Inflamed sense of superiority

[esskreemr]

Well, the only way this will ever be settled is by swords at dawn... actually, can we make that about 10:00am... I just don't have the stomach to kill a man before my morning caffeine.

Hey! For kicks, let's toss in the epee and sabre fencers. Last man or woman standing gets to declare the superiority of their chosen fencing weapon/form.

I have a feeling that 60% would run at the first sight of drawn swords, 20% would piss their pants and stand there in their own filth, 15% would cry mommy as soon as blood was spilled, and the other 5%... well let's just hope that nature runs its course and these psychos wipe each other out. In all honesty, I could probably say I wouldn't be in the final 5% unless something extreme happened. Where would you be?

[Welted 24/7]

I'll never understand why people on both sides can't just shut up and do their own thing. I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I fence- get this- because I like to fence, not because I want to develop a superiority complex(whether or not it comes anyway). What the "other half" does shouldn't really concern you if you're not one of them. Myself, I don't agree with not being allowed to touch a weapon for such and such number of months, but I don't agree with people who throw on a lame and go to a national tournament without having fenced for more than a month either(yes, it happens- in my club, actually).

If you're a sport fencer, I don't know why you give a crap what goes on in classical fencing. Likewise, if you're a classical fencer and sport fencing is such an "inferior discipline", why bother sitting and whining about it? But then, if life has taught me anything, it's that in a faceoff of extremes, nobody wants to hear the rational view.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by RebelFencer

I really hate to say this, especially after my last post...but I somewhat agree. Damn.

Why do you agree?

I mean, Athos, Porthos, D'Artagnan, and Aramis existed. So did the Cardinal. Dumas took real people and created some great fiction with them.

That said, they are musketeers by profession, not fencers by choice. If they were alive today, they'd be in the Military.

Oh, you mean the whole CF as D&D'ers...

Well, even that I don't agree with. I played D&D a long time ago. So did Jon Normile, and neither he nor I are CF'ers.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by achilleus

Why do you agree?

I mean, Athos, Porthos, D'Artagnan, and Aramis existed. So did the Cardinal. Dumas took real people and created some great fiction with them.

That said, they are musketeers by profession, not fencers by choice. If they were alive today, they'd be in the Military.

You mean they would be fencing for the Airforce or something?

[RebelFencer]

wow, I want to fence for the air force! I'm not making fun of D&Ders, hell I even used to play. What I tend to agree with is that people parading around as classical fencers-- in my experience -- have appeared to be a)very terrible fencers and b)the stereotype for a D&D person.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by RebelFencer

RL's identity as a SF is heavily overshadowed by his identity as an *******.

You are an egregiously petty libertine and a malingering, stench-emitting mediocrity afflicted with mental retardation.

[RebelFencer]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

You are an egregiously petty libertine and a malingering, stench-emitting mediocrity afflicted with mental retardation.

So...you like attempting to insult me using words that you obviously looked up (yes, I know what they mean). If you were going to insult me well it might be to your interest to not just string together big words hoping it'll impress someone. Also: "...a malingering, stench-emitting mediocrity afflicted with..." I'm sorry, but do you not realize that that sentence doesn't make sense? With that structure you're implying that I am a mediocrity...and since mediocrity isn't something one is capable of being...I am forced to conclude that you, my friend, are an idiot.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by RebelFencer

So...you like attempting to insult me using words that you obviously looked up (yes, I know what they mean). If you were going to insult me well it might be to your interest to not just string together big words hoping it'll impress someone. Also: "...a malingering, stench-emitting mediocrity afflicted with..." I'm sorry, but do you not realize that that sentence doesn't make sense? With that structure you're implying that I am a mediocrity...and since mediocrity isn't something one is capable of being...I am forced to conclude that you, my friend, are an idiot.

You are a confoundedly fiendish rogue and a malingering, simple-minded sexual assaulter of barnyard animals.

[Tiwaz]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

You are a confoundedly fiendish rogue and a malingering, simple-minded sexual assaulter of barnyard animals.

not the most elequent defence i've ever heard.

[CheekyCanuck]

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

not the most elequent defence i've ever heard.

I don't think that was a defense. It seemed more like RL was attacking into RebelFencer's attack. RebelFencer had right-of-way. Point for RebelFencer.

Oh wait. Let's ask the corner judges...

