Single sticks??

[Army Fencer]

Does anyone know exactly what single sticks is (are?)?

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Painful....thats the first thing that comes to mind. Its like fencing, except first one to draw blood wins. They use a fungo bat upside down with a wicker basket as a bell guard. It hurts like a bokken if you ask me.

[greenchick]

from the 1911 edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica (http://2.1911encyclopedia.org/S/SI/SINGLE_STICK.htm)

SINGLE-STICK, a slender, round stick of ash about 34 in. long and thicker at one end than the other, used as a weapon of attack and defence, the thicker end being thrust through a cup-shaped hilt of basket-work to protect the hand. The original form of the single-stick was the waster, which appeared in the 16th century and was merely a wooden sword used in practice for the back-sword (see SABRE-FENCING), and of the same general shape. By the first quarter of the 17th century wasters had become simple cudgels provided with sword-guards, and when, about twentyfive years later, the basket-hilt came into general use, it was employed with the cudgel also, the heavy metal hilt of the backsword being discarded in favor of one of wicker-work. The guards, cuts and parries in single-stick play were at first identical with those of back-sword play, no thrusts being allowed (see FENCING). The old idea, prevalent in England in the 16th century, that hits below the girdle were unfair, disappeared in the 18th century, and all parts of the person were attacked. Under the first and second Georges back-sword play with sticks was immensely popular under the names cudgel-play and singlesticking, not only in the cities but in the country districts as well, wrestling being its only rival. Towards the end of the 18th century the play became very restricted. The players were placed near together, the feet remaining immovable and all strokes being delivered with a whip-like action of the wrist from a high hanging guard, the hand being held above the head.- Blows on any part of the body above the waist were allowed, but all except those aimed at the head were employed only togain openings, as each bout was decided only by a broken head, i.e. a cut on the head that drew blood. At first the left hand and arm were used to ward off blows not parried with the stick, but near the close of the 18th century the left hand grasped a scarf tied loosely round the left thigh, the elbow being raised to protect the face. Thomas Hughess story, Tom Browns School Days, contains a spirited description of cudgel-play during the first half of the Ioth century. This kind of single-sticking practically died out during the third quarter of that century, but was revived as a school for the sabre, the play being essentially the same as for that weapon (see SABRE-FENCING). The point was introduced and leg hits were allowed. By the beginning of the 20th century singlestick play had become much neglected,the introduction of the light Italian fencing sabre having rendered it less necessary. Stickplay with wooden swords as a school for the cutlas is common in some navies. The French cane-fencing (qv.) has a general similarity to single-stick play, but is designed more for defence with a walking-stick than as a school for the sabre.

See Broads-word and Single-stick, by R. G. Allanson Winn and C. Phillips-Wolley (London, 1898); Manual of Instruction for Singlestick Drill (London, 1887, British War Office); Schools and Masters of Fence, by Egerton Castle (London, 1892); The Sword and the Centuries, by A. Hutton (London, 1901).

[Army Fencer]

Originally Posted by greenchick

Towards the end of the 18th century the play became very restricted. The players were placed near together, the feet remaining immovable and all strokes being delivered with a whip-like action of the wrist from a high hanging guard, the hand being held above the head.- Blows on any part of the body above the waist were allowed, but all except those aimed at the head were employed only togain openings, as each bout was decided only by a broken head, i.e. a cut on the head that drew blood. At first the left hand and arm were used to ward off blows not parried with the stick, but near the close of the 18th century the left hand grasped a scarf tied loosely round the left thigh, the elbow being raised to protect the face.

That almost sounds like the messeurs in Germany.

[BrianH]

If I remember correctly, Sherlock Holmes was an expert player with single- stick. If he were alive now, I believe he would be an epeeist.

BrianH

[Flagrant da Nut]

shrelock rules the stickz

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by BrianH

If I remember correctly, Sherlock Holmes was an expert player with single- stick. If he were alive now, I believe he would be an epeeist.

BrianH

Are you intimating that epeeists are fictional characters?

[Christopher J Umbs]

There's 2 kinds of single stick. One is like mensur where there is no footwork or dodging involved and only the head counts (you can hit elsewhere to get the opponent to drop his guard). It's either to first blood, first inch long cut or first drop of blood to fall on a white shirt that the fighters where.

