is being collected.

In the studying of EModE I have come to the conclusion that more focus is required in order to make the final project more fitting to what the aim is. I have decided that I will be focusing on Early Modern English of the London dialect from the reign of Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603). As such I will be only using period sources from this period from which to extract words and phrases. The studying of the language is proceeding and some interesting things have been found in the process. This is a project which I am expecting will be taking quite some time in order to do it properly.

I will make further updates as to my progress on this project in order to keep people informed. I am expecting that these updates will be relatively short as real progress at this point in time is rather slow. The speed of the progress does not actually concern me, in fact it would concern me more if it was going easily and much more quickly.

Cheers,

Henry.

Why Do I Research?

2012-01-07T23:26:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Anybody who knows me at all will know that I tend to get into my research projects heavily. I tend to find big projects which are disguised as little ones and then feel that I have to complete them in order to feel that I have done the job properly. I don't tend to do things small and tend to research things to death, of course as would be expected there is a cause behind this. The reasons for this can be found in my own history and interests.

I have had a long-term interest in things historical and in order to understand where this comes from I need to explain a little of my own history. I suppose my first interest in history is a result of the influence of my parents, especially my father who is quite well-read and who have encouraged me to follow my interests in the field. My first real inspiration for history can be found in my first trip abroad.

In 1981, my parents took me and my sister over to the United Kingdom we explored England, Scotland and Ireland. We saw great and popular sites such as the Tower of London, Windsor Castle and the British Museum. What an eye-opener. The trip to Ireland was more of a personal trip and we spent some time in a graveyard scrubbing grave stones looking for ancestors. Now, sounds pretty boring, I can tell you it was quite the opposite, nothing like finding your roots to inspire a deeper love of history. So, this sewed the seeds of my interest, and it was only to be increased as I grew older.

My sixth year of primary school was also a turning point for me as I had a teacher who encouraged my interest in history so I went with it, investing time and energy in my assignments on various topics. Most male kids at this age wanted to be astronauts, policemen or in the army. Me, I decided at that point in time that history would be my thing and I decided that I wanted to become a historian. It would give me an excuse to research periods of history and have some sort of tangible result as a purpose, needless to say the following years would just increase this desire.

From my this point in time I would attempt to tailor all of my education with an historical bend to it. I took History in grade 10, and would follow this up with both Ancient and Modern History in grade 11 and 12. The other subjects were merely means to an end, to allow me to pursue my love of history even better. This was only to be advanced when I found a social group interested in medieval history.

I joined the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) in grade 12. This group is focused on the years 500 to 1600AD or thereabouts so suited me down to the ground. Now not only could I study history but I could go about putting some of my research into practice. Talk about finding a niche. I am still in this group and am really enjoying it, the practical aspects of the research really adds something to it.

Needless to say my venture into higher education would result in me studying a Bachelor of Arts (BA), with majors in History and Anthropology. More chances to put my zeal into subjects that I enjoyed and further myself to my goal of becoming a historian. It also allowed even more research into areas of interest and allowed me to gain even more tools with which to do so. It would also result in the reason that I tend to research things to death as my training in research would tend to a bend where it was to be done properly. Eventually after graduating with my BA I would eventually get to pursue Honours in History and attain my goal of becoming a historian. No actual paid work at this point in time, due to various medical and other factors, but the research that I do I think fills in this. So with this foundation I can really get down to the reasons for my research.

The primary reason for my research is expanding knowledge in various areas of history. This interest in historical subjects primarily comes from my unabated interest in history which I think will accompany me for the rest of my life. There are so many things to research and to find out about. I am hoping to fill in gaps in knowledge, primarily my own but also hopefully others as well. Meaning that I tend to look at stuff which has been either overlooked, or things which I think will expand my own understanding of subjects which I have already looked at.

With regard to the particular subjects chosen at a particular time, they come from interest or inspiration depending on the particular subject. I have done some research into terrorism for my own purposes as that has been a big topic over the past decade, and I wanted to understand this phenomenon more in order to understand things happening in world history in the current era. However, for the most part my research tends to be a of a medieval or Renaissance flavour as this is my prime area of interest. At the moment I am focusing more on the sixteenth century as it fills in some information which I have become especially interested, mainly due to my association with the SCA and martial endeavours with the civilian weapons of the period. My two blogs, this one and my more personal one http://alifewithfibromyalgia.blogspot.com/ are a direct result of wanting to get my research into various fields out into the public field for others to read and gain from.

In the end I hope that there is some practical application to my research a perfect example of this is my two current projects that I have been working on one which is my "Gentleman's Manual", the discussion version of which is accessible (http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32538238/A%20Gentleman%27s%20Handbook%20-%20Discussion.pdf) to the public for people's perusal. This focusses on the idea of turning the fencer into a gentleman, in the Renaissance idea of this. I will be working on a more lesson-based version in the not too distant future.

The other project is what I have called my "Period Manual" of which I have spoken about previously in this blog. It is writing a fencing manual in period form and then presenting a Modern English and Early Modern English version side-by-side in order that people are more able to access Early Modern English and thus more of the period manuals which are available. Once completed I will be placing this manual in the public domain, once again in order that as many people as possible are able to access it.

So, why do I research? Primarily to increase my own knowledge, but also in the hope that others can gain something from the research in which I have endeavoured. It is my hope that my readers will gain some insight into some of the topics which have been presented and thus be able to wipe away some of the dust and cobwebs of misunderstanding from these topics. It is also my hope that maybe something which I present may inspire someone else to do their own research in order that they can improve their own understanding of a topic which they may be interested in.

Cheers,

Henry.

The Other Project: A Gentleman's Handbook

2012-01-02T00:31:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

For those who are used to my more formal manner of writing, they will have to excuse me for this particular edition as this is a discussion of a more personal nature. I have mentioned previously about my project to create a fencing manual in the style of the Elizabethan period, and made some discussion of it. It is still proceeding and as I get further along I will give another update. At the same time I have been working on a second project and it is this one which I will be discussing here.

Before I go any further, I will apologise to my female readership as this project is aimed at the male fencer rather than the female fencer. This does not imply or suggest that the female is not suited to fencing, or cannot learn something from what is contained within this project, simply that it is aimed more at the male fencer. This is simply due to my own knowledge on the subject, the data which has been collected along with my own proximity to the subject being of the male gender. Once again I apologise for any offence taken in any form as it is totally unintended.

The project is what I originally called "supplementary education" and is designed to fill in those parts of the education of the fencer which are not usually filled in the usual aspects of fencing instruction. Since this time it has changed its name to "A Gentleman's Handbook" which more suits its contents, being aimed at the male fencer. With the simple aim of changing the fencer into a gentleman. In order to understand this particular project some information will have to be filled in. This will present an approach and reasons for the project.

I have had an interest in those aspects of fencing which occur both on and off the field for sometime. These are not the simple interactions of two fencers crossing blades with one another but the more social aspects of this encounter. I have already put some of my thoughts into words in an article that I wrote on fencing etiquette a while ago. If you are interested this can be found here: http://www.sca.org.au/rapier/index.php/Henry-Fencing-Etiquette. The writing of this particular article got me thinking about the less martial aspects of the art which is practiced and what the difference between a gentleman and a fencer is.

Before I can explain the thought processes some terms need to be explained. A fencer is someone who is interested and learns how to use a sword and then crosses swords with other like-minded individuals. Hopefully this individual is taught some respect for what he does and the others he does it with. When the gentleman is thought of in the modern conception he is polite and does nice things for people and is an example of good etiquette. This pales in comparison to the character that my project is attempting to inspire the reader to become. The goal in order for this achievement is to bring up the image of the fencer in general and also as a result fencing in general.

For my readers who are of a more sport or classical fencing bend this approach can still apply to you, but it is more aimed at my Renaissance fencing colleagues. This is not in order that a person can become more of their persona, though it will help with this, it is more so that they can more understand the type of individual who wielded a rapier in the Renaissance period, and who they emulate in the process of doing this themselves. It is the finer points of the gentleman of the period and the etiquette associated which gives the sword arts of the period their flavour, and also provides one of the reasons why we engage in combats on a "level playing field" and with courtesy.

There will be two versions for this particular project, one which is a discussion paper presenting theories and points of view in a more formal manner. This is the intellectual discussion of the material presented in the manual. This version of the handbook is singular and succinct and can be found for your perusal, should you be interested, here: http://dl.dropbox.com/u/32538238/A%20Gentleman%27s%20Handbook%20-%20Discussion.pdf. This will form the basis for the second version of the handbook which will be more practical in nature.

The second version of the handbook will see the chapters and discussions presented in the discussion version turned into lessons allowing for more practical application of what is presented in them. This will hopefully allow the reader to take the knowledge presented and then be able to apply the knowledge in appropriate situation and as a process be able to grow as a fencer, hopefully toward the ideal which is presented in the handbook. This version of the book will have a more evolutionary nature in that there will no doubt be supplementary lessons which will be added on to it as time goes along. This is in order to enhance the reader of the handbook and increase his abilities to perform at his best furthering him along the path to the true gentleman. I had thought that I may have to create a website or another blog for the dissimulation of the lessons as they are created, an appropriate method will be found in order to do this. Any thoughts my readers my have about this would be greatly appreciated.

While this has been named the "other" project, I actually find that both projects are important as one another while they serve different purposes. In one way the information from one can be used to enhance the other and vice versa

Cheers,

Henry.

Lexicon for Swordplay, Or He Did What?

2011-12-09T20:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

It has been a while since I have made any posts here as I have been busy with other things, and searching for suitable subjects for writing about. This is one which came up sometime ago, but I had not written about it as I thought I would leave it for a while. The blog following is about swordplay and the terminologies associated with such. It will also dig a little into the issues of not having a suitable lexicon of swordplay, or indeed having several in different languages.

Now we have all been at an event where we have seen two people get into a discussion about what happened during the fencing that day and often it will result in fingers being pointed in order for the action used to be expressed accurately. This is the result of not having a common language or suitable terms in which to discuss what they are talking about. On the other end one fencer will use an Italian term and the other will look at him strangely because all his study has been in German. In this particular case it comes out as having suitable terms but not a common language both of these can cause issues when expressing an action performed with a weapon.

To give an example of what is being discussed here. A beat is a simple action designed to remove the opponent's blade with force in order to open a line. In French it is called battement, in German it is called Klingenschlag, in Spanish it is called batimiento, and in Italian it is called battuta. Four different languages which is four different words for the same thing, they just happen to be in a different language. Things only get more confusing for the new person when a discussion of cuts comes in.

In order to avoid such confusions, either deliberately or accidentally, some organisations have developed their own language for the various actions with a sword, one example of this is from the armoured combatants of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). Terms have been developed in order to describe the action of delivering a blow against an opponent, for example the snap, and the wrap. To an uninformed audience these would not make particularly much sense, but the same could be said of many early Italian terms such as the Iron Gate Guard. So in some ways the language is developing the same sort of way, and changes are coming. An example of this can be found in another blog which I read on a regular basis by Cornelius Von Becke http://corneliusvonbecke.wordpress.com/2011/11/24/to-call-a-spade-a-spade/.

The importance of the result of this is understanding. It would take someone quite a while to collect together a complete set of fencing terminologies from the various schools of swordplay in order to have all the terms in all the languages. This would be a great idea and a project well worth looking into, however, it is not what I am proposing here. For the current period in time it is better that the practitioners do not confuse the language with the swordplay. Hence those involved in Italian swordplay should keep with Italian terms, those involved in German should keep with German terms and so forth. However, the practitioner should also keep a broad eye open to other terms and pick them up and see how they fit in their own style in order that better communication is possible across the styles.

The whole goal of this discussion is understanding and this can be easily related back to my previous blog on manuals (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com/2011/04/fencing-manuals-old-and-new.html) and also the later one on the language in such manuals. The reason why this is important is so that the fencing community is able to converse and understand what is being discussed easily. For this to happen people need to adopt such terms that they can understand themselves, but also such terms that they can pass on to others and relate to the terms being used by them. In this the fencer needs to keep and open mind to what is being said and see the most important relationship of all, the fact that all are doing swordplay and all are related to one another. Once this relationship is recognised and understood then people will be able to see that everyone can learn from anyone who picks up a sword in any style what-so-ever.

Cheers,

...Henry

Latest Project - Mod to Early Mod - Update

2011-09-20T05:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

With a lack of subjects coming to mind at this point in time, due to various factors, I thought I would update on my current project. For those who don't know what it is, I am writing my own period manual in order to present it both in 16th century English and also in Modern English in order for the average reader to be able to appreciate the similarities between both and also the differences. The aim of this is in order to make period manuals more accessible. Interested in more detail, have a look at my previous blog on the subject (http://afencersramblings.blogspot.com/2011_05_01_archive.html). Anyway this is an update on that particular project.

Progress has actually been made. I have finished the first draft of the manual in Modern English using the format of a Elizabethan period manual. What this means is really long paragraphs for the most part and also formatting it in the chapters as it would be in such a manual. This was an interesting process and caused me some consternation in the process. This was mainly due to the size of the paragraphs and lack of headings. I am expecting that there will be a few versions before I am really happy with it.

What is of most importance is that this manual is being based on my own theories and practices of fence based on my own experiences. This is going to result in a rather eclectic gathering of skills and theories as I have not focused on any one particular school of thought, but embraced as many as I could get my hands on. I will say, however, that it will be primarily of the Italian school with some influences from other schools such as the German, giving it a truly Elizabethan flavour. I will admit this multi-school approach has been influenced by my favourite Elizabethan theorist Vincentio Saviolo, who has evidence of a similar approach. This method has allowed me to write freely of my own experiences, theories and practices in this manual.

With the draft written I moved on to a study of Elizabethan English language. This is primarily based upon period texts and it is a work in process. I have begun the rather laborious process of extracting significant words and spellings from period sources in order to build a lexicon of language from the period which will be used to translate the modern into the Elizabethan. What should be noted is that this process is also allowing me to familiarise myself with the flow of the language and not just idiosyncratic spellings and other details. Some secondary sources will also be used for reference purposes for such things as grammar and punctuation "rules" and obscure words and so forth. What should be noted especially with regard to this is that it is actually this part which will more than likely turn out to be the longest part of the process. The hopeful result of this will be a lexicon/dictionary/guidebook of Elizabethan language which I hope will become useful for understanding more texts.

The truly hardest part of this process is staying focused. There are many things which can be very tempting to do otherwise and even drop the entire project when things get slow. This is usually when collecting the words and then transferring them into a format where they can be collected in order to reduce the chance of repeats. I am hoping that in the end the entire project will result in a useful text for both swordplay enthusiasts and also those with an interest in Elizabethan language, and allow me to look at text from that period with more knowledge.
Cheers,

...Henry.

Fencing Fest - The Keys to a Great Fencing Event

2011-08-10T07:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Well, for all my non-SCA readers, you will ask "What is Fencing Fest?" for all the ones who know about this event some of this is going to be pretty obvious/dull, but I hope that there will be at least some information useful to all. This blog is about an event that I have been running for a while and some of the keys that have made it a success in those years. I hope that my readership will learn from what is placed here and go on to have their own great events.

First, of all I must say thank you to all who made Fencing Fest VIII (5 -7 August 2011) the success it was. I could not have done it without you. In this I mean my priceless crew and also all of those wonderful people who chose to come along to the event as well. The event would not have been what it was without both of you. Yes, you can expect more praises in other mediums as well. Anyway, on to
the subject at hand.

Before I get on to the nitty-gritty of the event, I need to make something clear. I am not "letting the secrets out" in order to beat my own drum and show how great I am. The hope is that armed with the information presented here others may learn from it and be able to create great fencing events of their own. This can only be of benefit to the fencing community at large.

What is Fencing Fest?
Fencing Fest is an event which I have been running, or at least been involved in some part, now for eight years. It is an event which is primarily focused around the arts of defence as they are taught within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) and to be more precise within Lochac (which includes Australia and New Zealand). The event itself started as a small local event designed to get fencers together for an event which was focused on fencing rather than any other aspect of the SCA. Over the intervening years the event has grown, dare I say it, to become the primary pure fencing event in Lochac.

Where did the idea come from?
Some years ago I looked about, there were events for every martial endeavour within the SCA, including fencing, it is true, but when it came to events with a focus on one of these arts, this is where it was different. Until Fencing Fest came about there was no event that could be found on the calendar which was totally focused on fencing. There were armoured events and archery events, but nothing for fencers of that kind. This is where the seed was planted.

The origins of Fencing Fest lay in an event which was purely focused on the unarmoured combatants of my local groups, to start with. This would enable the local fencers to get together and fence and learn what they could without any chance of possible interference from anyone else. This is where the "give people what they want comes in". The event was planned around giving people as much fencing as they could handle in the time-frame allowed for the event. With the foundation stone laid, it was time to move on to the other things that held the event together. It is these things, these keys, which have enabled Fencing Fest to grow to the event that it has become.

Key 1: Fencing
For Fencing Fest it is the fencing that people come along for more than anything else and as such this must be put first on the priorities above everything else. Fencing Fest has ended up being a success because the event has lots of fencing and that is what people come along for primarily. What kind of fencing? Teaching? Competition? Either? Both? This depends on your audience.

The early events had a semi-fluid program that was finalised on the first day of the event in order to give people what they wanted. As the event developed and more and more people started to attend a pattern formed where the first day was primarily teaching oriented and the second was more competition oriented. In this way people get a taste of both through the event and thus most are satisfied with the outcome. The balance between the two options should be determined by the people attending the event and what they want, but the organiser should have some at least rough idea of how it all should be planned out.

Importantly keep the program as fluid as you can so that things starting late do not totally throw out the entire program. There will be delays that you cannot predict and it is important that the program is flexible enough to work with these delays. In a rigid program a delay of a mere half an hour, or even less can cause all sorts of issues. The most important thing with the program is to give the people attending the event what they want above all else, and that is fencing.

Key 2: Costs
Contrary to some thoughts about, the price of the event does not guarantee or determine the quality of the event. Some of the best I have been to have been cheap, and some of the most disappointing have been rather expensive. There are some good reasons to keep an event price low, but the best is the simplest. The lower the price of the event for people coming to it, the more people you will get along to the event. In the end this will actually result in the money being made rather than being lost.

Food is something which will be discussed as one of the keys below. Picking a site is important, it should suit the needs of the event and nothing more. There is no reason to pay for facilities or things which the event will not require. Nor is it sensible to pay for any more area than the event will require to do so with either is a waste of money and will drive your costs and thus the price of the event up. If you keep your costs down, this will keep the price down and thus attract more people to your event. Do research into costs, both of food and sites but also of other events of a similar nature and size.

Key 3: Timing
The timing of your event on the calendar can have a huge effect upon the success of the event as this can determine who will be available to attend your event. In the case of Fencing Fest, it is placed in early August as this is roughly six months from Rowany Festival, the biggest camping event in Lochac which is in Sydney. It is also placed in August as this is the end of winter and it is more likely to be dry in Queensland, Australia at this time of the year. By placing Fencing Fest here I give the maximum time for saving for the event and also cool but dry weather for fencing.

There is little point planning to have an event, two weeks and even a month close to a major event. People often simply do not have the finances to attend multiple events or even the time to do so. If you plan for your event as far away from big events, especially local ones, as possible you are more likely to get people to come along to your event. If you want to look further afield you should also consider when major events of other groups are being held. This is a consideration often overlooked to the detriment to an event. The timing is also linked to advertising, which will be discussed below.

Key 4: Food
If your event is focused on fencing there is no point in having Master Chef quality food, especially if this is going to drive your costs up. The attendees at a fencing event will be more focused on the fencing and thus will simply require the food to be filling. There are three simple things to focus on with regard to an event like Fencing Fest.

First, lots. No one who attends the event should go hungry. This means that there should be food enough to fill the people attending the event. Second, filling. This goes with the first in that the people attending the event will be hungry after fencing and thus will want filling food. The portions of the food should be generous and be of a kind which is filling. Third, simple. Filling rather than pretty. When people are hungry they care a lot less if it is of a period recipe or how much it cost. Thus the three keys to food all link together. Feed the people who attend your event well and they are more likely to come to your next one.

Key 5: Crew
Being the event organiser you will have enough to do organising the event and you will not be able to do it all yourself. This will mean that you will require a crew or team of people to help you with your event to ensure that it runs smoothly. The calendar is littered with events where and organiser tried to do too much.

In your crew you will need people who know their jobs and know them well. Such people will be able to do what is required of them without your supervision and thus the job that they are doing will be one less per member that you have to worry about. In this particular instance it is even good to have smaller teams within the larger team, but all still must know their jobs and know them well. The other thing that you will need for good crew members are people who you can trust to do their jobs and who you can communicate with. This is important when things are going well, but even more important if things are not going well. Just remember that the communication needs to be two-way communication. Having to chase people for information or to do their job is a waste of your time and energy. A good crew is the best asset an event organiser can have.

Key 6: Advertise
Advertising is something which is often overlooked and also links into the timing aspect. If you plan your event too close, you will not have much time to tell everyone about the event, and the less who know, the less who will attend. The more time that you can give to advertising your event, the more people will know about it, and thus the more people are likely to attend.

There are three things that should be done with regard to advertising for an event. The first is early. As soon as all the details for the event are confirmed the advertising should start. This allows for the maximum amount of time for people to know about the event. It is important that the event needs to be confirmed with all the details for this to work effectively. Half or unconfirmed details do not inspire confidence. The second is regularly. Regular reminders and updates about your event will constantly bring thoughts about your event to the fore. This is even more important if there is additional information available about the event. The third is everywhere. Spread the information about your event to as many places as you can. This is even easier now with e-mail and social networks. E-mail lists are a great boon to advertising events and should be used where appropriate. Be careful about electronic advertising however in order that your information does not get marked as spam. Keep it to the point in order not to irritate people as little as possible.

What has been presented are the keys which I have used to make Fencing Fest into the great event that it is. I hope that you will find some useful information contained within this and will be able to use it in order to make your own events more successful. With all the information which is available about how to run events and also to plan events, the greatest key is to remember that which will suit your event the best. Once you have found this it should be your focus and every other consideration should have this as a background to the final decision made.

Cheers,

Henry.

Reading Period Texts - A Question of Language

2011-07-06T02:35:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

In the pursuit of swordplay from the past it is necessary at some point in time to consult texts of that period. Sure, we can use secondary sources and other's interpretations but in the end if we really want to get at what the masters and practitioners of the period were getting at then we really need to look at some primary source material, or at least translations of primary source material where the language barrier exists. It is this language barrier which will be the focus of this blog as it is easy to get caught up in the language of the period, or indeed the translation and/or interpretation of the author of the current form.

Language is important and so are the rules associated with that language as it is the rules which hold the language together. Aside from the usual rules of grammar and spelling which need to be interpreted sometimes especially when looking at period texts, there is also the flow and format of the language which is also important to be examined. When examining fencing manuals there is also an extra set of guidelines which become important in order to read and gain a useful output from the study of the manual.

Manuals often have their actions written in tempos rather than individual actions. The misreading of this will result in the misreading of actions and results in a misinterpretation of the intent of the author. Reading in tempos changes the time of the action and thus also the tempo of the action. Thus this will affect the resulting sequence of actions.

To read it in a modern manner it may seem that a person makes an action and their opponent replies to that action and the person makes another action in reply to that an so forth. For some sequences this will be appropriate and will apply with no problems, however this is not always the case. This especially so for the later period manuals where the use of time becomes increasingly important to the method which is being used.

To read in tempos is to realise that the action of one fencer may occur at the same time and thus in the same tempo as their opponent. This will speed up the actions and also allow for more smaller actions to take place in the same period of time. Thus a fencer may perform an action and as the opponent is responding to the action made by the fencer, the fencer may change his action in order to defeat the counter made by the opponent.

Perfect examples of this sort of writing can be found in the works of Ridolfo Capo Ferro and Salvatore Fabris where the initial action of the fencer is designed to make the opponent respond and uncover himself so the following action can be successful. If the same sequence is read as one action by one followed by the action of the other and so forth the sequence will not follow as the fencers will become exposed at some point and breach good fencing theory.

Thus in reading fencing manuals we need to be aware of the tempos of the actions being performed and also when they are actually being performed. Some sequences will be simple responsive actions, but not all will and this is something that the reader needs to be aware of in their interpretation. Being aware of this particular issue is the first step to being able to read the manual properly.

One of the greatest issues that arises in the use of period fencing manuals is language and the issues associated, and this is even the case where the manual is written in English. The language of previous centuries does not always match that of the modern and this can be very disconcerting for many readers and it is often this which scares them away. My current project, which I have mentioned in a previous blog is designed to reduce some of this "noise" and make an earlier form of English more approachable to the average fencer. It is actually for the problems which have been raised in this blog that this project was started in the first place.

Cheers,

Henry.

Cross-Training and Other Groups

2011-06-12T09:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I have spent some time in a single group following their rules and guidelines as to how I should fence. In more recent years I have begun to engage with other groups who have similar but differing perspectives on the same activities. This has resulted in some interesting scenarios and some opening of my mind as to how swordplay works. This blog is focussed on the idea of cross-training with other groups and how this can benefit the swordsman regardless of the weapon form which is chosen.

The most useful benefit in engaging with other groups in swordplay is experience. It introduces the fencer to another approach to the same or similar weapons that the individual may not have experienced before. All which is learnt in this particular scenario is useful for the future of the fencer regardless of whether any blades are actually crossed. This leads to another aspect of the experience in that not all groups will have the same approach in their training or their goals and seeing swordplay from a different perspective can also be useful for a different approach in their own dealings. No group should be judged from the outside, all have something to share with regard to this, and the experience of engaging with these other groups can only be of benefit to the fencer and the wider fencing community.

In that even sword groups who share the same weapons do not train the same and sometimes they do not even have the same overriding principles behind their swordplay, the experience of crossing blades with different schools can show the fencer different problems and approaches which can be presented in the actual form and conduct of combat. This can only benefit the fencer as it may give them some ideas about how to solve similar problems in future encounters with other fencers as well.

Experience in crossing blades with other schools gives some idea about how they approach the combat form and this can be intellectually stimulating in a big way, especially if the system being used is different from the system that the fencer is most commonly used to. This experience can open new ideas about how the weapon can be moved and also how the body can be moved in concert with the weapon.

Elements from other schools can even be incorporated into our own fencing allowing a broadening of the style being used and this is most useful. It is useful as it increases the knowledge of the weapon and also gives the fencer the benefit of a different point of view. All this can be useful if the fencer is willing to use it.

There are some schools of swordplay which have a very rigid approach and there are others which are much more relaxed and fluid in their styles. Both types of school have benefit to the fencer and the wider community. A school may have chosen to focus only on one weapon form or even a single teacher in a single weapon form. Regardless of how rigid the school is knowledge can be gained about what is being taught and this knowledge can be used to benefit the fencer even if it is only from a purely intellectual point of view. One of the important things to examine when looking at a rigid school is their point of view, why they have chosen to approach their swordplay in this manner. The answer to this particular question can be very revealing and will explain the reasons for their particular approach.

Some schools are substantially more fluid in their styles, they do not choose a specific weapon nor a particular school of thought. For these schools they take what they can from all weapon forms and all schools and pool it into one universal approach to swordplay. For some this will cause problems for them in that they cannot point to specific source material for every technique which is being demonstrated. Such an approach is more practically based and seeks the truth of the weapon through its use in a more holistic approach to swordplay, and this has its benefits. Being untied to a specific school/master/approach they can explore swordplay in a very practical method taking and leaving from what can be found in documentation. This usually results in a very rough and ready approach, but an intellectual side cannot be denied as this is actually usually based on a conglomeration of different approaches.

Cross-training and social sparring with different schools can only benefit the fencer, regardless of whether any of the new techniques learnt can be brought back to their original school. The experience of crossing blades with another swordsman from a different approach can only enhance the experience and knowledge of the fencer and encourage them to seek more. Threats about brutalising or mishandling a style due to its contact with others should be put behind for the experience gained by the fencer in the approach to the swordplay.

We should all seek out those people who study the art of the sword and engage with them in a positive function. Friendly bouting and sparring can only do the fencing community good, especially where this begins real dialogue about swordplay in general. The important thing throughout this is that the players involved in this interaction need to be open-minded enough to see the benefit in the first place and willing enough to put themselves out of their comfort zones enough to be able to participate completely. Often some negotiation is required for two members of disperate schools to safely engage in swordplay, but the achievement of such negotiations along with the resulting social and intellectual potential is something which every scholar of the blade should find worth in.

Cheers,

Henry.

A New Project - Modern to Early Modern

2011-05-01T23:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

I have undertaken a new project, and before the question is asked I have put the "Fabris from a Chair" project on hold. I will be returning to it later on. On to the new project, this will be a short discussion of the project itself highlighting what I am doing and some of the reasons for it. As the work progresses, I will be giving some updates in my blog as to how it is going.

The new project is designed to take a modern fencing treatise and translate it into Elizabethan English. More to the point the project is to write my own manual and then translate that into Elizabethan, or Early Modern English. This is a new work which is not based on any of my previous lessons or lesson plans, though much of the information found in the new work will be very similar if not the same as that found in the previous lessons and lesson plans. This particular project will require a lot of work, this is something that has only recently become truly realised.

So, if there is to be so much work done then there needs to be a good purpose behind it. In this particular case there is a two-fold purpose in the writing and translation of the manual. The primary reason for the project is to increase the access and understanding of works written in Early Modern English. Much of what scares the beginning historical martial artist away from serious research is the language which is found even in the manuals written in English. The purpose of this project is to remove some of that problem by making the language more familiar by presenting the same manual in both languages with as little "noise" in the translation as possible. For my own personal purposes it presents an opportunity to codify and collect my previous 15 years worth of experience in fencing and teaching fencing into a single place in a more usefully presentable form.

With the purpose in place it is necessary to look at the process. The first part of the process was an investigation of period fencing manuals for format. Format in this sense being introductions, dedications and so forth. The next part of the process, which is continuing, is to write the manual in modern English. This is actually surprisingly more difficult than it would seem. I have knowledge which comes out only when I am teaching and this presents a problem when I am writing rather than teaching, and also the fact that it is buried within the inefficient filing system which is my brain. I have no doubts that there will be a couple of edits before I am happy with it. The part of the process which is going to and is taking time is the study of Elizabethan English. I am essentially having to create my own dictionary of words and phrases for the use in understanding the language. This and assembling some rough rules about how the language works. The final parts are the translation and construction of suitable diagrams. Obviously there will be a publishing (in some form) part as well.

The modern will be presented next to the Early Modern in that the reader is presented with the original and the "translation" of the modern into Early Modern. There should be little "noise"in the translation aside from the language itself as I am writing both the original and the translation. It is my hope that this will be useful to those practitioners of the blade who are studying period texts. The presentation of the two is an attempt to make the language more familiar and easier to read and understand. The side-products of the dictionary of words and phrases will hopefully be of use to people studying other manuals and documents in the same language.

Cheers,

...Henry.

Fencing Manuals: Old and New

2011-04-09T09:18:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

The written word has been the most effective method for transmitting information about fencing through time. True these documents do often come with pictures, but without the words it is much more difficult to understand what the author is discussing. Fencing manuals have been written by both professionals and gifted amateurs, regardless, each one teaches something about fencing from a particular point of view.

This blog is to do with some of the changes which have happened with regard to the transmission of such information over time, highlighting some interesting points with regard to this. For the purposes of ease of presentation of the information, the discussion will be broadly broken into four sections. The first is about theory content and deals with the presentation of elements of fencing theory. The second will deal with any social elements which may be present in the manual. The third will deal with the method used to convey the information. Some of these will overlap and all will be noted to be related to one another. It is not the purpose of this blog to delve into specifics of fencing theory or method, this needs to be done on a case-by-case basis rather than in such a general method.

Regardless of whether the theory is explicitly presented or whether it is more hidden within the actions presented all fencing manuals have elements of fencing theory present in them. It is these elements of theory which the physical aspects of fencing are hung upon. If the practical element is the meat of the discussion, the theory is most definitely the skeleton upon which this hangs.

In the manuals of the Renaissance period, or at least the later Renaissance period, there were entire sections of the manual which were devoted to the various elements of fencing theory. These would be specifically laid out and detailed before any mention of the practical was made. This was the case even in the later period of the eighteenth century, the same sort of idea was made. This highlighted the importance of the reader understanding what the practical elements of fencing were based upon, and thus the importance of theory to the system. It was through such discussions that fencing was demonstrated to be science as well as art.

In the modern age, fencing theory seems to be something that only the fencing masters need to know. Something that the individual fencer will only pick up through specific studies of fencing theory or through tuition with a fencing master. The theoretical elements seem to be absent from modern fencing manuals, or at least those which are commonly available. If a fencer wants to know about fencing theory then he has to go to specific texts in order to find the information he seeks. Only the practical elements are present in modern fencing books, the theoretical is assumed to be learnt through the repetition of actions and their learning.

The social element is something which seems to be somewhat odd to find in a fencing manual, but it is present in much the same way as the theoretical elements. Many may ask what purpose there is for social elements to be in a sport manual, and this is one place which demonstrates the difference in attitude to fencing over time. The social element and its presence or absence also describes the change in fencing from martial art with sharp weapons to the commonly known sport of fencing.

