Faux Pas                                                              By: John Proctor

Did you ever make a comment then wish you hadn’t? Have you ever tripped over your tongue, put your foot in your mouth so to speak?

The French would call this a faux pas. This means “Literally a false step. A social blunder; error in etiquette; tactless act or remark - syn. see ERROR.” Webster’s New World Dictionary 1980.

Embarrassing to say the least. Who wants to commit a social blunder and make an error in etiquette, or above all become tactless during an important pass with a friend or hearts desire? Better not to say anything right? But then you’ll look like a fool.

Making a comment can be dangerous since an mistake exposes the speaker to his own vulnerabilities. After all letting your voice go without reflection just digs the fate of inevitable self destruction closer.

Fencing can be like this. An uncoordinated pass of arms is exchanged and both fencers lose control of the conversation, the language of swords breaks down and nobody knows where the other person is. This is fine if they happen to run onto your tip but not so good if you trip onto their point at the same time. Better to have some kind of clarity between the passage of blades in the first place. Sometimes you run into a person who is a really good conversationalist. A thought crosses the mind, “I’m never going to out talk this bozo so I better do something radical and get myself out of here.” In a desperate situation this might be the right thing to do.

But learning how to fence is not the same as a competition or a duel where you might be heavily out-gunned. Here there is time to follow the movements of a skilled connoisseur. Sure they might touch you a hundred times but this gives you space to learn what they are doing and possibly match their best moves. The trick is to convince them to keep fencing you. Enjoy the exchange with a smile and show courage. After all it is fun to be attacked by an expert when you know you won’t be bleeding too badly. It is a situation that can be overcome without to many psychic bumps and bruises.

From the position of encouraging the other fencer’s best play comes the opportunity to beat them where they shine. Keep good distance, the closer you shadow an adversary without getting touched the better. Try to stay on the peripheral edge of their ability to land a point. See how close you can match your opponent’s rhythm. Sometimes think of your adversary as a partner and this will take out a lot of anxiety and help focus on the interaction of movement to direct the sword tip to the target.

Eventually your footwork and blade preparations will become so casual and well timed you will be able to move in and out of range at will. Depending on current strategy either fencer might be leading or following the swordplay using any one of a million deceiving tactics and traps. What is important is how well the distance is maintained with the other fencer. Under this defensive cover touches can be scored without question.

During a phrase where attacks and parries are being exchanged comes the time to really follow the adversary’s movement and see if the footwork and bladework can be used to advantage. Once you are able to protect yourself from all positions, meaning you can follow the conversation of the other persons fencing perfectly, comes the time to attack. When well timed and executed the overall risk is much less since scoring a touch with perfect control is the best defense.

If you are lucky you might even be able to draw something brilliant out of them and use this sounding board to amplify your own play. Allowing the fencing phrase to develop gives a moment to watch how the adversary behaves. So be polite and encourage your foe to play out his sonnet.

But be careful! Making a faux pas means you just stepped onto your own foot. Like developing an attack so badly your eyes may have well been closed. Or lunging so poorly there is no chance to recover and protect yourself. Put emphasis on securing the irrefutable advantage in position. Tic for toc fencing in duet might beat the adversary’s clock.

The Most Wonderful Time of the Year                  By: Valerie Pratt

It’s the most wonderful time of the year…… Of course I’m talking about the annual Cookie Cutter Classic. As if that wasn’t wonderful enough, not only did we have the electric foil competition, but we also added a dry foil and dry sabre competition, and a chess fest! But wait, even that’s not all, we threw a Christmas party in to top it all off. Truly the most wonderful time of the year!

The day started with The Cookie Cutter Classic Electric Foil Competition. The competition started with 11 fencers including 2 newcomers from New Jersey. One of whom, Adam, summed up the whole competition best when he told us that he had been to a couple of competitions before but they were way to serious for him and his club. (The North West New Jersey Fencing Club is brand new and just starting to compete.) He was checking the Internet when he saw our competition and thought, “with a name like ‘The Cookie Cutter Classic’ how bad could it be?” How right he was.

The competition is a serious event. It follows USFA rules and ratings are awarded when earned. But, it is hard not to have a good time when the fencers concentrate almost as hard on trading cookies as they do on fencing. For those of you unfamiliar with the format for the Cookie Cutter Classic the rules are simple. All fencers are required to bring a plate of cookies. As 2 fencers are called to the strip to begin their bout, they first exchange cookies. When the bout is over, the winner receives an additional cookie from the loser. Supposedly the winner of the competition will go home with the most cookies. But fencing is hard work and as the day wears on the cookies seem to disappear. So perhaps we should stick with medals to indicate whom the true winners are.

About ½ hour before the electric competition was over, the doors started opening and a steady flow of fencers, family, friends and food started flooding into The Fencing Exchange. It was time to start the other activities. For the next hour total chaos ensued. Everyone volunteered (or was volunteered) and helped. Somehow we managed to finish the electric foil, start the dry foil and dry sabre and get the food set up for the Christmas festivities.

For the rest of the evening everyone fenced, watched, cheered, judged, ate, socialized, and still found time to participate in our chess fest. (Two of the most intense games of the night were between Laurie Karnick and her son Cameron playing regular chess and Jack Bert and his son Luke playing Chinese Chess.) The third floor truly turned into the social hub of the building. Since the food table was present, everyone had an excuse to visit the area. They happily contributed food and helped to restock when things got low, as well as get their own full plate. While they attended the food, they socialized with one another and still were able to watch one of the dry foil pools and the chess games. During the course of the day and evening we guessed about 80 people must have come.

The winners of the evening activities received a plaque which proclaimed their victory (and sported the new Fencing Exchange logo.)

When the night was over and everyone went home, a good way to describe the day was the old standard….. A good time was had by all.

Counter-time                                                                                                        By: John Proctor

"Counter-time is a counterattack into a counterattack." (Imre Vass 1965, Italian definition) “Counter-time is every action made by the attacker against a stop hit made by his opponent.” (USFencing Rules Book 2000, French definition)

Sounds simple, one fencer attacks with a feint. The other fencer counterattacks and then the fencer who made the feint counterattacks into the counterattack. An attack begins when the sword arm is extending and the point of the sword is threatening the target. A parry is a defensive move, ending the opponent's attack. Parries can be done by blocking with the blade or by retreating out of distance of the attacker's effective reach. Counterattacks are just like attacks except they attack into the initial attack already begun by the adversary. So one person begins to attack first and the other person chooses to counterattack into it without protecting themselves.

This is a funny thing because a counterattack, suicidal as it seems, can be a form of defense in itself if it stops the adversary's initial attack from arriving. Counter-time is a simulated attack, which draws the adversary's counterattack, allowing the initial attack to stop the counterattack with a counterattack.

If this doesn't sound confusing enough it is about to get worse. Essentially counter-time is sometimes seen as any action which provokes the adversary's counterattack. It does not necessarily have to start out as a false attack. Rather the deception can be found in any false move that draws the adversary’s counter attack. Even if the initial move is not an attack it is still some kind of action encouraging the other fencer to stop it.

Anything, which stops or arrests a developing movement, even if the developing move is not a clear attack, begins to creep into the realm of a counterattack. The counter-time ruse might start by with a convincing appearance to show your guard is down while you seem to blunder forward. On the blunder the adversary sees the opportunity and strikes out with an arrest! Or it could draw the counter offense by engaging, followed by a small and careful step forward. The engagement is given in a way to encourage the opponent’s counterattack while avoiding your attempt to engage. They figure if you are attacking their blade, in that move you cannot effectively be attacking the target, so they will evade your effort to engage and counter attack with a derobement.

