Time and Distance

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.

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.

Building Self-Confidence

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.

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.

Bio-mechanics and the Effect of Body Shape

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.

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.

Fencing Movies - Problems with Getting it Right

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.

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.

Brutal Fencing - A Discussion of Aggression

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. 

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

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The rest of this article can be found in Un-Blogged: A Fencer's Ramblings by Henry Walker, which is available in paperback from:

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Blogged-Ramblings-Henry-Leigh-Walker/dp/098764470X
Booktopia: https://www.booktopia.com.au/un-blogged-henry-leigh-walker/book/9780987644701.html
Among other places...

It is also available in electronic format (pdf) from: https://buy.stripe.com/fZecP419c7CB9VKeUV

... or direct from the author.