In the Renaissance period the weapons were real and the potential for injury was high. The social aspects of a person's life dictated what sort of life a person would have and with whom they could associate. The social element found in fencing affected more than just their conduct on the field of combat. Needless to say that for the fencer of the Renaissance, social issues were more important. This resulted in these elements being highly prevalent in the manuals of the Renaissance period. This increased even more with the presence of the phenomenon of duelling. The Renaissance author thus devoted a large amount of space to the social elements.

Duelling is not an element which the modern fencer really has to worry about. There are no duels to the death anymore, no conflicts with live steel for the purposes of settling matters of honour. The conduct of the fencer, especially the sport fencer does not particularly affect his everyday life, and for the most part only affects a small community. Thus the importance of the social elements of fencing would seem to have lessened. The result of this is that for the most part the only element which could be regarded to as being social in the average modern fencing manual is the discussion of the salute. If anymore is wanted for interest sake or other reasons, the reader has to go searching in more in-depth manuals and books more related to this particular subject.

In the discussion of method, it is the method used to convey the information found in the fencing manual which is the subject for this part. This has to do with both the written word and also any pictorial representations present. This may seem less significant than other parts which have been previously discussed, but it is important and also describes a change.

Earlier fencing manuals primarily dealt with written words. Later ones increased the presence of pictures to illustrate what was said in the words present. For the later Renaissance manuals the pictures are used as snapshots for examples of what is going on. There are also diagrams for elements of theory present. Even with this increase in pictorial representation the words were always more important than the pictures. The word was always used to portray that which the pictures could not.

Modern manuals have a lot of pictures in them, mostly these are photos for the fencer to copy. Diagrams are used in order to present those elements which the photos cannot present without demonstration. These pictures stand in place of words which were used in earlier manuals for description. The method and presentation of the information has gone from a more written method to a more illustrative method with pictures and diagrams taking the place of the prose that would be found in the earlier manuals. Thus in an opposite fashion the pictures can become more important than the words.

There is a large amount of material available and this only increases as more and more manuals are found and put on the Internet. This can only increase the amount of information that the fencer can have to hand at anyone time. For those of us interested in the earlier practices various elements need to be understood before the truth of the manual can be found. While it is possible to read the manuals alone it is important to understand that they were not written in a vacuum, and this goes for manuals of all periods and cultures.

This blog was designed to demonstrate and highlight the differences between the manuals of different periods, in a very general fashion. It is true that some blanket statements have been made and there will be exceptions to the rule. The change is what is important rather than which has what and what doesn't. It can even be useful for the fencer of the modern period to study those manuals of the older periods in order to more understand what is found in the modern ones. The older manuals do, after all, present a more complete picture of the art of fencing and this should be of importance to all fencers who truly want to understand the art which they practice.

Cheers,

Henry.

Renactment and Its Decline

2011-03-29T18:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

While this particular subject is not directly relevant to the subject of fencing, it does apply if examined from a certain point of view. For many their swordsmanship actually revolves around one renacting group or another, thus the decline of the groups associated has an effect on the availability of being able to participate in the fencing. Thus this question forms somewhat of a backdrop of importance to fencing, and indeed different forms of fencing.

In more recent years it would seem that there has been a decline in renactment. This would be pointing at a decline in numbers rather than a decline in the quality of the renactment. Indeed it is quite the opposite the quality of the renactment has increased as more and more information and equipment has become available to the renactor, and thuis is part of the problem as to why the numbers are dropping. Interestingly, this has come at the same time that Western Martial Arts has seen an increase in numbers and interest. When I started in renactment some 20 years ago, it was reasonably easy for the average person of the street to join a renactment group and start participating.

In my case the group was the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms). All that was expected of me at my first event was an attempt at clothing from pre-1600. I managed to rustle up a tunic from a costume set that the family had and a pair of track-suit pants for my legs. All in all the outfit passed as being "medieval" from a distance, and no one batted an eyelid. It would seem that things have changed quite a bit even in the SCA.

As the ability to construct and availabilty to gain the equipment has increased, so has the expectations of those within the groups. In my opinion it is partially this set-up cost which is causing people problems in joining the various groups and also maintaining their membership and activity within the groups. Where there is a large initial set-up cost for the group, and an expectation for the purchase of certain equipment to a certain standard, there will be those who simply cannot afford this set-up cost. This instantly restricts who can join and participate within the groups.

Using the SCA as an example, the first thing that is going to be said is that in recent years the membership cost has actually dropped and this should enable people to more easily be able to join the organisation. This is true enough, to become a financial member of the SCA it has become much easier, but why would a person be willing to pay such membership if they cannot afford to feel like they belong? This comes down to the expectations of those within the group more than anything.

Previously, it was the case that a newcomer could turn up to an SCA event in clothing which was pseudo-medieval in appearance and there would be nothing said and no one would bat and eyelid. This allowed people from various socio-economic groups to be able to participate within the group and the numbers increased and were maintained at a quite high level. This is would not seem to be the case anymore. The newcomer arrives and immediately there are expectations laid upon them as to what they need to acquire in order to fit in. Sure some of the items can be lent on a short-term basis, but still there is the expectation that the individual will fork out in the short-term a quite substantial amount, whether it is fabric, or clothing, or other equipment. For those in a low economic situation this is simply not possible and then they have to rely on the charity of others for an extended period of time and never quite feel like that they "fit". This does not encourage people to stick around particularly much.

Aside from the encouragement that people get from the people in the group, there must also be an acceptance of new people. These people, for the most part, will not already have their own gear and their "first attempts" need to be accepted if not praised. Constructive criticism and encouragement is always good as is being helpful. We should not expect our newcomers to turn up in perfect medieval or Renaissance equipment, and we should encourage them to do more and better, but with the expectation that this may take some time.

If renactment is to survive then we must encourage more and more people to come along and enjoy what we all enjoy. This actually applies to the Western Martial Arts community as well. The more we restrict who will fit within the organisation the more the numbers will decrease. Groups have died due to this particular phenomenon and if we do not want the same to happen to ours, then we must take a hard, long look at ourselves and see what we can do to encourage more people in, rather than scaring them off with high expectations which need to be filled in the short term.

Cheers,

Henry.

Buying a Sword

2011-02-02T17:23:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

The purchase of a sword is something which is often not talked about very much. Usually the only concern for people is the potential financial burden that may occur in the purchase. What this does not take into account is the other aspects of the purchase of a sword that the swordsman should take into account. This blog will address the concept of buying a sword and present some considerations that should be made by the buyer.

Buying a sword is an investment, but it is one that many fencers take quite lightly. This should not actually be the case. The purchase of a sword is also something which should signify something to both the purchaser of the weapon and also to the teacher and club to which they belong. No one is ever expected that they will turn up to their first fencing practice with a weapon and other gear already bought. The opposite is a very rare occurrence. What this means is that for a period of time the fencer will borrow a weapon. It may belong to a club, or it may belong to another fencer. The purchase of a sword should signify that the person is ready to commit to the enterprise to which they have taken, of course this is not the only thing that a fencer should be concerned about when buying a sword.

In previous centuries, and even relatively recently. A sword was not simply purchased "off the rack" or out of a collection of examples present, as is mostly the case these days. The fencer was measured for a sword. This was because the swordsman would be relying on that particular weapon to save their life in an armed encounter. For the fencer today fighting someone where there is the potential for serious injury or death is not so much of a concern. In these previous days the make of the sword would also give some indication of the wealth of the owner of the weapon and also their taste as it was worn as a piece of costume jewellery. Once again, this is not the case today. However, some of the considerations made in these previous days should be made by the modern swordsman.

There are examples in treatises by various masters and theorists of the Renaissance and middle ages about the correct length of a sword. Ridolfo Capo Ferro, for example, determined that the correct length of the sword should be twice the length of the arm, and there were others who proposed that the weapon should be longer, or shorter. Needless to say the length of the weapon was proportional to the individual who was using it. For the most part, weapons these days are sold at set lengths or at different ones by special request. While there are many different theories about how long or short a weapon should be, the important thing for the fencer is comfort. This is the most important consideration.

For the most part a sword these days will cost somewhere more than $150. Sure there are some which can be obtained for cheaper, and sure there are those which are substantially more than this, it is a ball-park figure. This for some will be a significant investment on their part and this in itself is significant. A fencer does not want to go out, spend a deal of money and purchase a sword just to find out that it is too heavy, or light, or short, or long. This will result in the sword having to be modified or even replaced, which is another expense on the part of the fencer. In order to avoid this some planning and investigation should be made.

The only real way to see how a sword feels is to pick up the weapon and use it. Of course a shop will not allow you to use the merchandise unless you intend to buy the one that you are using. Taking the weapon and feeling its weight is a good start, being able to move the sword around is also a good thing. So long as you are not causing problems for other customers or stock, some merchants will allow you to do this. For the most part fencers are a reasonable bunch of individuals who will allow you to look and feel a weapon in their possession. Of course you should always ask before handling another person's weapon. This should allow you, once again, to get a feel for the weapon. If the fencer is generous they may even allow you to have a couple of bouts with the weapon in order to get a better feel of it. This is the best way, currently, to get an idea of the feel of different weapons. For the most part, you can then find the same weapon at a merchant.

When selecting a weapon for purchase, a consideration should be made about quality. For the most part a cheaper weapon will not be as high quality as a weapon which is more expensive. This should be a concern for the buyer as the higher quality weapon will last longer than a cheaper weapon, based on quality of manufacture as a general rule. Of course, the fencer must also be concerned about what happens to fall into the fencer's own budget as well. It is advised however, that a fencer spend on the upper limit rather than the lower limit of their budget in order to get a weapon of quality.

Of course when a weapon is on sale then the price is not necessarily a good guide. It is then up to the fencer to talk to others about their weapons and how well they have lasted. Or to start investigating weapon manufacturers in order to get some idea about the quality of the workmanship of various weapons. Two particularly well-known manufacturers of weapons are Darkwood Armory (http://www.darkwoodarmory.com/) and Hanwei (http://www.hanweishop.com/). Both of these manufacturers are commonly known to sell quality weapons. There are others out there, but it is up to the fencer to discover what they want and where from. You can also some on-sellers of the original manufacturers who sell their products. The fencer may even find an individual experienced in sword manufacture and purchase a weapon this way.

The purchase of a weapon for the fencer is a significant investment regardless of how much the actual weapon costs. For the most part this will, or should, be the last piece of equipment that the fencer will purchase in order to complete their basic kit. The fencer should have some serious consideration about what weapon and where they are going to get it from before actually purchasing a weapon. The fencer should be comfortable with the weapon as fighting the weapon in order to get it to do something will reduce the ability of the fencer. A comfortable weapon, comfortable to use, which does not strain the individual is the goal. Be careful when buying a weapon, do your research and consider what you really want before buying.

Cheers,

Henry.

Rapier Combat: A Practitioner's Thoughts

2011-01-16T21:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Ok, I will admit with this blog I am cheating, and a lot. I am reprinting an old article that I wrote sometime ago. It is primarily designed for an SCA (Society for Creative Anachronisms) audience, but much of what is written in there applies just the same. There are quite a few references to the SCA and the way that this group does things. In some ways I hope that this will assist in clearing up some confusion about this particular group also. Anyway, here we go....

Rapier Combat within the SCA is an attempt to recreate one of the civilian forms of combat that existed in the Renaissance period. This form of combat is centred on the rapier and its companions. It is important to realise that it is the rapier that is being focused on otherwise a great deal of confusion will be created.

In recreating this form of combat we use simulated weapons in a semi-competitive combat form. The weapons only differ essentially from the real weapons in that they have a blunt edge, and a rolled tip, which has a rubber stopper over it. The metal blades are very close to the actual weapon in weight and handling characteristics. The fibreglass blades are much lighter than real ones, but can be made in such a way that they do simulate a rapier in a reasonable fashion. Importantly the fibreglass weapons are cheaper to purchase, and are great for starting students.

The combat form itself, in tournaments, is an attempt at recreating the lethality of the rapier in a combat situation, without the blood and burial costs. A win is scored by “rendering one’s opponent disinclined to continue”, this could mean a kill or disarm, or sufficient scratches. The whole body is a target, though the groin area is not deliberately targeted. We are assumed to be wearing civilian attire and as such any cut or thrust has to be judged as if the weapon was real and had hit flesh. This means that a combatant has to be really careful. It is also this reason that a lot of skill rather than brute force goes into this form of combat.

What we do is kept safe by our safety and armour standards. Most importantly amongst this is the control that we instil into our students while they are in training. The best method to keep safe is to teach and learn control. The armour standard is there just to bolster the safety of the combatants.

Where does this form of combat fit into the “medieval” period? Simply, it doesn’t. It is a Renaissance form of combat. Earlier forms of combat using thrusting weapons have been theorised as the predecessors of rapier combat. A lot of the techniques which are used in rapier combat were developed as the rapier did. Cut-and-thrust technique is one of the predecessors of the rapier’s technique and it is from this that a lot of the style was developed.

The rapier combat which is engaged in within the SCA is based on principles developed by the Renaissance masters combined with the safety standards to ensure that it is as safe as possible. Some of the techniques, which the masters of the Renaissance taught, are not used, as they are much too dangerous to recreate safely.

There are certain social aspects, which are important to include in recreating this form of combat. These social aspects are important so that the rapier combatant is correct in his manner. Such aspects are honour, courtesy and the gentleman. Another thing that is taken into account is the different schools of rapier combat that existed in the Renaissance period. It is important that people examine these so that their style can more accurately reflect the styles of the period. The most influential schools of the period were the Italian and Spanish. The French school later dominated, but the Spanish school lasted a great deal longer.

Rapier combat fits in the SCA as one of the three combat arts that are offered. The Guilds of Defence for each Kingdom, where they have been created, operate to inspire and encourage rapier combat to develop to a better standard. Membership to the Guild is not compulsory for rapier combatants, but it does give combatants something else to aspire to than just championships and tournament wins. The Rapier Marshalate is the administration branch of the rapier community. It is this group which administers safety and performs authorisations of combatants. The purpose of the Rapier Marshalate is to ensure that rapier combat is being performed safely and within the standards which have been set.

Rapier combat has elements, which you will not find in heavy (fully-armoured) or light combat (missile combatants), but there is no way that it can be persuaded that it is better or worse. Each combat form has elements to contribute. There is so much information about rapier combat in its various forms, and thanks to the Internet there are is large amount of Renaissance period manuals available for research. Combatants often find that the closer they go to a period form the better they do. Aside from all of that, rapier combat can be a lot of fun also.

I hope that this particular article has been of interest to you, the readership, and I do hope that I will come up with some more subjects for you in the not too distant future. If anyone has any ideas for me, I am more than eager to hear from you. I may, sometime in the future, publish a couple more of my articles here as well. Some may have to be done in sections. Anyway, I hope that I have not bored you. Please, do keep reading.

Cheers,

Henry.

Murphy's Laws of Fencing - Henry Version

2010-12-04T18:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

There have been many different versions of "Murphy's Laws". Each one of these is focussed on the particular topic to which it is directed. These are a way to gain some amusement from these topics while at the same time learning something about the topic. Many of the lists have some hidden truths in them as well.

There should be no surprise that for the most part each particular area will have its own and fencing is no different. There are many variants of Murphy's Laws of fencing. This is a list which I have assembled based on other lists and also on my experiences in fencing. This will have the laws as well as a little bit of an explanation about where this particular law comes from. In this way, it is hoped that these will be a source of amusement and education simultaneously.

1. If the opponent is within distance, so are you.
2. If you have a tempo, so does the opponent.
Laws one and two are about timing and distance, these are the two key concepts in fencing of all kinds. The important thing here is that they are fluid and what you have the opponent can take, or will also have at the same time. Remember to use these to your advantage.

3. The opponent will attack either when you are ready or when you are not.
4. If you are not attacking, expect your oppoenent to be.
If you are on guard in front of your opponent, expect that they will attack at their convenience, and not yours. This means you need to be prepared at all times. If you do not have the opponent on the defensive then he will take the opportunity to attack you.

5. Incoming attacks always have the right of way.
Make defence a priority against incoming attacks, the opportunity for riposte or counter should be secondary to not being struck

6. What can be seen can be hit.
If you leave an opening in your defence, expect it to be struck. Likewise even if it is covered, it can be uncovered and hit.

7. If your attack is going well, your opponent is using second intention.
8. The only plan to rely on is to strike the opponent while not being struck yourself.
9. If you have read your opponent, he has read you.
Plans are awesome in fencing, but remember that the opponent will also have a plan. Expect that your opponent will have some sort of counter to your attack, and you should plan to counter that.

10. Secret Blows, aren't.
11. Ultimate killing moves, aren't.
12. The brilliant technique you just learnt has a counter.
13. There is no complex action which cannot be countered by a simple response.
The botta secreta (secret blow) is effective until it is used, therefore it can never be used. Once it is used people will learn it and counter it. There is no technique in fencing which cannot be countered in some fashion. Usually the counter to the action is very simple.

14. You need to know the simple before the complex is useful, but you will only realise this later.
15. The lesson that you need now is the one that will be taught at next week's training session.
16. There is never enough time between tournaments.
17. You will wish you had drilled more.
Training is important, unfortunately for many of us, we only realise that it is the simple stuff which is the most important. It works and it is the basis for the complex stuff. There is always something else to learn, and there is never enough time to learn it all properly.

18. If it's stupid but it works, it isn't stupid.
19. Professionals are predictable, it's the amateurs that are dangerous.
Eighteen is one I stole from Murphy's Laws of Combat Operations as it applies to fencing as well. This one is about the unpredictable and unbelievable. Both are dangerous to the fencer. The experienced fencer has a pattern, the beginner for the most part doesn't, and it is that which makes them dangerous.

20. You are always too subtle or too obvious in your feints.
21. What you think is a feint is a real attack.
Feints are a useful technique when done properly. They are also a problem when used against you. Learn how feints work and what they look like, even if you don't use them, you can figure out how to counter them.

22. Anything you do can get you hit, including doing nothing.
23. Be too focussed on defence and you won't attack.
24. Be too focussed on attack and you won't defend.
Actions in fencing need purpose, but they also need to be tempered with their opposite. You need to act against your opponent, but you need to do this with thought behind it.

25. Your next opponent will always be faster.
26. Progression in a tournament is inversely proportional to the amount of energy you have left.
27. There is always one more round to fence than you expected.
These three apply mostly to tournaments. As you get tired your opponents will seem faster, as such you need to preserve some of your energy for later rounds in tournaments. Of course, you should always be sure when the tournament is finished, or when you have been knocked out.

28. Your gear will always wear out just after you have worn it in.
29. The borrowed sword is always less comfortable than your own.
Equipment is of great importance, and your own equipment more so. The nature of equipment is that as it gets worn in it will wear out. Always remember to bring all of your own and keep it in good condition as no gear will be as comfortable as yours. This is your responsibility.

30. A cluster of bruises is Nature's way of telling you that you have a hole in your defence.
If you seem to always get hit in the same spot, you should probably have a teacher check out what you are doing and what you are not doing in order to get hit there constantly. This is something that you should be aware of.

This is a list of thirty laws which came to my head. They have been clustered them in order not to give explanations for all of them and thus take a large amount of space. They have also been clustered them in order to put the like-laws together so that they can focus on a single aspect of fencing.

There are, no doubt, more laws of this kind that can be applied to fencing. As things proceed there may be another blog which includes more of them, but they will be named as "Henry's Laws of Fencing", rather than Murphy's. These are, after all the ones which I relate to the most and have thus collected together. Consider this list, examine them, you never know, you may find something useful.

Cheers,

Henry.

Making Plans for Training

2010-11-08T14:53:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

A while ago I posted about taking a hold of your training. This was designed to get people to realise that the only person who was going to make it all work was you. This is more or less a follow-up on that one, examining the next step in the process and one that should be considered by fencers at all levels.

Making plans for training is a good thing as it provides advantages, but it needs to be done right. The advantage of making a plan for your training, rather than just filling in holes where they are perceived is that it gives a plan for the future. This provides a direction for the training and a simple process to follow. This particular plan can provide a reason for going to training, and going on a regular basis especially. Where it is filling holes then there is motivation to pick something, where there is a plan, it is just the next lesson in the plan. This provides things to do at training, especially where the motivation may not be there to figure something out to do. This also means that the training is directed at a target.

Targets are important as they give us something to aim at. For some, they can be non-specific, but for most they need to be specific about where it is all going. As far as overall targets are concerned "I want to get better at my fencing." is a target which we all have as who does not want to get better at their fencing? This target does not provide particularly much direction. In order to provide direction, it is useful to be somewhat more specific, this is achieved by dividing goals up into long term and short term targets or goals.

Long term targets are those which will not happen soon and will require a lot of work, and are something to strive toward. These are often hopeful goals of where a person may want to end up sometime down the track. In many ways this is some what "cloud shooting" dreaming about the day that you will hit the top of the ranks in your particular form of fencing. Of course for some, this will be out of reach so this needs to be tempered a little with sensibility. These long term goals should not have a time limit on them anything under a year or even more.

Short term goals are those which will happen sooner than the long term goals, but they may not happen in a couple of months or possibly even a couple of years. These goals need to be realistic in order that you can work toward them in an active fashion. It is these goals that the plan for training is written to actively pursue. Each short term goal should be achieved with a plan. Each one of these short term goals should build to fulfil a long term goal. In this way there is an overall plan and more specific ones as well. The short term goals may or may not have a time limit, or date of completion on them. For some the introduction of a time is useful, for some it is not. Just remember to be at least a little flexible.

Being flexible in your plan is always useful. Things will happen in life which will interrupt the progress of your fencing plan. This can be major life-changing things or even simple things such as the flu. Due to these particular factors it is important to be flexible in your plan in order to take into account the unexpected. This means that if you propose a date, make sure that there is room in there in order to make changes as they are required. If one week off due to being ill will mess up the plan, then you need to be more flexible about it. Of course, simply putting things off because you don't feel like it is a way that will cripple the plan, so you also need to temper this flexibility with motivation and control over yourself.

Once all of the goals have been decided and dates set for the completion of the goals, next it is important to look at the lessons themselves. Most of the time these lessons will be able to be taken from the standard training program. In most instances it will be a simple tightening of the expectations of these lessons. Often it will be an increase in the performance aspect with regard to form. There will also be those lessons which will have to be modified to suit the training program and the goals set. In these particular instances tailor the lesson to suit what you want to achieve out of it. Use what works. Sounds silly? Use those techniques which have worked for you in the past in order to learn. For some it is simple repetition in drills, for some it will be to put the skill into a more active situations such as bouting.

Remember this plan is being tailored to suit you. Make sure that the lessons build on one another. The lessons should be connected in some way. One lesson should attach to the next in order to get to the one after that. Parry + Thrust = Riposte is a simple example of two lessons combining to result in a third. In this way the lessons should build on one another in order to get you to your goal. Think of this like building a wall. Each brick lends its strength and the wall would be faulty if it was missing. This needs to be one of the most important considerations in your plan.

Plans help us to achieve goals. Some will muddle through and find their way through other means, but a plan is always a useful thing. The plan will set simple goals for the fencer for each lesson. Each lesson will built to assist in achieving that overall goal. It is direction which a plan most supplies and often gives a person the motivation to do what they need to do in order to achieve their goal.

1. Establish goals.
2. Make a plan.
3. Find lessons to suit the plan, or make lessons to suit the plan.
4. Stick to the plan.
5. Expect to have to change things as you go.

Cheers,

Henry.

Musashi for the Rapier Combatant: Adventures in Cross-Training

2010-10-31T19:37:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Musashi for the rapier combatant? What is he on about? These are the first two questions that I would expect to be asked with regard to this particular topic. The idea of this blog is to get people thinking about other resources that they might find useful in their study of swordplay. I have actually already written an article entitled "Musashi for the Rapier Combatant" and I was tempted to simply re-print that article here. Instead I have decided to go through the approach that led me to such a conclusion and the article that resulted.

"Let the Gaze Be Broad" is one of the most used sayings found in Musashi's book Go Rin No Sho, or The Book of Five Rings. From Musashi's point of view it is about being aware of the opponent and also aware of your surroundings when facing an opponent. For the purposes of this particular discussion it is also about being aware of the resources available to you in your research.

People tend to approach the research of fencing and swordplay in general from one of two points of view, a narrow view or a broad view of things. Each one of these approaches has advantages and disadvantages. They are also useful for different things depending on the desired outcome of the particular research.

For the narrow view, people get caught up with the importance of a culturally-centric, weapon-centric, or even "school"-centric approach in their approach. The advantage of this is that they are totally focused on their material and will go into all of the finer details in their particular approach. One problem is that if they are hampered by the source material, being a translation issue or an availability, then their research will stop. Every researcher has been here, "I could really do with studying "X" but it is a) written in a language I don't speak or b) simply is not available." Another problem is that they do not experience swordplay from a broad point of view and thus miss the overall picture. For the researcher with a broad point of view, this is less of an issue.

The broad point of view looks at all of the source material that is available and thus has much more to look at. The wealth of information can be both an advantage and a disadvantage. The advantage being the quantity of material available and the disadvantage being that there is so much of it that research on a particular topic can last forever and never really finish. The advantage of the broad point of view is that this researcher is able to compare and contrast, and get a view of topics from an overall perspective rather than a focused one. The researcher with the broad point of view is able to use resources from different places in order to build his research and this can lead to using some resources of unexpected usefulness.

There are resources out there which on the surface look like that they will be of no use to the researcher of swordplay. One of the obvious examples for the researcher of rapier combat is the usefulness of sport fencing materials. The movements expressed in these texts can be quite useful, but the real value is in the drills and concepts which are most useful. From an even broader point of view, you need to look at things from a broad point of view in order to realise the usefulness of different texts. This is even to the point where seemingly differing weapon systems can be used to assist one another. The trick, of course, is to find these resources in order to be able to use them.

In order to find other resources it is first important to ensure that you are looking at things from a broad point of view. In order to do this you need to look at your topic for study from an over-reaching point of view. Examine it for the key elements which the particular topic is based upon and look for these. If you limit your searches to only one type of material that is all you will get. If, on the other hand you broaden your searches to include different types of materials and different subjects you will find a great deal more.

The next thing that you need to do is to have a broad outlook in your research and research topics. If you choose "A study of Salvator Fabris" for example, then for the most part, you will only really be looking at a single manual. On the other hand if you choose "A study of the use of 17th century Italian rapier" then you are going to be able to use more materials. If your topic is even broader you will be able to use even more materials. Even with the topics suggested, depending on your approach, there are also other additional materials that you might find useful in order to completely understand the topic.

In order to increase the different places where you can look for materials you must first have a broad point of view. One of the more obvious places to look for material is art and documents of the appropriate period. These are useful as they give background and can also give depictions of the weapons "in action" from a certain point of view. Documentation about the actual weapons used is surprisingly useful to understanding a particular weapon form. Understanding the characteristics of the weapon can be most useful. Another thing to consider is body movement.

The human body, for the most part, can only move in a certain number of ways and to and from a certain amount of positions. When a weapon is added to this, then the number is further reduced. This is one of the reasons why it is possible to do cross-cultural examinations of combat systems. One of the prime examples of this a comparison of the longsword and the katana. This is especially useful in the use of the weapons and the tactics involved in their use.

When further looking at the movements of the human body, a researcher should not ignore an area which has previously been the purview of physiotherapists and fitness instructors, and that is bio-mechanics. This investigates the use of the human body and how it moves most efficiently. This is most useful especially to the modern martial artist, both eastern and western, in order to utilise the body in its movements most effectively and safely. This something that the theorists of the Renaissance period knew and this is one of the reasons that the figures are often depicted naked, in order to see the muscles in movement.

In our research of swordplay, it is important that we do not lock ourselves too much into a single subject, this narrows the vision of what is possible to be found. Of course where a particular topic is specific it is important to stay on the particular topic and thus use appropriate materials. This being said other materials can be used to explain things which are not in the primary source material. This all being said, a broad point of view with regard to the research is useful to the researcher in order to gain an overall view of swordplay.

Cheers,

Henry.

Dedication... too much to ask?

2010-10-10T21:34:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

The question of dedication to something is something which will come up in every person's life. With regard to fencing, indeed in all its forms, it is an especially important one and one that needs to be addressed. Is it too much to ask for our students and teachers to be dedicated to what they are doing? What does it mean to be dedicated? This blog will investigate the idea of whether or not it is too much to ask a student or teacher to be dedicated to what they are doing.

First of all it is important to figure out what is meant by "dedication". There are many grades of this particular word and many different interpretations that may be used. For some dedication brings ideas about travelling vast distances in horrible weather in order to get somewhere. For others it simply means that they always put their mind to a single task. With regard to fencing and this blog, there is a mid-point between these two.

Dedication means putting in the effort in order to get somewhere and use the teaching that the teacher has so generously supplied. It is also about being regular to training and putting in the effort while being present at the training session. Sure, it is understood that things do not always go the way that they are supposed to. Injuries and illnesses will hamper the ability of the fencer, but aside from these there are certain things that should be expected from the student.

Most of the things that people are dedicated to in the modern world are those things which are most relevant to their existence. For example, people go to work each day and do what they need to do because this is relevant to their existence. So, with this in mind, could the fencer be on the wrong track as skill with a sword in the modern world is not particularly relevant? Can this be used as a valid reason for the student to be slack or the teacher to not give the students their full attention? This is clearly not the case. If the person has decided that fencing is what they want to do, and it is not just another hobby, then a certain level of dedication should be able to be expected.

Expectations are something which we have put on us and also are personally placed. The athletically gifted individual has a great advantage over someone who is not so gifted, it could be said that this person has a lot of potential. The same could be said of a person who picks skills up quickly and is able to put them into practice. Both of these people would be expected to do well, but only if they are willing to put in the work. Regardless of a student's potential, the student still needs to be putting in the same amount of effort as the student with less potential.

The expectation of a teacher is for the student to come along to classes regularly and participate to their fullest capacity. The student's expectation is that the techer will come along prepared to teach and give the students their full attention. Aside from this there are other expectations which can be present such as the expectation that both the student and teacher will do things "out of class" in order to further themselves. Unless both the student and the teacher meet these simple expectations, how can they be seen to be dedicated to what they are doing?

Is fencing just another hobby, or is it something more? Other hobbies expect that a person participating will put in a certain amount of time and effort in order for the person participating to achieve anything. The same can be said for fencing. Of course it can also be said that there are those hobbies which have much lower expectations of the person, but there are also those which have much higher ones also. The question that the fencer has to ask is whether or not fencing is just another hobby or whether it is something that he or she truly wants to be dedicated to. It can be easily expected that the more dedicated a person is and the more effort put in, the more benefit the person will get.

So it comes to the time where the question must be asked, is dedication too much to be asked of the fencer in the modern world? Or is dedication more of a personal thing? Dedication is clearly related to the amount of effort a person is willing to put into a thing, thus if the person is willing to put in the effort then they could be considered to be dedicated. Each fencer needs to ask themselves, how dedicated am I to what I am doing? How much effort am I willing to put in to get what I want out of this? Sure, there will be those people with their own expectations of what a dedicated fencer will or will not do, but it is up to the individual. Regardless of the potential of the individual, with the right level of dedication the fencer has the potential to do well.

Cheers,

Henry.

Update on Fabris from a Chair

2010-09-23T19:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

A post was made some time ago about working on manuals from a different point of view, and more to the point, working on Fabris but from a seated position. With regard to this, I have made a start on the discussion paper variant of the overall project. I have run into some interesting findings in the process of writing the investigation actually.

The first part of the process was to describe to the reader exactly what I was doing, and the perspective I was taking with regard to the manual itself. This was mostly covered in the introduction, but a little more detail is required. An additional part to this particular discussion of intent is discussing the fact that only the single sword will be discussed. This is because it is considered by Fabris that if the single sword is known then the other forms will follow without much difficulty.

An important part of the introductory part of the discussion was to highlight the tactical differences between the seated and standing combatants. Much of this has been discussed earlier in one of my blogs so I will not go into any detail about it here, for such information I would direct you to the previous blog mentioned. Needless to say this is designed to introduce the normally standing combatant to the important changes when being seated.

From this point on there is a discussion of the various theoretical principles which Fabris delves into and must be understood before delving into the more practical aspects of the manual. The discussion of the single sword has already been pointed out. This then needs to be combined with his division of the weapon in order to understand the various important parts of it. The next part of the discussion follows on with more of the basic elements.

One of the most basic elements of fencing is those positions that the combatant adopts in the performance of the art, the wards. Now, Fabris calls these guards, but they are wards in effect. While they do protect certain areas they are not the guards found in the modern sport. These are the foundation positions that the fencer will adopt and as such it is important to go into some detail about them, thus there is discussion of the four basic guards, counter-positions, body and sword position. Armed with this information, the reader can then proceed with more of the theoretical elements.