The advantage of counter-time, something not to be underestimated, is the fact it encourage the adversary to counterattack. Since this choice of time is provoked it makes the job easier to stop the adversary before their counterattack picks up steam. When the adversary counterattacks they cannot possibly defend themselves during this move and are left wide open to counter-time.

Counter-time works best against people, often beginners who habitually counter attack with little awareness and at the slightest provocation. Others must be tricked or cajoled into counterattacking and the most difficult skeptics have to be forced into counterattacking by getting cornered into a position where they have no choice. Every blue moon it is possible to invite a willing counterattack with such courteous deception the adversary actually thinks they are doing the right thing.

It is hard to say how to set up counter-time. In some way the adversary has to be conditioned. It is important to have a very good sense of timing and learn how your adversary reacts to stimulus. Especially critical is to know how far and how fast your adversary moves and along which line they attack. If you subtly open the distance so the adversary is forced to take an extra step before lunging you just bought yourself one more move to set up counter-time.

Always remember to have great skill in moving efficiently yourself! Especially in terms of balance and knowing how to place your guard positions. If you know where your adversary is going to attack you can already have a guard ready to block his blade. Even if the effort to use counter-time fails your ability to defend yourself must remain strong.

The Fencing Exchange Goes Malling                                                            By: Valerie J. Pratt

In November the Fencing Exchange took over the stage at The Steamtown Mall and proceeded to “wow” mall shoppers with spectacular displays of fencing skills and swordsmanship. What was to be a one-hour demonstration turned into almost three hours of clashing swords and intense bouting as five people battled for the gold.

We had a small but enthusiastic group, Ray Stedenfeld, Joan Kadis, Carol Gargon, Jade Holcomb, Valerie J. Pratt, and John Proctor. Since there were enough people, John decided to treat the mall spectators to an actual fencing competition. He would officiate while everyone else competed. The competition would be Olympic style with one exception. We wanted to be able to demonstrate all the modern forms of fencing, so instead of sticking with one weapon, all three swords would be used. It was decided before each bout which weapon would be used. Our goal was to entertain as well as inform mall shoppers by showing them the sport of fencing.

For the next few hours while we competed we were able to accomplish this and much more. We demonstrated the similarities and differences between the foil, epee and sabre. We showed off offensive as well as defensive skills. We were able to express how fencing creates individual styles. We displayed the kinds of equipment and protective clothing used. Our group was varied enough to show fencing was for everyone, not just men or women or young or old.

Those of us not fencing at the time would talk with shoppers and answer any questions they had. When John was not directly refereeing, he kept up a non-stop monologue about the different aspects of fencing. The different types, the rules, and the training necessary. Between bouts he would have fencers demonstrate the moves he was describing.

The mall customers were not the only ones that were treated to a different experience. The fencers had a unique experience that day as well. The fencing took place on the stage in the center of the mall. The stage is about 4 feet off the floor. John did his refereeing at floor level. Even though things were set up electronically, the lights were placed so that John could see them, but not the fencers. When the buzzer sounded and John called halt, not only did the competitors have to wait for John’s call, but they did not even know who hit who, or if the touch was on or off target or in the case of epee if there was a double touch. Not seeing the lights made the anticipation of the call all the sweeter.

At the beginning of the day, some of the fencers admitted to being nervous about being in front of so many people. It didn’t help their nerves when they walked on stage and saw the crowds of people gathered to watch them. By the end of the day there were probably over 1000 people watching from the 2 floors. The fencers were assured that once they started fencing they wouldn’t notice the people. Indeed, they were pleasantly surprised to discover that when the command to fence was given everything but their opponent disappeared.

One of the best aspects of doing a fencing demonstration at the Steamtown Mall is the glass elevator. For those of you not familiar with the mall, the stage and the elevator are set up so that the stage wraps halfway around the elevator which is enclosed in windows so that shoppers can look out into the mall as they go up and down. The fencers only used the part of the stage that was in front of the elevator. But still they were only one or two feet from it. When the travelers ascended from the garage, they had no idea they would be thrown in the middle of 2 people trying to stab each other with swords. The expression on their faces was priceless.

Our little competition consisted of a round robin pool followed by direct elimination rounds. After three hours (for us it had seemed like a full day’s work) we were finally done. Although Ray was the last one standing therefore earning the gold, everyone was a winner. Because everyone, fencers and audience alike enjoyed a unique day spent at the mall.

Single Stick                                                                                                         By: John Proctor

“There is just enough pain in the use of the sticks to make self-control during the use of them a necessity; just enough danger to a sensitive hide to make the game thoroughly English, for no game which puts a strain upon the player’s strength and agility only, and none on his nerve, endurance, and temper, should take rank with the best of our national pastimes.” (Broadsword and Singlestick, C. Phillipps - Wolley, England 1898)

Gallant Lindsey Gordon knew the people he was for when he wrote -

“No game was ever worth a rap,

For a rational man to play,

Into which no accident, no mishap,

Could possibly find its way.”

In England there was once a basket hilt weapon called the broadsword. The English and Scottish Highland broadsword was a medium long cut and thrust sword with a wide blade and basket hilt. The basket hilt covered the entire hand. The blade was around 30 inches long and quite flexible. It was not used very much for thrusting but rather for slashes. The broadsword was common from late 1500 to mid 1800. Sometimes people confuse the broadsword with older medieval battle swords used by knights and their soldiers. The medieval sword had a simple cross guard to protect the hand rather than the basket hilt of the broadsword. The blade of the medieval sword and the broad sword were often quite similar with the exception being a medieval sword could have a longer and heavier blade.

The basket hilt broadsword and Knight’s sword were similar enough in practice to have some common attributes. The broadsword was popular at a time armor was no longer used and the shorter blade and basket hilt made nice defensive qualities. It was still used on the battlefield but was sometimes represented in a traditional English duel.

Practice for the broadsword was by a common singlestick. A singlestick is made out of ash, hickory or some other hardwood. It has a basket hilt made out of wicker or wax hardened leather and this is about it. Common people once practiced with the singlestick because it was cheap to build, easy to learn, hard to make a mistake when using, and most households had some form of broadsword among their knick knacks. Military personal used the singlestick because it taught them how to fence with the heavier military swords. Even schoolboys were occasionally required to learn how to fence with the ash stick since its nature was painful and scary enough to give them a stiff upper lip.

The singlestick is easy to learn because its heavy weight and cutting action make for simple and elegant exchanges. It weighs about two and a quarter pounds. Although it can be used for cut and thrust the cut is emphasized and is used in a rather simple and robust fashion. The practical range of offensive and defensive movements are limited to its weight and the fact that a good touch stings. It is good the wooden sword is easy to use and defend with since mistakes are costly and difficult to recover from.

Fencers tend to be conservative when using the singlestick. High risk and irregular moves are not popular. A lot of attention is paid to defense. The singlestick is conceptually easy to learn but the attacking and defending movements must be perfected. Two people fencing with this waster do not move out of phase with each other very often. In other words a lot of attention is paid to the mutual exchange of offense and defense. This gives an illusion both fencers are cooperating in earnest when displaying an astounding array of lightening fast exchanges. In fact each fencer is wary enough to the point neither one is usually willing to take an unexpectedly risky shot.

In contrast to the singlestick is the foil. The foil was once used as a safe practice weapon for dueling swords whose main goal was to attack with a thrust. At different times these dueling swords may have been anything from a long and thin rapier to the short and fast small sword. Sometimes they were just called frog stickers. Frog sticker is a good term because of its thrusting nature. The foil is light and fast and takes a good deal of education to learn. Its range of offensive and defensive theory is extremely wide and possibly uses the broadest range of fencing movements of any weapon. The foil is deceptive and takes considerable skill but teaches the fine points of sword handling and leads to a sophisticated form of thinking.

