Lexicon for Swordplay, Or He Did What?

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 

...

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 Fest - The Keys to a Great Fencing Event

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.

....

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.

Reading Period Texts - A Question of Language

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 ...

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.

Cross-Training and Other Groups

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 ....

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 Manuals: Old and New

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 ....

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.

Re-enactment and Its Decline

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 reenacting 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 re-enactment. This would be pointing at a decline in numbers rather than a decline in the quality of the re-enactment. Indeed it is quite the opposite the quality of the re-enactment has increased as more and more information and equipment has become available to the re-enactor, and thus 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 re-enactment some 20 years ago, it was reasonably easy for the average person of the street to join a re-enactment 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 availability 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.

....

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.

Buying a Sword

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 ....

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.

Rapier Combat: A Practitioner's Thoughts

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 ....

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.