Time and distance are the two essential elements from which no art with the sword, true no martial art can escape. To this point there are two separate sections one about distance, or measure, and the other about tempo. It is important also that the reader also understands how these two interact, thus there is also a part within both of these sections about how they both interact. Once these theoretical elements are understood it is then possible to discuss the actions made with the weapon.

The actions of the weapon go along with the movements of the body and as such it is important that both are understood. The essential offensive action with the rapier is, of course, the thrust and as such there is quite a bit of detail about this particular action. The other offensive action with the weapon is the cut, and while Fabris has some misgivings about its use, he does describe it as a technique that can be used should the opportunity present itself.

With regard to defensive actions, Fabris actually says surprisingly little about them. For the most part with regard to this, Fabris advises the use of the void as a purely defensive action over the parry. He makes some various points about this and also goes into a little detail about the reason for his preference for the void over the parry.

The next set of actions with the weapon once offensive and defensive actions have been discussed are those with regard to blade engagement, such things as finding the blade and the disengage. With very little surprise, Fabris goes into a great deal of detail with regard to all elements of blade engagement as he finds them essential to the proper use of the weapon. These particular elements are most important if Fabris' method is to be understood completely.

The tactical elements are those which divide the beginner from the more experienced fencer and it is these considerations which are important to truly understand and be able to plan how to defeat the opponent. To this will be added feints as they are a tactical option more than a specific action. Fabris also goes into a discussion about how the fencer should deal with different sorts of opponents as many Renaissance theorists did.

The final part of the theoretical part of the discussion covers the guards. There is a great deal of information covered in this particular discussion. Each guard is discussed separately for its advantages and flaws. There is little surprise that Fabris makes his impression of which guard is better than another and so on. He also presents some basic actions which can be performed directly from the guards and their defensive potential. This is designed to lead on to what he calls the "wounds" which are his practical demonstration of the theory previously presented.

This completes the update for my investigation of performing Fabris from a chair. No doubt I will come up with a better title for the investigation as time goes along. I am in the process of now working through the various "wounds". This will form one of the most time-consuming parts of the investigation as they will have to be deciphered and then seen whether or not this technique will work from a seated position. This will be the first and final update as the wounds are very specific and to go into each would take a great deal of time. Needless to say, I will continue working on the investigation and hopefully publish (in some form) my results.

Cheers,

Henry.

Taking a Hold of Your Training

2010-09-18T00:02:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

There is a time in each person's fencing career when they need to take a hold of their own training. What this means is that the fencer needs to take hold of the direction in which the training goes. This blog is designed to address this particular concept and present some ideas about how each fencer can take a hold of their own training and thus push it in a direction which interests them.

The first thing that each fencer needs to realise is that training is actually a very personal thing and that the fencer is the real person who gets benefit out of training. Sure, the teacher or coach may get some satisfaction out of the progress made by the student, but in the end it is really up to the student. This is the most important thing and the reason why eventually each fencer needs to take ownership of their own training and give it some personal direction.

To begin with the teacher supplies the direction because the fencer does not understand those skills that he or she will require. In this particular element the teacher will supply the basic elements of training and through such the basic skills which are required of the fencer. Once these basics have been learnt then the fencer needs to have some idea about where they want to go after the basics. The new direction will always be based on the basic skills which the fencer has learnt, but will tend to go in a direction different and more personal than previously.

There are many different directions that the training can go once the basics have been learnt. For the more Renaissance oriented fencer there is the question of whether a particular school or nationality will be the focus. Or the fencer may focus toward a particular skill-set or weapon combination. Or the fencer may even decide that a particular manual may be their focus. Each one of these gives different options for the fencer and gives a slightly different direction. The important thing in this particular situation is that the fencer has to choose the direction. The teacher may suggest or encourage, but in the end it is the fencer's decision.

For the fencer who is primarily training alone the taking a hold of training has to happen a lot sooner. Firstly this is because it is only the fencer who can really motivate himself in order to do the training in the first place. In this particular situation there really is no teacher or coach that can give the direction for the fencer. Other teachers or fencers may supply suggestions, but in the end it is all up to the fencer. In this particular situation the fencer needs to decide where he is going and what to work on next as there is no one else to supply the plan of where to go.

In order to continue to progress the fencer requires some sort of direction. Even if that direction is merely to improve the skills that he has already, still this is a direction. The best direction for a fencer to go in is one which the fencer is self-motivated to go in. The teacher can supply ideas and encouragement, but in the end the fencer must make the decision and then stick to it. This requires the fencer to have the motivation to start and continue along their chosen path.

In the end the fencer must choose the direction in which they want to go. The fencer should get some ideas about what options are open to them from various sources. These ideas can be based on a particular direction based on a specific text, general improvement or at a specific goal that the fencer wants to achieve. The fencer should take the time to put the suggestions on paper in order to compare them. This way there will b a clear idea about the choices open to them. Once the fencer has an idea about where he wants to go it is time to plan.

It is necessary to plan the direction that wants to be taken. If there is no plan made of the direction it is difficult to see any sort of improvement. It is also difficult to see what end result is planned and whether the fencer has deviated from the direction chosen. The plan is what will keep the fencer striving toward their goal and also having some idea about where that is.

In choosing this direction for training it is a good idea to get some help and advice. This should preferably be from your teacher. There are others who can supply some ideas about the direction and the plan to make to get there. People who are on the same path are also useful as they are currently doing it and will have ideas about good things and bad things. The same can be said for people who have travelled in the same direction, experience is very useful in this endeavour.

Some people like to make plans and keep the ideas in their heads or some other loose form. The best idea is to put it on paper. In this way the plan is obvious and presented to the fencer so they can see exactly what they need to do next and what is coming up. Putting the plan on paper also gives it a solid quality. This being said, it is also important that the plan has some ability to be modified if required, some level of flexibility to meet different challenges along the way. Things happen which are not controllable, illnesses and injury will mean that the plan may have to be changed or put on hold for a period, and it is important to take these things into account.

Once the plan has been put on paper it is important to work towards the goal described. It is also important that it is not packed away and then never seen again. The plan should be placed somewhere it is easy to get a hold of it and to examine what is happening and whether the plan needs to be modified. Integrate the plan into normal training this way the plan will be followed by habit rather than being something separate from normal training. It is also important to discuss the plan that has been worked out with your teacher or coach. This way they will know what is going on, what is being worked upon and will be able to help with it. They may also be able to help with it and assist in improving the plan.

In essence, each fencer will come to a situation where they have completed all of the basic training which enables them to fence at a reasonable level. It is at this time that the fencer really needs to take control of their own training. What happens after this will determine the length of their fencing career. If the fencer is clever they will look at many different options and discuss these with various people. In the end the decision is the fencer's and this is of great importance. Remember to plan the direction, put it in some solid form and then work towards it. Don't be afraid to ask for help.

Cheers,

Henry.

Stand Up Straight and Relax

2010-06-23T18:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Most of the time when we are told to stand up straight relaxing is not going through our heads. This is usually someone telling us to improve our posture or stand at attention. In these particular situations the body goes rigid and upright. For fencing the two need to be accomodated in order to achieve the most effective on guard, or ward position.

Being rigid in the on guard position is detrimental to your fencing. When you are rigid, your muscles are already burning energy and are already tensed. This means that they are not ready for movement which leads you to slower movement, which can decide whether you are struck or not. In order to fight this you need to relax your body, so only those muscles that need to be working are actually working.

Standing up straight means that you are standing tall. Your chest is expanded and you have an air of confidence about your stance. Both of these elements are important in the on guard stance. With the chest expanded it is much easier to breathe, this means you have more energy due to the increase in breath. Your muscles are also not tensed as much if you were slouching, this goes especially for those which are over the shoulders.

So, the trick is to combine the relaxed but upright position into the on guard position. This may sound like a contradiction, but it is not. First of all, spread your feet to shoulder width, remember to keep the front foot pointed at the opponent. Bend your knees somewhat, but not so much that they become tensed. You should still be able to move your feet easily. Your body should be in an upright position, with your spine vertical. Push your chest out, and roll your shoulders down and in. This should expand your chest and make it easy to breathe. Keep your head upright. Now, breathe deeply in and hold it, then let it out slowly. Do this a couple of times and mentally relax all of your muscles. What you should find as a result is that the body is relaxed and ready for action and is also upright.

The common mistake that is made in the on guard position is that the shoulders are slouched forward. This pushes the shoulders forward, and also the head forward. The position that results also constricts the breathing of the fencer and makes it more difficult for them to breathe. Standing in this manner also tenses muscles, tightening them and making it harder to move. This is usually found in beginners, or fencers who face up against a more experienced opponent. What they are tying to do is shrink themselves into a smaller package and hide. Needless to say, this does not result in good fencing.

Stand up straight in your on guard stance, you will be able to breathe better and move more efficiently. The other thing is that standing up straight gives you an air of confidence and makes you feel more confident, neither of which is a bad thing in fencing. A relaxed but upright position is advantageous for all the reasons above, but the same principles can be applied to any on guard position that is found in fencing. Expand the chest, keep the head up and relax.

Cheers,

Henry.

Fabris From a Chair?

2010-06-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Many in the Western Martial Arts (WMA) community examine manuals from their own points of view and in order to understand what the author is saying about fencing. For the most part it is purely so that the individual can understand what the author is on about and possibly put some of what the author has said into practice. The question happens to come to mind about what happens when such information is examined and then attempted only to find out that there is some physical impediment to completing the action, what now?

Performing most of the actions of Fabris is a simple impossibility for me due to my physical condition. My body simply will not allow me to bend in the ways that Fabris would have me do so. For the most part, I will admit, I bought the manual in order to extract as much information out of it about his blade engagement and counter positions (contra-postura) as possible, and this has been most useful. This is somewhat limited as it does not take into account much that could be used from this most informative manual. So in order to lower my the position of my body without having to damage myself, I thought, what about a chair?

One of the prime principles of Fabris is that the lower position of the body is safer than the taller. Sitting in a chair sure lowers the position of the body, and it also allows for the bending of the body as well to make it even smaller. Of course sitting in a chair and fencing, while possible, as I have already discussed previously, does remove certain aspects from being possible. Any form of major footwork is removed, but it can be compensated for in part by the movement of the body. Approaching the opponent is also not possible due to the seated position. However, even with these limitations, there is a great deal that can be done.

The most interesting discovery that I made while experimenting with the actions of Fabris is that a form of his girata (a turning void) is actually possible from a seated position. This is so long as the movement is based on the movement of the body rather than the feet. The ability to do this particular technique opened much more of the manual as possible from the chair.

All of the actions of the seated combatant are made at misura stretta (narrow distance). This is simply because the seated combatant cannot lunge from the chair, nor can they approach the opponent. What this means is that the seated combatant must wait until the opponent is within the misura stretta before launching any offensive action. This means that the seated combatant will be more passive, but does not limit them to only reactive or defensive actions, far from it.

The seated combatant is limited for distance, yes, but this does not stop them from being the first to initiate the action once the opponent comes within their distance. Sure, the opponent may launch an attack from misura larga (wide distance) but the blade of their weapon must enter into the seated combatant's distance before it can strike them, and it is here that the seated combatant can act.

There will be two versions of "The Seated Fabris". The first will be more of a discussion paper describing what can and cannot be done from a chair. It will also discuss Fabris' theory and other aspects which are applicable to fencing whether the fencer is seated or standing. The second version will be more lesson-like, actual instruction about how to use Fabris' techniques from a chair and how they are applied in a combative scenario.

I am not sure whether I will publish these two versions on my blog as they will both be quite long. On the other hand, for those who are interested, I should be able to make them available by some other method. I will hopefully remember to keep you all updated with my progression as I move through both versions. I have already started the discussion paper, and will move on to the lesson version once that is completed.

The most important thing about this particular discussion is that we should take a more broad view of the period manuals and see how they can work from different points of view. This particular idea can be broadened even more to take into account how different weapons are similar in their uses and how the different techniques may be used. An holistic view of swordplay is most useful to the researcher and a great asset in the understanding of different authors.

Cheers,

Henry.

Beginning to Teach

2010-04-23T15:48:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Benginning to teach can be one of the scariest endeavours a fencer can put themselves through. Just like all other aspects of fencing it is a skill which needs to be learnt. The decision to teach really needs to be a voluntary one and not something which is forced on the fencer. There has been a great deal said about teaching and the process of teaching, some of this will be of use to the beginner teacher, but there are some things which have not been said.

Preach What You Practice
The expression "practice what you preach" is most useful for correcting your own techniques, but there is also a situation where the reverse of the process is actually more useful for the fencer who is beginning to teach. The skills which the fencer uses in bouting are the ones which they will know the best. They understand these particular techniques and subconsciously understand why they work. This is where the teaching process should start from, hence "preach what you practice".

The skills which you have honed over your time fencing are those which you will know the best. It is of little use attempting to teach things that you do not know so the best thing is to start with those things that you do know. For example, a fencer who does not use a great deal of blade engagement techniques should not be attempting to teach these, more he should be looking at how he manages and teaching this, possibly teaching absence of the blade or something similar. This is the sort of thing that you should be looking at when you begin to teach.

The Basics
Each fencer will have been taught the basics at some point in time. This may have come from a more qualified teacher, or it may have actually come from another fencer. The basics are those lessons which we have drilled the most in our fencing careers. Footwork and the simple elements of defence and attack are perfect examples of the basics. This is a great place for the beginning teacher to start teaching.

The basics should keep your prospective students occupied for some period of time. These particular formative lessons are some of the most important lessons a fencer learns. If there is something missing from these particular lessons then there is the good chance that something will go amiss in the future of the fencer. The simple fact that these lessons should also be very familiar will help with any concerns about confidence with regard to teaching the lessons.

Research
Do reasearch. Fill in those gaps in your fencing knowledge which you know you have. Begin to research how some lessons are put together and also information about the skills being learnt. This will help a great deal in the teaching process. The more that you learn, the more you will be able to impart. The more you understand, the better able you will be able to teach your students. Research is something which all teachers should do.

You should even consider examining where your teacher got their information from in order to understand it better too. Some teachers will have a "tried and true" method of teaching which has worked for them for many years. This does not mean it is the only way to teach. Find a set of skills and lessons which are more comfortable for you and the way that you teach. You have to be comfortable teaching them.

Conclusion
Teaching can be one of the most fulfilling experiences that a fencer can have, or it can be one of the most harrowing. In most situations it is the level of preparation that the teacher has had that will determine the result of the lesson. Think about what you are going to teach, see what the vital elements are, and stick to them.

Experienced teachers should be explaining why the teach the things that they do and how they do it. In this way the information can be passed along. If you are interested in teaching, talk to your teacher if you have one and discuss it. Get together and consider some lesson plans. Most of all when you begin to teach be prepared to learn, teaching is the greatest learning experience. You learn about fencing and you also learn about yourself.

Cheers,

Henry.

No Footwork Fencing Or Fencing From a Chair

2010-03-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

The first thing that is going to be said by my regular readers is "Didn't you not so long ago write a blog about the importance of footwork?" The answer to this is "Yes." Am I going to deny the importance of footwork to normal modes of fencing, not at all. This blog is more a reinforcing of a much earlier blog about disability and fencing.

The question arises, just because you cannot walk for some reason, either permanent or temporary, does that mean that you should stop fencing, or fencing training for you is not possible? Not at all. There are ways around this. From the point of this particular blog so long as you can sit up and hold a sword you can still fence in a form.

Leg Replacement
The first part of the process is replacing the bits of the body that don't work. In this particular case it is replacing the legs that are not working. To this point the chair is used. This has some advantages over legs actually. The chair is more stable as it has four legs and is thus less likely to fall over. Your legs do not have to be used and thus any injured joints do not have stress placed on them. Finally sitting in the chair means that footwork in its normal form is not possible.

Of course there are some disadvantages as well. With the increased stability also comes the lack of footwork and thus the inability to move as far as you otherwise might. This means that you are a stationary target for the most part, though as will be explained, there are some options available for the sitting fencer. The final disadvantage is the possible increased luggage when you travel, but this is more of a side note.

Choosing a Chair
Choosing the chair needs to be done carefully, just any chair will not actually do. While your favourite laid-back chair may be awesomely comfortable, it may not be the most appropriate for fencing from. The first thing is that the chair must allow you to sit up straight in the chair's normal mode of operation. This means that it should have a straight back or none at all.

The second thing is that the chair must be stable when you are sitting on it. For this particular purpose, four-legged chairs are the best option. Remember for those Renaissance fencers you are not always on concrete or otherwise stable surfaces, so the potential for the chair to sink in needs to be considered as well. The next thing, is arms. Arms on the chair will limit your movement so it is better to have them be able to fold away, or not at all.

Height is also an important consideration. For the most part it is better to have the chair too low than too high. A chair which sits high will not necessarily be the most stable and stability is a vital concern. The other thing is that it is best that the lower limbs are able to be placed upon the ground comfortably and flat footed.

From the above ideas you should get the impression of a relatively low-sitting chair or stool with four legs. For some a back on the chair will be a help and for others it will be a hinderance. For some the worry of falling off backward will be more of a consideration thant the advantage of the back not being a distraction or annoyance.

The Sitting Wards
Now that your chair has been selected it is time to start the process of learning to fence from it. As with all forms of fencing the ward is important to the fencer. For the sitting fencer, the position of the lower limbs is just as important as if they were standing. Your legs should be lined up with the front legs of the chair. Make sure you have the chair turned so your dominant shoulder is closer toward your opponent. This will profile your body to them slightly. The top half of the body should assume the normal position for your ward of choice.

In selecting a ward when sitting in a chair you should consider your position and what you have to protect. Selecting a high ward may place the blade across the line of the opponent, but it will also allow them easy access to it. This is beside the fact that it will be tiring. A low ward is much preferable as the arm can relax more and the blade is withdrawn more. This means that the engagement can be chosen by you at the correct time. The other thing is that a low ward may lure your opponent into easy striking distance.

Sitting "Footwork"
What? How can you do footwork when sitting down? When sitting, remember it is possible for you to lean your body forward, backward and sideways. The forward and backward will serve for your advance and retreat. The sideways movement will serve for voids. In this way you can actually change your distance, however so slightly that you do. Sit in your chair, see how far you can lean in each direction.

With this in mind, it is actually possible to do a lunge from a chair. It works the same way as it would if you were standing. Extend your point toward your target and lean with your body. Just as with the standing version the hand should always lead the body. Especially when performing this action from a chair, you should lift your hilt in to protect yourself.

Other Fencing Actions
For the most part, the other actions in fencing work much the same as they do when you are standing up. Parries are the same for the upper part of the body. Parries for the lower parts, if used, will just have to be a little more shallow than when you are standing. As stated you can lean your body to the left, right and rear in order to void, though this will clearly demonstrate the advantage of going perpendicular to the opponent's attack.

Actions using the blade of the weapon will work the same as they have previously. This is because the hand actions are not changed. You just have to remember that you don't have to go so low with many of them and if you do you may run into problems.

Tactics for the Seated Fencer
Where the two fencers are seated in chairs, they should be placed an extension and a lean away from one another. This allows for some movement and use of distance. Where there is the normal situation of a seated fencer against a standing one. The standing one has the advantage of movement and a much greater use of distance and height. The seated fencer has the advantage of having a set distance so has one thing less to worry about.

The only way that the seated fencer can get the advantage in distance is to lure their opponent in so an attack may be made. This is the primary method that the seated fencer has to use. This can be achieved by body position, arm positon, sword position or all of them. Blade engagement is one way in which this can be achieved.

Conclusion
Fencing without footwork is possible, not advised for the individual who has the option of movement, but for the fencer without that option, it is. Fencing from a chair is an option for those individuals with a mobility impairment. In this way they can participate, and quite effectively, in fencing. This idea is not actually new, as can be seen by the wheelchair fencing at the paralympics, as has been mentioned in a previous blog. For the Renaissance fencer a suitable period-looking chair is even an option. Fencing is something which many can participate in, with the right attitude and approach. This has been a rather short guide to fencing from a chair, but it should give some ideas about where to approach this particular problem from.

Cheers,

Henry.

What is Fencing?

2010-01-07T23:16:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

A question that is not often asked is "What is fencing?" Most often the answer to this question is assumed to be general knowledge by most people. While swordplay, for most people, is not a normal part of their everyday life, there is the assumption that something is known about fencing. This blog will address both this particular question and some of the associated elements of fencing which must be realised, and most importantly by the fencing community.

There are many assumptions which have been made about fencing over many years. Some of these are reinforced by popular culture in movies and other things. One of the first places that must be investigated is the "dictionary definition" of fencing and what that implies.

"Fencing is a family of sports and activities that feature armed combat involving cutting, stabbing, or bludgeoning weapons that are directly manipulated by hand rather than shot, thrown or positioned." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing

This gives a surprisingly broad definition of what fencing is. What is most relevant at this point in time is that this particular defintion of fencing is the one that must be used in order to appreciate its complete scale. Even for the fencer this is important, too often to we get locked into believing that what we do is the one and only true form of fencing whereas there are many out there. This much broader view of the idea of fencing allows for a much deeper analysis and discussion of fencing and the potential it has for all fencers and others as well. Where modern usage of "fencing" falls down is as follows:

"In contemporary common usage, fencing tends to refer specifically to European schools of swordsmanship and to the modern Olympic sport that has evolved out of them." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fencing

This falls down from several different points of view. First of all it limits fencing to European schools of swordsmanship. This is very limiting as it would be known and argued that any Japanese kendoka or Chinese swordsman would also argue the point. Fencing must refer to all forms of swordplay not only those found in European schools of swordsmanship. The next point that must be made is the idea that sport fencing "evolved" out of the previous forms. This is inaccurate to say the least. The change from the rapier to the smallsword and thus to later weapons was a result of fashion not evolution or increase in skills. Those treatises left by the masters of the Renaissance period will demonstrate that what was taught were complete and complex skill systems. Thus the so-called "evolution" is inaccurate.

In order to approach fencing with a truly holistic point of view it must be appreciated how each of these martial arts relates to one another. The first is through the foundation principles. All the forms work on the principles of time and distance. These two form the foundation of the theory found in all fencing. Then there is the universal fencing principle which applies to all, and that is the principle of striking the opponent without being struck. With these ideas in mind it is then possible to see where the forms of fence are similar. This can also be seen in technique where the techniques of one transfer through to another. Thus it can be seen that all forms are similar in the most elementary parts of them.

With this in mind it can easily be seen that one form of fencing can assist another. This is possible due to their similarities. The similarities in principles and techniques in many cases makes it so that some are simply transferable from one to the other. This also means where one has a problem with a particular technique it can possibly be explained better by another school of fence. These similarities assist for a better understanding of each and every form of fence. So, too is it the case that their differenced enrich the practitioner who appreciates the different forms of fencing available to him.

One thing that must be realised is that the impact of the individual fencer has more impact than they would realise. The individual's action will directly affect those fencers who fence against them. This will follow to that it may affect the organisation to which they are associated, and in some instances the actions of the individual may come to affect the entire fencing community. There are many fears and misgivings which are had for fencers in general and the negative actions of the fencer only serve to increase these. Public knowledge of the individual fencer does come through in a positive light on occasion, but also too does it come through in a negative light. One person who attacks another with a sword with the intent to do real injury affects the entire fencing community.

All fencers have a responsibility, not only to themselves and the group with which they fence, but all fencers regardless of their form of fencing. This means that they must watch their actions very closely in order that they do not reflect badly on the fencing community. It is also their responsibility to spread knowledge about the art of the sword in all its forms. This means that no fencer should derride another school of thought, Eastern, Western, modern and Renaissance all forms bring something to the fencing community. It is only through the spread of knowledge about fencing that fencing stays alive and people become more informed about it.

Cheers,

Henry.

Footwork: Movement in Fencing

2009-12-17T15:45:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Footwork is vital in fencing and it is often overlooked in importance in comparison to the use of the sword. What must be realised in this particular situation is that it does not matter what forme of fencing is being done, footwork is of great importance. This particular edition will be focussing on footwork and its importance. It will also address the differences and advantages and disadvantages of practicing footwork both indoors and outdoors. For some they may not realise the difference, but there is a difference.

Footwork is undoubtedly important. The practicing of footwork at a training session tends to be rather boring. It usually involves moving up and down the training area over and over again. This is designed to implant the footwork into the muscle memory of the fencer. Once the basic motions have been practiced and perfected, more interesting things can be done with it such as distance games of various kinds. The thing about this practice is that the fencer needs to be able to move without thinking. This means that the footwork movements need to be so familiar to the fencer that they do not have to think about them, this takes a lot of practice.

Practicing and using footwork is all about the ability to move freely over the field. Now, anyone can walk or run across a field, this is undoubted as it is something which we learnt when we were small children. Footwork in fencing is about taking this particular ability and making it more efficient and also about making it effective. Footwork is also about teaching the body to be stable while moving across the field. This means that footwork enhances the ability of the fencer, and it also protects the lower limbs through this movement. Accurate footwork is about safe and efficient movement across the field. Simple things such as turning the foot in the direction of the opponent creates a biomechanical situation where the body is better protected from injury and damage.

Distance is controlled by footwork. The arm of the fencer is only so long and so is their weapon. If the fencer stays stationary, the opponent only has to stay out of range of the arm and weapon. If the fencer moves with their feet they can change the distance. Footwork does the major part of moving the body of the fencer. Without the correct footwork, it is difficult for the fencer to move properly. It is also through the use of footwork that the fencer is able to control distance in the bout. Through this the fencer is then able to close or withdraw at the time and place of their choice. Through this use of distance the fencer is then able to control the bout.

For the most part, the question of training and fighting indoors or outdoors is pretty much mute for the sport fencer. So this particular aspect is more directed at the Renaissance and Classical fencer whose tournament field may be indoors or outdoors. The question of where training will actually take place is usually up to the person or organisation which organises the training. This may mean that you may end up training either in a hall or outside. There are some important differences that must be realised between these two.

Training indoors has some advantages. The floor is flat and this can affect many things. It is much easier to practice perfect footwork on a flat floor, and to some point it is also easier on the joints of the fencer. The other great advantage of training indoors is that the training is not affected by weather. This means pretty much regardless of what the weather is like outside training can go on. Of course if the tournaments are to be fought outdoors, this can also lead to some issues.

Training outdoors involves usually uneven ground. This can place extra stress on the joints of the fencer, and it can also be more difficult to present technically perfect techniques. The fencer who trains outside is also affected by weather and inclement weather means that sometimes training is not possible on that particular site. However, the big advatage that outdoor training has over indoor training is that it reflects the effect of outside conditions on the movement in fencing. This means that the fencer's footwork is prepared for uneven terrain and knows how to move efficiently across this.

For the most part, for the Renaissance fencer, the field on which tournaments are fought is outside. This means that the fencers who train outside are already prepared for the conditions presented by the field. For the indoor practicing fencers this can present somewhat of a challenge to them as they are not used to fighting on uneven ground. It is true that the event organisers will attempt to find the most even ground possible, but this is not always guaranteed. The result of this is that the advantage will go toward the fencers who train outdoors. A way that this advantage can be gained by all fencer is for all fencers to do a proportion of their fencing outside. For those fencers who have the access to do both indoor and outdoor training this presents an advantage over both the people who train only indoors and also those who only train outdoors.

Footwork is of vital importance to the fencer and it is something which should not be glossed over. For the fencer to be able to move properly over the field they must have practiced their footwork. This must be done with correction so that the fencer learns the correct thing and is able to move efficiently and safely over the field. The practice for footwork should be done under as many conditions as possible, indoors and outdoors. This will enhance the fencer's ability to move over a variety of terrain, and thus be able to move efficiently over it.

Cheers,

Henry.

Questions....?

2009-12-09T18:06:00.001-08:00

Greetings,

It has come to that point in time that I am going to have to ask you, my readership for some questions. It seems that I have struck upon most of the essential sort of stuff that I know I should write about, now I am asking you for any fencing question you would like to have answered.

You can post them as comments at the end of the blog or e-mail them to me, what ever you like. I will answer each question as a blog, or if it is brief several questions in a single blog. I will endeavour to answer as many of the questions that you pose to me as possible, but I will tend to focus on particular aspects.

So, if you have a question you would like for me to answer with regard to fencing, get writing, I want to hear from you.

Cheers,

Henry.

Newton's 3rd Law in Fencing

2009-12-09T16:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

This blog may be a little short, but it will be focussing on a single point in fencing which is of importance. One of the fundamental things about fencing is that there is no ultimate killing move. There is always a counter to every single attack performed. This is one of the things which is so exciting about fencing, it is about putting the bits together in order that they can work. So this blog will be focussing on action and counter.

"To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction."

With regard to many things, this particular comment has been used many times. This particular statement is as applicable to fencing as it is to human interactions as it is to physics. There is an action which can be used in response to any other action in fencing, no matter how simple it may be. This is one of the most essential points that as teachers, we must instill in our students, and as fencers, we must understand. This is one of the keys to the development of the fencing mind.

So first, there is attack and defence. A scenario, a thrust is made this is a very simple attack to which there are at least three defences regardless of the form of fencing you are doing. The attack can be parried, voided or retreated from. Each one of these either displaces the body or displaces the attack. For this particular purpose the parry will be used.

So, the attack is parried, this allows the parrier to mount a counter-attack, the riposte. With regard to this discussion, tempo is not going to be mentioned so bear with me. Even in a stesso tempo response there is still the element of a parry and a riposte, they are simply blended together. Of course the individual recieving the riposte can perform anyone of the three actions described in defence, the ceding parry being the most useful if blade engagement is to be maintained. From the ceding parry another counter-attack may be made.

With the simple description above, it can be seen that each attack has a counter, this counter then builds to a counter-attack, and against this there is also a counter. There is no action in fencing which is performed which cannot be countered in some manner. It is up to the fencer to find this particular counter and use it against the attack. In many ways it is like the arms race. One builds a weapon, the other builds a weapon to counter it and so forth. Luckily in this competition the world is not under threat.

Even in the actions used in blade engagement the same sorts of things can be seen. There is an action followed by as response followed by a response to the response and so forth. Stringere is performed in order to open a line on an opponent. A cavatione is performed to counter the stringere to change the engagement and close the line again. A contra-cavatione is performed to counter the cavatione. A ricavatione is performed to counter the contra-cavatione, and then just when you think it is all finished, a simple cavatione will start the entire process again.

So, it has been demonstrated that in blade engagement there is always a counter to the action performed by a fencer. The fencer merely has to have the skill and the ability to think of and use the counter at the appropriate time in order to counter the action of the opponent. The same was demonstrated with regard to attack, defence, counter-attack, and counter-defence. In all cases it must be remembered that every action in fencing can be countered. This may take some time for the fencer to wrap their head around this particular concept.

The fact that eventually every action will be able to be countered some way is one of the most fundamental points in fencing and for some it is the reason why they keep going. In the beginning when the skills are low such things will seem like they have no answer, but it should be remembered that there is always an answer to every action. In many cases it is just a matter of building up the skills of the body and also those of the mind in order for the fencer to be able to percieve these answers. In many ways the action posed by the opponent is a question and the action performed by the fencer is an answer to that question. This is a debate performed with steel in the same way that any debate is performed. There is always an answer all you have to do is go out and find that answer.

Cheers,

Henry.

Why Do Renaissance Fencing?

2009-12-02T18:07:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

What a question. This is a big question that needs to be asked both of the beginner and the more experienced fencer. For those at the beginning, the answer is a reason to start and stick with the training. For those more experienced fencers, the answer is a reason to keep going with the training. This blog will bring up some of the reasons for starting fencing and also some of the reasons to continue with it. The important thing about the answer that is given to this question is that it must satisfy you more than anyone else. For some of my readers you will notice that this blog has a great deal of similarity with an article I wrote some time ago, well, to be honest, this is a re-write.

The most interesting, and often most difficult question to answer, especially for the practitioner of Renaissance fencing is, why fence? What is the use of fencing? Why bother going to all the effort? In a way, points have to be conceded to this sort of questioning. For the Renaissance fencer, it is an “outdated” style of combat, which belongs to a period up to 500 or so years ago. For most fencers, there are no gold medals at the end of it, and not to mention the many confusing issues that abound with the recreation of this martial art. The original purpose of learning to fence has gone, people do not generally wander around in public with swords at their sides, and it is not likely you will be challenged to a duel either. This is a question of outsiders to the fencing community and members of the community also. The question is often best answered by each individual practitioner. But we can highlight some general points of relevance in answer to this perplexing question.

There are many influences, which may cause a person to become interested in fencing, these all have an impact on the individual. The media, especially in regard to movies often influences people in this. A person may see a movie and become interested due to the flair, which is shown by the characters in the movie. With special attention to rapier combat, movies such as “The Three Musketeers”, “The Mask of Zorro” and “The Musketeer” all show rapier combat as a combat art with much skill. Unfortunately, these movies do not show the hard work that is required to develop such a level of skill. Learning how to fence and learning how to do it properly takes a great deal of time.