Because of the thrust the foil displays changes in speed, distance, and timing that make fencing with it a bit tricky. There are more ways to protect against the thrust than the cut so the game takes on a complicated puzzle of defensive movement.

The singlestick is a practical sword that works well when introducing simple but effective concepts of swordplay. It carries with it an honest feel of open strikes and courageous guards, swapping blows in man to man fashion, rather than piercing adversaries with sneaky underhanded thrusts. Since touches with the singlestick can smart, compared to the painless activity of foil the idea of making a firm defensive stance and keeping your wits is reinforced.

Intentions                                                                                                        By: John Proctor

Webster’s New World Dictionary defines intention as, “1. the act or fact of intending; determination to do a specified thing or act in a specified manner. 2 a) anything intended or planned, aim, end, or purpose.” So fencers might attack in first intention, meaning they are trying to touch on their first attack, be it simple or composed. Or they might attack in second intention.
Aldo Nadi in his book On Fencing states, “Any action is in second intention, when, predetermined, it is executed against, or immediately after, a movement you have succeeded in compelling your opponent to perform.” Another definition by Istvan Lukovich explains it this way, “The counter- tempo action in which the attack is made with the purpose of provoking a counter-action, whether parry-riposte or counter attack, which the fencer plans to answer with his own parry-riposte.”
Istvan Lukovich and most other fencing texts are pretty specific about the second intention attack. It means to attack without intending to hit, then reply to the adversaries return attack with a parry and riposte. Aldo Nadi goes on to make the same conclusion but it is interesting to note he does not immediately specify a second intention action will end in a parry-riposte. At first he doesn’t even describe the second intention action as an attacking one. He says, “Any action is in second intention, when, predetermined, it is executed against, or immediately after, a movement you have succeeded in compelling your opponent to perform.” Taken in this context one fencer might falsely sneeze and cause the defender to cover himself against germs while the sneezer stabs him.
Interpreting this second intention could mean any kind of initiating action, attacking or not, that causes a reaction in the defending fencer. A preparation is anything not defined as an attack. Let’s not open up a can of worms and confuse legitimate attacks with preparations but it is worth the time to examine what can be gained in the preparation and the results thereof. Understanding what an attack is and answering with all the appropriate defenses is for another paper. Right now we should limit ourselves to understanding what intentions are.
“What does that masked man intend on doing by waving his sword around in the air? Is he going to strike, should I prepare to defend myself?” Or, “Why is that woman standing there without so much as a twitch? Should I attack?” Given time everyone can figure this out for himself.
What is nice about initiating an action takes time away from the other fencer while they react. In terms of fencing time this might set the initiator a few moves ahead. But this does not always have to take an aggressive form. A man might be passively allowing his partner to initiate her own actions so he can draw her into a trap. In this sense intentions can be either active or passive.
Intentions and fake outs can be expressed so well that the defender actually loses his balance without the blades ever touching. Try standing on a narrow high beam with a friend, especially if you are both afraid of heights. Make awkward gestures at each other and this effect becomes clear. But be careful, you might knock yourself off.
Whatever form intentions take it is important not to confuse them with what is actually happening. Intentions affect actions and vice versa. This takes good discriminating skills and much experience. Although long complicated intentions can lead to grievous blunders they are sometimes justified if the ends are brought about by the means. But usually the best intentions are done simply and elegantly. Skill comes with polishing the moves.
Good fencing often sets up a key intention after small advantages are gained though footwork and bladework. At this point the tiniest statement, say an odd pause or a tiny feint of the shoulder can make a substantial affect on the opponent.
It is easy to see how high levels of chess might not be so concerned with the actual moves as trying to second-guess what the opponent intends to do. A tough game might shatter the nerves of one player before any coups actually take place. It is fortunate that computers don’t understand how to psyche out human opponents and make for very boring partners. But there are always those who like to play solitaire.
This Valentine’s Day might be filled with great stress as lovers try to decipher what their significant other is planning on doing. So if anxiety levels are shooting to intolerable heights over your heart’s desire try picking up a sword. Fencing is a great cognac for easing tension.

Safety                                                                                                       By: John Proctor

One of the most common questions asked is about the safety of fencing. To us who have been fencing for ten or more years this might seem an odd question but this is a perfectly legitimate one and for new people who are fencing it is important we answer it.
All three Olympic swords, foil, epee, and saber are constructed with safety in mind. These light swords are extremely flexible, unsharpened, and the steel tips are folded over, then a rubber button put over the blunted tip. Most injuries with these swords come in the form of whips or poorly executed slashes from heated contestants. These injuries can leave bruises and welts, sometimes the ungloved hand gets a good smack and this can draw a drop of blood. Painful whips are usually the result of uncontrolled competitive fervor with beginners who are given to much leeway while free fencing. Sometimes fencers have a certain move they favor but cannot perform well, such as a flick or other cutting action that invariably smarts upon their partner. The majority of fencers by and large discourage such actions. Fencing without control is not fun.
Since all of these swords score touches with the thrust (Saber also being a cutting sword) a badly delivered thrust can leave a bruise, especially on those with easily marked skin. Epee is especially notorious for bruises to the upper arm and thigh since this sword has the stiffest blade of the three.
Fencing is not absolutely safe and can become lethal when handled incorrectly. This is why it is highly recommended that proper instruction and self -critique is critical at all levels of swordplay. All sword blades eventually break and just because one is new is no guarantee it will not break. When a sword breaks fencers can, and have been run through, in some cases with fatal results. Although fencers wear extremely tough clothes, from 13 ounce duck cotton to kevlar fabric a broken blade can be very sharp and pierce this clothing along with the underlying flesh. Fencers wear very heavy metal mesh masks, so heavy in fact one fencer complained it was becoming harder to see through the thick mesh wire of today’s current masks. Even so this mesh can be pierced and again, having brand new equipment is no guarantee.
However; fencers getting run through is a very uncommon occurrence considering the millions of touches scored every year and the numbers of people fencing worldwide. The best proof of fencing safety is found in the low insurance premiums backing it. You are more likely to get hit on the head with a ball while playing golf. Bad technique, improper training, and faulty equipment are the most likely culprits of piercing injuries. Competition sees the most injuries and the catastrophic ones are extremely rare.
More common are sprains, strains, and tears of the muscles, tendons, and ligaments. Sprained ankles, knees, torn and pulled muscles in every part of the leg including the hips and lower back predominate. These kind of injuries would be common to racquet sports, probably even more than fencing since fencing has almost no turning, or pivoting in the legs. Also getting blindsided by a sudden move out of eyesight is rare since the opponent is always in front. The severe injuries seen commonly in football, swimming, diving and even basketball and volleyball are unheard of.
Some of the worst injuries are calf and leg tears, sprained knees, sprained lower back, and injury to the rotator cuff in the shoulder when the fencer overextends their arm in the attempt to score a touch. This last injury is particularly nasty and although we have not found any statistics about this it wouldn’t be surprising if this injury was more frequent than expected. The best answer to these injuries is correct form and control of competitive impulses.

