-----Original Message-----
From: Brian D. Schenck [mailto:bdschenck@yahoo.com]

>>However, as I've noted before, there is still a danger in classical
>>fencing in that ensuring you are always practicing the "proper way", that
>>it can still become less about the martial practice of fencing, and simply
"art" in nature.

Form should be emphasized in foil, which was never a martial weapon, but
rather an academic and artistic weapon during the Classical era. Once one
progresses from foil to epee, which was a "martial" or more correctly
"dueling" weapon form does not need to be emphasized.

>>For example, I still think that grading individuals based on their form is
>>somewhat detrimental, as it is not strictly objective in nature.

In my salle we measure form (in foil only) objectively:
Raising the heal of the rear foot - Fault
Attacking with a bent arm - Fault
Lunging with the back knee bent - Fault
Failing to use the back arm as a counter balance - Fault
etc.

>>Not to
>>mention that there is the risk that the "proper way" is the "tactically
>>wrong" thing to do. This does not mean that technique is bad, or form is
>>bad, it just that the wrong emphasis can encourage the wrong behavior.

Please give us an example of when in a classical foil bout you think that
proper classical form would be tactically wrong.

In my school, as in the classical era, with the foil being a purely academic
weapon, tactics come second to technique. One must pull off successful
tactics using correct technique and form. Those are the conventions of foil.


The goal of classical foil is perfection of fencing form and techniques, not
winning a duel. Winning (surviving) a duel is where classical epee comes in
to play.

Those of you who come from the modern sport perspective will find this hard
to understand or believe. It requires a major shift in the sport fencer's
way of thinking to understand these weapons from their original classical
era perspective. The goals of sport fencing and classical fencing (and their
individual weapons) are different; hence the methods of practice are
different.

The axiom, "form follows function" applies to classical fencing.
By the Classical era the form and techniques which worked best had been
perfected. That's why the Classical era is referred to as the Golden Age of
fencing or the pinnacle of fencing perfection.

However, one must also remember that by the Classical era foil was no longer
the practice weapon for the smallsword. It had been conventionalized into an
academic weapon, a theorizing weapon. It was no longer sufficient training
in preparation for the duel. Hence many classical fencing masters (often
begrudgingly) began teaching epee so that people who came to them to prepare
for duels would have a better chance at surviving.

Based on my study of the history of fencing this is the way I run things in
my salle:

Classical Foil is an academic weapon which is used to teach and reinforce
among other things proper form, technique, precision, balance, timing...
"Art in nature" as you mentioned above, is a very big part of what this
weapon is supposed to reinforce in its preparation toward "martial"
effectiveness.

Classical Epee on the other hand is a dueling weapon which approximates as
closely as safety will allow to the random conditions of an actual duel. Art
in nature is ignored or rather hopefully, already ingrained by the time one
studies Epee which focuses solely on martial effectiveness.

In my salle, the academic weapon, Classical foil is studied first. The
student must complete the entire technical progression (which emphasizes
form and technique) as it was originally taught by the French academies of
the mid 1800s, then he must complete the tactical progression, and finally
assault training, before being allowed to "free bout."

I adapted the original French Classical schools private lesson progressions
into a partner format which works efficiently in a group class setting.
Through group classes the entire foil progression takes several years to
compete. Regular private lessons greatly speed up the process. However, at
the fastest it still takes a bare minimum of two years before students are
allowed to "free bout." This insures perfection of form and technique prior
to bouting. Bouting too soon greatly reduces the likelihood that the fencer
will use good form. Taking the time to perfect it increases the chances that
it will continue in bouting.

Also I reinforce form in all my foil tournaments. Everyone must compete in a
qualifying round in which they are scored only on their form (as well as
etiquette, attitude, etc. which are also important in my salle). Only those
with good clean classical form progress to the scoring round. Even in the
scoring round a "form fault" counts as a touch against the offending fencer
and can cost a fencer the bout. All foil bouts are fought to three touches
(as opposed to sport fencing's fifteen touch bouts) in order to emphasize
defense over offense and skill over endurance.

Of course after fencing this way for several years you no longer have to
think about your form while bouting, you have internalized it and it comes
naturally. So in essence the form rules in our classical foil events are
there as a teaching aid to enforce good classical form on beginners who have
not yet internalized proper form. Fencers who receive zero Form Faults in a
tournament are exempt from the qualifying round in their next tournament
because they have proven their ability to fence correctly.

Since foil is only an academic weapon, our goal in all our foil bouts is the

Perfection of form and technique as opposed to the ego-driven focus on
"beating" people and winning and showing off medals. For that reason we only
keep score in tournaments, never in the judged or free bouts in the salle.
That way those of us who have very competitive natures don't throw-out
technique in a last ditch effort to "beat' someone. Not keeping score frees
us up to focus on making good attacks, good ripostes, pulling off nice
second and third intentions, not on winning. Now this is all done for foil
only since it is the academic weapon and never was a real weapon in and of
it's self. It is a teaching/training weapon, a theorizing weapon in which
"new realms of possibilities may be explored."

After one completes the entire series of foil progressions they may then
move on to study the dueling weapons, Epee, Smallsword, Dueling Sabre if
they wish or the historical weapons (rapier, broadsword, etc). In events
held for the dueling weapons I do not have qualifying rounds, nor do I award
points against someone on the basis of form. They stand or fall only upon
their ability to survive. Notice I didn't say their ability to "win" or
"beat someone." The first goal in dueling is to survive and so defense is
first and foremost and still receives a heavy influence in my salle. All of
the epee bouts are fought to the first touch with double touches counting as
double defeats. The several years spent perfecting one's form through the
foil study carries over well into their epee fencing resulting in much
cleaner fencing than the student who starts off with epee.

Some of you may be curious as to why I included the saber in the above list
of non-conventional (dueling) weapons. In my school I teach both Classical
Sabre and Dueling Saber (Sciabola di Terreno). Classical sabre is a
conventional weapon with rules similar to foil, such as right of way. Our
Classical Sabre events are similar in this regard to our foil events with an
emphasis on and rewards system for enforcing classical form and technique.
However, I also teach the Italian Dueling Sabre (Sciabola di Terreno) which
approximates to epee fencing, with its lack of right-of-way and focus on the
forward target (hand, wrist, and forearm) being the primary target.

Blessings,
Rez
------------------
Rez Johnson, M d'E
Headmaster: Mississippi Academy of Arms

Certified Moniteur d'Escrime (Fleuret, Epee, Sabre): Academie d'Armes
Internationale (AAI)

Certified Fencing Instructor (Foil, Epee, Saber): United States Fencing
Coaches Association (USFCA)

Fencing Master Apprentice of Past USFCA President, Robert F. Scranton,
Maitre d'Armes

Mississippi Academy of Arms
Virtute et Armis - By Valor and Arms
Teaching Fencing Since 1980
------------------




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