People are also influenced by friends and family, especially those who are already involved in groups which do fence. A person may become influenced by the skills demonstrated by a relation or friend. Others may become interested because of a search for something new; these people often have a background in sport fencing and wish to explore new skills. Still others are interested in fencing because of the different styles and approaches, which are possible, and some become interested because of a level of competition that is not found in other sports. The reasons for starting to fence may actually not be the same reasons that a fencer will continue with it. This notes a change in mind-set in the fencer over time.

A person’s own individual values and passions also influence a person’s interest. Values that are expressed in fencing and not so much in other combat arts. Others simply develop a passion for the arts of their own culture, and especially those from older times. It is often these passions and values, which will sustain a person through the long process of training. While oriental martial arts have a lot of mysticism associated with them, western martial arts do not. The important thing is that something deeper can be found in these martial arts and amongst the community who performs them, if only the fencer will look deeper than what is seen on the surface.

Fencing not only teaches new skills but also teaches control, among other things. It also teaches a new approach on how the world should be viewed through the teaching of the social elements that are important. Though some teachers may neglect this particular aspect of fencing, it is something which should be taught. In some cases the student may have to simply go out and discover these aspects for themselves. Fencing also teaches strategy, strategy which is not only useful when fencing but also in other aspects of one’s life. These things that fencing teaches are of benefit to all, and not just those who fence.

The reasons for learning to fence are many. Some people learn to improve their fitness, and fencing does supply some of the requirements for this. Some people learn to gain a new set of skills, and fencing does teach those. The reasons for learning to fence are personal, but learning how to fence does teach many things. Fencing gives both intellectual and physical pursuits. On the intellectual side, fencing teaches new ways of thinking, and opens many avenues for intellectual research, and these often improve the physical side. The physical side is much more obvious in the skills, which are learnt and used. Renaissance fencing especially is much closer to a combat art than sport fencing and it does supply a lot of the intensity without the downside of physical harm. Fencing teaches gracefulness in its movements, style in its actions and finesse. These all translate into things outside of fencing.

Renaissance fencing, when it comes to tournaments, is competitive. The important thing that needs to be questioned here is why a person should win and also how. There are reasons for this, and each must be considered. Winning can supply a sense of achievement, and an enjoyment of victory, this must be tempered with grace and consideration. It can supply recognition from fellow fencers and this is also a good thing. It can elevate a person’s esteem and prestige; there is a certain amount of glory achieved in winning. Most of all, it demonstrates excellence in a combat art and performance of the skills that have been learned.

With winning comes responsibility. The winning of the tournament may not confer responsibility, but the method of winning the tournament in the first place. What is important here? The method by which you win is important. A person who wins with brute skill and force will not be as respected as a person who wins with grace and style will. It is the influence of the “perpetual gentleman” which changes a person from a duellist into a gentleman. To exhibit courtesy to one’s opponent displays a certain good nature, which the rapier combatant should possess. This will be influenced by a person’s values, and will develop a view of the person by others. This consideration of courtesy should be at the fore whenever a person takes the field in tournaments or in sparring. Is it not more of an achievement to win with grace, style and courtesy than to win by brute force? This should be at the forefront of every rapier combatant’s mind. We are attempting to recreate a gentleman’s art, so shouldn’t we also act like gentlemen in the execution of this art? Consider your own impact upon the arts of defence, do you promote a positive or negative image?

Cheers,

Henry.

What Does Fencing Give the Fencer?

2009-11-23T15:28:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

The fencer puts a great deal of effort into training, acquiring the correct equipment and various other aspects if they want to become a better fencer. How much the fencer puts into this is the measure of their dedication to the art. The question that needs to be asked is, after all of the effort put in by the fencer what do they get back from it? This blog will address some of those things that the fencer gets back from doing fencing. Some of these things will be obvious and others will not be so obvious.

In our dollar-emphasised, capitalist, modern society, the question is always what do I get out of this? It is a question that is asked in the workplace and even in social situations. In the workplace it is pretty easy to see, it is perks, benefits, and a regular payday. In the social situation it can be a little blurry, and for the fencer some of the results of the effort put into their fencing can be very difficult to see.

Clearly, some rewards are obvious, these are usually in the form of such things as trophies, accolades, awards and other prizes usually awarded after a tournament or a period of service to fencing. Depending on what sort of fencing and what sort of structure will depend on which apply to you. These things are nice to get but in many cases they are fleeting in nature. The question that needs to be asked is whether there is more than these physical things.

There are some physical aspects that the fencer will gain without having to win any tournament whatsoever. It is these physical aspects which are the most obvious rewards for the fencer. Fencing will, over time, improve the fitness of the fencer. This is especially the case if they are doing it on a regular basis. The simple cardio-vascular activity which goes on inside the body during fencing will improve the health of the fencer. While the health aspects are some which are the most obvious results of fencing, there are some health aspects which are over-looked. Such things as improvement in self-worth due to the acknowledgement of the skills which have been learnt, and the achievement associated with this. Then there are the skills learnt while fencing. These skills have their most obvious application while fencing, but the fencer will also notice other changes due to these skills being learnt. Their movements will be more fluid and more accurate. This actually leads on to the mental aspects as well.

The fencer actually does develop some mental attributes which are not clearly apparent in a short amount of time to the fencer, but these will surface over time. The fencer will begin to look at things from a different point of view. The thinking fencer especially will begin to notice the movements of their opponent and in some instances be able to predict what the opponent will do without thinking about it. This will begin to be apparent in times outside fencing as well. The important thing is that these mental aspects need to be developed while fencing. Problem solving will also be improved, and one that links with the physical aspects is the movements of the body in a thinking manner. The fencer who develops these mental skills will begin to see them appear more and more in daily life and not just in their fencing.

There are also some social aspects which are present as a result of fencing. Many long-term and indeed life-long friendships can be developed due to a mutual interest in fencing. These friends become such not only in the fencing environment, but also outside of it. There are also other social attributes which are developed. Due to the expected performance of the fencer in social situations notions of manners are also developed if the fencer takes the time to acknowledge their importance. This particular aspect increases their ability to deal with people in the wider community as well. Clearly some accolades recieved fencing will also carry over into the social aspect of people's lives, but these are not as regular as the other rewards which have been mentioned.

While the bulk of the rewards for fencing are hidden, they are present. The important thing is that for these things to develop in the fencer, they must put in the effort in order to develop them. The mental aspects will not develop unless the fencer is actually thinking about what they are doing when fencing. The physical aspects will not be developed without some effort put in and some pushes made. The social aspects will not develop unless the fencer takes on the ideals of fencing etiquette and is willing to express these in the correct situation. Without these more hidden prizes for the fencing, there is very little for the fencer to strive for, and it is often due to this that we see fencers drop off. Instant gratification is not what fencing is about in the long run. True gratification in fencing takes time and it takes effort on the part of the fencing. If this effort is put in then the rewards increase and never end.

Cheers,

Henry.

Pressure in Fencing

2009-11-16T19:30:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Pressure is something that we all have to deal with in our every day lives. This blog is primarily aimed at the idea of pressure in fencing and more to the point suggestions of how it can be dealt with. In fencing pressure can build up for many different reasons and some of these are self-influenced. The result of this pressure is what happens when it actually begins to affect people. The pressure will affect people in different ways and we need to be aware of this, but more importantly is how to deal with the pressure.

Pressure is exerted on people in fencing for different reasons and each one of these reasons has a particular impact on the individual. Any form of examination, whether it is verbal or physical, exerts pressure on the fencer as they are expected to perform. The success of this examination will allow them to progress further, the failure of which will restrict their progress. It is these thoughts which form a great part of the pressure. In the case of tournaments pressure is exerted because of the drive in the individual to win. Even if it is not to win the expectation of a certain level of performance is present.

Expectations form one of the most pervasive forms of pressure placed on the individual. This pressure can either be an internal thing or an external thing. The pressure exerted from others may be something which is explicit or implicit. A teacher or someone else may come up and tell the individual that they expect them to do well in this particular situation, as much as this is encouragement it is also a form of pressure. The implicit pressure is merely from an expectation that the student has learnt a great deal and should do well because of this. Expectations which come from the self are actually much more pervasive than those from the outside. These exert more pressure because there is an expectation which has become a part of our own thoughts and thus while the expectations of others can be ignored to a point, the internal ones are ever-present and in our thoughts. This is also how the external pressures can become internal.

There are three primary results due to pressure being exerted on the individual. Some people go to absolute pieces, some people focus harder on their task, and others do not seem to be affected at all. Obviously the people who go to pieces seem to be feeling the pressure of the situation the most out of the three, but this is not to say that presssure does not affect the other two, even subtly. The people who go to pieces, the pressure is exerted, hits a particular mark and then they go to pieces, all that they have learnt leaves their brain and sometimes they go catatonic. In this situation the pressure will move on toward panic, and the situation will get worse for them. The people who focus, tend to internalise the pressure and use it as a focus for the task which is at hand. They tend to end up so focussed that other that everything else is forgotten or just pushed to one side. The ones who do not seem to be affected actually are affected, but they have internalised it so far that it is just a normal thing for them and nothing to be thought about. The result of this is usually they end up blase about the situation, and this can lead to a lack of focus. Identifying which type of individual you are is the first step in dealing with it.

Pressure exerted on the fencer can result in some specific things and some general things. For some it would seem that they have a loss of ability. They can't seem to perform the techniques which they have learnt effectively. A further stage of this is what I refer to as the "brain-melt". In this situation they have a complete loss of ability and they have no response to the actions of their opponent. This is usually one of the most catasrophic result of the exertion of pressure on a fencer.

There are also physical effects that the fencer will notice in themselves. There is a large flow of adrenaline to the individual. This gives them more energy, but can result in being "twitchy" or the hands shaking. Another result of the boost of adrenaline is an increase in heart rate. Sometimes the increase in heart-rate will actually happen before the burst of adrenaline. This particular causality is the result of the human being's in-built fight or flight response. The increase blood-flow and adrenaline is so that the individual can either fight or fly. The amusing thing about this is that for a large portion of people the brain is programmed toward the flight response. This is not particularly helpful for the fencer. There are other effects that may be noticed, but these are the most common.

The first step toward dealing with pressure is understanding your natural response to it. There are important elements of this that must be taken into account. Many people will focus on the physical aspects of the increase in pressure, but will forget the psychological ones. It is important that both aspects of the situation must be taken into account. The attempt to deal with either of the sets of symptoms alone is futile. Once your own symptoms have been identified then it is possible to move on to dealing with these symptoms.

When pressure takes hold of the individual and the physical symptoms start manifesting, these are usually a result of the psychological ones being in full swing. The first approach is relaxation. Deep breathing to slow the heart-rate down and in order to conserve energy. This actually works very effectively as the blood gets flushed with oxygen allowing the heart to work more easily thus slowing it down and the rest of the body with it. The next part of the process is examining the thought process and removing all of those things which will not have an impact immediately. In this situation, it is especially negative thoughts that need to be removed. The focus on the individual needs to be on the current situation and not what may or may not happen. For the fencer, it is simply dealing with the problem presented by the other fencer. This allows the mind to be cleared and the focus placed on the present.

The other way to deal with pressure is to harness the energy supplied by the physical effects of the pressure applied. This approach works especially well for those who tend to focus rather than the other ones, but this is not to say that they cannot. The increased heart rate and adrenaline supply the body with more energy. This particular approach harnesses this energy and uses it for the current process. Energy is wasted in such things as shaking hands and other twitches, this energy needs to be directed to the purpose at hand. In order to do this the fencer needs to focus on what they are doing and to use the energy supplied on what they are doing. This may require holding some of it back while waiting. Having a constant flow of energy is much more useful than sharp spikes of energy. Of course, it also requires the fencer to allow themselves some leeway in order to open themselves up to more possibilities in their fencing. The important thing is that the energy needs to be focussed at what they are doing rather than being wasted. This can be a difficult approach especially for big tournaments where there are large breaks, but it is possible.

Pressure is present in fencing, the important thing is to know where and why the pressure is being felt. Once that is known then it is possible to go about dealing with the pressure being exerted. It is important that in any approach to dealing with pressure that both aspects, physical and psychological, must be taken into account in order to get the best answer to the situation. The approaches presented are designed to give some ideas about how pressure can be dealt with by the fencer. It is important in all cases that the energy supplied is used effectively in order that it is not wasted, or the energy of the fencer runs out before they have achieved their end. Look at pressure in fencing as one of the problems to deal with, and a challenge to surrmount. Just remember that like any one opponent, it can be beaten.

Cheers,

Henry.

Building an Individual Training Program

2009-11-09T18:04:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

The individual training program is different from the group training program as it is designed to fit an individual. This means that the specific requirements of the individual must be taken into account. In order for the student to get the greatest benefit from the program it is important that it suits them. This can be somewhat trying if sufficient information is not gained from the student to start with. The teacher should not be attempting to build the training program without communication with the student. In this way the program will fit the student better and go further to achieving their aims and also keeping them interested in it.

The individual training program must suit the individual and thus must be individual in nature. This will mean that the program will change dependent on the particular student. There are several different aspects that must be taken into account in order for the program to suit the student the best and these will be discussed in a little detail. In order for the program to be the best for the individual student all of the elements present in the training program must suit the student. This means that information is required from the student in order for this to happen.

The first element that must be taken into account is the student's background. Do they have previous experience in any relevant areas that may assist them? Are there any elements in their background that may hamper their development due to thought processes or physical elements present? Students with experience in martial arts of any kind will already have some background in movement and bio-mechanics. Also they will also have certain movement patterns and thought processes that will have an impact on what they are to learn. This is the same for students who have previous experience in fencing. How this will affect their program and ability will be dependent on the type of fencing they have done, and to some degree the school of thought. Other sports can also have an impact on the program depending on the sport. All of these background elements will have developed a level of conditioning which can be an asset or a detriment depending on their training.

The student's present ability and potential ability is important and must be taken into account. Their present level of ability is important and must be taken into account so that the skills that will be taught are appropriate to the student. This is to ensure that the program does not deal with skills which are too far out of their current ability. This is also dependent on their potential ability. A student who is currently at a lower level may be able to deal with skills at a higher level if the program allows them to build up to the higher level, but this must be present in the program to allow them to do this. If the program is to be built around a particular manual, such as a period manual especially, this must also suit their ability in order that they are able to perform the skills present. Finally in this particular element, personal issues must be taken into account. This includes such things as disabilities, fencing knowledge and also time constraints. All of these elements will affect how the program is built and what sort of program is used.

The final personal element that must be taken into account before developing the program is interest. What sort of level of interest in fencing does the student have? This will affect how rigidly they will stick to the program and also how much they will be willing to spend time doing it. In general, the student with a passing or social interest in fencing will not request a personal training program, and will also have more difficulty sticking to the program. The dedicated fencer will go out of their way to make time in order to train and do what is present in the training program. Their level of interest will also affect how far they want to go with the program. Interest areas are also important. It is less useful to attemtp to teach the French school of fencing to a person who is more interested in the Italian or German. Specific areas of interest are useful as they allow the student to focus on one particular area and this also allows a more focussed training program to be constructed.

Once all of the more personal details have been taken into account with regard to the student, it is then possible to examine the program itself. The purpose of the training needs to be considered next. This is the foundation principle upon which the training program is based. The basic requirement for this to be possible is communcation with the student to find out exactly what they want out of the training program. It is through this process that goals for the training program are set. This will affect what type of program is developed and the focus of the training program. If the student has a specific goal, this is useful as it means that the training program can be tailor-made to strive toward that particular goal. If the student has a more general goal, then the program will be more fluid and will involve skills of general development. It is important that the purpose of the training program is established for both the student and the teacher, in this way they both know the goal of the training program. Once this is established, it will then be possible to examine the type of training program that will be required in order for the goal to be achieved.

There are essentially three types of training program that will be developed for the individual student. The first is the initial training. This is designed to introduce the student to the skills of fencing for the first time. This type of program will introduce the basics of fencing and how the skills all work. In some cases this type of training may be included into the other training program types. The second type is the re-training type. This is designed for the student who has been away from fencing for an extended period of time and is designed to re-introduce them to the skills that they may or may not know. The re-training program may also be used for those who have been rushed through their initial program in order to go over basic skills to establish a foundation from which to progress further. The final type of training is the developmental type. This is designed for the advancement of the skills of the student. In this case the student has already learnt the basics and is looking at advancing their skills to a higher level. This form of training tends to be the most intense version of the program types as the skills are at such a high level and more is required of the student.

The individual training program must be developed between both the student and the teacher. If either attempts to do this by themselves the ultimate goal may be missed. The most important thing is that the training program must suit the student more than it is required to suit the teacher. This means that the goals of the student must come first. Pushing a student into a premade training program is generally futile as it may not have those things that the student is interested in learning or may not go toward the goals that they have set for themselves. While in general every form of training should be suited to the students which are present, the individual training porgram takes this idea to its upper limit as it is purely focussed on the individual. It must be a collaboration between the student and the teacher at all times. Both the student and the teacher have important roles to play in the development of the individual training program and this is very important. Of course, the first thing that needs to happen is that the student actually requests the training program in the first place. Teachers are not mind-readers.

Cheers,

Henry.

Building Co-ordination in Fencing

2009-11-02T21:23:00.000-08:00

Greetings,

Co-ordination is important in fencing as such this blog will be discussing the development of co-ordination in its relationship to fencing. This blog will be partially written from a personal point of view as I have had some co-ordination problems myself. It is hoped that this blog will assist those with some co-ordination issues and realise it is an obstacle that can be surmounted given time and patience. The discussion proper will discuss the question of co-ordination in fencing from two points of view, the mental and the physical. Both of these are important in order to get over this particular hurdle.

Co-ordination or lack thereof can be a real problem in fencing. A lack of co-ordination can lead to elements in fencing being substantially more difficult than they otherwise would be. In the realm of the positive is the fact that it is possible to defeat this particular problem given the time and the patience applied to it. The trick is actually taking the time to figure out what is actually happening. Surprisingly enough for some, all fencing students will feel the bite of a lack of co-ordination some time in their fencing career. For some it may not last long for others it will last for a longer period of time.

This can be as simple as something that just does not work for some inexplicable reason. It is something that can be fought against and that can be defeated. While I do not tend to get very personal in these blogs, for this particular subject I think it is important that I explain some things about myself and the reason why I believe that this problem can be beaten. I am actually naturally uncoordinated. I have a history of being exceptionally clumsy and accident prone, and believe me when I say that I have the hospital records and scars to prove it. In my earlier years as a child I was clumsy enough that it was important enough for my parents to send me along to physiotherapy to get some physical therapy to help the problem. This is something that has plagued my whole life and still does to a point. The important thing here is that with time and patience it is something that you can overcome in fencing, it may just take a little more effort than other people.

There are two different aspects that need to be taken into account when considering the nature of being uncoordinated. The first is the mental side of things and the the second is the physical side of things. Both of these aspects need to be acknowledged in order for the process of dealing with the problem can start. The correct physical processes will train the body how to move. The correct thought processes will train the brain how to think about what is going on and what to do about it. It is the two working in combination that allows a person to master the problem presented.

The mental process of dealing with this particular problem is of great importance. The process, the way that I see things, has four elements or parts which are all important to the process. The first is acknowledgement. You need to acknowledge that there is a problem with what is going on. For some this can be an issue as they don't want to acknowledge that they have a problem. Without this particular step it is impossible to move on to solving the problem. Of course at the other end of the scale is those who obsess about the particular problem and this is equally unhelpful. This moves on to the second part of the mental process.

The second part of the mental process is a positive outlook. You must be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel so to speak. It is not enough to believe that you can do it, you need to know that you can. This is the way that you fight frustration. You acknowledge each little victory. Take one step at a time and keep looking at where you are going. Without the positive mental outlook there is no point in starting the process as it is this that will enable you to keep going through the processes required. Of course, beating up on yourself won't help either.

The next part of the mental process is to start dealing with those negative thoughts that you may have about the process and your ability. You should only be thinking positive things about yourself in this process. Words like clumsy should not be used to describe yourself. These negative thoughts can poison the whole process of development of the skills required to beat the problem. It is actually quite difficult to stay positive about yourself the entire time. Yes, mistakes need to be acknowledged, but they also need to be turned around and used. Mistakes are just another way of not achieving the goal, and thus are a learning process. The reason why which is behind it is more important. This requires concentration, and this is something that is required.

Most of the time in life we do not particularly concentrate on what we are doing. This is because we already know what we are supposed to be doing and how the body is supposed to move. This is because these particular things have been learnt and practiced to the point that we don't have to think about them anymore. In order to defeat uncoordinated feelings, it is important that the focus needs to be on what you are trying to do. Each part of the action needs to be focused upon in order for it to all come together. Often when mistakes are made it is because the concentration has drifted somewhere else for a brief period of time. It is important for the learning process that the brain is trained to concentrate on what is happening. Distractions in this process can lead to problems with the action and also frustrations. In order to achieve the end desired we must be focused on the action being performed.

Once the elements of the mental process are dealt with, it is then possible to look at the physical. What is important is that the aspects of the mental process will reappear in the physical process. These two sets of concepts must work together in order for the end to be achieved. The physical aspects are about training the body in order that it can do what it is supposed to when it is supposed to. The important thing about this is that the actions have to be mentally set in the mind. You need to think about the action and focus upon it. Then the physical side of the action can be dealt with.

In the case of any action in fencing, or any action for that matter, you need to learn the action. In this particular process you need to be focusing on the movements that are being made. For some it will require listening to the description of what is required, and for others it will require watching the action closely. In this process it is important to pay attention to the small movements being made as well as the large ones. This focus will place the action into your mind before you attempt the action. The first time you attempt the action, do it slowly and have someone watch you doing it. Once you get the action correctly then it is time to practice and drill. At first it is best to practice the action alone so that you can train your muscles and tendons exactly what they are supposed to be doing. At the same time you should be going through the description of the action in your mind and making sure it matches up with what your body is doing. Practice the action slowly over and over until you are comfortable with it. Once you can do it comfortably alone you should be able to move on to doing the same action with a partner. Drill the action slowly with a partner to see how your action relates to theirs and how your movement relates to theirs. Once you are performing the correct response at slow speed you should begin to speed up. You should be remaining focused on the action that you are doing. Responses to this action and counters will come later. Remember it is all parts of the action that need to be thought about, the small actions and the large actions. Each element of the action needs to be learnt, practiced and drilled.

In the process of learning an action it is important to think about what you are doing and focus on this. All the elements of the action are important and you need to be able to feel how you are moving. In order to get these movements right you need to be focused on these actions rather than anything else. Find a partner who is willing to allow you to drill slowly so that you can feel the response of the opponent's blade as well. Be approaching the fencing action in this way you will be training both your mind and your body simultaneously. This will make it much easier to learn the action and get over any awkwardness in the action.

The unity of hands and feet in fencing is important they should be moved together and this may take some time for you to get your head around this concept, and get your body to do this. It takes some practice to get them to work together and if you only focus on one element the other will be left behind. In training a skill it is important that you get one movement completed first and then work on the other. In general while the hand should always move before the foot, training the feet first has its advantages. Work on the foot movement of the technique so that you are comfortable moving in this manner. Then once you are comfortable with this move on to the hand movement, first alone and then in combination with the foot movement. This division of an action into single movements is a great advantage when learning and this process can be applied to all actions in fencing.

All fencing actions can be divided into separate movements. This goes for the simplest as well as the most complex. For example, the thrust is actually the combination of the movement of the shoulder and the movement of the wrist. The shoulder moves the arm and the wrist moves the point to the appropriate target. In this way the movement can be practiced as two actions and then worked together to form a single motion. Movements in fencing should be stacked like bricks one building on the other, in this way you can focus on a single movement which will add to another and another until the technique is completed as a complete movement. This takes more time than attempting to do the whole technique as a single action, but it is better for the assimilation of the movement into a fencing routine. During this process it is important to accept the achievement of getting the technique right. This praise is useful as it motivates you to move on to more complex actions.

Being uncoordinated in fencing can be extremely frustrating as this may result in taking much more time in order to learn an action. The important thing is that with work it is not an insurmountable obstacle. It is important that you get your mind in the right place first and also your body. Work on the actions from a mental as well as a physical point of view. Work on the actions in simple terms, dividing a technique into individual actions and this will assist your process to learning them greatly. Take the time needed to learn the action before moving on to other things. There are people who can help you with this and who will be willing to take the time required, all you need to do is be able to find them, and also be strong enough in yourself to be able to ask for help in the learning of the actions.

Cheers,

Henry.

Time and Distance

2009-10-27T23:31:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

This blog is about time and distance as will be noted by the title. This will be a discussion about these concepts and will examine the various elements involved in each of them. First the importance of these concepts to fencing will be discussed. Along with an important realisation about them that must be highlighted in order to understand them properly. Following this will be a discussion of each one of the concepts in some detail in order that each one of the parts of time and distance can be understood.

Time and Distance are key concepts in fencing and indeed all martial arts. Any form of martial arts which involves the engagement of two combatants with one another will involve elements of time and distance. They are so important that they should be included in some way in every lesson that is taught in fencing. They are also important to the development of the fencer as with out them their understanding of what they are doing will be severely limited. Only with a complete understanding of these concepts and how they apply to fencing will the fencer be able to excel. One of the most important realisations of these concepts is that they are relative and not concrete. This means that they cannot be measured in increments of seconds for time or metres or feet and inches for distance.

Time is also known as tempo, in many ways these two terms are interchangeable, so when one is spoken about so is the other. Tempo is about the relative movements of the individual and the opponent. This is important as often time is discussed only with the movement of the individual. It is important that the moevements of the opponent must also be taken into account in order to understand this principle completely. It was stated by Di Grassi that every movement is accomplished in time. What he is stating is that each movement takes time. This is a basic understanding of the concept, but it in some way fails to bring to light that it is not only movement that must be taken into account but stillness as well.

A motion of stillness, or the lack of movement is also a tempo. Thus when counting the tempos it is important that an action must be completed and there is a stillness there. For example, the parry and riposte is counted as such, there is one tempo for the start of the movement, a stillness. There is a tempo involved in the action of the parry, a movement. There is a tempo in the completion of the parry a stillness. There is a tempo involved in the movement of the riposte, and finally a tempo in the completion of the parry, a stillness. In this there will be counted five tempos used.

Time is a concept, timing is the action performed in relation to an opponent. In this it must be noted that while time describes all actions in fencing, timing discusses the actions of fencing in relation to an opponent's actions. It is important that both of these are understood. Time is the overall concept but, timing is also important as it describes the movements in action against an opponent who is also moving. With regard to this time must be understood as a concept, while timing must be felt while fencing against an opponent.

There are some important elements that must be understood with regard to time in order for it to be completely understood. In general for the starting student most of their actions as described by the teacher will be completed in dui tempo, or double time. This means that they will be encouraged to make a solid defence before attempting to make any sort of counter against their opponent. This ensures that the combatant is safe from their opponent's attack before any counter is made.

Stesso tempo, often called single time, literally means self time. This is an action which combines the action of defence and counter-attack in a single motion, hence being referred to as single time. This motion is often developed from the smooth motion of a fencer who knows dui tempo well and is able to combine the two actions into a single one. What is important with regard to this concept is that there is a defence made, but it is done in combination with the counter-offensive action.

Contra-tempo, means against time. This means that an attack is launched when the fencer should be parrying the opponent's attack. What is important in this particular concept is that the attack is not launched without any concept of defence, the defence is usually ensured by displacement of the body or the blade engagement witht the opponent. Without this defence in place it would be highly likely that both fencers will be struck.

Mezzo tempo, or half time, is one of the more difficult concepts to understand. What it means is that an action is performed in the middle of the opponent's action in order to counter it. This is often confused with contra-tempo. The most common action performed in mezzo tempo is an attack to the opponent's hand or arm as it is moved forward in the attack, a stop hit to this part of the body. This effectively counters the opponent's attack before it is completed. This is the primary goal of the mezzo tempo action, to counter the action of the opponent before it is completed.

The slowest form of time is dui tempo as more tempos are spent in its action, but it is also the safest from the straight attack. Stesso tempo is highly effective when used and very fast as it uses very few tempos in its execution. The same could be said of contra-tempo as a similar action is often being performed when compared to stesso tempo. Of the times mezzo tempo is actually the fastest as it counters the opponent's action before it is allowed to be completed, this in half time. What needs to be taken into account with regard to these concepts is how they affect fencing and how each of them use time to their advantage, and what each advantage gains the opponent. This is one of the keys to developing timing.

With regard to time there is also the concept of the time of the hand and the time of the foot, these being the two most dominant. The time of the hand is any movement involving the use of the hand or the arm. The time of the foot is any movement of the feet. For the fencer it is important to realise that the time of the hand is faster than the time of the hand, and this needs to be taken into account. The hand should always be moved before the foot, this sounds contradictory to the speeds which have been described, but it is important that the defence, or offence of the weapon is in place before the foot moves the body. This is most important in the lunge. If the foot is moved forward first the body is presented as a target. If the hand is moved forward first then a threat is aimed at the opponent which they must deal with before being able to attack. The same things apply in defence. A parry should be made before a retreat is made in order to control the opponent's weapon for the same reason that the hand is moved first in the lunge.

Distance, also known as measure or misura. These terms are interchangeable and as with time it is a relative measurement which is dependent on the movements of both the individual and the opponent. Both of the combatants can and often do affect the measure. Every movement of the fencers either increases or decreases the measure. It must be realised that if only one moves then the measure is changed, if both move the measure may or may not be changed. It is the movement of the body through the use of footwork that increases or decreases measure. The choice of whether to move to increase or decrease the measure is dependent on the particular situation and the preference of the combatants.

With regard to measure there are two main distances which are discussed, stretta and larga, narrow and wide distance. Misura stretta, narrow distance, is where the combatants can reach one another by a simple extension of the arm, with or without the assistance of the body. Misura larga, wide distance, is where the combatants can only reach one another through the movement of the feet and the extension of the arm, with or without the assistance of body movement. These are two important concepts as they are integrally involved in the motions of fencing. Most simple attacks will be made at the misura stretta where a simple thrust is sufficient to strike the opponent, whereas more complex actions are required for use of an attack at misura larga. A fencer's on guard position should be adopted at the misura larga because the opponent requires foot movement in order to attack and this is more easily visible than a simple hand movement. This is related to the time of the hand and foot which were discussed previously. Essentially, misura larga is at the time of the foot whereas misura stretta is all at the time of the hand.

Two distances which are often not discussed as much as narrow and wide distance are close distance and out of distance. Close distance is a measure inside that of misura stretta, while out of distance is a distance outside that of misura larga. Close distance is often the result of two combatants closing with one another while at misura stretta, while out of distance is usually the result of one of the combatants retreating while at misura larga. Close distance as described is referred to by Capo Ferro as extra narrow distance or misura strettissima and is most often used for the execution of the mezzo tempo attack as described above, but it can also be used to refer to the situation as described above. Out of distance or fuori misura, is where the fencers cannot reach one another even with the use of a foot movement.

Some fencers may have a preference for a particular distance. This is often based on where they feel that they can gain the greatest advantage out of the situation. What is most important is that this consideration should be made dependent on the opponent rather than any personal preference. It would be foolish to close with an opponent who prefers to fight close, and it would be foolish to stay at range with an opponent who prefers that distance. With regard to this any preference for distance can actually limit the fencer, in all cases the fencer should be adept at being able to use distance to their advantage and use the distance which is most appropriate to the situation.

Just as time is affected by distance, so too is distance affected by time. At the misura stretta all actions are at the time of the hand, this makes for very fast movements and often single tempos being used. At misura larga actions are at the time of the foot, and thus two tempos are required for the effective use of an action, one of the foot and one of the hand in order to reach the opponent. At misura strettissima, half tempo actions are used this can make for a very messy situation if the combatants are struggling with one another. In general, when combatants are at fuori misura actions are much to slow to be performed against the opponent due to the time taken to close the distance. These examples describe the important relationship between the two concepts, and it must be realised that the should not be talked about separately as they are so intertwined.

Time and distance are two concepts without which a true understanding of fencing is not possible. They should be integrated into every lesson that is taught by the teacher so that the students get used to using the terms and how they affect fencing. It is important that the concepts which have been presented are understood not only alone but also in association with one another. Time and distance are very much intertwined and to discuss one means discussing the other. More than understanding the concepts the fencer must also be able to apply these and understand where they are present while actually fencing. This develops a feeling for the concepts while they are in motion and with this feeling the fencer will have a great advantage over an opponent who does not understand them and cannot feel them in motion.

Cheers,

Henry.

Building Self-Confidence

2009-10-20T18:27:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Going by the title of this particular blog one could assume that this is going to be some sort of "make people happy" discussion. Actually, that is not the point of view that will be the focus of this one. In this particular case the subject of self-confidence will be addressed from two points of view. Firstly it will be examined from the student's point of view and then from the teacher's point of view. The purpose of this blog is to address the idea of how both the teacher and the student can build self-confidence in the student. This is an important process that both the student and the teacher need to be aware of in order for the student to excell.

From the student's point of view, there are three main points that will be raised. Firstly that training is a learning process and mistakes will be made. Secondly, the importance of practice and how it builds skill and thus confidence, and finally being comfortable in what you are doing. Each one of these particular points is important and needs to be addressed in order for the student to build confidence in themselves.