 

Adjusting Tactics                                                                                                       By: John Proctor

Last year, at our annual St. Valentines Day Massacre I had some highs and lows. This was a pretty important competition, it was rated a C and everybody wanted to win the title. After doing pretty poorly for my skill level in a pool of 6 fencers, having fenced 5 bouts I was 2 and 3. Out of 17 fencers I seeded into the direct elimination at 11th place. My first opponent Chris was a beginner with some dangerous attacks. He did well during the pool play and seeded several places above me. I was given some advice by my friend Peter, and thought to myself, “Oh boy, this kids got some good moves.” It turned out my defensive strengths worked well and my best attack baffled him. So I didn’t have to change anything essential about my game.
In the next DE I was matched against Jerry, a C rated fencer. Jerry totally wiped me out in our last two bouts and I couldn’t figure his attack out. He would come in with a smooth, well timed straight attack into my high outside line, often with a glide just to the outside of my sixth guard. His footwork and timing were so good if he was close enough to hit I couldn’t parry this simple, straight attack. So I pre-established a sixth guard into the line he was already attacking. It didn’t work. Jerry could angle over the top of my sixth guard and hit. If I used really good defense via footwork he wouldn’t attack at all. If I attacked he had a great parry by distance and riposte, again, to my high outside line.
I couldn’t come up with a solution by changing footwork or tactics. His straight attack to my high outside was slick and if I couldn’t stop this I was doomed. So I tried turning my hand into pronation and changed the sixth into third gaurd. Third guard is clumsier but shuts out the high outside line wider for people like me who don’t know how to parry sixth. Even so I had to make the third guard perfect or he would glide through this and touch anyway. Once I put third guard into its proper position Jerry’s attack was stopped and I won with counter attacks and ripostes in third opposition. Luckily Jerry didn’t change anything.
Now my third direct elimination was against Jim. Jim is also a C fencer. After watching Jim fence previously I learned most of his best touches were to the inside of his opponent’s forearm. Since I am left-handed and his other opponents were right I figured he would be touching to the outside of my forearm. This became another version of Jerry’s attack to the high outside body, except Jim’s attack was to the outside forearm. I was correct and again placed my guard into third position and prepared to smash his best attack.
Except for two things, Jim had the ability to disengage to the inside and he often set up his attacks with false counter attacks. (feint into time) Being aware of my intentions, I would feint, Jim would counter feint, then I would attack in third opposition. (countertime) Then Jim would derobe around my third opposition (feint into time) and hit me on the inside forearm. With a few variants on this theme I lost badly.
The next bout was a tie breaker for third place with Eric and essentially the same thing happened. Eric’s preparation was different than Jim’s and I’m not sure if he completely understood what he was doing. But he understood well enough. I also lost this bout and took fourth place. Both Jim and Eric had better point control than me, and their form and tactics were superior.
In 20/20 retrospect I should have played a more defensive game. I didn’t understand what was happening and ended up stabbing in the dark. I should have changed my guards, psychological strategy, and/or footwork. I could have tried making a loud scream and charging in barbarian style and it might have even worked for one touch. But by doing this I may as well have stuck my hand into a ceiling fan with my eyes closed. Back to the drawing board.


 

St. Valentine's Day Massacre - 2003                                                            By: Valerie J. Pratt

The threat of yet another winter storm, and yet they came. The most romantic weekend of the year, and yet they came. What could bring a group of people from New York, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and area’s west such as Williamsport to Scranton? Why, the promise of a massacre of course. And those that came were not disappointed.
I don’t know if you would call it a massacre or a day of upsets, but it was definitely an unpredictable day. There were 17 fencers and this was classified as a “C” rated competition. This made it a highly competitive day. Un-rated fencers saw their chance for a rating. Lower rated fencers saw their chance to upgrade. And high rated fencers saw a chance to hone and perfect their skills.
Probably the hardest fought battle of the day was between Amanda and Jason. They seeded 16th and 17th going into the DE’s. They had to have a fence off to see who would continue into the table of 16 and who would be the first person eliminated for the day. While John was directing their bout, I was busy with paperwork. I heard John say “bout, 5 - 3.” I yelled “NO!.” Of course everyone was staring. I explained it was a regular DE going to 15 touches not 5. I had no idea who was even in the lead at that time (I suppose the stricken look on Jason and his parents faces and Amanda bouncing up and down with joy, might have given me a hint.) They continued fencing. Both desperately wanted the win. Amanda wanting to take advantage of her second chance, came out fighting. She scored quite a few touches. But Jason wanted to keep his lead and fought back. The bout continued to go back and forth until finally the score was 14-14. One touch to go. The tension was immense not only for the fencers but for the onlookers as well. Who would score the winning touch? Amanda and Jason carefully felt each other out. Each wanting the winning touch, but neither wanting to make a fatal mistake. Finally Amanda attacked, Jason immediately counterattacked to her arm and scored. Jason got to move on to the next round.
Jason wanted to show that his win against Amanda was not just a fluke. In his next bout, he managed to score 7 points against Eric, the #1 seed, before being defeated.
Eric had been competing hard all day. Already an “E” fencer, he wanted to improve his rating. He fenced strong to win all his bouts in his pool and guarantee a good seeding in the DE’s. He did good enough to get the top seed. After beating Jason, he had to face Peter, another “E” fencer but with much more experience. Eric endeavored to persevere and beat Peter earning himself a “D” rating. As nice as that was, he was hungry for the “C” the competition offered. Unfortunately, the “C” would elude him as his next opponent was Ed.
Ed was already a “D” and he too wanted the “C”. However, after defeating Eric, his final battle against Jim was to be his defeat and find him ending the competition in second place.
Intense situations plagued the day. Jeff seeded 5th only to be beaten by Adam, a newcomer who had seeded 12th. Adam was so new to the world of competition that he didn’t even know he had earned his “E”. After he lost his next bout to Ed, he packed up and left. I had to chase him into the parking lot to get the information necessary to send the USFA to get the paperwork on his new rating. Toni fought hard to seed 7th. All she had to do was defeat fellow pool mate Charles to assure her “E”. Charles who seeded 10th refused her that chance. Chris, another newcomer (he just joined the USFA that day) won all but 1 of his bouts in his pool to seed 6th in the DE’s. He was defeated by John, who had only seeded 12th.
John was almost the biggest upset of the day. For this to be a “C” rated competition, the competition had to start with at least 2 “C” rated and 2 “D” rated fencers, who also had to finish in the top 8. Since John started the DE’s in 12th place, he had to defeat Chris for it to be a “C” competition. (Poor Chris, he was probably the only one upset about his loss to John.) While beating Chris, John finally got some of his fencing prowess back and used it to defeat Jerry, a “C” rated fencer who had gotten his “C” by defeating John in a competition earlier in the season. After beating Jerry, John then lost his fencing prowess again and was defeated by Jim. And, it stayed lost as he battled for third place with Eric. John had to accept a 4th place finish.
Jim was one of the few steady aspects. He started strong and finished strong. Already a “C” fencer, his rating would not change in this competition. However, he decided that anyone else wanting to get a “C” would have to really earn it by getting through him first. Like Eric, he won every bout in his pool. But, because he was in a smaller pool, he only seeded second. In the DE’s he held off every challenger to win the competition, and show that a “C” not a frivolous thing to be handed out to just anyone.