The other kind of singlestick is practice for the backsword with full motion. Basically wooden saber. The AHF has rules and runs tournaments for this
http://www.ahfi.org/rules/singlestick.htm

The AHF demonstrated it at it's recent Grand Assault of Arms, but there weren't enough singlestick fencers to include it in the tournament.

On a shameless plug note... There will be classes on it at this year's WMAW in Amsterdam, NY.
http://www.ahfi.org/wmaw2004/

Take a look at the classes, we've got some great ones this year.

Chris

[BrianH]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Are you intimating that epeeists are fictional characters?

Quite the contrary, Inq. I suggest that his analytical mind would steer Mr. Holmes to the thinking person's weapon.

BrianH

[sabreur]

Originally Posted by BrianH

Quite the contrary, Inq. I suggest that his analytical mind would steer Mr. Holmes to the thinking person's weapon.

BrianH

But you said you thought he would fence epee, which is the "stick out your arm and hope" weapon....

Holmes would clearly have transferred from singlestick to sabre--which is not only the "thinking man's" weapon, but the "quickly thinking man's" weapon....



MR

[Inquartata]

Elementary!

[geezer]

Sabre...? The dramatic, but rhetorical...Dash and Slash? Holmes is a man who values unassiated Truth above all else...certainly this will be epee?

[40Saberthieves]

Originally Posted by geezer

Sabre...? The dramatic, but rhetorical...Dash and Slash? Holmes is a man who values unassiated Truth above all else...certainly this will be epee?

He valued quick thought and subtley.

Sabre all the way for him.

[wflaschka]

Originally Posted by Christopher J Umbs

On a shameless plug note... There will be classes on it at this year's WMAW in Amsterdam, NY.
http://www.ahfi.org/wmaw2004/

Oooh! Try to get some video of the single-stick and post it!

[Scott Allen Abf]

Originally Posted by RogueNine

He valued quick thought and subtley.

Sabre all the way for him.

Sabre....subtle?

I thought it all came down to who ate the most raw meat the day before (thus who was more agressive as they slam into each other!)

[Artisan]

Originally Posted by wflaschka

Oooh! Try to get some video of the single-stick and post it!

I don't have singlestick, but I do have a 12M mpg of Italian stickfighting that starts with a melee in a field, a fight by torchlight on car tires and then concludes with several demos in a gymnasium - looks like quite a bit of sabre technique, with some good ol' fashioned pummeling mixed in.
I think D+F+P would enjoy it.

tell me where I can send / upload it.

[P00Man]

Sherlock Holmes would DEFINATELY be a sabre fencer.

He was also a champion boxer, guy was just plain awesome man...frekin wacko...

too bad he was addicted to cocaine eh?

[wflaschka]

Originally Posted by Artisan

I don't have singlestick, but I do have a 12M mpg of Italian stickfighting that starts with a melee in a field, a fight by torchlight on car tires and then concludes with several demos in a gymnasium - looks like quite a bit of sabre technique, with some good ol' fashioned pummeling mixed in.
I think D+F+P would enjoy it.

tell me where I can send / upload it.

Is that Novascrimia? (I brought it up with Christopher before, and he didn't like it.) I thought it looked pretty cool, in the context of street brawling. Something useful for the next barfight.

I have those videos -- they're not on the novascrimia.com website anymore, at least not that I could find. They're collector's items now.

I put up some clips at this thread:
http://www.fencing101.com/vb/showthread.php?t=12671
in this post:
http://www.fencing101.com/vb/showpos...18&postcount=5

[schlager7]

President Theodore Roosevelt was fond of singlestick play.

[Jarentz]

Originally Posted by Christopher J Umbs

The other kind of singlestick is practice for the backsword with full motion. Basically wooden saber. The AHF has rules and runs tournaments for this
http://www.ahfi.org/rules/singlestick.htm

Has anyone in the AHF ever been killed fighting singlestick?
A 3-weapon fencing mask is nowhere near enough protection against a 1" dia ash stick.
Period masks worn for such practice were much heavier than a modern fencing mask, more like a kendo mask. The rest of the body would need more protection as well, kidneys? ribs?
I hate to plug SCA fighting but one of those guys would completely cave-in a 3-weapon mask with a stick like that.