Fencing and training is a learning process, in this there will be mistakes made by the student in what they are doing. What is important about this is that the student needs to learn from these mistakes, in this way the mistake made is not a failure but a chance for the student to learn and improve what they are doing. The learning process takes time. This is important as the student must realise that it will take time for them to learn skill-sets and be able to use them effectively in fencing. Fencing is a long road if it is approached from the correct point of view and they will never stop learning. When something is done well it should be celebrated. The student should take pride in all of their achievements, no matter how small they might be, but this must be in proportion to the level of the achievement, and also through this not become over-confident. This achievement should spur them on to want to do more.

It is practice that builds skill, and skill that builds confidence. Needless to say, practice is required for all of the skills in fencing so that they can be called upon and used at anytime that the student requires them. In this practice the student needs to be practicing the correct action in order that the correct action is learnt. In this the teacher should be correcting them in order tha this is possible, and to a point the student should also be correcting themselves. The action performed must be completed. Where the drill involves a parry and riposte, both actions need to be completed in order for the student to learn the correct thing. Where the parry is missed, the student should correct the parry, and then make the appropriate riposte. This is the same for all actions. It is this sort of repetition that builds muscle memory and allows a student to perform an action without thinking about it. Much in these blogs has already been said about practice, but it is something which is vital for the student to keep progressing.

Being comfortable in what a person is doing is about several things. Firstly it is necessary for them to understand what they are doing and what it is suppose to achieve. Next it is important to understand the effect of the action and the parts that are involved in the action. This understanding will enable the student to have a better grasp of what they are doing and thus be more comfortable with it. Once the mind is prepared it is important for the body to be able to feel what is happening. Performing an action slowly will allow the student to feel the activation of muscles and other parts of their body. This will enable them to perform the action properly at faster speeds once they can feel what their body is doing during the performance of the action. Each student will find things that feel more comfortable for them. In some cases there may be some modification in the action required for the action to work for them, and this is fine. It is important for the student to discover what works for them and thus enable them to develop a level of comfort for themselves in their actions. Of course, the development of this level of comfort in an action will take time, especially for a new action. It is important that the teacher allows the student to take the time that they need in order for them to become comfortable with an action. An action which is comfortable for the student will more readily be used by them.

From the teacher's point of view, there are also three main points that will be raised. The teacher's purpose in training is an important factor in building self-confidence in the student. Next is encouragement and how it can be effective in building self-confidence through building the student. Lastly is the idea of relaxation on the part of the student in order that they can more freely learn what needs to be learnt. Rather than specific points of reference for the teacher, it will be a general discussion focussed on the particular sub-topics presented.

The purpose of the teacher needs to be something that the teacher is aware of. In teaching their purpose is to develop skill in the student, rather than simply demonstrating how good they are to the student. It is important that this focus is maintained by the teacher in order that they do not get side-tracked into simply contradicting the actions of the student. Along with this, the teacher must get hit. The hit should be the result of a correct technique performed by the student and not simply the teacher just standing there. This may be required for the most timid of the students, but in general the hit should result from a correctly performed technique. In this particular aspect, once the teacher has taught a student a particular technique, and they are getting them to perform the action, they should neve counter the correct technique as this builds negative reinforcement associated with the technique. If there is a counter, this should be taught as a separate section. The student should be allowed to complete the action as described. The teacher must allow the student to complete the action and to perform it as it was taught, if there are problems, the teacher should correct them once the action is complete. Being that it is the training of the student which is the focus, the teacher must also know the difference between training and bouting. Training is designed to reinforce a particular action, in this the person who is supposed to get hit, should. This is the same for drills as well, the action needs to be completed. This is where the focus of the teacher must be toward teaching the student.

Encouragement is important and necessary. The student should be praised for a skill well performed. This encourages the student to complete action and gives them a boost in order to move on to the next action. It is important that the encouragement is not over-used, but measured in proportion to the achievement of the student. This will also reinforce the validity of the action taught and performed. Encouragement is especially necessary where a student is having problems. This may be problems with a particular technique, or overall. In both cases, the teacher needs to find little victories to encourage the student to continue along their path, without this encouragement the student may give up. When an action is performed as per a drill, the action must be allowed to be completed, unimpeded by the teacher. Encouragement should be given for the performance of the action completed. Encouragement goes a large way toward building confidence in the student, and especially confidence in their skills.

For some students, relaxation in the performance of skills is difficult, but it is also important in order that they are able to perform the action without hesitation and more fluidly. It is important that the student is focussed on what they are doing, but not so much that they become tense. This tension needs to be relieved in some manner or other. This can be achieved through light-hearted anecdotes, but the student should not be criticised in these. Tension will be built by the student over-thinking an action. This often comes from looking outside the technique being taught. It is important that the students focus on the particular technique being taught, rather than worrying about what comes next or what might happen. Over-thinking an action will increase tension which will make the action more difficult to perform. If the muscles are relaxed, and thus lack tension, the action will be much easier to perform. This is the primary reason that relaxation is important, it allows for better performance of actions. Of course true relaxation comes from confidence, and this must be built. This confidence needs to be built one technique at a time, and then stacked in order to complete the picture.

Self-confidence is important for both the student and the teacher, without it neither could perform. It is also important that both are able to improve the level of self-confidence by both their actions and also their attitude toward training and the training process. The student needs to consider how what they are doing can build their own confidence in what they are doing, but the teacher also has a role to play in this. Victories need to be celebrated, especially where the road toward it has been difficult for the student and the teacher. Of course, such victories need to be celebrated in proportion to their merit otherwise over-confidence will build and this will be to the detriment of the student and the teacher. In all as fencers all need to consider how they affect and are affected by the actions of ourselves and others in the building of self-confidence. The students in a class all have a role to play for themselves and one another. The building of self-confidence in the student needst to be a partnership between the student and the teacher.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bio-mechanics and the Effect of Body Shape

2009-10-12T21:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Bio-mechanics is something that as fencers is often ignored. What is important is that there are many elements of bio-mechanics which can be very useful to the fencer if they are understood. Being that fencing is the actions performed by the body and this is affected by bio-mechanics. This blog will be addressing some of the elements of bio-mechanics from a very basic point of view which affect the fencer. It is more designed to encourage the fencer to consider bio-mechanics and their effect.

Bio-mechanics is something which most fencers will not take into account in their fencing, but it is something that really cannot be ignored. This particular element effects all of the actions on fencing and needs to be considered, even if it is only to examine in from a personal point of view about how the individual moves. For the teacher, bio-mechanics becomes more important especially in dealing with students of different body shapes. It is important to realise that a brief study in the elements of bio-mechanics can greatly assist in fencing, and also the teaching of fencing. The awareness of bio-mechanics and how it can affect your fencing will greatly enhance the fencer's ability to perform.

There are some supposed advantages and disadvantages in body shape when fencing is considered. The tall fencer with the long arms, in general, is supposed to have an advantage over the shorter individual with shorter arms. This is due to the range that the tall individual has and their ability to move because of their long limbs. Even with this taken into account it does not mean that the shorter individual has no hope of excelling in fencing, actually quite the opposite. While the longer limbed individual has an advantage at range this can be taken away, thus both the advantages and the disadvantages must be taken into account when considering body shape and its effect on bio-mechanics. Each fencer needs to be able to use their body shape to their advantage, and needs to consider how bio-mechanics can enhance their advantages while compensating for some of the disadvantages.

It has already been stated that bio-mechanics will have an effect on all the movement elements of fencing, but it also needs to be realise that it will have an effect even on the individual's on guard position. In the on guard position, especially for Renaissance fencers, there are choices to be made with regard to the on guard position. Even when considering the basic on guard position with the weapon held in the natural on guard position of third or terza, there are elements which can come into effect which will affect the way the fencer moves. The first choice is with regard to the feet, sword foot forward or off-hand foot forward. This will affect the body position in the on guard position and change the options available, and affect those options which are available. The refused stance promotes the off-hand for use in defence. The forward stance promotes the sword. The refused stance withdraws the body, the forward pushes it more forward along with the weapon. Next is the consideration of whether the weapon is extended or more withdrawn, this will affect the way the weapon will be used and also the timing of the actions. All of these elements, even in the on guard stance, are affected by bio-mechanics.

Bio-mechanics also has an effect on the actions of fencing. This is because all of the actions are the result of the movement of the body and therefore are reliant on bio-mechanics for their effect. If a person understands how bio-mechanics affects their actions they can learn how to do them better, and one of the keys to this is flowing through the action. The action performed needs to be moved through and completed in a fluid motion. Some fencers will attempt to use their strength in the performance of the action, it is important that where the action is performed fluidly and accurately there is very little strength required for the action to be effective. This is a perfect example of how bio-mechanics affects the performance of an action, and how it is the body movement of the fencer that really needs to be considered in the action. This needs to relate to the fencer and how they move naturally.

The choice of which action to perform against the action of the opponent will come down to personal preference in all cases, but if the bio-mechanics of the individual are understood this choice can be more informed and thus more suited to the situation and the individual. The choice of how to approach a particular situation should be dependent on what the individual knows works best for them. This is mostly based on bio-mechanics and what actions they will prefer to perform against an opponent. In the performance of an action the fencer should consider what will give them the greatest advantage over the opponent. In all cases a mechanical advantage should be gained, this is also based on bio-mechanics. It does not rely on strength, in fact the use of a lack of strength against a strong opponent can be very effective. This particular effect can also be seen in the choice of measure. The shorter individual will need to get closer to the opponent in order to strike, thus there must be a consideration of how they can get there safely. The taller person will want to keep the opponent at range. These two choices are purely based on bio-mechanics.

Some of the effects of bio-mechanics on fencing have been discussed. What is important is that the actions can be modified to suit the individual. Each teacher will teach actions in a particular way, these are the base elements that need to be considered in the actions. Where the bio-mechanics of the individual have an effect on the action is where a consideration needs to be made as to how the action can be changed to suit the individual. It is important to utilise the advantages that you have and minimise the disadvantages. If something does not work for the fencer they need to consider why and how their own personal bio-mechanics will affect the action being performed. The action should then be modified to suit the individual in order that they can be more effective in their movements. One of the most important things here is that the fencer needs to fight the game that suits them and not let their opponent dominate what is happening. The fencer needs to move and to perform those actions which will give them and advantage over their opponent. This will take practice.

Bio-mechanics affects all the actions of the fencer and this needs to be considered, even if on the most basic level. A person who can utilise these particular principles will have an advantage over the opponent who has not considered them. Fencers need to examine their own movements and consider how they move and why the perform the actions of fencing in the way that they do. Once this is done elements can be considered as to how they can change this to suit their own body and thus move more effectively. Teachers need to take bio-mechanics into account in their teaching in order that they can teach their students to be more effective in their movements and also teach each student to take the advantages that they have and increase them. While it is often not considered on any conscious level, bio-mechanics is important to the fencer and needs to be considered.

Cheers,

Henry.

Fencing Movies - Problems with Getting it Right

2009-10-06T20:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Movies with fencing in them are there for the entertainment of the people who view them. All fencers enjoy a good fencing movie. All remember the fencing scene at the top of the cliff in "The Princess Bride". The problem is that quite frequently experienced fencers will look at these movies and see holes in the technique and the actions of the combatants. This blog is a brief investigation into the problems with getting such things right, and also continuing to make them saleable for the general public, as unfortunately the educated fencing community seems to be rather small for budgeting an entire movie around. Various aspects will be addressed and considered.

The first problem that is encountered in the making of a fencing movie is the approach. It is a question of choreography versus combat. The purpose of the combat in a movie is to enhance the scene and develop dramatic elements between the combatants involved in the action. The purpose of an encounter between two fencers is a test of skill which is the focus of the encounter, considerations of their relationship to one another is usually not considered. Thus the big difference here is that one set of action is an attempt to tell a story while the other is a martial engagement between two individuals for the purpose of the encounter, rather than for developing a storyline. This particular situation leads to other elements of great importance to this particular topic.

Fencers are trained to strike their opponents with their weapons. Admittedly there is a level of control behind this striking, but the intention is to strike the opponent before he strikes you. For the actor involved in a dramatic situation, the last thing they want to do is to actually strike their opponent. Stringent safety precautions are laid into the training in order that the actors do not strike one another. Anytime that one actor happens to hit the other is usually the result of a lapse in judgement or a break from a set routine. This is a fundamental difference that must be taken into account. Intent is important and the intent of an action more so.

Fencers use tactical considerations for the actions that they will use against their opponent. They will use the most efficient method of striking their opponent while at the same time ensuring that they are not struck. This differs greatly from the actor. The actor has a set of choreographed actions which were developed by the fight director of the movie for the actor to perform in order to portray the action required by the director. There are no real tactical considerations here in the hands of the actor at all. The actions are controlled not by the person holding the weapon but by someone else, thus the actor is not free to change an action in order to be more efficient or in order to avoid an action which will result in defeat. Their fate, or the fate of their character has already been determined by the director and writer. This is obviously not the case for the fencer, who is in control of their own actions and responses to their opponent's actions.

Both actors and fencers are involved in training in order that they are prepared for the encounter with their opponent, but the training is different for the two and also the length is also different. While a fencer will spend months and years perfecting their technique in order to improve themselves, the actor has a much shorter period of time. On average the actor has about six weeks in order to learn all that they need to in order to perform the actions that are set by the fight director and the director of the movie. This truncates the training of the individual quite markedly. This is not to say that there are not actors who are also fencers, this is simply not the case as Basil Rathbone clearly proves. The thing is that the actions learn by the actor are set moves which are performed for the movie. While there is a basic introduction to what the actor is supposed to be doing the main focus is on those actions as determined by the director and the fight director. It is only this set of moves which is the focus for the actor. If the fencer limits themselves to a predetermined set of actions this would limit them a great deal and would not make a very effective fencer.

The image presented in movies is quite different from the actual nature of fencing. The image depicted by the movie is dependent on many factors and what sort of story the director wants to portray in the movie. This is of great importance. "By the Sword" depicts some elements of sport fencing in it. Some of the training is addressed, but the main focus in this is to depict the actions of the fencers as having speed and elegance once trained properly. This is reflected by their actions before and after training has been done. Still, though the actions are limited by what was required for the movie. Swashbuckling movie such as "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "The Three Musketeers" want to portray something different and thus the actions are different. The most important thing in this respect is that movies tend to focus on the flash and the bash. The sound of steel on steel and the large flowing actions of the characters in the movie. The use of the weapon is dependent on the character being depicted. Certain actions will be used by some characters and not by others, this enables some character development through physical actions. This is all quite different from actual fencing where economy of action is the focus and being the most effective against the opponents being the prime objective.

One of the problems that seems to come up again and again is a lack of research by the individuals involved in making the movies. This is evident in several places. Assumptions have been made about weapons and armour and this affects how the action is depicted. A great deal of this is attributable to 19th century fencing historians, but still there are some issues that can be brought to light where there are problems.

The first assumption which is often made is about armour. It is often assumed to be heavy and thus extremely limiting on the actions of the combatants. Anyone who has used armour which is fitted the right way will know that movement, while limited somewhat is not limited to the degree often depicted in movies. Research into the correct construction and wearing of armour is important in order that it can be depicted properly. Armour which is constructed properly and for the wearer is much less restrictive than several movies would like us to believe. A perfect example of this can be seen in "A Knight's Tale" where one of the knights is hoisted on to his horse. While this did happen much later in the Renaissance period where tilting armour was very heavy, it simply was not true for most of it.

The next area which needs to be investigated and researched by those making the movies is about the weapons themselves. Some would have us believe that weapons of the medieval period were heavy and unwieldy. Proper research into their construction and make will reveal that this simply was not the case. The sword of the medieval period was a precision weapon, and not one used for simple bludgeoning of the opponent. This is also reflected in the many Renaissance period texts on the use of such weapons. Simple bashing at the opponent was not the objective, there was a great amount of technique present as can be seen in the texts presented by such individuals as Liechtenauer, Talhoffer and other masters of the art of the sword. Some movies would also have us believe that the thin elegant rapier was as effective at cutting as some of its medieval counter-parts. This is simply not the case. While there were some rapiers which were somewhat effective at cutting, its prime use was the use of the point of the weapon. The weapon was simply too thin, in most cases, to perform the slashing and cleaving cuts which are so often presented in movies.

Added to all of these misconceptions about weapons and armour, the background of the fight director needs to be taken into account in the examination of the weapons and their use. A fight director whose main area of expertise is sport fencing will depict the use of weapons primarily based on this particular mode of fighting. This is appropriate to some weapons, especially those of the 18th century and later, but ones previous cannot have the same said of them. It is important that the fight director actually investigates the weapons being used in the movie in order that they can be depicted properly. This is where Renaissance martial artists and other researchers will be of great help to them. Needless to say, only the correct research will enable the weapon and the armour to be depicted properly.

While a great deal has been said about the problems associated with weapon-based combat as depicted in movies, it must also be said that there have been some great improvements over the years in the depiction of various period weapons in movies and their associated combats. One example of this is the difference between the 1993 version of "The Three Musketeers" and the later 1998 "Man in the Iron Mask". The formers' fencing is primarily based on sport fencing as can be seen by much of the action, whereas the later has a great deal more fighting which is more depicted like the weapons of the period. As research into period weapons improves and becomes evident to fight directors and directors, the depiction of fencing in movies will improve, so long as this research is taken into account. There have been several movies released relatively recently in which the historical nature of the movie has been more and more evident, along with the use of the weapons in these movies. "Kingdom of Heaven" is a prime example of this particular trend toward an increase in research in the period associated with the particular movie being depicted and the use of weapons and armour in the movie.

Movies with fencing in them are very entertaining to watch for the fencing community and also the general public. There are many of them out there, some of them are good, some of them are not so good. It is important that for the fencer that these movies are looked at both from the perspective of the educated fencer, but also from how the general public will see it. Questions about what this movie is attempting to depict as well as what sort of angle the director has taken in depicting the movie are important. If fencing is depicted totally accurately, much of the general public will not understand what is going on in the movie and thus will lose interest in it. The fight director's art must be respected as the depiction of any form of sword combat on the stage or screen is not a simple thing to achieve, but also considerations should be made on their part in order that this depiction will improve and thus represent fencing as it should be. Enjoy movies for what they are, they can teach us much.

Cheers,

Henry.

Brutal Fencing - A Discussion of Aggression

2009-09-30T18:50:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Aggression is an element which must be taken into account in all forms of fencing. It is also something that can lead to brutal play where there is the high chance that a fencer may injure their opponent. Obviously this is something that we need to avoid for many reasons. This blog will be a discussion of aggression and how it can be related to this important subject.

“One problem in fencing is brutal play that leads to injury. This is neither good for the individuals injured, nor good for fencing when fencing’s image becomes that of a dangerous activity.” (Evangelista, 2000:71)

In the question of aggression there is the question of the use of aggression and also overt aggression. The nature of attacking an opponent implies a level of aggression that is required, if the fencer is totally passive they will not attack their opponent at all and as such from this point of view there is a level of aggression that is required. The problem here is that sometimes a fencer may get taken away by their aggressive state and this can lead to problems. It is this being taken away by the aggression that can lead to overt aggression that needs to be avoided, and this is the case for both on and off the fencing arena.

Overt aggression is a situation where the fencer cannot control their aggressive tendencies and this can lead to bad habits forming and also other problems. This form of aggression can lead to brutal play which is something that all fencers should avoid. In this idea of brutal play there are some areas which are undefined. There are some inherently brutal styles of combat, but even these need to be tempered with a level of control in order that the opponent is not injured in the execution of such a style.

"Aggressive: adj. having or showing determination and energetic pursuit of your ends" (wordnetweb.princeton.edu/perl/webwn)

The purpose of facing an opponent in fencing is to match their skills against them. In this the fencer will be striving for victory over their opponent. In the current day and age it is not the purpose to utterly defeat our opponent and totally put them out. This particular aspect ceased as soon as the sword was not used in combat. It is an important consideration that needs to be in the back of the fencer's mind whenever they take to the field. The way that an opponent is defeated will project an image of the fencer to others who are watching, and also the opponent. This image is important as it will be attached to the fencer's reputation as a fencer regardless of the form of fencing that the fencer is doing. In this the method used to gain victory must be considered, and must be considered to be important to the fencer.

A clean victory against the opponent where it is reliant on pure technique should be the goal of the fencer regardless of the form of fencing and regardless of the opponent. This form of victory will lead to a greater level of respect and renown for the fencer. If the fencer relies upon being purely aggressive in their fencing this will be noted by other fencers can result in notoriety rather than respect for the fencer. This form of fencing is less clean, and if the fencer is focussed on the win and nothing more it is what can result out of the encounter. The overt use of aggression in an encounter will be noted by the opponent and the other fencers who are watching the encounter. This also relates to the use of force as related to the use of technique.

The fencer has a choice of using force or technique in an attack and depending on what they choose will decide the result. An attack which uses force to force its way through the opponent's defence is using the muscles of the fencer in order to overcome the defence of the opponent. An attack which uses technique in order to defeat the opponent's attack uses the founding principles upon which fencing is based in order to strike the opponent. In the former, the muscles are tensed and are used to a great degree. This form of attack uses a great deal of energy and due to the overt use of muscle and force will tend to be less accurate than the attack which uses technique. It is also the case that often this form of attack will also be delivered against the target with more force and thus a higher likelihood of resulting in injury. In an attack which is delivered using technique, the muscles and the fencer are much more relaxed. The fencer relies on their control of the weapon and the principles of fencing in order to deliver the attack. This attack is more likely to be more accurate, and will also be delivered against the opponent with less force and thus less chance of injury to the opponent. The attack with technique relies upon the discipline and control of the fencer.

Discipline and control are related very much so. In order to have control this takes a great deal of discipline as this control is developed through practice and application of technique. From another point of view control is also necessary for discipline as the fencer needs to be able to control their actions enough in order to be able to develop discipline in their actions. These two aspects are directly related to the idea of aggression and the results of it. Where the fencer is able to control their aggression, they can apply the aggressive tendencies to the performance of a controlled action, which is more likely to succeed. This means that even though they are being aggressive, it is controlled in the application of the technique, still, however the fencer needs to be careful that the result of the technique will not injure their opponent. Where control is lost and aggression rules, there will be little consideration of technique and the fencer will use anything at their disposal in order to strike their opponent. It is important that discipline and control are applied to the aggressive tendencies in order that control is maintained over the weapon.

What is control? What is the control applied to? How can aggression be controlled? Control is the application of self-discipline to a situation. In fencing this means that control is applied to how the body is moved and how the weapon is moved as a result. This control is also over the individual's mental state during fencing. The loss of temper or loss of control over the aggressive nature, is a failure of self-discipline on the part of the fencer. Thus it is both physical and mental aspects in the fencer which need to be controlled through the use of self-discipline. The idea of controlled aggression would seem to some to be an alien concept. The common feeling is that aggression is not controlled at all and the use of such can only be a detriment to the fencer. This is actually not the case. Through the application of self-discipline aggression can be controlled and thus applied with a measure of safety. It is only when the aggressive tendencies take over that the fencer becomes dangerous to themself and their opponent. A controlled aggression will mean that the fencer knows how far to go and when to stop before causing a problem. Aggression can be seen to be a bad thing in fencing, but it is really only when the fencer loses control of such aggression that problems will start.

One of the most important things about fencing in the modern world is that in general fencing is done with friends. The antagonistic scenario for which fencing was originally designed has fallen by the wayside for the greater part in favour of a sporting or recreational pursuit. What this means is that there is really no reason why a person should be injured deliberately during fencing. More to the point, such behaviour is seen in a negative light. A certain level of injury is liable to happen due to the contact nature of the recreation, but this should be minimised as much as possible. Part of this can be achieved through protective equipment, but a larger part comes from the control of the actions of the participants. Injuries which result from brutal or overtly aggressive play reflect badly upon the fencer, but they also reflect badly on the activity itself and this is a vital consideration for all fencers, regardless of their type of fencing. Injuries make fencing seem as though it is a dangerous activity and this does not encourage others to join and does nothing for the image of fencing at all. Remember for the most part that fencing takes place with our friends and injuring these people is a bad thing that should be avoided. Injuring friends is a good way to lose them and also have others lose respect for the fencer.

It is the duty of the fencer to ensure that they are taking as safe an approach to fencing as possible in order that the recreation is able to be maintained and for it to be available for future generations. Aggression is a part of fencing, this is something that cannot be avoided. The act of attempting to strike an opponent with a weapon is aggressive in its nature, but this aggression can be controlled. Due consideration needs to be made by the fencer of their performance of the art, and also especially with regard to the level of control they have over their own aggression. Brutal play should be discouraged strongly in all aspects of fencing, regarless of the type of fencing being performed. Where the aggression takes over the fencer injuries can happen quite easily. Self-discipline and control are of vital importance to the safe and better performance of fencing.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bibliography
Evangelista, N. (2000) The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit, Masters Press, Illinois, USA

Psychology of Fencing: Things to Consider

2009-09-21T17:13:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

There are many psychological factors which have a great influence on your fencing. These need to be considered when you are fencing. Before the bout there are aspects which you should take into account, but there are also factors which will impact during the bout. It is important that these things are considered. This blog is more of an introduction to the idea of the psychology of fencing and will introduce some of the aspects that should be considered. It is important to realise that not all of the aspects will be considered here, but it will touch on some important points for consideration.

Before a bout there are various things that should be considered. The preparation before a bout with an opponent is important and there are advantages that can be gained before a person steps out on to the field. Some of these things are quite simple and are often overlooked by fencers. The usual thing is that people tend to throw their armour on and then go onto the field. For the more experienced fencers, these other aspects may come normally, but for others, they may not be so natural and thus must be considered as to what needs to be done, rather than just appearing on the field in a state of semi-readiness.

Information can be gained about the opponent before the bout which can be of great use. Observe the opponent in previous bouts if you are able to, the skills that they use will tell you something about them. Do they rely on the same techniques each time? Is there any restriction that they have placed upon themselves due to this preference? What gaps does this leave?

The handedness of the opponent is also important as this will change how the opponent should be apporached. Are they left-handed or right-handed? This is one that is often forgotten. A left-handed opponent may be able to close certain lines less easily than a right-handed opponent and will approach the opponent differently to a right-handed opponent.

The weapons that the opponent chooses to take upon the field is important as this will give you some ideas about the options that they have. This needs to be considered in relation to the weapons that you have chosen to take out on the field. It is not necessary to change your choice in order to match them. This is especially the case if their combination is less comfortable with you. You should take the weapons that you are most comfortable with.

What are they wearing? Will their clothing slow them down? What about footwear? Will it restrict their foot movement? Boots will tend to restrict a person's footwork, where as shoes will tend to leave them more free to be able to move about. What does their clothing tell you about them? Does it look well-fitting? This will affect how they will be able to move. The condition of their equipment can also tell you somethings about your opponent.

Listen to the announcement of your opponent, are there any titles or positions that have been announced? This can give you some idea of their skill level, and sometimes how to approach the opponent. You should not be frightened if the opponent has impressive titles as everyone has the ability to beat any opponent as long as they use their skills properly.

Purely physical aspects of the opponent can also tell you things about them. How tall are they? How long are their limbs? How is this in proportion to their weapon? You should go an introduce yourself to your opponent. The simple handshake can tell you something about their strength, and can also allow you to compare yourself to them physically.

Warming up is useful, fencers will stretch and warm their muscles up before the bout. In some instances this is all that they will do, but this leaves a great deal that is not done. Warming up on the physical side should also be the movement of the weapons allowing you to see how they will move and how to follow from one action to another. You should also be considering how you will respond to the actions of the opponent. Pushing all of this to the forebrain will allow you much easier access to it during the bout. The movement of the weapons around will also assist in the mental preparation for the bout, which is also important. The bout before you are supposed to take the field, you should take some time to yourself in order to be able to prepare properly. This is important in order that you are able to relax and prepare properly.

Relaxing in fencing has a great benefits that can be attained through its use. This particular aspect covers various things which have already been discussed, but also adds some more into the discussion. Having the ability to relax will allow you to move more freely and do a great deal more. It is important that you consider this both before you take the field and also while you are on the field and engaged with your opponent.

Being able to relax comes from self-confidence. This confidence must be placed in your own abilities as they are the ammunition that you take into the encounter. Remember all the work that you have put in to get you as far as you have, be confident in the ability that you have and that you know how to respond to the actions of the opponent. It is important that this does not grow to over-confidence lest this blinds you to the true ability of the opponent and also inflates your own to a situation where it is of no use to you. This confidence in your own ability will allow you to relax more easily.

Tension is important, but it must be tension used at the correct moment, rather than tension that has been built up. You need to be able to use and release the tension whenever you need to. An excess of tension will be detriment to you. This tension needs to be considered not only of the body but also of the mind. If you are tense in your mind you will end up tense in your body. A tension of the body will lead to a restriction in movement and a slowing down of the actions that you are making due to the muscles already being tense.

One of the places where this tension can most easily be seen is in the on guard stance. If you are hunched over, your muscles in your shoulders are already working as there is tension in them. This will restrict the movement of your arms. If you stand up properly and broaden your chest, the tension in your shoulders will be released. In a proper standing up position you will also be able to breathe more easily which means that you will have more energy.

Breathing is important. Breathing gives more oxygen to the muscles which allows them to move more freely. Breathing can also be used to relax yourself. This can be done before and even during the bout. Before, you should take relaxed breaths, breathe as deeply as you can. During the bout, you should take the time to breathe and relax and release tension. In order to do this you should break off from your opponent and out of distance, then take some deep breaths and relax yourself. This will allow you to release tension in your mind and your body.

One of the key ways in order to relax when fencing is to enjoy the encounter. If you are at training doing bouting, you are there to learn about yourself and your opponent. It does not matter if you are struck so long as you learn something from the encounter. If you do, you win. Your focus needs to be on the bout itself and not any prize or reward that may or may not come afterward. You should be focussed on the skills that you are using and the skills that the opponent is using. In a tournament or examination you need to be aware of your opponent and deal with what they throw at you. You need to deal with what is in front of you and enjoy what you are doing. This will allow you to relax. You need to consider what is truly on the line in the encounter. Each bout is the matching of the skills of two fencers against one another, and this is how they should be approached. It is a chance to explore your own skills and demonstrate what you have learnt. In order to truly relax you need to enjoy the encounter between you and your opponent, with this relaxation you will be able to do a great deal more.

The psychology of fencing is important for any person who participates in it, but it is often not considered by the fencers. It is important that you do consider what is going on in order to understand it better and be prepared for what may come. The points which have been raised are things to consider. This in no way covers all of the aspects that you should be aware of, but is designed to highlight some to be thought about. Fencing is both a set of physical skills but also a set of mental skills. These need to be combined in order that you are the most effective that you can be. The psychology of fencing is something which is often pushed to the side by some, but it needs to be considered as it is of great importance.

Cheers,

Henry.

Displacement as Effective Defence

2009-09-14T18:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

One of the simplest defences in fencing is not to be where the attack of the opponent is delivered, as such this blog will be about the use of voids and other forms of displacement as a form of defence. Performed effectively the use of displacement of the fencer can be an extremely effective form of defence and can also set up for a counter-attack while the void is being executed. There are various considerations that need to be made when using this form of defence and these aspects will be discussed in this blog.

Voids or displacements can be used effectively both as a form of defence and also to set yourself up for an effective counter-attack. Voids can be extremely simple or quite complex in their execution, and various forms of displacement will be discussed. The simplest form of void is the retreat, in this the distance is increased between the combatant and their opponent so that the attack is avoided by a simple increase in range. This is one of the basic forms of footwork that is taught in the early stages of learning how to fence, but surprisingly enough, it is often forgotten as a simple form of defence against the opponent's attack. All of the tools available to the fencer should be used in order to be effective.

Displacements can be very simple, as in the retreat, or quite complex as in the form of the inquartata or volte as it is called in French. A simple movement of the body can be used in order to avoid an attack, or this can be combined with the use of the feet in combination with the body movement. It is important that both forms of avoidance are considered for their effectiveness and how they can be most effective in their execution. Each element must be considered in order or them to be efffective.

As in all parts of fencing, timing and distance are of great importance, and this also applies to the use of the void. If one of these elements has been percieved badly then problems can occur. With regard to distance it is important that in the use of the retreat, for example, that the distance is increased enough that the opponent's attack does not still strike its intended target. Distance is also important that the correct part of the body is moved a sufficient distance out of the way of the attack. Timing is also of equal importance in this situation. The combatant must use the correct timing in order for the void to be effective when it is used. The fencer must wait for the attack to come and only move at the last minute to ensure that the defence is effective. This is the same with all forms of defence. Particular to the void, an early movement can allow the opponent to change their direction and still strike the fencer with the same attack. Without the awareness of these particular principles and how they apply to the use of the void, the void will be substantially less effective.