 

Irrational Fencing                                                                                        By: John Proctor

Why is it the most bizarre moves often work? After years of training to fence correctly we confront somebody who charges in wildly and beats us 5 to 0. Or another fencer’s movement is so unpredictable we cannot deal with it and end up running onto the tip. Facing these challenges is good so long as appropriate control is shown.
Fencing is not so perfect everything can be predicted with 100 percent accuracy. In every action there are elements of uncertainty and the best fencers are masters of taking advantage of this.
There are two kinds of irrational fencers; those who are skilled and capitalize on the unusual, and those who are less skilled and are not clearly aware of what is happening, or the risks involved. Some skilled fencers create effective irrational movement. Theirs is a discerning eye to know the difference between calculation and opportunity. These fencers will precipitate unconventional action so they can take advantage of their adversary’s confusion. Like closing the distance and jabbing with a bent arm. For those unfamiliar with this type of attack the solution can be hard to solve.
Even well established international fencing teams practice these kind of moves and often find success. The Germans are notorious for their crash and stab tactics.
On the other hand there are moments when control is lost through mutual deterioration due to fact both parties made mistakes. Skilled fencers often get the drop on these coin tosses and come out on top. A really good fencer is able to follow every twist and turn of the unpredictable and turn it into his favor. We’ll call this making a touch by the seat of your pants.
Although these movements can be spectacular most good fencers build up their game with strong defensive positions. They will adhere to the tried and true by keeping correct distance, good form, and coherent movement. Yet in a moment’s notice they will take advantage of a missed step and follow up with it. If they score a touch they might try to do it again. When this element of surprise is no longer effective they will go back to a sensible defense.
But it should be asked, “if the fencer is already very good why resort to such a risk?” The answer is, “because the opportunity was there.” Any kind of development between two fencers seems to have its own particular evolution. There might be something inherent in one of them, or the combination of both, which precipitates the situation. Either way the more bizarre a move or tactic the less likely it is used.
Now beginner fencers are a different matter. A beginner can move so haphazardly, he is able to defeat an experienced swordsman. There isn’t anything wrong with testing the veteran’s prowess. It gives him a chance to learn something new. Just because a veteran has experience doesn’t mean he is familiar with all the ins and outs of fencing. For whatever reason he might be just as naïve as the beginner with certain aspects of the game. Whenever he is touched repeatedly by the same move this is apparent.
Fencing is a wonderful sport. Because it is so safe it allows for a full spectrum of tricks, opportune touches, and skilled moves no one would consider using if the swords were sharp. This doesn’t mean poor form is rewarding, it is almost impossible to defeat a credible swordsman. But each weapon has its own set of special operations, which are fun to learn and add diversity to the fencer’s repertoire. Remember these tricks represent the outer limits of the fencing routine. The majority of successful touches and even the oddball shot are still built up on balanced movement and great skills.


 

Sixth Guard                                                                                      By: John Proctor

Each guard position has something to say for itself. The better it is understood and performed the better it will serve its user. Sixth guard has been the starting guard position in the French School for a long time. There are some strategic advantages to holding the foil in sixth guard.
Sixth guard protects the high outside line. From the vantage point of a right handed person who is holding the sword the high outside line is located on the torso anywhere to the right of the front foot in the fencing guard position. The hand is at the height of the lower right breast. The guard is high because the sword tip is angled upward to eye level. So the high outside line is to the right of the front foot and above the sword hand, roughly, in the upper right portion of the right breast.
Most touches are scored in this area because it is the nearest target to be touched by the opponent.
Because sixth guard covers the nearest target and lies closely to the fencing line it simultaneously puts the foil in proximity to the opponent’s closest target. The opponent’s high outside line. So here offensive and defensive actions are played out most effectively.
A side note also shows sixth guard to protect some major arteries and veins just below the clavicle and in the neck and face. So in a duel not only is this area of the torso in danger of being touched first, it also happens to be a lethal spot to get hit. If you ever heard the common phrase said, “don’t worry it’s just a shoulder wound, “ don’t believe it.
The guard also teaches students to hold the sword hand in supination with correct finger placement. The pommel of the foil is held firmly in a straight alignment to the center inside of the forearm, giving the foil further stability and control. This position facilitates finger play and keeps all movement of the wrist, elbow, and shoulder to a minimum. Because it improves finger play, the timing, rhythm, and point control of the weapon is extremely precise.
Supinating the hand gives maximum extension of the arm while keeping the shoulder and muscles of the torso relaxed. It also allows other supinated guards to be reached quickly since two of them, fourth and seventh, are closed by moving the arm easily to the left, or inside of the body.
At one time some fencers called this guard “the feather parry.” It was called this because it was not as strong as some other guard’s. Held perfectly the sum of its advantages gave the user an edge. But a strong beat could be disruptive so the user needed to have a delicate but firm and all at once pliable hand to become absolutely correct. The sheer mental poise it takes to perform this guard gives added awareness to where attention is directed. Sixth guard is a made-up tool and as a tool it encourages a calculated approach.
Some guards, such as third, are stronger but cramp the arm. Others feel more relaxing, like fourth. A few are pretty effective and don’t even take much thought. But sixth guard gives the fencer the greatest overall advantage and control. Being difficult to learn it puts a little starch into the mind of the user. With practice the student is drilled into a relaxed and vigilant pose.
The advantage of playing actions out to the closest target cannot be denied. Holding the hand in sixth is protective defensively and offensively. Finally this guard does open up and invite attacks into all other areas, something suggesting a very deceiving and defensive game

 

Basic Anatomy Lesson 101:
The Fight or Flight syndrome can be defined as the sympathetic nervous system response to danger or stressful situations. Increased HR and blood sugar levels (which feeds the body with plenty of quick energy for flight), heightened awareness, dilated pupils, increased hormones released – epinephrine, morepinephrine and cortisol. You may be thinking that all of this sound like an ideal answer in a sparing situation, it is in fact not. The down side to this type of response causes a sporadic, uncontrolled behavior. The fight or flight response has been inborn into our genes as the body’s self-preservation to simply get away – FAST. It was not designed to become a daily phenomenon. When duplicated in our lives today, such as in traffic jams, road rage, waiting in line to long, at our jobs, coming face to face with a bear while hiking or even in our dojo we are in a sense causing this out of control behavior to manifest. When we face off with a sparring partner who may be intimidating to us we can easily initiate the fight or flight syndrome thereby losing our ability to think clearly. Simply learning to relax and breathe can be the difference between winning and losing.

Breathing Technique:
You can live without water for about one week, you can live without food for about two months, and you can live only about 2 minutes without Oxygen. An average adult can circulate 2,500 gallons of oxygen through their lungs each day. Our bodies – cells, muscles, nerves, joints, tendons, major organs such as heart and brain, are fed by simply breathing and learning to control the breath. This is the key to deterring the bodies sympathetic response (fight or flight).
Once fear and stress are no longer major factors we can begin to utilize the breath in perfecting our techniques and skills.

Learning to Breath:
How can someone not know how to breathe? Most people take this automatic body function for granted. After all why should we have to worry about something that does take place automatically? Well, the simple reason is that we only use about half of our lung capacity when we breathe. If you look closely at the way you breathe, you will notice your chest moving in and out with each breath. This is shallow breathing. In order to get the full benefit from each breath we need to incorporate the abdomen, respectively known as abdominal breathing.
Lie down flat on the floor facing up. This in Yoga is known as the “Corpse Pose”. Take one minute to concentrate on relaxing every part of your body. Next place your right hand on your chest and your left on your abdomen. As you breath in expand your abdomen slowly causing your left hand to rise, now start expanding the chest cavity as you continue taking in air causing your right hand to rise. When starting to exhale begin collapsing the abdomen then collapsing the chest cavity. After a couple of tries you’ll begin to notice your breathing becoming circular. After practicing this for awhile it will become automatic and eventually you will not need to use your hands thereby placing them at your sides fully relaxed.
Some disciplines will teach you to inhale and exhale through the nose, others to inhale through the nose and exhale through the mouth. But the bottom line is, do whatever is comfortable for you.
This breathing technique when incorporated into a daily meditation regime can decrease stress levels astronomically. Even during the day when we begin to feel stressed we can take a couple of minutes to circular breath to get ourselves back on track. Whatever activity we may be doing we can use this breathing technique to relax thereby increasing performance, running, swimming, or even practicing kata, a more relaxed body means a more relaxed clearer thinking mind. After breathing properly for a period of time, we can then automatically begin to control and use the breath for strength at will, such as in fighting/sparring situations.
(This article written by Gloria for her Goshen Jutsu martial arts class is a good look on how to improve our fencing and lead a healthier life.)