In order of simplicity, after the retreat comes the body or part void. This is a simple movement of the body part out of the way of the opponent's attack. This is most commonly performed with attacks to the limbs, but can also be effectively used to move the torso away from the opponent's attack. In the defence of the limbs it involves simply moving the limb out of the way. For the body in involves bending the body out of the way of the opponent's attack. This can be performed without the feet moving. Simple movement of the body or part is useful especially where the the sword or the off-hand cannot be reach or be moved quickly enough to defend the intended target. These movements can also leave the fencer's sword in position to deliver a counter-attack against the opponent while the void is being performed. A slightly more complex version of this movement involving slight movement of the feet is the stop hit. In this the body is displaced while a counter-attack is delivered against the opponent.

Inquartata is the Italian term, and volte is the French term, these actions are actually the same thing, but have terms associated with the language being used. This action is a combination of the use of the feet and the body in order to displace the combatant in order to avoid the opponent's attack. In the use of these techniques it is useful to keep the point on-line as this gives the fencer access to a counter-offensive option while the action is being performed. The full version of the volte is a radical movement of the feet and body in order to displace from the opponent's attack, but there is a smaller movement that can also be used effectively. This defence is the half-inquartata or demi-volte. This involves a simple movement of the rear foot behind the front foot in order to turn the body away from the opponent's attack. Once again, as in all cases of voids the weapon should be kept on-line in order to be able to counter-attack. The more complex motion of the feet and body is the full version of both. This is a larger movement of the rear foot behind and across, ending up almost perpendicular to the front foot. This results in a greater movement of the body due to the greater movement of the feet.

The footwork in all forms of the inquartata and volte are the vital element which ensures a greater success of this particular action. The movement of the feet should be simple, as in all forms of footwork. One of the greatest mistakes in the performance of this technqiue is that the body is used to move the feet into position, the opposite is actually what should happen. The movement of the feet moves the body. The body may be moved some in order to increase the effectiveness of the technique, but it must be primarily the movement of the feet that creates the effect. Balance must be maintained in this technique, as in all others, and this is achieved by effective use of the feet and the correct maintenance of the centre of gravity over the middle of the feet. Being unbalanced during or at the end of this technique can leave you vulnerable to your opponent's following attack.

The length of this blog belies the use and effectiveness of this particular technique. It is not one that should be glossed over in any way whatsoever. A fencer with effective voids who has practiced them well and has a good application of timing and distance can actually successfully defend himself without any consideration of the use of the sword or the off-hand. This leaves the weapon free for counter-offensive actions against the opponent. Serious consideration should be made by the fencer about the use of the void. Even if it does not become the primary defence of the fencer, it can seriously enhance the fencer's ability to avoid an opponent's attacks. Of course, most effectively, the void can actually be combined with other forms of defence to be even more effective. Practice and research your displacements and you will become a much more secure fencer.

Cheers,

Henry.

Saviolo: Part II: Practical Elements

2009-09-07T23:59:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

This is part II of my blog on the subject of Vincentio Saviolo. With the background set, and the principles in place, it is now possible to delve more deeply into the system which was developed by Saviolo. It is important that the principles are laid out first and understood in order to understand the practical side of the system. There will be elements that will be left out of this discussion as they serve no purpose in going into them in detail in the discovery of Saviolo's method of fence. Thus it will be those elements which are essential to his system that the detail will be centered upon.

Externally Saviolo's system is simple, but when you examine it in more detail, the hidden complexities emerge. As with the previous part it is important to start with the principles, or in this case the basic elements before moving on to the more complex aspects of the system. First is starting with Saviolo's wards.

The first ward the Saviolo teaches is a teaching ward, simple as that. It is designed to place the student in the correct position in order that they have all the elements in place. This is important as it places the student in the correct position for applying the techniques that follow.

“I come therefore to the point and say, that when the teacher will enter his scholler, he shal cause him to stand upon this ward, which is very good to bee taught for framing the foote, the hand, and the body:”

Without teaching this ward the student will be unprepared to perform the following wards and to understand how they are used. Once the student is able to place himself in the correct position, it is then possible to move on to the combat ward which Saviolo advises for use in combat. Once again, it is important to stress that the first ward is purely a teaching ward and designed to teach the student the correct position for their body.

The second ward is Saviolo's combat ward. This is the one that he advises for use in combat against an opponent. It should be noted that this ward carries through many of the same elements as found in the teaching ward, thus it can be seen that one is based upon the other. If we examine Saviolo's description of his second ward, these elements can easily be seen.

“Therefore if the maister desire to make a good scholler, let him begin in this sorte, causing his scholar to place his right legge formoste, a little bending the knee, so that the heele of his right foote stand just against the midst of his left foote, holding his swoord hand close on the outside of his right knee, with his swoorde helde in shorte, least his adversarye should gaine the same, ever keeping the poynte directlye on the face or bellye of his enemye, and the maister shall dispose of him selfe in the same manner, as well with his foote as with his poynt.”

As in the first ward the right, or sword side leg is placed forward, with the knee bent slightly. This is the same as the teaching ward. This is the same with the position of the feet and demonstrates how the first ward teaches the student where to place themselves. The hand position with the weapon held in close and the off-hand extended means that it is the off-hand that will be used for the primary defence against the opponent rather than the use of the sword. The withdrawal of the weapon also denies the opponent blade engagement from the out-set. As with many of the masters, the point is directed against the opponent in order to threaten them and also to place in in a posiiton to attack. This is Saviolo's primary combat ward.

The third ward has two purposes, and it is important to realise them in order to be able to use the ward properly. The primary reason for the third ward is in order that the combatant is easily able to perform a lunge, or stoccata at length as Saviolo calls it. From this position, the combatant is also prepared to perform a punta riversa. This is a ward in the truest sense as it is a position from which an attack is made rather than a static defence. In many ways this position should not be adopted but moved through.

“I will not faile in anie part to make you understand the excellencie of this third warde, which notwithstanding is quite contrarie to the other two. Because that in this you must stand with your feet even together, as if you were readie to sit down, and your rapier hand must bee within your knee, and your point against the face of your enemie: and if your enemie put himselfe upon the same ward, you may give a stoccata at length betweene his rapier and his arme, which shall bee best performed & reach farthest, if you shift with your foot on the right side.”

This ward differs in its foot position from the other two as they are quite close together. The hand position is very similar to the previous two wards as it is withdrawn in order to deny blade engagement from the enemy. The position of the feet clearly demonstrate that it is a preparation for the use of the back foot to push the combatant forward in the performance of an attack. Saviolo's "stoccata" at length" will be discussed in more depth in a later section of this part.

Saviolo's system is entirely based on the use of the sword in conjunction with the off-hand. All of his techniques are based on the premise that the hand is the primary defence against thrusts, and the sword is more of an offensive object rather than defensive. This particular idea transfers and follows through to his rapier and dagger which follow the same principles, using the dagger in the off-hand as defensive and the sword as offensive in most situations. The entire system revolves around the use of the off-hand parry, void with movement off-line and the stoccata in offence against the opponent. Clearly the only difference in the use of rapier and dagger is that there is a dagger in the off-hand. This results in a system which, from the outside, is extremely simple. This simplicity of purpose is demonstrated in the forms of attack also.

In offence while the stoccata is the primary attack, there are others. In Saviolo's system the attacks are simplified to four thrusts and three cuts. This makes for a very simple system. To start with the cuts, there are three, the mandritta, the riversa and the stramazone. The mandritta is an attack which, for the right-hander, is delivered against the opponent's left side. The riversa is the reverse of this and is delivered agains the right of the opponent. Saviolo does not discriminate amongst the angles at which the blow is delivered, merely the direction. The stramazone is a cut delivered with the tip of the weapon, and there are no directions supplied. In this the reader is left to make their own decision as to where the blow should be delivered against the opponent.

Saviolo uses four thrusts, two which are simple thrusts, and two which require the use of footwork. The two which are simple thrusts are the stoccata and the imbroccata. The stoccata, Saviolo's preferred attack, is delivered against the opponet from a low position to a high position. This means that this is a rising thrust. It is usually delivered below the opponent's hilt, but its targeting is not restricted at all. The imbroccata is a descending thrust, as such it is delivered from a high position to a low position. This is usually delivered above the opponent's hilt, and the most likely targets are the head and upper body, though the targets are, once again not restricted. The punta riversa, like the riversa as a cut attacks the right side of the opponent. This is performed with a sloping step forward and to the right of the opponent. The other thrust with movement is the long stoccata.

“stoccata at length betweene his rapier and his arme, which shall bee best performed & reach farthest, if you shift with your foot on the right side.”

The long stoccata, or "stoccata at length", or lunge is an explosive extension of the arm and body designed to quickly deliver the point of the weapon against the opponent when at increased distance. This particular technique allows the combatant to strike the opponent at longer range than with just using the simple stoccata. This is a technique which needs to be delivered suddenly and without warning.

“if you would deliver a long stoccata, and have percieved that your enemie would shrinke awaie, you may, if you list, at that verie instant give it him,”

This is a technique which until very recently was thought to be restricted to the treatises of later period masters such as Giganti and Capo Ferro. Clearly the technique is clearly demonstrated in Saviolo's treatise. This leads on to the advanced techniques which are present in Saviolo's treatise but not explicitly described.

The beat parry and beat attack are forms of swordplay which are considered either very simple or very advanced, depending on who is discussing them. Saviolo uses the beat parry in many instances in order to both defend and also create an opening in the opponent. The best example of this is as such;

“when you finde his point long, you maie breake it aside with your swoorde,”

This is essentially Saviolo stating that if they give you their sword by extending it toward you, you should beat the sword to the side. This simple technique opens the opponent up to an attack. While the technique seems simple as just smacking the opponent's blade away, there is some care that should be taken in its performance.

“let him beware that he doo not beate aside his teachers weapon toward the point, because he shoulde be in danger to receive a thrust or stoccata either in the face or belly.”

What Saviolo is saying is that you should not beat the opponent's sword too close to the point because this will not have as great an effect as beating it lower on the sword. He actually states that the beat should be done against the opponent's weapon toward the tip, but not too far up. This demonstrates a clear understanding of this particular technique. The other advanced techniques take a little more interpretation on the part of the reader.

It has been claimed by some that Saviolo's system is extremely simple and that he does not use any advanced blade techniques, merely relying on beating the opponent's sword out of the way or waiting for the opportune moment to strike. This is actually quite false and if the treatise is read properly it will be noted that there are more advanced techniques of the blade present.

“but rather passe on him with your point above his sword, turning wel your hand as in an imbroccata,”

This is a clear description of the use of a bind. The sword is passed over the opponent's blade and then the hand is turned downward against the opponent's blade. The simple blade contact along with the turning motion would result in the control of the opponent's blade and thus a bind against the opponent's sword. Another example of an advanced technique present in Saviolo's manual is the pressure glide. This technique, as with the bind, is not explicity demonstrated or presented, merely the technique is within the text leaving the reader to interpret what Saviolo is saying.

“thrusting with the point of his Rapier at the belly of his teacher, turning readily his hand that the fingers be inward toward the body, and the joint of the wrist shall be outward.”

Both elements of the pressure glide are present in this description. First, there is the thrust pushing toward the opponent, and then there is the contact of the blade with the turning of the hand to increase the pressure on the opponent's blade. This turning action of the hand and wrist results in a displacement of the opponent's blade and thus an opening in the opponent's defence, the exact reason for the performance of a pressure glide and the exact method also. This demonstrates the complexity of Saviolo's techniques which are hidden within the simple system which is immediately present.

There are three schools of thought present in Saviolo's treatise, the Italian, German and Spanish. It is only through the combination of the principles of each one of these schools that we are able to understand the manual in its entirity. Each one of the elements present enhances the system and allows it to deal with different approaches. It is also important to realise that the system is based on those principles highlighted in the first part of the discussion and without these founding principles it is impossible to understand what Saviolo's aim was and how he meant to achieve it through his system. Each one of these principles adds something to the system and allows it to be complete under the theory which surrounds fencing. It is important to understand these principles in order to completely understand the system.

The practical elements which have been highlighted in this part describe a system which is based on some very simple techniques for the base elements of the system, but these hide the complexity which is somewhat hidden within the system. In this way Saviolo's system is complexity within simplicity. The basic elements need to be understood first in order to realise what the system is based upon, only then is it possible to apply the more complex aspects of the system in a combative situation.

This discussion of Saviolo's treatise, the practical elements anyhow, has been designed to highlight the system which was developed by Saviolo and presented in his treatise. Further to this it is important that the main understanding of the system can only really be gained by a study of the period manual itself. Secondary sources, such as the information supplied here, can assist with this understanding, but only through reading the manual itself is it possible to really understand the system. This blog has been designed to introduce this particular manual to the readership in order that a better understanding of Saviolo may be gained.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bibliography
Saviolo, V. (1595) His Practice in Two Books

Saviolo Part I: Principles

2009-08-31T21:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

First, I must offer an apology to all my modern and classical fencing readers as this particular blog is more aimed at the Renaissance fencer in the readership. Saviolo is a master of particular interest to myself as his method appealed to me. I will be presenting in this blog some of the research that I have made on Saviolo giving some information about his method and how it was applied. Various points will be made about this particular system which will be of interest to various people, and I hope that the information present will be of interest to my various readers. All of the references in this blog come straight from Saviolo's treatise.

Vincentio Saviolo is a master of the Renaissance period, more specifically he is one of the Elizabethan period. He taught in London and held a school at Blackfriars, which is on the south bank of the River Thames. Of especial note is that the same region held a theatre which was sold to William Shakespeare. Of particular interest to me is that the chap who sold the property to Shakespeare was a chap named Henry Walker. Saviolo published his own Treatise "His Practice in Two Bookes" in 1595, and his name is present in the works of George Silver who was a contemporary of Saviolo.

Saviolo's treatise is a composite treatise encompassing principles from three different schools of thought brought together to form a single system. This in and of itself makes Saviolo's technique interesting and of note to the Renaissance fencer. The treatise and the information contained within is presented as a discussion between a master and his student. In this particular case it is Saviolo talking with his student Luke. Unlike many manuals the principles are not presented singularly but are presented within the text as a practical representation of what a person should do against their opponent. There are some which are elicidated simply, but for the most part they are within the discussion between the master and the student.

The three schools of thought from which Saviolo draws his information are the Italian, Spanish and German. Each one of these is used for a particular application and then are combined together to form the overall system. The Italian school is present in Saviolo's use of the thrust, and more to the point, the dominance of the thrust over the cut in the use of the rapier. The footwork is primarily circular in order to gain an advantage over the opponent due to the angle of one opponent to another, thus presenting principles present in the Spanish school. Finally, the method of cutting presented by Saviolo is designed to defeat the opponent while defending at the same time and also before the opponent has time to respond, thus presenting elements from the German school. This makes for what should be a very complex system. Externally the system is quite simple, but internally once deeper reading is made of it, the hidden complexity within the system is exposed.

In order to understand both the simplicity and complexity of the system presented by Saviolo, it is first important to examine the general principles upon which the system is based. The first of these principles is about entropy and emotional control. Entropy is using only the amount of energy that is required in order to achieve an objective, in this particular case it is to defeat the opponent.

“this I would advise you, when you would make these passages, or put your weapon under your enemies, that you doe them not in vaine nor without some advauntage.”

This passage states that the combatant should not perform actions without gaining some advantage over the opponent. The energy of the combatant is thus maintained and not used for actions which would not gain him some advantage. In achieving this particular principle, the combatant will have a larger store of energy and thus will be able to last longer against the opponent than if he used energy to perform actions which did not achieve something. One place where this can be present is in the use of fury in order to defeat the opponent, thus Saviolo warns against this.

“Wherefore as well in this ward as in the other, take heede that you suffer not your selfe to bee blinded and carried awaie with rage and furie.”

When a combatant is enraged, they lose the ability to reason and thus make decisions to their advantage. This particular aspect will mean that control is lost over the use of the weapon and thus over the situation and this can easily lead to the combatant being struck by the opponent. It is important that the combatant go into the combat "cold" and not be taken away by anger or similar emotions in order that they are able to maintain control over themselves.

“In this sorte the saide scholler shall learne to strike and not be stricken, as I alwaies advise the noble-men and gentlemen whit whome I have to deale, that if they cannot hit or hurt their enemy, that they learn to defend them selves that they be not hurt.”

To strike and not be struck is the principle on which all fencing is based, and in the case of a real combat using sharp weapons it is of great importance. Saviolo is instructing the combatant to ensure that if they are not able to strike their opponent without being struck themselves then they should not attack. This is a principle of great importance to all fencing, and is what we should all base our fencing upon. It is not optimum for the fencer to strike the opponent while being struck themself. Thus the guard against the opponent should always be maintained, even in offence. It is no suprise that this particular principle is present in Saviolo's treatise.

“Moreover, you must observe just distance, which is, when either of you stand in such place, that stepping forward a little, you maye reache one another,”

All forms of fencing are based on two basic principles, timing and distance, and neither can be denied. In all cases the correct distance between a combatant and their opponent must be observed. In the case of Saviolo, this correct, or "just" distance is a distance at which the opponent may be struck with only a simple movement of the feet and an extension of the arm. This particular distance is common amongst fencing treatises. Saviolo cautions against the combatant coming too close to the opponent as well, and then makes note of another important principle which will be discussed next.

“Moreover, hee must beware of coming too much within his just distance, because if he hit his adversary, hee may bee hitte againe by his adversarye: wherfore I will teache you how to offend and defend in the same time.”

Timing is the other half of the equation so to speak. Distance and timing work both separately and together and the ignorance of either by the combatant is done at their peril. Saviolo discusses time throughout his treatise, but is never particularly specific about what each time is and how it functions. He presents the elements of time as part of the description of the execution of the action he is describing. This is an important note to make as it demonstrates how important principles may be hidden within the text when not explicitly presented.

“At the same time that the scholler removeth his foote, the teacher shall play a little with stirring of his body, and with his lefte hand shall beat away his schollers rapier from his right side, and shall remove his right foot behinde his left striking a crosse blow at the head.”

With the essential more academic principles of Saviolo's system presented, it is now possible to move on to more practical matters with regards to the information which is presented in his treatise. Not all of the practical elements will be presented as some of them are taken for granted and do not really aid in this particular discussion. These more practical elements of Saviolo's treatise will be left for Part II of this discussion which will be presented in my next blog, along with a final wrap-up of the information which has been presented over both.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bibliography
Saviolo, V. (1595) His Practice in Two Books

On Handedness - The Left-Handed Fencer

2009-08-24T22:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

The left-handed fencer is always tricky. This is the case for both fighting against them, and also teaching them. Due to the dominant presence of right-handed fencers, the left-handed fencer is one that we will only run into on relatively rare occasions. For those groups who have left-handed fencers present, you have an advantage over those who don't as you will become used to facing them. From the teacher's point of view teaching the left-handed this presents some issues in their teaching. This blog will be a discussion of the issues associated in both teaching and combat against the left-hander.

Teaching a left-handed fencer while you are right-handed is always a tricky situation. It requires a switching over in your mind about how to teach the fencer. For some of the demonstration you may have to switch hands in order to demonstrate the technique so that they can understand what is happening. This will also assist you in learning about fighting with the left hand yourself, which is to your advantage. The best way to do this is to think of the left-hander as a mirror image in all cases.

The lines are opposite, but also the same. The outside line is still to the outside of the weapon, in the case of the right-hander this is to the right, in the case of the left-hander this is to the left of the sword. Obviously the inside line is the opposite side also, but the same principles apply. When teaching a right-hander it is sometimes more effective to stand next to the student in order to show them the technique, in the case of the left-hander it may actually be more effective to stand opposite them and thus use the mirror effect of the position. In the case of companion weapons in rapier combat the companion weapon will be on the "wrong side" this will require some adjustment for their effective use. It may require the crossing of the hands and devices in order to be able to use them effectively. Another method for achieving this is to change the on guard position and movement in order to promote the off-hand, this will take a great deal of practice in order to achieve effectiveness.

The combat against the left-hander is an interesting prospect, just as with teaching the left-hander the combat against the left-hander takes a change in perspective. For some it makes no perceivable difference to them. In most cases there is a difference but the change for them is subtle enough that they do not consciously notice it. There are differences that should be made especial note of in how to deal with a left-handed opponent. These changes will assist you to deal with the change in perspective.

To start with you need to change your on guard position slightly. You need to stand more profiled in stance, this involves moving the feet slightly. This position should remove the inside line away from the opponent. The guard should be pused more toward the outside line due to the position of the left-handed opponent. Further importance of the outside line with regard to the left-handed opponent.

In the case of the left-handed fencer, he will seek the outside line as it is the easier target due to the on guard position. The most important thing is that the easier target for the right-hander against the left-hander is also the outside line. This makes things most interesting for the combatants. You should seek movement toward the outside line in order to be more effective in the attack. The inside line of the left-hander is far away and puts you in a position where you could be easily struck by the opponent. The only way that the inside line should be approached or attacked is when you have blade engagement with the opponent. This engagement needs to entirely close the line against the opponent in order to be effective. The essence here is that the line needs to be closed entirely in order that you are protected.

An interesting point that should be made in this discussion is that the left-handed fencer will usually be facing right-handed opponents rather than left-handed ones. This is an important consideration as it often results in the left-handed fencer having problems with facing other left-handed opponents. This is due to the change in position that results from facing a left-handed opponent. Ironically, the left-handed fighting another left-handed comes down to the same situation as a right-handed facing a right-handed opponent. In this the left-handed opponent should consider examining how right-handed opponents deal with other right-handed opponents and apply the same principles, but in a mirror image.

The left-handed fencer is an interesting prospect from the point of view of the combatant and also the teacher. In all cases, much can be learnt from both situations. In order that we become better at both facing and teaching left-handed fencers, we should endeavour to seek them out and learn as much as we can from them. This goes for both right-handed and left-handed fencers. Hopefully this blog will have given some ideas about how to deal with the left-handed student and opponent. The important thing to note is that both teaching and fighting against the left-hander requires a slight change in perspective in order to achieve the goal that is sought.

Cheers,

Henry.

Sword Parry and Its Execution

2009-08-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

The sword parry is one of the primary defences of the fencer in all forms of fencing, be it rapier, sport fencing, or even the katana. This is a technique which is taught in the earlier parts of a person's fencing career and it is important that the parry is done properly in order for it to be effective. This blog will be discussing the execution of the parry and some points about such. For the first time this blog will be including some diagrams in order to assist the discussion.

A sword parry is a defensive use of the weapon in order to stop or deflect an opponent's incoming attack. This technique can be used effectively against both thrusts and cuts. The technique in principle is relatively easy. It involves placing your blade in a position where you will intercept your opponent's weapon before it strikes you in order to stop or deflect their attack. The principle is relatively easy, the execution of the thrust can be somewhat more complex.

Much of the purpose of the parry has been discussed above, but we must look at it a little deeper. The primary purpose of the parry is to defend against an opponent's attack. This must be realised in its execution, that our safety against the opponent's attack is the primary purpose of the parry. The setting up for a riposte or following action needs to be a secondary consideration in comparison to the defence that the parry supplies. This needs to be realised and will affect the execution of the parry depending on what your considered primary purpose is. This will be revealed in a later part of the discussion on this particular subject.

With regard to sword parries there are many different kinds. This blog will be focussing on the simple, or standard parries. There are other parries available to us, such as hanging parries. These work on very much the same principles as the standard ones, but due to their different execution, they will not be addressed in any sort of detail. The standard parries will also be the focus due to their commonality with the various forms of fencing which are available to the fencer.

There are four lines which need to be covered, and two parries per line, one with the true edge and one with the false edge. In all cases the parry must cover the line, in order to be effective as a parry, and this relies upon proper execution of the parry. In all cases it is important to examine the position of the hand in relation to that of the parry. In the case of true edge parries the knuckles of the fingers should be facing the opponent's blade. In a false edge parry it should be the knuckle of the thumb which is facing the opponent's blade. This will ensure that you have an edge to the opponent's blade. The hand position in the parry is vital and must be considered. There is the question about whether a parry needs to be done with the edge or whether it can be done with the flat of the blade. The edge of the sword is much stronger than that of the flat, and thus makes a more secure parry. This being said, there are parries which when done with the flat are quite effective, but as a rule it is better that the parry is done with the edge.

The next question that comes up is whether the parry should be done as a beat or with opposition. Both of the methods have their advantages and disadvantages, and these will be discussed. The principle of the beat parry is that the edge of the blade is struck against the opponent's moving it away by the impact of one blade against the other. This is an effective technique because it forces the opponent's blade off-line by the shock allowing the fencer to make a counter-attack against the opponent. The disadvantage of this technique is because the blades do not remain in contact, knowledge of the location of the opponent's blade through the use of senso di ferro is lost. It is also relatively easy for the opponent to use the impact to roll the blade back on line. The parry with opposition contacts and prevents the opponent's blade from contacting its target by placing a wall against the attack, also forcing the opponent's blade off-line. The advantage of this technique is that due to remaining in contact with the opponent's blade it is easy to know exactly where the opponent's blade is. This also allows for the use of techniques which rely upon blade engagement. The greatest disadvantage of this particular technique is that it can allow for a slower riposte, and also gives the opponent some senso di ferro by the contact between the weapons. In general, while the beat parry is easier to execute and learn, the parry with opposition tends to lead to more advantages and more options for the fencer. This being said, both techniques can be used effectively.

In the execution of the parry, it is important to keep the parry small. The opponent's blade only needs to be deflected enough, and just enough to avoid striking the fencer. The blade does not have to be forced particularly far in order to be forced away from its intended target. This means that in execution the parry needs to be minimalist in its execution. There are a couple of reasons for this. The first reason is one of entropy. A smaller parry takes less energy to perform, this allows the fencer to conserve energy for future actions which require more energy. Another reason for keeping the parry small is that it will take less time to execute, thus giving the fencer more time in order to perform other actions against the opponent. The final reason that will be discussed has a great deal to do with the action that follows the parry once it is performed. If a parry is kept small, it is much easier to keep your point on line against the opponent, and thus make any counter-offensive action faster and more effective. With these reasons in place it is clearly advantageous for the parry to be made as small as possible.

The beginner fencer will come out and chase the opponent's blade in order to make a parry. This means that they will parry very early. The more experienced fencer will wait for the opponent's attack to come and then parry only at what they concieve as the last moment in which they can parry. This is about what is called parrying "late", it is late in the action of the opponent. This relates to what I tend to refer to as the "panic space". This is the zone in which the fencer sits in which if any attack comes the fencer will respond to. In the beginner fencer, this will extend to up to a foot out from the fencer. As the fencer becomes more and more confident in their skill, the "panic space" will reduce allowing them to parry later and later. The most experienced fencers will have a "panic space" which extends as little as 5cm from them. The advantage of parrying late is that you are less vulnerable to complex actions. A person who parries late is less vulnerable to a feint than a person who parries early. The late parrying fencer is also less vulnerable to changes in tempo. Because the attack is allowed to come close to the fencer it is easier to determine whether the attack is a feint or not. The fencer should only parry a valid attack, one that will actually strike them. This is achieved through parrying late. The late parrying fencer also achieves a better mechanical advantage over the opponent due to the fact that the later parry will result in the opponent's blade being caught further down the forte of the defender and further up the foible of the opponent.

Now that both time and distance have been discussed with regard to the parry, now it is time to discuss the angle of the blade in the parry. This is an important consideration and will come back to the discussion on the primary purpose of the parry. The larger the angle of the parry the more defense which is afforded to the fencer. The smaller the angle of the parry, the faster the riposte will be. Thus defense decreases as the speed of the riposte increases. This has been placed on a chart for your interest.
As can be seen by the chart, a parry which has a high degree of defence has a low speed of riposte, but a parry which has a high speed of riposte also has a low degree of defence. This comes back to whether the primary purpose of the parry being performed is for defence or for setting up for a following action. In the beginner fencer it is more important to focus on the defensive characteristics of the parry than the action which follows it. The more advanced fencer needs to balance the relationship and figure out what is most appropriate for them at the time. Into this discussion is also the fact that the larger the angle of the parry, the more of the fencer the blade will protect. This has been depicted in a diagram below.

As can be seen in the diagram the more that the angle of the blade in the parry increases, the more of the fencer the blade protects. With a point high, and thus large angle of the blade, the parry protects a large amount of the fencer. Whereas, if the angle is reduced, less of the fencer is protected. Of course referring back to the other diagram, this will also mean a slower riposte in response to the increased defense. It is better that we teach our students that it is better to have a sure defence than a speedy riposte. With a focus of striking without being struck, this is the only sure way to achieve this end.

The purpose of this blog is to discuss the general characteristics of the sword parry and how it should be performed properly against an attack delivered by an opponent. Various elements have been discussed in some detail and each one is important in order that the parry is performed correctly and effectively. What is really important to realise is that the purpose of the parry must be established and expressed to our students in order that they understand that defence is the primary purpose of the parry. A great deal of practice is required in order to perfect the parries and time needs to be spent on this on a regular basis. The sword parry is an effective technique when performed properly and this discussion has highlighted various points of importance in consideration of this technique. Each point is important in its own right, but also in relation to the whole. Focus on effective parries and your fencing will improve and your defence will be effective against your opponents.

Cheers,

Henry.

Reading the Opponent

2009-08-13T19:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Everybody has been in this situation before... You are called up for your bout, you get yourself ready, you wander out on to the field, the various litanies are read, the marshal then calls you to on guard, and then "Allez!" You stand there looking at your opponent thinking "What do I do now?" This is the first place where reading the opponent becomes a practical thing, of course, if we are smart we observe our opponents off the field as well. This blog will be focussed on those aspects of reading the opponent which occur on the field. It is not designed to tell you how to deal with every opponent, just how to get the information so you have some ideas about how to deal with your opponents.

The first question that is asked is why is reading the opponent important? There are various reasons that answer this particular question. The first and most practical one is that so we do not launch into an attack and skewer ourselves on the opponent's point in the process. This can be avoided through reading of the opponent and knowing how he will react. This leads on to another aspect, that of predicting what the opponent can or cannot do. The ability to predict what the opponent can or cannot do is dependent on reading the opponent, and if we can see what the opponent can or cannot do we can plan for those things that they might do. The element of prediction comes from reading the opponent both stationary and in action, each one of these elements will tell us something about the opponent.

There are two main senses which are of greatest use to the fencer in reading the opponent and one which is less useful. The two which are the most useful are sight and touch, the one which is least useful is hearing. Hearing is limited due to the head protection which is worn when fencing, this muffles the ability to hear and reduces the effectiveness of this particular sense. Sight is the most obvious one as we are looking at our opponent and seeing what they do or do not do. The sense of touch is also important as we can also feel where the opponent may move and how they move through contact through the weapons. Each one of these two most useful senses will be addressed in turn, giving some ideas about how they can be used to read the opponent.

The first sense that will be discussed is sight. This is more than just looking at your opponent, it is observing them. In this it is important to look at details but also at the whole picture as well. The details assist with building a complete picture of the opponent.

We will start from the ground and work upwards. You can tell things from the position of the feet of your opponent. Is their front foot pointed at you? Is their back foot in line with their front foot? Are they standing flat-footed, or are they more on the balls of their feet? Each one of these elements will tell you something about the opponent. If their front foot is not pointed at you then their facing may be different. This can also affect the accuracy of their thrust. If their feet are in line with one another the opponent may have a tendancy to use more linear footwork. If they are standing flat-footed they will move slower than if they are on the balls of their feet. Needless to say the primary information you will get from looking at the feet will be about movement. Similar information is gained from looking at the legs. Are the opponent's knees bent? Are they bent deeply? This will give you some indication about how well the opponent will move and also some indication of how quickly.

The next element to look at is the body. This is the primary body mass that the opponent carries during fencing. This should also partially consider the head of the opponent, but staying with the body, questions can be asked. Is the body upright or bent? Is the opponent slouching or hunched? Where is their body mass located? The location of the body mass will determine which foot, if either the weight is placed, this will give some idea as to wether the opponent is more likely to move forward or backward. The bending of the body can indicate some of this direction, this can also give you some idea about what they are trying to protect the most. A slouching or hunched opponent may be tired or scared, this will affect their fencing ability. Moving on to the head, the position of the head will tell you much of what has also been discovered by the position of the body due to its weight. If you can see your opponent's face you can see what sort of expression they have and this will tell you about the opponent and their feelings about the bout.

Hands and arms are important. They are a direct connection between the body and the weapon of the opponent. These limbs will determine where the weapon is and is not able to be placed. How is the opponent holding the weapon? This can give some indication about what they are likely to do. Where are the arms placed in the on guard position? How does the opponent move them? Each one of these will tell you where the next movement may be. Is the hand and arm extended from the body, or withdrawn? Are they in an advanced position or more refused? This may give you some indication about what sort of blade engagement, if any, you will get out of your opponent.

The next part of the observation is assembling all of the information that you have gained by observation in order to get some idea of your opponent. Each piece of information will fill something in about the opponent and how they may move. Their position will tell you which direction is easiest for them to move to and where they are likely to go to. This relates to their ward and contra postura, which will be discussed in more detail further on. The overall picture is important, but it must take into account the different elements and details in order to complete the picture. Nothing at this point in time has been said about movement, but the observation process should continue when the opponent is moving. The idea of activity versus inactivity will be something that will be discussed later on.