 

Two fencers face off. One of them is confident with his ability to attack with a disengage. The other fencer is not so sure about her attack so she cautiously backs off, but not to far since she is pretty certain her opponent is going to initiate a disengage attack. While backing away she lets the distance close slowly, subtly inviting her opponent to attack into her open line. She is trying to give the appearance of being close enough to get hit but stays just out of reach of her opponent’s ability to touch with a lunge.
The man has more experience. He has seen this sort of thing before, almost down to the last detail. He has watched the woman fence and knows she will play intelligent defensive traps when pressed. She will exaggerate an opening into her 6th line, then parry circle six. The woman’s overall defense in the high lines is good but she has a weak, almost non-existent parry to her low inside. So the man concludes he will feint to her high inside, counter disengage her circle six parry and continue his attack down to her low inside.
Now to sell the ticket. He picks up the tempo and gives the appearance he is falling for her trap, looking more anxious to strike at any moment. While doing this he notes the woman is moving a little out of sync with his preparatory footwork motion and she isn’t aware of it. He matches her moves and steals a little distance making a convincing performance that he is falling for her trap. At the precise moment when the woman is rocking upon her rear heal to begin an advance the man casually closes the distance with a quick movement of the rear foot forwards. He gives her blade a light and cautious beat in sixth and disengages with a feint to her inside fourth line. As soon as she reacts with a reflexive counter parry in six, he greases his blade under hers with a smooth disengage. It ends lightning fast and smooth, right to the low inside belly where he intended to touch all along.
The woman wasn’t aware that the man had a counter tactic to her play. He looked like he was falling for her trap. She did not see the fact he was adjusting his footwork to hers in preparation to fake her out. On his beat disengage feint in six, she let out a small curse because she knew she couldn’t stop her instinctive reaction to beat back in six, and continue to parry circle six against his high inside feint. For an instant she froze in time and before she could recover this man slipped his blade under hers and touched.
Sometimes it is easy to know your reflexes can get you into trouble but it is not so easy to see how the pieces fall into place leading up to uncontrolled reactions. Reactions are good; when put into the appropriate context.
This is a game of calculation and psyche. From the most raw and untrained beginner to the most experienced hand people are constantly fencing with their nerves and wits. Better fencers are more aware of their moves, and their opponents, and have a lot more skills to draw from like balance, timing, and point control.
Sometimes we see two swordsmen charging down the strip waving their swords wildly trying to fake each other out. This can be a good or bad thing depending on its quality. It a fencer’s movements are roughened, uncontrolled and out of sync, we can bet things are about to get violent. If the moves are strong but polished and give the appearance each fencer knows where he is putting the tip of his sword right down to the last centimeter, then good swordplay is happening.
There are so many permutations of bluff and psyche in fencing it is impossible to go into them all, but maybe this article has given an example.


 

THE ROB ROY TOURNAMENT OF DOOM                     By: Valerie J. Pratt
     ONE TOUCH EPEE COMPETITION
 

Recently I participated in the “Rob Roy Tournament of Doom.” It is a one-touch epee competition. The Lebanon Fencing Club and the Renaissance Faire got together and included this competition as part of its events during the Celtic Fling held the last weekend of June. This was the second year the competition has occurred. And its growing popularity has assured it will continue to take place.
Besides myself, John Proctor, Toni Kazmierczak, Paul Mallonee, and John Foy represented The Fencing Exchange. When we arrived we met many friends from other fencing clubs, and made some new friends as well. Altogether there were 42 fencers.
There were 3 fencing strips set up. The fencers were divided in to 6 pools of 7 fencers each. Three pools would start, when one pool finished, the strip would be taken over by one of the pools waiting. When all the pools finished, the points would be added up then everyone would advance to the DE’s (direct elimination.)
The rules were simple. When fencing you only had to be touched once and your opponent won the bout. If there was a double touch, it would be thrown out and fencing would continue until a single touch was made. You would eventually fence everyone in your pool. Each bout would have a 2-minute time limit. If a touch was not scored, there would be a 1-minute sudden death. If no touch was made at this time, one more minute of fencing would take place. If by any chance no fencer had scored yet, the fencer with priority would win by default (priority would have been determined by a coin toss.) Seeding into the DE’s would be the same. If there were ties on the number of victories, then the time it took to make the touches would determine which fencer would seed higher (the fencer with the faster time would get the higher seed.)
The competition offered some unique and unusual challenges. The strips were on grass and the ground wasn’t always even. Sometimes you would find yourself fencing either uphill or downhill and you would have to adjust your movements to accommodate this. At the same time you had to take care not to slip on the grass. The sun was very bright and hopefully would not be in your eyes while fencing. And even though you would hear the scoring machine, often you would have to wait for the referee to announce who touched, because the sun was brighter than the lights on the machine. Of course, a bright sunny day also means lots of heat, and anyone who has every put on a fencing uniform in summer knows it is bad enough without the sun beating down on you.
Since the competition took place during the Celtic Fling, most of the spectators wore appropriate event clothing. Although most of the fencers wore the traditional white fencing uniform, some decided to join the Fling festivities to one degree or another. Some wore fancy shirts or pants under their jackets. Many wore knee-high boots. One young lady had a theatrical fencing outfit and looked quite dashing in her black and red uniform. One man not only wore a kilt, but had a homemade leather jacket as well. His daughter explained to me that the year before, he was unable to compete because they could not find a jacket large enough to fit him (he was a rather large gentleman.) Because he did not want to miss out on this years competition he made his own jacket out of pieces of leather sewn together. He’d assembled his jacket in such a way, it looked like a real fencing jacket, and being made of leather, it was very protective. (I am happy to say that with the minor changes in some of the uniforms, safety was still an issue and no one fenced unsafely.)
The competition was stiff. The top 8 fencers of the day would not only win a medal, but a nice reproduction sword as well. During the closing ceremonies their names were announced and they went on stage so everyone could see their accomplishment. But, competing did not stop everyone from having a good time. Most of the competitors knew each other and had family members with them. And surrounded with the Celtic festivities, the day was more like a party with a fencing competition thrown in.
Probably one of the hardest tasks had nothing to do with fencing. We were asked to vote for the fencer or referee who we thought showed the best sportsmanship. The atmosphere was so light, it was hard to pick just one person. Was it the girl who could be heard shouting encouragement to her friends, and when she found out she had just been eliminated and missed winning a sword, laughed? Or was it the fencer who admitted a touch to his foot, and therefore knocked himself out of the DE’s? How about the referee, who because of an injury the day before, could not fence, but stayed the entire day and not only refereed, but helped with other organizational work without complaint? What about the fencer’s wife who handed out papers to the spectators and answered as many of their questions as she could, or referred them to someone else when she couldn’t? Or any one of the fencers who took time from their fencing and concentration to explain to bewildered onlookers what was happening? The problem was, I don’t think anyone showed bad sportsmanship that day. Everyone came to have a good time, and that’s exactly what they did.
 