While it can sometimes be misleading, information about the opponent can also be gained from examining the equipment that they are using. How well does the mask or helm fit? What about the fit of the jacket? Does it look like the equipment belongs to them or is just borrowed? What sort of state of repair is the equipment in? Each one of these elements can tell you something about the opponent. If the equipment is borrowed and does not fit as well as it could, this could result in some restrictions on the opponent. It could also indicate that the opponent is only new to fencing. If the equipment is not in a particularly good state of repair this can tell you things about the opponent and their attitude to what they are doing. All of these elements can tell you something about your opponent.

Touch is the other sense that does us most good in fencing. This is primarily achieved through the use of senso di ferro, or sentiment du fer, or tacto. The idea of feeling through the blade is an important one and a skill that every fencer should seek to develop as it can tell us a great deal about our opponent. Both prolonged and incidental contact between the blades can tell us something about the opponent. This skill, if well developed, can act like an extra sense and can help us predict what our opponent may do, or is likely to do. Simple things such as the blade quivering can tell us that the opponent may be afraid, nervous, tired or be overly excited. Is the contact between the blades weak or strong? This can tell us whether the opponent may attempt to use force against the blade in order to open a line. It is important that how the blades contact is important as well as where they contact. The movements of the blades against one another is also important. All of this information is gained through the use of senso di ferro.

Contra postura is an idea which was expounded by Salvator Fabris and is a most useful concept. In order to use it properly we have to understand its underlying principles. The main idea of contra postura is to place yourself in a position which both actively and passively resists the position of the opponent. The principles behind contra postura is that your blade should be on-line while the opponent's blade is forced off-line by the simple position of the weapon and the body of the fencer. In essence in a correct contra postura you should be able to make a simple unhindered attack against the opponent. If they were to attack at the same time their attack should pass you by because you have closed the line. This is all about examining the ward of the opponent and placing yourself in a position to resist this. The whole idea is reliant on the accurate observation of the opponent.

The greatest effect of contra postura is that you place yourself in a position where you can attack the opponent safely while guarding yourself against the attack of the opponent. This is the primary purpose of the use of contra postura. The only way for the opponent to attack you is to change their position and this results in an action which involves the opponent using a fencing tempo in order to achieve this. Depending on the particular position will determine where the opponent will have to move to in order to perform this action, resulting in an element of prediction, which you can then use in order to counter them. This leads on to the concept of second intention also as you are making the opponent perform an action which you can then counter with a following action, thus the first action sets up for the following one. Contra postura is a most useful tool, if it is used properly, and can lead to a great advantage over the opponent.

The idea of movement has been briefly discussed in various parts above. It is now time to examine what activity and inactivity can tell us about the opponent. If you perform an action and the opponent does not respond this can tell us something about them, as well as if they actually respond to the action can tell us something about them. What the opponent does and how they do it are simultaneously important as this can allude to the skill level of the opponent and how they move. This will assist us in telling us what they are and are not likely to do, and how they may or may not respond to an action. If you perform an action in order to elicit a response from the opponent in order to perform a following action, and the opponent does not respond, this tells us something about the opponent and how we should respond in future. Thus it is important that both action and inaction can tell us something about the opponent.

The question that needs to be asked once all of this information has been assimilated is where does all of this lead? There needs to be a point behind spending so much time in reading the opponent. The first thing that reading the opponent does is it allows us to feel out the opponent. To find out where they are strong and where they are weak. The smart tactician will then attack where the opponent is weak and avoid where they are strong. It is sometimes necessary to feel out the opponent by performing actions, these actions should be designed to see how the opponent will respond and thus gain information about them. This can lead on to further actions which can result in a plan being formed as to how to defeat the opponent. The information gained through reading the opponent can allow us to form attacks and defences against the opponent. Further to this, with the full facility of reading the opponent in action and the correct responses elicited, it is then possible to move on to second intention and other advanced ideas.

Reading the opponent is an essential skill that every fencer will eventually have to develop if they want to become more successful. Each time we face an opponent we should be observing the opponent, finding out their strengths and weaknesses. The reading of the opponent on the other side can also tell us things about ourselves and where we need to improve. This can be a great asset to us as it allows us to improve everytime that we face an opponent. It should always be a learning experience for us everytime we face an opponent. Each one of the elements is important in telling us how to deal with our opponents. Each one must be taken into account in order that we have the most complete picture of the opponent. Only with this information to hand are we able to make intelligent decisions as to how to deal with our various opponents.

Cheers,

Henry.

Fencing and Dedication to the Art

2009-08-04T19:03:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

In all our endeavours we must sit back and have a look at where we are going and where we want to go. It is the same with fencing, and it doesn't matter which form of fencing you are talking about. We need to have a look at our motivations and where we want to go, but also what this will require of us as students. One of the questions that is raised here is our level of dedication to the Art. This blog will address this particular facet of the Art that we have all chosen to pursue and ask just how dedicated we really are to it.

The Spirit of Fencing is something that we must ask ourselves whether we have or not. This is about whether the Art is within us and has been made a part of us or whether it is just another pastime that we do. This encompasses many questions that we must ask ourselves whether or not the spirit of fencing is within us or not.

Is fencing to you just another game or is it something else? Could you just as well be playing tennis? This is an important question as it tells us just how far we are willing to go with what we are doing. This also questions the level of thinking we have toward fencing, is it just something that we like doing or something that is more important to us than that? If we are truly dedicated to the Art then nothing will be able to take its place, and nothing will fill the hole that is left by the absence of fencing. For those who are truly dedicated to what they are doing fencing is something that cannot be put down and picked up, it must be held on to and utilised and followed.

Next we have the question of needs and wants. Do you want to fence, or do you need to fence? There is a distinct difference between the two. A person who merely wants to fence is stating that it is something which is not really necessary to them, a person who needs to fence is stating that it is something that they cannot do without. In order to be dedicated to fencing you have to need to fence. It has to be so much a part of what you are and what you do that its absence is felt in a very deep manner. This will determine your willingness to go out of your way in order to do things to enhance your fencing, and follow the path you have chosen.

We need to have a close look at the actual fencing that we do, and how we achieve the end that we seek. Winning is nice and is something which should be considered, but you need to ask yourself if the final result is more important than how you got there. Is it better to win by any means necessary, or is it better to stick to our form and win using skill and style? This is a question of dedication to what we are doing. Learning to fence is hard and winning by the use of pure skills and techniques looks hard in the beginning, but it will improve your fencing overall. Only a fencer who is dedicated to what they are doing will spend the time to ensure that they win using skill and not brute force or some trick. This leads well into the subject of learning and how important it is to the process and our level of dedication to the art.

Learning is important to progressing in the Art, and it is something that we need to be dedicated to in order to progress fully. It is important that we must always be learning in order to progress, and learning in order to improve our fencing. The only way to progress is to keep learning, while this can be a more difficult process as we progress in skill, there is always something new to learn and dedication to this process must be made if we truly want to excel in out Art. It is important that we take the opportunity to learn from anyone who is willing to teach us something, a different point of view is always useful. This is the case even across the various disciplines, and this should not be underestimated. Even our students can teach us something, even if it is just a different point of view. This learning process does take dedication, and remembering why we are there and what we are doing.

Progression is important and the amount of progression in a period of time is actually irrelevant. We must be dedicated to progression in order to progress. If we are not we stagnate. Progression itself needs dedication also in order to be able to push us past those times where the progression is hard. Everyone hits plateaus in their progression, in fencing, in music, and in most pursuits. It is important to stay dedicated and work through this particular phase in order to progress. The progression may seem slow at these times, but it is important that we stick with the process. With regard to plateaus it will be noted that the early stages the plateaus are infrequent and short, as we progress and our skill level increases, these plateaus will become more frequent and longer. We must be dedicated enough to push through these periods in order to continue to progress. This will take a great deal of time and patience.

In the question of measuring progression there are different approaches. One is a physical evaluation based upon wins and results of encounters, the other is a more internal process which is based upon the increase of knowledge and its expression. The first one is what often drives sport fencers and those who are more interested in winning than the pursuit of the Art. The second gives a much broader playing field and progression can be noted in the form of the skill presented and the ability of the fencer to achieve their goal through the use of their skills. This enables the fencer to see progression in different places, from the performance of a skill against an opponent, to the realisation of a concept or the application of a piece of fencing theory. The measurement of success and progression is important.

Progression is necessary as has been stated, but how it is achieved is also important. In order to progress we must stay dedicated to the Art which we are learning. This means progressing through the lessons, drills and bouts associated in a methodical manner. A training program for yourself will help in this particular aspect so you can see where you are going. This needs to be based on a set of goals, short term, and long term ones as well. Once you achieve a particular goal, it needs to be recognised in proportion. This is important as it recognises the successes that you have had. It is important to push through those lessons which seem difficult and those times where progression is not immediately evident. These are the times where your dedication will be tested. If you can push through this you will achieve a much greater result than if you give up and get distracted part way through.

Dedication, or a lack of dedication is expressed in many ways. Some of these expressions are very subtle and some are quite overt. The first and most overt expression of dedication is attendance. A person who attends all the training sessions and tournaments that they can get their hands on is a person who is clearly dedicated to learning and performance of their Art. A person who is less frequent at training and tournaments displays a much lower level of dedication to the Art that they have chosen to pursue.

Mere attendance is not the only method of expression, there is also the performance at these training sessions. A person who just hangs around and talks at training sesssions and only participates to the minimum amount even though they are attending training sessions is clearly less motivated than the person who engages in these sessions to their full capacity. As for tournaments, it cannot be expected that a fencer will win every tournament that they enter into, this is reliant on several different things, but if they do not do their best at the tournament and fight their hardest this will be seen.

Another expression of dedication can be seen in the fencer's equipment. If the fencer's gear is left in a state of disrepair, or if they forget parts of their equipment, then it is clear that they are not as dedicated to what they are doing as a person who turns up with their gear in good working order, and all present. This also goes for the acquisition of equipment to use at tournaments and training sessions. A person who is constantly borrowing gear from other students or the fencing school rather than going out and buying their own equipment is clearly less dedicated than the person who obtains their own equipment at the first chance that they are able to.

Dedication can also be seen in the preparation for lessons, this has physical and psychological elements which are all important in the person's level of dedication to fencing. Part of the preparation for a lessson is ensuring that all the appropriate gear is in good working order and is preent and packed before leaving for the lesson. Forgetting some part of the equipment shows a lack of dedication as this should have been checked before the person left for the lessson, and ensured that the gear is in good working order.

Next to look at are less overtly expressed elements in the preparation and attendance at training sessions and tournaments. Attitude has a great part to play in the student's ability to learn and also the way that they approach the lessons and tournaments. If they have the attitude that they have already learnt what they need to learn, then it is less likely that they will pay close attention to the class being taught.

Ego is an element which needs to be controlled and kept in check, this was already discussed in one of the previous blogs but relates very much to dedication. If the ego is used to fence rather than the skills learnt, this says something about the fencer, and alludes to their level of dedication to the learning process and thus the Art overall. Obviously in order to participate completely in the lessons, a person needs to have the willingness to learn what the teacher is imparting at the lessons. The willingness to learn is expressed in how they approach the lessons themselves, but this is something which starts before the lesson starts. This willingness needs to be enshrined in the individual before they leave for the lesson, and is one of the most important elements. It relates very much back to the question of attitude and ego.

The dedication to the Art of fence is something that each person needs to consider on their own part and to what level they are truly dedicated to the Art that they have chosen. This dedication will be expressed in many ways and it is up to the individual to ensure that this dedication is enhanced in order to gain the greatest benefit from the Art. Dedication will determine how far we will be able to go more than pure phyiscal ability. Skills can be learnt. Concepts can be learnt. Theory can be learnt, but the fencer has to be willing to put in the hard work that is required in order to gain these things and this will take dedication. It is dedication that will see us through the hard parts of the fencing process, and only dedication that will assist us to surrmount the largest obstacles in our path. As a fencer, dedication is something that we must all consider personally as it will determine how far we are able to progress within the Art.

Cheers,

Henry.

Calibration and the Correct Execution of the Thrust

2009-07-20T20:47:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Everyone has been struck a too hard by their opponent before, and indeed the same could be said of ourselves in the same situation. This blog, as noted by the title will focus on calibration in the execution of the thrust. The thrust is the primary attack in many forms of fencing and knowing the correct calibration so that we do not injure our opponents is important and is something that needs to be discussed. This blog will address various details with regard to the execution of the thrust and examine how we can minimise the chances of over calibrating our thrust, or in more simple terms hitting too hard.

The two root causes of over calibration in the thrust comes from a problem with knowledge of distance or from the technical execution of the thrust. Each one of these will be addressed with some pointers about how these can be improved and why there may be problems. The last part of the blog will address some problem solving suggestions as to how we ourselves can prevent over calibration and how we can fix the same problem in our students. Time and distance are the two root principles of fencing and any flaw in them will be expressed when we come up against an opponent. In this particular case it is distance which needs to be addressed.

Knowing your distance is about situational awareness. Knowing your own distance with a thrust, and also the distance to the opponent. This particular element will be affected by other things going on during the bout such as movement and each one of these elements needs to be addressed in some form. The lunge is equally important in this equation but at the moment it is the thrust that will be the focus as the lunge is simply a thrust with a forward step added to it. The same elements which will be raised apply equally to the lunge as they do to the thrust.

The first element is your own distance. You need to know how far your point will be away from your body at the full extension of your thrust. If your opponent is within the distance of your thrust it is important that you realise this and do not extend to your full length, otherwise you will strike your opponent too hard. This is the first element, and is forms some of the basis of the others. Once you know your own distance you can move on to the examination of the opponent. You need to be aware of the distance to your opponent in comparison to your own thrusting distance, as stated if they are too close you will over calibrate if you fully extend your thrust. Thus both elements need to be taken into account at the time that the thrust is made. The final element of distance that needs to be taken into account is movement. Both combatants will be moving, during the bout and this will change the distance between you and your opponent. This is most easily seen in the use of the retreat in response to a thrust. You need to be aware of your own movement during the execution of the thrust, but also the movement of the opponent, especially if they close distance as you are thrusting.

The elements described above; your distance, the distance to the opponent and movement, all form a part of situational awareness and it is a lot of information that you need to assimilate in a short amount of time. Situational awareness is also important in order to be aware of the environment. For the classical and sport fencers, this means being aware of your position on the piste. For the Renaissance fencers it is being aware of any boundaries or obstructions that may be present on the field which you are using. These elements also need to be taken into account, but for different reasons. Situational awareness is something which is important as you need to know the distance elements in a very short amount of time, in fact when the thrust is delivered, and even a little before it is delivered. With the awareness of distance discovered, the next element that needs to be addressed is technique.

The correct performance of the thrust, and indeed all skills in fencing is vital. For the current discussion, the correct technical execution of the thrust is vital to correct calibration. Technique is vital to the correct execution of the thrust and it is something that needs to be examined in some detail. It seems like a simple action, but there is a level of skill in it. The thrust must be examined in some detail in order to see how it works and how this may affect our end result.

Accuracy is an element which extends from proper technical performance of the thrust, and while it is not the focus of this discussion it does have elements which are important. An accurate, but slow thrust is substantially more important that a fast but inaccurate one. The accuracy allows us to hit the target that we are aiming for and this can be important in calibration in order that we hit the target at the correct distance rather than some closer one by accident. Thus it can be seen that accuracy in the thrust can be of great importance in its execution and calibration of the thrust. In order to investigate this the technical detail must be addressed.

The thrust is not merely shoving the point of the weapon at the opponent and this must be realised at its most base level. There are various elements which come into play in the execution of the thrust and only if all of these elements are combined together properly will the thrust be executed properly. Each one of these elements can affect the calibration of the thrust, some will more than others. Each part of the thrust needs to be examined in order to understand the action properly and be able to do it properly.

In the execution of the thrust the point should move in a straight line from its starting position to its target with very little deviation. This will ensure that the point has travelled the shortest distance to its target. This is important for accuracy and also speed. A change in direction of the thrust can also affect calibration as the point may gain more velocity, or it may change the distance. Thus it is important that the point travels in the shortest line to its target.

The thrust must be performed as a simple extension of the arm toward the target. This keeps things simple and efficient and leaves the least amount of room for errors in its performance. In some ways it is better not to think about hitting a target merely extending the arm and thus the point into a position into space which happens to be occupied by the opponent. In this way your mind does not think about hitting a target and focuses more upon the correct execution of the action, and this will help you a great deal. The primary muscles that should be used in the performance of the thrust is the shoulder muscles. The arm should be lifted by these muscles in order to push the point toward its target. The wrist and elbow should be merely used to direct the point toward the target. Thus it can be seen that the correct execution of the thrust involves the movement of the shoulder more than any other part of the arm. This keeps the action simple in its performance. Problems in the execution of the thrust will be discussed further on.

Speed is an element which gets too much focus made of it. A fast thrust is useful, but only if it is accurate, and thus we should aim for accuracy more than speed in the performance of the thrust. A slow thrust is easier to control, whereas a fast thrust is harder to control because the mind starts to focus more upon the speed of the thrust rather than its execution. This can be one of the causes of over calibration. At slower speeds you are able to focus more on the performance of the thrust and making sure that the target is struck and with the correct calibration. Going too fast is one place which will have some discussion in the problem areas which arise and can cause you to hit too hard.

There are many problem areas in the execution of the thrust and as teachers and students we should be aware of them in ourselves as well as our students. Some of the problem areas will be highlighted here, with some solutions to these problems discussed in a later part of the discussion. The first problem that will become present is what is called chambering the thrust. This involves one of two actions. The first form involves the bending of the elbow before the thrust is performed. The thrust is then pushed toward the opponent using both the shoulder and the elbow. This form of thrust will tend to be very hard in its performance due to the extra muscles put into play. The other form of chambering involves swinging the arm backward a little before the thrust is made, once again this can lead to over calibration due to the extra velocity added to the thrust. Swinging is another problem which will surface both on its own and also with chambering the thrust. Simply swinging the arm is no good, this often comes from practicing the thrust without executing each on singularly. Simply swinging the arm releases a great deal of control and as with chambering it can lead to hitting too hard.

Attempting to deliver the thrust from the elbow by its simple extension, or driving the wrist forward, are both problems that can lead to inaccuracy and over calibration. The first results in a snapping action which creates a great deal of velocity and very little control. This performance method can also lead to the fencer developing "tennis elbow" and similar problems with the joint. Driving the wrist forward is related to throwing the thrust. This is very much simply attempting to throw the point at the opponent. Due to all of the force being at the front, the over-balancing and over-extension in the action will lead to a high velocity and also hitting too hard. These problems often result from the fencer attempting to thrust faster than their technical skill at their current level will allow them to safely. This is a problem where because the speed is the aim of the thrust, technique gets left behind and the fencer will attempt to muscle the thrust through to its target. The overt use of muscle is what leads to the over calibration in the thrust. Use of the wrist in this method can also lead to "scooping" the point, where the point of the weapon dips downward or is pushed upward before the thrust is made. This leads to an inaccurate thrust and the creation of velocity which can lead to over calibration in the thrust.

Various problems have been highlighted in the delivery of the thrust. Each one of these problems has a solution to it in order to correct the problem which is present in the fencer, but the first thing that needs to be done is being aware of the problem. The opponents of the individual will realise the problem as they are being struck too hard, but the fencer themselves may not realise what this is or think it is their problem. Where the fencer does not realise, they should be approached in a friendly manner and be made aware of the problem. Once the awareness of the problem has been made the next step is to see what the problem is exactly. This involves close observation of the fencer. It is possible to see the problems in a bout, but it is much easier to do in a drilling situation. The fencer should make some thrusts against a stationary target in order to examine the thrust and see if it is a technical problem, and then against moving targets to see if it is a distance issue. Once the root cause has been found it is then possible to look at problem solving. As with any other technical skill in fencing the best way in order to improve the skill is to use drills.

Distance drills are very easy to set up. The fencer should stand at a distance away from a stationary target and then approach it. Once they think that they are at the correct distance a thrust should be made. This should be done slowly at first, and then speed up. A further drill involves the use of two combatants who move toward one another and the fencer who is the focus will say "Stop." when they think they are at the correct distance. A situational awareness drill involves the fencer closing their eyes and several people moving about them once they stop the fencer should open their eyes and say who is at the correct distance, too close or too far away.

Technique drills involve focusing on the thrust itself and how it is performed. In these drills a stationary target should be used in order that the distance does not change. Depending on what the problem is will depend on what should be the focus of the drill. Where it is one of the other joints leading the thrust, in extreme instances these joints can be immobilised so that the fencer does not use them. The teacher should be watching the fencer perform the thrust and giving corrections as they are being performed. This should be done until the fencer can perform the thrust without the problem surfacing in the thrust. The thrust should be performed at very slow speed at first so that the fencer can focus on what they are doing. As they get more comfortable and are able to perform it properly, the speed of the action should be increased. The increase in speed should stop once the fencer is focusing too much on the speed rather than the technique as this is the limit of their technical skill, at this point in time the speed should be then reduced until the fencer is able to perform the action properly again. In all cases, the focus should be on technique rather than speed.

In most forms of fencing, the thrust is the primary attack and thus it is important that it is able to be performed without the opponent being struck too hard. This involves the thrust being performed at the correct distance and using the correct technique. Distance and technique are the two root causes of over calibration in the thrust and need to be examined in some detail if we are all to improve as fencers. As we progress, consideration of the thrust is often left behind, but it is of great importance that we come back to this most basic skill on a regular basis in order that we can refine our skill and ensure that we are performing the action properly. If problems arise in the performance of the thrust, go back and see how it is being performed and fix the problems. These problems need to be fixed as early as possible in order that they are not allowed to become habits. It is never good to strike the opponent in a bout too hard, this is a consideration that should be made by all fencers no matter what weapon that they are using.

Cheers,

Henry.

Ego: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

2009-07-14T23:19:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Your personality will have an effect on how you fence and how you approach it. This is an important point that must be considered with regards to all aspects in your fencing. This blog is an examination of the effects of personality on fencing, and more to the point an examination of the effects of ego on fencing. The information below will address various aspects of personality and ego and its impact on training and competition. It is something that we should all consider as to how our own personality and ego will affect the way that we train and the way that we fence. The blog will address both the positive and negative effects of personality and ego upon the fencing process including training and competition.

Your personality will have an impact on your training it will affect the way that you approach your fencing and how you perform on the field and this is an important point that we must all realise. There are good aspects that will promote the best in us and there will be negative effects that will detract from what we do and how we are percieved in our fencing. Both of these aspects need to be taken into account and the positive enhanced and the negative reduced as much as possible.

"You must keep egotism out of your fencing. Egotism has no place in your training, ... or your fencing persona. It is an ugly, misleading companion." (Evangelista, 2000:219)

Your personality will affect your approach to fencing. This is more focussed on our personal philosopy that grounds the reasons for fencing. The reasons for fencing are many and it is these reasons that will drive us to succeed or not. If our aim is simply to beat every opponent that we encounter on the field, this will have a different effect than if our goal is to further our search for the truths in swordplay. A person whose simple goal is to beat every opponent on the field may reject certain approaches in their fencing in order to enhance their ability to win. In most cases once this person has found what will work best for them on the field they will stop learning and just attempt to enhance these skills. A person who is seeking the truth in swordplay, however, will seek more than the simple win, and will search out better technique and train this. This will lead this individual to learn more and more and thus enhance their knowledge of the art that they have chosen to pursue. Thus it can be seen that the overall approach is affected by our personality and approach.

Personality will affect your conduct on the field, where it is purely driven by ego, any hit against us will feel like an assault on our ego. On the other hand if this is approached as a learning experience any hit against us will be seen as a chance to learn something from the experience. Thus in this approach every encounter with an opponent is a learning experience and benefits the fencer regardless of the result. The person who seeks to enhance their experience in fencing will take every chance to learn and this will benefit them in the long run. This will also affect the way the person trains, seeking to learn from every encounter and every lesson in order that they can become a more complete swordsman. We must examine how our personality affects or performance and approach to every encounter.

"I’m not sure if I can stress enough how important having confidence is to your success at fencing (or life in general). What I’m talking about is not brash, loud, empty bravado or egotism, but the quiet assuredness you can feel emanating from people who are secure in themselves and their abilities."
(Kellner, 2009)

Ego is a necessary thing in fencing. It is what drives our aspirations in fencing, it is what enables us to succeed, and also to accept successes. In this way having the effect of ego is a necessary and good thing for the fencer, but this must be tempered by the fencer's approach to what they are doing and learning. The ego must be balanced with the knowledge that fencing is a learning experience, thus the ego must realise that there will be elements where you will not succeed the first time. These times must be taken as a chance to learn rather than a personal affront. In this way, with the ego kept in check and used to drive a person to succeed through the best methods, ego can actually be a good thing. Of course, as with everything there is a negative side which must be taken into account.

"there is a point when ego takes a step beyond the normal scheme of things, when feeling good about yourself and having aspirations become self-inflating conceits. When this happens, you will most certainly get in the way of your own progress." (Evangelista, 2000:219)

Egotism and ego to excess is a bad thing for the fencer. This will lead the fencer to be conceited and arrogant, this is not good for fencing and not good for the fencer. This must be realised and rejected. Conceit on its own will prevent learning as the fencer will feel that they have learnt everything that there is need to be learnt. This may be promoted by a long stretch of wins against their opponents. At this point in time where conceit has taken firm root in the fencer they will stop learning and stop progressing because they feel that they have learnt all that they need. Conceit will also be expressed in the fencer's attitude to other fencers and this will not be favourable at all. Arrogance is closely related to conceit in its effect upon the fencer. This is an aspect that the fencer should avoid as much as possible. These two aspects will result in the fencer thinking that they are the measure of all their opponents. This will lead them to stop learning. Egotism in the fencer is a detriment to them and will prevent successes that they would have otherwise had access to.

"You stop measuring when you think you are the ruler by which all things are measured. And when you stop measuring, you stop thinking." (Evangelista, 2000:219)

Ego has an effect on training, both what the fencer will learn and also how the fencer will learn it, or not. A fencer who has a lack of confidence or ego at all will mean that they do not have the will to succeed and will stop at the first problem. On the other hand a fencer who has too much ego will deride the learning process and will find it difficult to learn anymore. In this way too much ego and too little will be a detriment to fencing. The fencer needs to have enough ego that they will continue trying and learning, but not so much that they become arrogant nor so little that they stumble at the first problem that they encounter in their training. In this way the ego needs to be balanced in training with other factors such as the want to learn and the acceptance that they have not learnt everything possible. In order to progress we must learn, and learning is a process in which the fencer needs to be a full participant and thus needs the will to go further and the self-check in order to keep on learning. This ego issue is also reflected in the encounters between the fencer and their opponents.

"If you allow egotism to take over, you will underestimate every opponent you meet. You will overestimate yourself. ... Don't ever believe you can fall back on your reputation to create victories." (Evangelista, 2000:220)

As with training ego has a place in tournament and bouting. The same effects of too much and too little can be seen in bouting and in tournaments. Too much and the fencer will underestimate the opponent, too little and the fencer will give up before the bout has started. Arrogance as an expression of an over-abundance of ego will be expressed by the fencer both on and off the field. Off the field it will be seen as disdain toward other fencers and a complete lack of consideration for them at all. On the field it will be seen in the way the fencer approaches the opponent and how they deal with the opponent. Arguments about hits, especially against them where a discussion is not warranted will surface. There will be complaints about how the judges dealt with a hit where they are used, there will be complaints about how the opponent fences, and various other aspects such as this. A prime place where this can be seen is especially in sport fencing at the highest levels. There are arguments about the hits and the conduct of the bout. Large outbursts by the fencers is a perfect example, whether this is due to a victory or about a defeat. Classical fencing rejects these ideas about the ego and attempts to focus on the form of the fencing rather than the result.

"While a Classical Fencer places honour above all, even when it might cost him/her a touch, or bout or a tournament title, it is equally vital that fencing students come to appreciate the difference between "ego" and "honour." Ego says "Whatever I do is right." Honour says "Whatever is right, I will do." (You may recognize in this, as I do, the distinction between nationalism and patriotism.)" (Crown, 2006)

Crown (2006) expresses the difference between ego and honour in a succinct way, and it is a point that we should all consider in our fencing regardless of the form that takes. The points he raises are equally relevant to the Renaissance fencer and also the sport fencer. We all know when we have been struck by the opponent, whether that hit is acknowledged or not. This is something that we need to consider in our approach to fencing, is our ego driving our fencing or is it something?

There has been much said in this blog about personality and ego and they are important aspects which we must all consider as fencers. Does your ego drive your fencing or is it the search for the truths about swordplay? We should all at the highest and most expressed levels present ourselves as searching for the truths about swordplay, but we must also acknowledge the effect that our egos have upon ourselves and others as well. Approach your fencing as a learning experience in all accounts and a long road is opened ahead of you. Approach your fencing as the pure desire to deafeat all opponents and the road is shortened considerably. We must keep our egos under control at all times, use them in order to progress in fencing, but not so much that they are all that drive us. We all need to consider the effect that our fencing has on our fencing and also the fencing of those around us.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bibliography
Crown, A. A. (2006) Why Study Classical Fencing, http://www.classicalfencing.com/whystudy.php
Evangelista, N. (2000) The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit, Masters Press, Illinois, USA
Kellner, D. (2009) Building Confidence in Your Fencing, http://www.sofaemployed.com/?p=1507

Conduct of Training

2009-07-07T19:07:00.001-07:00

Greetings,

Training is an aspect of all sports and martial arts. It is something that we all need to do. It is important that the teacher in the lesson is able to construct a training session that has all the elements necessary for the students to learn what they need to learn in their lesson. This blog will focus on the conduct of training, from the planning to the execution and dealing with some of the problems that will arise in training. Hopefully this will be of interest to students and teachers alike so that you can examine your own training sessions and see how they compare to what is written here.

For the teacher the training session needs to start before they turn up for training. Planning needs to be the first stage of any training session. This is a necessary process especially in order to remain in control of the training session and to ensure that you are able to teach all of what the students need to learn. The first thing you need to look at in the planning stage is the overall plan for training. You need to look at how the students will progress from the beginning stages to the end where they are able to fence with a level of competence and then further to include more advanced techniques. You don't need to plan out the entirety of the student's career at this point in time, more you need to give them the skills in order to progress in that direction. This is the first stage of the planning process.

Once you have an overall plan for the training sessions on the whole you need to have a look at the individual lessons. The lessons should build upon one another like building blocks. This means that the first lessons establish the foundation for the student's fencing and then the others build on top of this. What this means is that the first lessons are some of the most important as if the basic skills are not established to begin with it will be difficult to build upon these in order to get to more advanced techniques. Each one of the lessons should be connected to the others in some way. Obviously they are all connected due to what is being learnt, but the connections need to be on a more specific level as well. Basic techniques should lead to more advanced ones as the basics are the foundation of the more advanced techniques. This needs to be established in the planning process for the training program. The next part of the process is to look at the individual lesson or lessons that will be taught on a particular night.

The decision of how much to teach in a single training session is an important one and needs to be considered. There is a sliding scale from teaching not enough in the session all the way up to teaching too much. In general it is best to focus on one particular area in a lesson, though in some instances this can be branched out into more. This is highly dependent on the lessons being taught. For example, lessons on footwork all link together and may be taught as a single block as they are all related to how the feet move, but trying to link a lesson on footwork to some aspect of the use of the hands is probably not a good idea to start with. In general you should teach a maximum of three lessons per training session otherwise you will give the students problems in remembering all of the information that you have presented. This is, of course, highly dependent on the lessons themselves and also the students being taught. It is important to look at how the lesson relates to others as has been noted before. This will allow you to decide whether the lesson is best taught alone or in conjunction with another lesson. Some lessons will tend to lead to other ones and this should be noted as it will give some directions as to how the lessons should be taught. Remember though, that each lesson should have a particular area of focus and this should be what is being aimed at for the lesson. If this is not clear then the students will get confused as to what they are supposed to be learning and this is not good.

The next part of the process is examining the content of the lesson and what will be taught in the training session. This can be approached in one of two ways really. You can have a lesson planned out as to what will be taught or you can see what the students want to learn and then focus on that for the session. Both methods have their advantages and disadvantages. The second gives the students what they want, but if the entire program is based in this method then the program tends to be very disjointed and aspects can be missed in the process. This is a very spontaneous form of lessons and should really only be used for more advanced students and the more experienced teachers as it does not allow much time for planning. The first is good as there is a structure which is followed lesson by lesson, this method does, however lack spontaneity. This means if a particular problem comes up it is somewhat difficult to deal with that problem instantly without deviating from the program. It does, however have the advantage of being able to plan what will be taught in a particular training session. The most important part is regardless of what method you use, you should focus on one aspect of the training per lesson and ensure the students understand which aspect is the focus of the lesson in order that some structure is maintained.

The lessons need to have content which is interesting to the students. This means that in most cases the lessons will be dominantly practical in nature. Lessons with a great deal of theory and very little practical aspect to them tend to be seen to be rather boring by students. You should try to include some aspect of a practical nature in the lesson in order to keep the students interested in what is going on. The only way to keep the students' attention is to make the lesson interesting to them. The lesson may be very important to their progress, but if it is not interesting to them their attention will waver and they may miss important parts of the lesson. The theory lessons should be directly related to practical aspects. In this way the theory is demonstrated to be something that has great benefit in what is going on in actual fencing. Keeping the students interested in what is going on is important and should be considered carefully when planning a lesson and also teaching it.

The organisation of the training session is important. You need to structure it in such a way that each element leads on to another one. This structure is important so that the students can see what is going on and then be able to follow this. You need to consider what should be the start of the session and how you will engage the students and keep their attention. Warming up is an important part of the training session. Not only does it prepare the body for the practical aspects in the lesson it also increases blood flow and thus improves the thinking capacity and attention span of the students. Training sessions are usually held at night or on weekends. In both these instances people will have just relaxed after working and will need some motivation in order to get them moving in order that they can fully participate in the lesson. The warm-up is a good way to get people enthusiastic and get them moving again. The next part of the training session should be the theory, the information about what is being taught in the lesson. Some believe that this should be before the warm-up as the body will cool while doing the theory. The warm-up gets the student excited and willing to learn, thus it will improve the retention of the theory that is taught. As long as the theory aspect does not go too long the students should not cool down too much. Once the theory is done you should move on to the practical aspects.

The practical aspects of the lesson will keep the students interested in what is going on but this needs to be done in a way that the information is retained by the student. An action being learnt should be demonstrated at full-speed by the teacher, and then again at slower speed so that the students can see what is going on. The students should be then shown how the action is done in parts. This is how the action should be taught, in parts. Once they can do the parts slowly you should then speed things up. Once the students are able to do the action at speed, you should move on to drills which use the particular skill which has been learnt. The construction of the drills was discussed in the previous blog. These drills should reflect a situation in fencing in a controlled manner. Once the drills have been done and the students can perform the technique, you should move them on to controlled or coached bouting. This bouting focuses on the use of the new technique. In a bouting situation the technique the student learns when the appropriate time for the use of the skill is. In some ways this bouting should be controlled so that the skill is used, but also let go so that it reflects normal fencing better. Free bouting should always come at the end of the lesson as it is a way for the students to practice their skills and also have some fun. This should be included in the training sessions as many times as possible in order to keep their enthusiasm up. Free bouting is a great way to release tension, but this should come at the end of the training session.

In everything that is attempted there will be problems and training sessions are no different. Some of the problems will be easy to deal with and some will not be so easy. Some of these problems are generated by the students and some by the teacher. Both need to take responsibility for their impact upon the training session. Trouble-makers are abound and they should be dealt with promptly in order that they do not disrupt the entire session. The method use depends on what the person is doing and what the teacher is permitted to do within their structure. Some will be easily dealt with and others won't. A lack of interest in the lesson can be dealt with in one of two ways. You either abandon the lesson and move on to something else, or you continue on with the lesson and attempt to generate interest in the lesson through demonstrating its importance to the process. The choice of which depends on the particular lesson. The other end of this is the student attempting to move on to fast. The initiative of the student should be praised, but it should also be explained as to what the lesson is trying to achieve and that what they are doing comes later and they should wait for this. This leads to problems in the session.

If it seems that you are giving the students too much to learn at once, you should stop and evaluate the situation. It would be better to stop the lesson and try again at a different session than to continue and have the lesson not properly learnt. On the other end of the scale is not giving the students enough to learn. This usually results in them getting more bouting at the end of the session which is not necessarily a bad thing, but for the next session more should be included. The content of the lesson may be too advanced for some students so they will not understand what is going on. Attempt to describe the technique a different way to the student so that they may be able to understand what is going on. If this does not work a physical demonstration of the skill can be helpful. Correction of technique is part and parcel of the process, this needs to be done with encouragement, but not too much. If the technique is too difficult for the student to master at that point in time, you should come back to it later on.

Training sessions are important as is their conduct. The best conducted sessions are those in which the teacher has the most control over what is going on. This means that the teacher needs to plan what is going to happen before-hand in most instances. Experienced teachers will be able to teach lessons from their experience, but until this skill is attained it is better to plan the session out, and in some detail. Training sessions give a chance for the students to learn what they need to learn and for the teacher to also learn, in a lot of instances. This is important in the process of learning fencing for both students and teachers. Only through the learning process will both become better at what they are doing and expand their knowledge. Yous should consider your impact on the training session and see whether this is a positive or negative influence. Consider your training session carefully and see what you can do to improve it.

Cheers,

Henry.

Drill Design and Construction

2009-07-01T01:39:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Drills are an important part of the learning process for students and it is important that teachers know what they are for, how they are constructed and their inner workings in order to get the greatest potential from them. This blog is about drills, sometimes called conventionals in sport fencing. It will address some of the issues associated with the construction and use of drills in a training situation. Whether you are a teacher or student of fencing, the information provided will hopefully provide you with some thinking points with regard to this most useful tool in fencing.

Before we can look at drills in any sort of detailed way it is important to examine the purpose of drills as a training tool. Drills are most useful for the practicing of skills which have been learnt in a lesson. By using this method the theory present and the isolated form of the skill or skills that have been taught can be seen together working both with and against other skills. This is essentially seeing the skill in a practical situation or in another way of thinking, seeing the technique in action against the movements of an opponent. Through the use of drills and their repetitive fashion muscle memory is also built designed to instill the skills in the muscles and subconscious of the student. In this way the student will know how to respond to the stimulus presented by the opponent by use of the skill learnt in the drill. This is important as it then frees the fencer's mind up in order to be thinking about what he will do against his opponent once the action has been completed.

Next it is important to look at drills specifically. In order to do this without detailing all examples of skills and their drills, more general terms will be used in the address of their purpose. In all cases a drill should highlight the importance of the skill being drilled, and it should also highlight the importance of the correct performance of that skill against an opponent. There needs to be a reason for the drill being performed, it needs to be more than just a mere repetition of a particular skill for no seen purpose. Purpose must be injected into the drill so that the student will understand what both the skill and the drill are designed to achieve. This purpose must be specific to the skill and also the drill rather than the general terms which have already been discussed in the previous paragraph. The next part of this is the actual design of the drill itself. This must relate directly to the skill being taught and must place the skill in a situation where it is the best option available. This design phase of the drill is important and must be thought about carefully in order for the drill to achieve its purpose.

In designing a drill the focus of the drill must be upon the specific drill being trained or learnt by the student. Without this focus the student will become confused about the purpose of both the drill and also the purpose of the skill. While in many cases the drill will involve the use of other skills, the focus must be on a specific skill. For a drill to be effective the other skills being used in the drill must be skills that the student already has in order that the drill is not sidetracked on to the attached skills rather than the particular focus skill of the drill. This is an element which is of great importance in the design and development of a drill. For example, if the drill involves the use of a particular footwork step along with a blade action, which is the focus of the drill, the footwork needs to be already known to the student in order for the drill to work. In many ways the drills will stack upon one another in a similar way that the skills will. With this in mind design the drill so that the focus is upon the new skill being learnt, and in a way that this is possible. The drill should actually end with the skill being learnt so that it is the last thing that the student does in the drill and thus it will become the most significant action in the drill. Use simple steps in the construction of the drill in order that there is little confusion with regard to the drill.

Speed is always a factor with regard to fencing and choosing the speed at which a drill should be performed is of great importance. The drill should always start by being performed slowly so that the skill is developed and examined in a very specific way. This will enable the student to focus on the technique of the skill rather than the result of the skill. The student should understand that the goal of the drill is the correct performance of the skill rather than whether or not they are able to hit their opponent. If the student is able to perform the skill and the drill correctly striking the opponent should come about as a result of the correct performance, if that is appropriate to the skill being learnt.

Drills, in most cases, should result with a full speed version of the drill being performed. This will enable the student to see the action in practice. This should only be done once they are able to perform the technique properly at slower speeds. Full speed drills are necessary for those drills where the skill will be use in a full combat situation. Without these drills the student will be able to perform the action slowly but will not be able to do the same at full speed, thus it can be seen that drills at full speed are necessary. There are times where the slow drill actually achieves its goal, this is most evidently seen in the physical demonstration of time. It is much easier to see tempos at slow speed than it is to see them at full speed. This form of drill is more aimed at the student understanding the concept behind what is happening more than the skills being used.

For drills to work properly and achieve their goals various things are required. First of all the students must have been taught the skills involved in the drill, and most importantly the skill being drilled. Next is that the participants in the drills must participate completely in the drill. This means following the drill according to what has been directed by the teacher. This means that the participants need to stick with the drill as it has been directed and sticking with the purpose of the drill. There should be very little deviation in the action of the drill, save those points where the participant is having trouble and needs help.

Deviations from the drill detract from the purpose and focus of the drill and make it less useful to the participants in the drill. Deviation in the drill should not be tolerated by the teacher and this is why the drills should be observed closely by the teacher of the class. Deviation such as countering the final action by one participant does not allow the skill being taught to be successfully completed and therefore learnt properly, this should be discouraged. This is especially the case where a counter is taught against the action in a later drill.

Changes in footwork should be avoided as well in order that the positions and distance are not changed for the drill. These elements can be added in later on, if it is appropriate to the skill being taught. Each participant must know their purpose in the drill in order for it to be able to be used successfully. In a parry and riposte drill the attacker should simply thrust and wait for the response. Their purpose in the drill is to thrust and be struck and nothing more. Only where the two participants in a drill are completing their participation in the drill completely will the drill be effective. With regards to this drills must be done at the correct distance and all actions must be completed with purpose. This enables the responding participant to also perform their actions properly against it.

Drills are a good accompaniment to bouting. There are really two forms of bouting, free bouting and structured bouting. Free bouting involves the two combatants engaging with no restriction on technique or target. Structured bouting applies specific restrictions to the bout in order that particular skill-sets may be the focus of the bout. These are most useful when accompanied by the drills which use the appropriate skills. Bouting should be used in order for the students to use the skills that they have learnt against an opponent. This is the prime time for the students to figure out where any problems in their use of the skill may be, and also different ways and times in which the skill may be applied. It is important that drills are accompanied by bouting in order that the students have the chance to test out their new skills against different opponents.

Drills are a most useful tool for teachers, if they are utilised properly. In order that this can happen it is also important that the drills are formed properly as well. This requires that the drills be designed with a purpose in mind. They need to be focusing on a single skill or skill-set in order to be effective and the participants need to fulfil their role in the drill and nothing more. Deviation from drills is a distraction which will detract from the drill and its purpose. In this each participant has a responsibility in their participation in the drill and this is of great importance. Think when you design or participate in drills exactly what your purpose is. You need to be considering what the drill is designed to teach and how this relates to the whole picture of fencing that you are learning.

Cheers,

Henry.

Disability Aspects in Fencing

2009-06-22T18:42:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Disability is a subject which comes up with regard to fencing on a semi-infrequent basis. This is mainly due to the highly physical nature of fencing that it is often assumed that the participants are in a high degree of health. However, it is an important aspect which must be considered. This blog will address various aspects with regard to fencing and disability and some of how the less able fencer is able to compete in fencing and also enjoy the experience of fencing itself despite a physical infirmity.

One of the most trying things for a fencer is becoming somehow less able than before. This can occur due to a great deal of reasons, injury, sickness and operations being the most common reasons. What can happen here is that a fencer may be reduced in capacity to operate. The most important thing is that this is not the end. In a lot of cases it is possible to get back to where you were.

The first question that will be asked by the reader of this blog is what sort of authority is the author speaking from and how would they know what is going on in this situation. From my own point of view, I have a medical condition called Fibromyalgia (FM), which is closely related to both arthritis and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS). I suffer from joint pain and immobility as part of my condition and I would be lying if I said that this does not affect my fencing. From this point of view it is of interest to me to give people some ideas about how I deal with a lack of mobility. What is also important about this article is that I am not a qualified Occupational Therapist or other heath care professional, though some of the ideas that I will present do come from people with such qualifications. Hopefully this may give you some ideas about how you can get back to fencing or in some cases start fencing in the first place.

With regards to fencing literature which has been published and the great advances made towards the various aspects of disability with regard to fencing, there has been a great deal of focus on the lack of mobility on the part of some fencers and how they can still compete. To this end wheelchair fencing was developed for use in sport fencing and this appears in the Paralympics (http://www.paralympic.org/release/Summer_Sports/Wheelchair_Fencing/). There has been, however somewhat of a lack of any sort of address with regard to other aspects which may affect fencers, or potential fencers. These particular aspects need to be taken into account as there are many different ways to assist an individual with a physical infirmity of various kinds in order to get them fencing. In all cases, this will work on the same sorts of principles. It is important to realise that there are many disability aspects that can be worked around with the right approach.

The first part of the process of getting back to fencing, or starting fencing, is deciding to do it in the first place. This needs to be a firm decision on the part of the person as it will require effort on their part, in much the same way as the first, and following lessons, took effort, or will take effort. What you must understand, is that it is not necessary to have a sword in your hand from the start, there are much more gentle ways to start. One of the easiest ways is to watch others fence and see what you can see. This establishes the mind-game of fencing in its initial phase. See what comes back to you as you are watching. You may be surprised what you can see and actually remember. This is especially the case for those who have not fenced in a while.

The next part of the process is to actually think about fencing. From the movement of the sword, to the movement of the feet, all are important. This is all about reading the opponent, something that all fencers should do anyway. The actual thought processes of going through this are just as important as doing the actions. Find a notebook and write your thoughts down. Think of ways to practice and improve without requiring actual practice. It is the next part of the process, which takes the real effort.

The most important part of the physical part of fencing is looking at it from an Occupational Therapy point of view. It is important to focus on those things that you can do with regard to fencing rather than focusing on those things that you cannont do. This requires you to focus on the positive aspects with regard to the process. This mental aspect of the process is of a great deal of importance as it is this sort of motivation that will assist you to get past hurdles that will be placed in your path. Examine the physical parts of fencing and see what you can and cannot do, and also ways that you can assist yourself to attempt those things that you may not be able to do. Find out about how you can help yourself through the use of various aids and also exercises. One example of an aid for those with problems with weak wrists is the wrist strap, or martingale (http://fencing.net/about/rules/using-the-wrist-strap-or-martingale.html). All of these things will help you increase your capacity to fence.

The first part of the physical element of fencing and returning to it is to understand your own limits. It is important that you are able to start within these limits, but also to stay active within your own capacity. You must increase this capacity to do things steadily but slowly. Rushing the process will only hurt more and get you less. In the beginning it is best to rest frequently and to stop before you are too tired and/or sore. This sounds like a bit of a cop out but this is not the case. If you keep going until you are unable to move you will have a harder time getting back into it later.

With regard to work and rest, both are important. Work increases your capacity, but rest is essential to give your body time to recover to be able to do more. This is especially the case during the times of activity. You must rest before becoming exhausted, short breaks are important during activity. Short breaks during the activity will actually enable you to do more than attempting to push through.

With regard to your capacity it is important to be able to both test your limits and also increase them, but not at the expense of doing damage to yourself. Pain is the best indicator in the world about when you should stop. Ignoring this cue will lead to your detriment, but having a fear of pain will also limit you. In this you need to have a balance in your regard for pain. Somewhere between fear and disregard, there is respect and this is where the balance is found. If you become afraid of pain you will stagnate and will not improve, but also if you disregard pain you will cause yourself damage.

Fear -> Respect <- Disregard

It is important that you exercise to fatigue but before pain occurs. This is how the occupational therapists say it. You must consider the overall effect of what you are doing. Only by attempting more is it possible to increase your fitness, but this must be done through exercise and not pain. In my case I would say that you should be aiming to increase your capacity by a factor of about 5% and no more. Once the 5% has been achieved, stop. You should only push yourself to this point and not further. This way you will increase your ability bit by bit without the threat of doing damage to yourself.

Stress is important. Some things are more stressful than others and some things will stress your joints and other affect portions more than others. Do those, which exercise but do not stress your joints or other affected parts of the body. If something becomes too stressful stop, here it is important to know your own limits. It is necessary to stress the joint or other part of your body a little but not too much. Relaxation is also an important part of the process. This is vital for removing stress. What is also important is that you take as much time as you need to. There is no need to rush, it is better that you proceed slowly and steadily.

You need to consider what you can do that is within your capacity that will gradually increase your ability to fence. In the case of a person with a mobility issue this could include fencing from a chair. For a fencer with a problem with the ability to hold a weapon due to weight, it could be the use of a lighter weapon or using a wrist strap in order to reduce the stress and weight of the weapon. For a fencer with cardio-vascular issues this may be to slowly increase their ability to fence by increasing fitness over a period of time through an increase in fitness. These are just some suggestions that the fencer can think about. There are many others that can be used to deal with different problems. For those fencers with joint issues, you should do exercises that will build muscle around the affected joint. This increase in muscle will help to support the joint and enable you to do more. This is best achieved through the use of low impact exercises so that the muscles are being worked, but the joint is not being stressed

It is important that the fencer also discuss with their health care professional about their decision to go back to fencing. They ask about what things they can do in order to increase their capacity to fence. The fencer should heed this advice in order that they do not cause themselves more issues by going back and fencing too early. It is important that the fencer consider that their health to be the highest priority in all considerations. You should also discuss your decision to go back to fencing, or start fencing with your trainer. Talk with them and see what they can do to help you. They may be able to find some stretches or exercises that will assist you, or may be able to find some sort of aid for you that may assist your progression.

For trainers, if you have a student with a physical infirmity it is important that you examine what the problem is and see if you can figure out ways to get around it. You should sit down and have a long chat with the student about what they can and cannot do in order that you are able to tailor their training program around what they are and are not able to do. You need to be positive in this approach as your support will be vital in order to assist the student to continue or begin fencing. Focus on what the student can do and assist them in their capacity to do things that they cannot. You need to be open-minded in this approach.

The focus of this particular blog has been the increase in ability for those fencers with disability issues. Remember to start slowly and work on increasing your capacity, do not try to rush in and do too much at once. This whole process also applies to those who have been away from fencing for any longer period of time for any reason. Ease yourself back into the motions of fencing. It is better that you take time, than rush the process and do yourself an injury. No one can be expected to be back at their full form after months of “down-time” at their first practice back.

If you are having issues with joint pain or other forms of disability, I advise you to speak to a health care professional before it gets any worse. They can help you devise a program that will improve your quality of life and will also, in the long run, improve your fencing at a base level. Take their advice to heart. If you have a specific condition, especially with your joints, it is more than likely that some fencer has had similar issues. Share your concerns and ideas about dealing with the issues.

It is my hope that this article will help some, give some ideas to some, and increase everybody’s awareness of the importance of their joints. If you are having some sort of issue with your body, there is no doubt a trainer or another fencer who will be able to help you around it. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Remember, you only have one set of joints – look after them.

On a final note I must say that fencing is actually great for mobility, especially for those with joint and/or muscle issues. I have been fencing now for more than a decade and it has been remarked by several health care professionals that it is one of the things that has kept me so mobile. The most important thing to remember with regard to disability and fencing is that there are things that you can do, and you can fence. You need the courage and determination to strive through the obstacles placed in your path, and you need the willpower and motivation in order to do this. You need to want to fence. Have a look at your situation if you are interested in fencing, give it a go, you never know until you try.

Cheers,

Henry

Safety and Fencing

2009-06-16T07:43:00.000-07:00

Greetings,

Safety is a concern for all fencers. It does not matter which weapons you use or which school you subscribe to, safety is important. This entry in the blog will discuss safety and some aspects with regard to it. This is a subject of great significance for all fencers.

Safety is one of the most serious of considerations with regard to all forms of fencing and one that cannot be ignored except at our peril. It is important to all who participate and not just for those safety officers whose job it is to watch over the proceedings. We all need to be aware of the various aspects which affect our safety and also how this affects the entire fencing community as a whole independent of the weapon choice or style being used.

At this particular time I would like to discuss the subject of armour. In essence this is the protective equipment that we wear in order to be safe in the practice of our particular art. This takes into account such things as masks, helms, jackets, groin protection and footwear. All of these elements are a part of what we would call protective equipment, what I would like to refer to in the future as armour. Next there is the subject of calibration, the question of how hard we hit our opponents. Calibration is a measure of how hard we hit our opponents with our chosen weapons. This is a particular aspect which goes hand in hand with the chosen armour for the particular form of fencing which is being done.

There is a scale of calibration as to armour. If we wish to hit our opponents with a certain level of force then the armour must be up to this task. If the striking is heavy then the armour will have to be heavier than it would have been if the striking was much lighter. This is the first question that we need to ask. Do we increase the armour and increase the calibration or do we reduce the calibration and thus the armour required? This is a question that needs to be answered by the particular organisation doing the fencing and the safety officers within that organisation.

There is a sliding scale which exists which must be paid attention to in the question of establishing an armour standard. If the armour standard increases so too will the calibration and thus the armour will increase and so forth. In order to limit this it is necessary to remain in control of the calibration of the striking being done. In response to this it is fair to say that the level of calibration used takes an element of control and it is better to have this control than to increase the armour. This must be taught to the students of the school in order that they can control their calibration and thus not require an increase in armour.

In all aspects of our teaching of students control should be the focus, and calibration will emerge from this. It is better that we teach all of our students control in all their actions in order that they are able to become better fencers. With regard to engaging an opponent the focus of the training should be on the technique used in order to gain the hit rather than the hit itself. This will promote better fencing overall as it is a technique and therefore skill-focused pursuit rather than a result-focused pursuit. Thus the aim should be for the accurate performance of a skill or technique against an opponent rather than just seeking to hit them. This will enable the students to focus on a successful strike on the opponent as the result of the correct conditions being made rather than force being used to ensure the strike.

Accurate technique should always be the focus above the use of force used in order to ensure a successful hit on the opponent. With regard to this accurate technique is more effective that the pure use of force. Technique requires little strength but great knowledge of technique, distance and timing. This should be the focus of our training of students. Due to its basis in the foundation principles of fencing and also skill, technique will always have the advantage over strength and force when it is used. This relates directly back to calibration and by nature safety. If the technique is performed at the correct distance and time, force and thus calibration should be no issue for the user of the technique. Where the lack of technique is compensated for by force then issues will abound.

We should all be aware of the various safety issues involved in the performance of our art and not leave these to the safety officers who are delegated to oversee them. If you have concerns about safety you should be encouraged to bring these up with your safety officer. We should strive to teach our students control and thus this will increase our safety in a way that no increase in armour can. The safer we can make our art the more appealing it is for all. If one group is lax about safety in any form this can bring the rest of the practitioners of this art into disrepute or even cause a threat to the existence of our art as it is in the current age. Be aware of safety issues and the important part that you have to play in ensuring that our art is as safe as it can be not only for ourselves but for future teachers and students of our art.

Cheers,

Henry.

Tactics in Fencing

2009-06-09T19:30:00.000-07:00

“Fencing is a competitive sport. The will-power and the intelligence of the opponent have to be reckoned with in it. In such a sport tactics, stratagems have equal weight and an equal role with technique. One without the other is worth nothing. The fencer’s performance cannot be productive, however brilliant the development of his technical skill, if he is utterly lacking in tactical imagination,” (Beke and Polgár, 1963:29)

Greetings,

The title of this blog, as you can see above is tactics in fencing. This is a very important consideration for all fencers. Some of this was discussed in the previous blog about the thinking game. This blog will be a more in-depth discussion of fencing tactics and the details associated with them. The first thing to examine in this discussion is to see exactly what fencing tactics means.

“The process of fencing is your blueprint for producing touches. It is the combining of the mental and physical components of fencing into an effective whole.” (Evangelista, 2000:88)

As stated by Evangelista (2000) above tactics is a part of the process of fencing and provides the blueprint of how you may strike your opponent, of course without being struck yourself. It is tactics which makes fencing a thinker's game as it involves the fencer examining the situation, evaluating what is going on, formulating a solution for the situation, and then acting on it. This involves a level of thought by the fencer in order to perform. Fencint tactics is more than just reaction, they are planned actions and show the difference between the thinking fencer and thos who just react to the actions of the opponent.

“Strategy is how you relate to your opponent ... This is the science of fencing. How successful you are in strategy will underscore your effectiveness as a fencer. A good strategic game adds much depth and variety to your fencing.” (Evangelista, 2000:192)

Tactics demonstrates and shows the relationship between the actions of the fencer and the opponent. This is an important point. Not only do your tactics need to take into account what you want to do, but it also must take into account how your opponent will respond to your actions. In many ways, your tactics are answers to the questions posed by the opponent in the actions that they perform against you. These answers are made on the basis of the evidence supplied by the actions of the opponent.

“Tactics are the brainwork of fencing; they are based upon observation and analysis of the opponent and upon intelligent choices of actions against him." (Palffy-Alpar, 1967:47)

There are tactics in fencing at all levels, from the purely responsive actions of the physical fencer to the complex and detailed actions of the thinking fencer in response to the opponent. The level of thinking behind the actions defines where in this scale the actions of the fencer sits. It is important that we strive for the higher end of this scale in order that we are more successful in fencing, and this reauires thinking, “more than anything a good fencer has brains.” (Barth and Barth, 2003:84). This thought process supplies the prepatory material for compound actions performed by the opponent. Any complex action performed by the fencer requires a level of thought behind it, this means evidence gathered by the fencer and used in order to plan a response to the opponent's actions. There are requirements in order to be able to use fencing tactics and these requirements will be discussed next.

“This [tactical application] requires cool judgement, anticipation, opportunism, bluff and counter-bluff and the ability to think at least on move ahead, combined with courage and controlled reaction of muscles and limbs which enables the fencer to carry out simple or complex movements of his weapon as required by the situation at any given moment.” (De Beaumont, 1960:197)

The first requirement for fencing tactics is the ability to perform the actions required. This means that the fencer needs to learn the fencing skills and gain technical competence in them before he is able to perform them at will, on demand. Without the technical ability firmly in place, the fencer can see what he wants to do, can plan ahead in order to be able to perform it, but if he does not have the technical skills in order to perform the action then the process is a waste of time. This highlights the importance of practing the fencing skills in order that they can be called upon to be used at a moment's notice. Of course this is the first requirement, to add to this, there are others,

“A fencer poor in tactical thinking is like a well-trained army with a poor general, lacking imaginative leadership.” (Beke and Polgár, 1963:30)

What is being spoken about here is simply the ability to think. The use of the fencer's brain. It is necessary for the fencer to be able to use their brain in order to use tactics and fence well. The purely physical fencer can do quite well, but will be defeated most often by the fencer who has progressed past the physical and into the mental side of fencing. The ability to think while fencing enables you to use the information that you gain from your opponent in order to plan how you will deal with him, in other words form tactics. Without the thought process in action tactics can only be used at their most basic, reactive level. In combination with raw intellectual power, there is more. There psychological aspects which are involved in fencing as well and these abilities are also necessary.

“Among the psychological qualities we must also emphasize diligence and will-power. The development of these ensures that the physical and psychological inhibitions arising in a competitive fencer can be overcome.” (Beke and Polgár, 1963:30)

Diligence is being attentive to what is going on. A diligent student can overcome almost any obstacle which is placed in their path. Only the diligent student of fencing will really grasp what fencing is all about and be able to see the importance of the skills that are being learnt. A fencer with diligence can utilise those skills which they are most proficient at and reduce the importance of those skills which they are not so talented at, but they need to be aware of this. Tactically the student needs to be diligent in order to be able to pay attention to all which is going on around them and in order to be aware of these things so that they can act on them. The thinking process is enhanced by willpower as it is what drives us to succeed where we may fail.

“Will-power, with which we can overcome the physical and psychological inhibitions is more important in fencing than physical dexterity and flexibility, because psychological inhibitions play a major role in fencing.” (Beke and Polgár, 1963:31)

Willpower is of great importance to fencing not only for the sake of tactics but in order to drive us to succeed. This is most important in those situations where one fencer is clearly more experienced than the other. Where the less experienced combatant has the willpower he can through striving and using his skill actually overcome the opponent. Willpower in fencing is about having the strength to fight even where the odds are not in our favour and also giving all we can in order to succeed.

“In life, patience is considered a virtue. In fencing, it is a necessity – both in the learning process and on the fencing strip.” (Evangelista, 2000:216)

Patience is important to fencing. It takes time to develop skills and as such this requires patience on our part to take the time to learn and practice the skills in order that they can be used to their full potential. With regard to tactics, patience is necessary so that we take the time to properly read the opponent and gauge their actions. Patience is also about waiting for the correct response from the opponent, or waiting for a good opening or position to act upon. If the process is rushed the tactics may not be formulated properly and this will lead into hasty decisions and bad tactical choices.

“Use your brain. Gauge your actions. See if they are drawing the desired response out of your opponent. If what you are doing produces nothing, stop doing it!” (Evangelista, 2000:97)

In order to use tactics in fencing you must be able to observe, read and predict what the opponent will do. The observation portion of this is the first part of the process, taking in what you can see of the opponent. This is the simplest form of reading the opponent. The next part of the process is examining what is reading the opponent which involves examining not only what you can see but also the responses the opponent gives to your actions and also what you can feel through the use of sentiment du fer. All of these elements are important. Once you are have gained the information about the opponent, this needs to be applied logically in order to be able to predict what the opponent will do. It is from all of these elements that tactics are based, and each element is important to the process.

There are tactics which are of use and there are tactics which are of no use. It is the former that we should be aiming for as fencers and the latter that we should be avoiding at all costs. Each action that is performed must have a purpose. The purpose may be to see the reaction of the opponent or much simpler being a final blow in the tactical approach. It is the purpose behind the action which is important. A lack of purpose means the usage of energy where it is not used fruitfully against the opponent, and also wasted effort, this can lead to downfall and defeat at the hands of the opponent. The action should be thought about before it is performed and its purpose known before it is performed. No action should be performed without a purpose in mind.

The failure of a tactic used against an opponent supplies information, even if this information is as simple as that the approach did not work. The failures should be examined to see where the fault lies in order that a reason for their failure is realised. A failed tactic should not be used against the same opponent again straight after the tactic has failed. It may be used again later in the bout, but only if the evidence serves that the tactic may work the second time. A tactic should not be used a third time, especially if it has failed before.

The idea of fencing is to dominate the opponent and therefore the bout. This should be the aim of the tactics which are created there should be no other reason behind them. If you are able to dominate the opponent this is achieved through the use of effective tactics. How to dominate the opponent is revealed in the information gained from reading the opponent and this can tell us when and how to attack the opponent. The timing and placement of the attack must be based upon the information gained about the opponent in order for it to succeed.

“The tactical approach consists of three parts: prelude or preliminary analysis, preparation, and execution.” (Palffy-Alpar, 1967:47).

The three step approach to fencing tactics needs to happen, and does happen, even if you do not realise it. The simplest tactic, a hole in the opponent's defence is observed, the weapon is brought on-line and the thrust is made. This is a very simple example of the process in action. In more advanced forms of the process there is a great more detail in the process. The detail is what creates the more complex tactical approaches. The three step process is actually missing a step and that is one which comes after the execution and that is evaluation. It is necessary to see whether the tactic worked against the opponent. This is important so that a failed tactic is not repeated if the same evidence is presented. In some ways this can also be added to the analysis part of the approach where the process is used for a second, or further, approach to the opponent.

The first part of the process is analysis where the opponent is observed and information is gained about the opponent. This information is analysed to find where the opponent is weak and what approach would be best against the opponent. This analysis process must be detailed in order that the best planning may be made. The preparation phase of the process is preparing for the approach to the opponent and preparing for using the tactic against the opponent. The last part of this process is getting in the correct position for the first action to be performed. The execution part of the process is putting the tactic into action against the opponent. This must be performed correctly in order for the tactic to be effective. This is the most active part of the process. Finally there is the evaluation to find the final outcome to the use of the tactic against the opponent. This part of the process is important as it tells us what the result of the tactic was and how effective it was against the opponent. This part of the process should lead to the analysis part of the next tactical approach used against the opponent.

While the blog gave no specific ideas about fencing tactics. It is important that this blog focussed on the process and requirements for fencing tactics to be used along with other details of a similar nature. These founding principles are those upon which fencing tactics should be based. There are a different tactics for different approaches for different opponents. This means that if a person was to write about tactics specifically much would have to be taken into account. This would mean that a person could write a great deal on the subject, but it is more important for us to be able to use the process of developing fencing tactics in order that it can be used against all the opponents that we may face.

Cheers,

Henry.

Bibliography:
Barth, Dr. B. and Barth, K. (2003) Learning Fencing, Meyer & Meyer Sport Ltd, Oxford, UK
Beke, Z. and Polgár, J. (1963) The Methodology of Sabre Fencing, Corvina Press, Budapest, Hungary
De Beaumont, C.L. (1960) Fencing: Ancient Art and Modern Sport, Nicholas Kaye, London, UK
Evangelista, N. (2000) The Inner Game of Fencing: Excellence in Form, Technique, Strategy, and Spirit, Masters Press, Illinois, USA
Palffy-Alpar, J. (1967) Sword and Masque, F. A. Davis Company, Philadelphia, USA