Fencing Book Reviews                                                               By: John Proctor

Here are a few book reviews of the 20th century with classical and modern competitive fencing. Each of these books will have some things in common but all of them focus on one point or another.
“Foil, Saber, and Epee Fencing Skills, Safety, Operations, and Responsibilities” By Maxwell R. Garret, Emmanuil G. Kaidanov, and Gil A. Pezzza. This book is by the Pennsylvania State University Press is written by the coaches of Penn State. It is highly recommended for all fencers and coaches from beginner to advanced. The text is clear and academic but not so academic the average reader is lost. It covers many aspects of fencing from the technique of the three weapons to tactics and strategy used by each one. It goes over practical theory along with competitive aspects. A nice thing about it is the authors do not push either theory or competition. Instead they offer fencing for what it is. The authors are versed in the Soviet and French Schools of fencing. The book also takes a look into fencing history, rules, and electric apparatus. A great book generalizing in many areas and at the same time is specific.
“The Art and Science of Fencing” By Nick Evangelista. Here is a fun and informative book. Easy for beginners to read. Nick Evangelista covers a wide array of topics, including all three weapons. He talks about fencing history and some if its well known personalities. Nick also portrays the world of theatrical fencing. This book favors the classical French style of the early twentieth century but does not go to deeply into scholastic detail. A better book for beginners but to general for the academic fencer.
“On Fencing” By Aldo Nadi. Possibly one of the best fencers of this century Aldo Nadi goes to town with his approach to foil. He gives a nice historical overview and argues many reasons why people should fence. The bulk of the book consists of technical details on how to fence with the foil. Aldo Nadi is the Ferrari of the fencing world and the super precise details of his techniques are clearly explained. This book gives some of the most powerful insights about how technique works. Aldo crystallizes fencing technique into his perfect form. He states his ideas clearly but this book is for an experienced swordsman. Not for the beginner. Although Aldo was a classic Italian fencer his conception and technique superceded contemporary viewpoints. Like an exotic race car some of his ideas are custom built.
“The Science of Fencing” By William M. Gaugler. Here is an authentic text clearly describing the classic Italian school. This book is super specific with its adherence to classic Italian fencing. The means it has a specific style and order of learning progression. Movements and theory are explained precisely in an almost military tone. A great book for developing sound technique and control. The book is heavy with its systematic detail. It is also limited to the theoretical specifics of the classical Italian and does not allow for evolution outside its traditional grounds. So in a sense this school reached its evolutionary limits. Still there is more information than possibly even the best fencers can assimilate. This book sticks to its principles and does not wander. A must for beginners and advanced fencers who have chosen this approach. Excellent for historical and theoretical thinkers.



 

Do you want to step up your level of competition and broaden your physical skills? Maybe the modern pentathlon is for you. Pentathlon is a five-event sport which includes pistol shooting, epee fencing, equestrian show jumping, free-style swim, and cross country running. Because the skills of shooting, fencing and riding contrast with the more purely athletic running and swimming, the modern pentathlete can be from late teens to early forties or beyond.
Napoleon is thought to have fathered the modern pentathlon. He wanted a sporting event that would aid in the training of his junior officers. Several military training academies used the pentathlon as a graduation test for their students during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
The spirit of the pentathlon was to replicate the mission of a military courier. He begins his journey on horseback, but must dismount to for a river. Upon crossing, he encounters hostile forces which he dispatches first with pistol, and then sword. He resumes his mission on foot, running to his final destination.
The current modern pentathlon has retained the original five events. Scoring is based on an expected level of performance for each even, achieving 1,000 points with points deducted or added when results are above or below the required level.
Pistol shooting is 20-shot slow fire at ten meters. A score of 172 is required for 1,000 points. Each point above 172 increases the 1,000-point base by twelve points.
Epee fencing is to only head to head event. To achieve 1.000 points, 70 percent victories must be won. Each victory above 70 percent adds 28 points. No room for error here! The event is one touch with a double touch scoring as a double loss!
Things get very interesting for the riding event. A perfect score is 1.200 pints, with deductions for tie overages, fences down, refusals, falls, etc. What makes the riding portion so difficult is the horses are unknown to the competitors and are often a random draw. The competitor is allowed only 20 minutes to becomes familiar with the horse. Imagine jumping on a horse you have never ridden before, then galloping a 400-meter fourteen-fence course!
Swimming is a 200-meter freestyle. A time of 2:3 is required by men, 2:40 for women. Each second off the standard time raises or deducts four points.
The overall event ends with a 3,000-meter cross-country run. The start is staggered, based on the overall standings prior to the run. For every point behind the leader, the individual competitor moves back one meter. The result is that the winner of the run is the overall winner of the entire event.
Easy stuff, right? The footwork drills becoming boring? Two-mile run too easy? With pentathlon, the challenge is the diversity of the event, not becoming a master f a single event. So jump into the pool, saddle up, and start to train.



 

Arm Extension                                                                      By: John Proctor

Recently there was an opportunity to watch Paul Mallonee demonstrate how to shoot a target air pistol for Pentathlon marksmanship. Trying to remember exactly what he said and how he showed it went something like this, “feet shoulder width apart, weight balanced, torso tall and straight, chest open. Hold the pistol in front of you with your arm bent at a right angle, the pistol is pointing straight up in the air. Take in a full breath, let out a half breadth extend the arm and aim.” Voila, a very nice arm extension! We can do this when aiming a pistol, a remote control, or the garden hose. But when we reach out with a sword why does it look like we are throwing a spear? Are we afraid it isn’t going to the target fast enough? Do we think we have to punch through a plate of armor? Is it psychological?
In fact all that is needed is a smooth, calm arm extension. The arm extends soon enough without any extra effort. Throwing the arm out results in a violently punching shoulder movement and the sword tip flies off into space. All this accomplishes is missing the target as quickly as possible. Speed is about doing the right thing once rather than making up one mistake in three extra moves. The fastest arm extension in the world, even if it is done at the right time is wasted if the button misses the target. Having good aim also helps the tip to reach the target in the shortest possible time.
Now that you know this go out there and do it! A smooth arm extension is about as hard as keeping your eye on a golf ball when you swing the club. But you can do it. You might even get it down the first few tries. Identify what is right and then improve on this. As practice you can try passing the sword tip through a very small ring, hardly any bigger than the blade itself. Or mark some small spots on the wall and aim for them. Stay casual and balanced. Always extend your arm fully and take aim before lunging.
 

Risk                                                                              By: John Proctor

Recently on one of my more dangerous adventures I decided to take a canoe into the Lackawanna River at a high water level. The river is pretty rough between Forest City and Simpson but it was worth a try. Without being totally insane I put in just below a waterfall with the reasoning if anything went wrong the worst section of rapids would soon end and if circumstances came to a pinch I might be flushed into Carbondale. In the first 50 yards my paddle snapped in half but I had a spare. The river was more turbulent than expected and it was filled with rocks, ledges, and sharp turns. I was amazed to have made it about 400 yards before flipping. After some tumbling about I washed to shore and the canoe trailed behind me into calm water. Quickly dumping the water out I set off again.
In the chaos of the foaming white water there was little time to think but during those moments it was important to stay as calm as possible and not make any mistakes. I managed another 300 or so yards, avoiding boulders and trees, until an unavoidable hardwood tree blocked my path. Trees in raging rivers are unfathomably dangerous but there wasn’t anything to do but hit it. Flailing would have only caused a wipe out into the teeth of the strainer. So at the last moment I jumped out of the canoe straight into the tree and did a double arm support onto a branch. The canoe crashed underneath me into the outer tree limbs and filled with 1200 pounds of cyclonic water. Then the branch I held myself onto broke and I plummeted down, just out of reach but in front of the canoe, thereby balancing precariously on a lower branch. The canoe snarled and twisted behind me but it mattered little. Between the water whipping the limb I stood on and my own weight, it began to crack. I grabbed what remained of the broken branch above me and swung through the remaining tree limbs, throwing myself back into the current.
After more violent pitches over boulders and what not I ruddered over to the nearest bank and coughed up a bit of tepid mine water. Looking upstream I was stymied to see the poor canoe caught in threshes of the tree. While pondering over how to remove it, the canoe broke free and hurled into the rapids. Since it skimmed near to where I stood I grabbed a thwart but stopping a boat filled with water in a an 8 mph current is like trying to hold a luxury car from rolling down a steep hill. In an instant the canoe ripped itself out of my hand.
So now began the chase after $800.00 of “Old Town” craftsmanship. Dashing along the riverside in a dry suit, life jacket, water shoes, knife and a hip pouch filled with tools is no easy task. I had to run at least 10 MPH to get ahead of the boat. Every nerve and sinew was pulled into action. Spiked trees, bamboo, rocks, vines, tangled grass, glass bottles, tires, thorns, and mud were thrown into my path. At one point my glasses pitched off my nose along with their retaining strap. I couldn’t run and fasten them back on at the same time, so decided to stop and put all my attention on refastening them.
This is a time when no movement can be wasted. In order to summon all out effort relaxation is essential because fear and confusion drain energy very quickly. There are precious moments for making decisions, your eyes must choose or reject a direction quickly, but calmly while doing all of this you try and manage not to hurt yourself.
Although I had just raced a marathon two weeks before my legs felt like jelly and my body began to get the shakes in less than a quarter mile. Getting dashed in the water for the last 15 minutes and finally extracting myself, only to have the possibility of losing another expensive craft (don’t ask) made every square inch of my body feel like putty. The only thing left to do was focus on balancing several raging emotions, stay calm, and be assertive. Dig in and run more efficiently.
I found my boat about a mile downstream hung up on a grassy island. Extracting it from the river and dragging it up a steep bank took considerable thought and bone-cracking strength. I also had to walk back to my beat up old Cadillac for transportation, taking care with further effort since there was plenty of daylight left and wanted to try a less challenging river.
How like fencing this day passed. Fencing is considerably safer although fighting for the last two touches after a hard day’s work and years of practice can bring alarmed senses to a climax. It is very hard to find control in these kinds of situations. Emotions spread so fast they seem like wildfire. It is difficult to discern what should be done spontaneously or calculated with forethought.
Risk is inherent in everything. Instincts scream out for self-preservation and fear grins its ugly face like a baking oven door suddenly flashed open. Yet when faced with no other choice it is best to jump into the quick since hesitating can spell certain doom. There are happy moments when plans can be made and at other times actions must be taken. Although it is hard to do two things at once an astute mind will favor concentration in one while still looking in the direction of the overall objective.
I for one will avoid psychopathic rivers like the plague

 

A Letter From Maestro Sullins

Maestro John Sullins of the Classic Italian Military Masters Academy at the University of St. José University California. Maestro Sullins has instructed John and Kim Glemboski in past years. John often asks M. Sullins many sticky questions about fencing. In a reply to one of his questions M. Sullins stimulates the mind by addressing several issues that justify the need for a formal education.


John.
Thank you for your kind note.
You are right, it takes a lot of practice on the strip to understand the nuances of even the most simple action. So much of fencing is acquired through tacit knowledge and only a small amount can be passed on as explicit knowledge such as that found in a manual. That is why it is such a tragedy when an art loses its living link to the past. We can easily recreate the explicit knowledge captured in any surviving texts but that is only the tip of the iceberg, all the tacit knowledge is lost.
Working with the ceding parries and the counter attacks that grow out of them is hard, but rewarding work. When you get one of those to work in a bout your opponent will have no idea how they were just hit and that period of bewilderment can get you a few more hits as well! To the attacker, psychologically, everything seems to go just their way then at the last moment they are hit for no apparent reason, it is just wonderful!
As you say much of the theory has some built in paradox at the edge. This is intentional I believe. No theory can afford to be completely dogmatic. At the core it is unchanging, but this core can be exploited too easily by a crafty opponent. Since every action has a counter action, if I know what your are most likely to do in any given situation I just plan ahead and have the proper counteraction in hand. So, when we get to the highest levels of fencing it is no longer a science, which can be too dogmatic and easily exploited, and instead it becomes an art. An art embraces paradox and idiosyncrasy creating a much more difficult problem for your opponent to overcome. An Italian may suddenly become passive and a Frenchman may suddenly be right in your face, all preconceptions are gone. The problem is that this is where fencing becomes very compelling and fun and is where people want to get to right away. What they forget is that the line between conscious paradox and imbecility is a thin one and one can only attain the former through years of diligent practice in the dogma! Simply put-one can only break the rules artfully when one knows the rules formally.

 

Practice is Precious                                                                                                 By: Rich Ryczak

We all have little “deficiencies” when it comes to our fencing skills. The question is, how do you recognize those problems and what can be done about them?
The answer may lie in the story of a Chinese boy apprenticed to a silversmith. The Master Smith noticed his young apprentice deliberately avoided a certain chore that was part of the art of smithing. Asked why, the apprentice said he found the task difficult and boring so he shunned it, even to the point of switching assignments with other workers.
The Master pondered his apprentice’s explanation, and then announced for the next few weeks the boy would do nothing else but the despised task. The apprentice was naturally upset and felt unjustly punished. But he was also a good and faithful worker, so he applied himself to the job.
At first he found the work hard and tiresome. However, as time passed something amazing occurred. His skill grew better with practice and the work seemed less arduous. Finally the day came when the apprentice was actually proud of his work. It was fun to perform the task.
By the time he finished his assigned “punishment” the apprentice understood the wise Master’s lesson. Every element of a silversmith’s trade was important, and each had to be done equally well to succeed.
This brings us back to Fencing. Do you, like the young apprentice, find some part of fencing “unimportant”, “boring” or “too difficult”? Do you avoid practicing that skill or using it in a match because you are afraid to fail? Some people constantly rely on one proficiency—a quick lunge for instance—to cover their weaker traits.
These may be indicators that you need to work on that segment of your sport. Rather than avoid the challenge, meet it head on with extra attention and practice, practice, practice. Discuss the problem with your instructor and fellow students and listen to their suggestions. Eventually the day will come when you, like the clever apprentice, will be able to practice all your skills equally well. And fencing will be more fun than ever!
 

Love is a Bruise                                                                                                By: Amy Biniek

 Bruises can be exceedingly satisfying. I am not referring to masochistic leanings. No, I'm talking about the pleasure of a well-earned bruise.
I'm studying fencing. Last evening, a shot from my opponent's foil, landing up and under the padding of my mask, left me with a small round bruise on my throat. It causes a bit more discomfort than its size suggests, but nothing terribly distracting.
This morning, I found myself very pleased with this bruise. I studied it in the mirror, trying to find names for its color and shape.
Ok, I know, it's just blood trapped beneath the skin. And yet....
My regular sparring partner, Mr. Pitely, had (jokingly?) warned me that he would deal me bruises with his foil in retaliation for my insolence in a recent e-conversation. Since I began fencing six months ago, this gentleman has been an excellent teacher--but he's also repeatedly and mercilessly mopped the floor with me in bouts. Last evening, however, as I faced him on the strip, I was, well, better. Better than myself, if not he. I don't understand why or how, but I felt more comfortable, more confident, with the foil in my hand. This in turn allowed Mr. P., I think, to play more to his own ability, rather than water-down his skill in order to condescend to my level. He was tougher on me because he could be, he had to be. Hence, his hard shot that unintentionally landed in the center of my throat.
So now, enjoying the ephemeral jewel around my neck, I think I finally understand the graffiti I saw on a wall in Seville, Spain: "Love is a bruise."