[cfaustus]

Originally Posted by achilleus

Oh, you mean the whole CF as D&D'ers...

Well, even that I don't agree with. I played D&D a long time ago. So did Jon Normile, and neither he nor I are CF'ers.

And on the other side, I do CF but do not do D&D ... all that fantasy stuff never really appealed to me. I do like Dumas, however, mostly for the political intrigue.

[CheekyCanuck]

Originally Posted by cfaustus

Those drawn to a purely competative forum will be attracted to one and those interested in developing other aspects of their humanity will be attracted to the other.

To expand on Mr. Epee's eloquent reply, though you speak of equity and preach about harmony, your tone is still that of superiority.

I do fence both classical and sport, and I have to say you learn many of the same lessons, just differently. True there is a great deal of importance placed on scores in sport fencing, but that is a trap for the overly competitive.

Sport fencing forces one to develop physically as well as mentally. I've heard other athletes say much the same about their sport and admittedly, coming from a classical school and never liking sports, I did not believe it, but it is very true.

Both schools allow for development of a different sort, but still for my money, I would say that to deny what sport fencing has to offer is to deny the thick edge of the wedge.
Again I’m not saying that classical fencing is bad, I have gain a great deal from it, but classical fencing is just a beginning to a full immersion.

[VERITAS]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

Classical Fencing is something that does not exist nor has it ever. Only Modern Fencing has ever existed. Aramis, Athos, D'Artagnan and Porthos also do not exist but when they did they were fencing the modern style of their time. If they were reborn today they would be Sport Fencers. Sport Fencing is what is real. Classical Fencing is for the Dungeons and Dragons players.

Actually, if you recall what the musketeers did, today they would be in the Secret Service, or working for 'M' as doube-0 agents, or Swiss Guards in the Vatican.

Unless my memory is playing tricks on me, I do recall that D'artagnon used an unconventional style of fencing. There certainly were (and are) different schools of fencing with different approaches.

But at no point do I recall even any tournaments of any variety that the Musketeers entered.

Oh, and also I have never even seen any D&D games - it holds no appeal for me. I have seen SCAers, and far worse LARPers - they have in my opinion less in common with CF than SF.

[Drifter]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Yes. And if one absolutely HAD to defend oneself with a sharp sword, I suspect there'd be a lot of grappling, kicking and throwing of objects having nothing to do with the nice formalities of classical fencing. We no longer have the social imperatives which formerly forced people to restrict themselves to "fair" practices even if it cost them their lives; the sun has long since set on the culture of honor above all else...

To accentuate your point, historical evidence shows that the duels of the time period that CFers desperately wish they were a part of were RARELY honorable. I'd hope all of us fencers had read 'By the Sword' by now but if they haven't you can find examples of real duels with real outcomes in there. Believe me most duels were NOT the highly romanticized tripe these CFers wish to believe.

[RebelFencer]

Originally Posted by CheekyCanuck

I don't think that was a defense. It seemed more like RL was attacking into RebelFencer's attack. RebelFencer had right-of-way. Point for RebelFencer.

Oh wait. Let's ask the corner judges...

Awesome! And I didn't even have to do my scream.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Tiwaz

not the most elequent defence i've ever heard.

You are an unconscionably ignominious narcissist and a flaccid, buttock-rimming excrement stain on a Sumo Wrestler's underpants.

Originally Posted by RebelFencer

Awesome! And I didn't even have to do my scream.

You are a woefully repugnant cretin and a frightful, air-polluting unfortunate occurrence of unprotected intercourse.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Drifter

To accentuate your point, historical evidence shows that the duels of the time period that CFers desperately wish they were a part of were RARELY honorable.

Fair enough, and Sabreur posted some articles to the same effect a few pages back.

Though there WERE rules---whole codes, in fact---for the duel, they concerned the challenge, the weapons and other conditions of the duel for the most part. There are instances where for one reason or another a certain tactic opened a duellist to charges of perfidy or villainy---Jarnac had his reputation besmirched after his victory for using a supposedly "dishonorable" stroke, and "Cobb's Traverse" was a widely derogated practice. Etc. However, many of the most interesting anecdotes from the age of duelling revolved around attempts to circumvent the informal expectations that honorable behavior would be the rule: attempts to wear concealed armour, trick triggers on pistols, and so forth. There WERE social standards concerning what one ought not do in a fight, even if they were honored more in the breach than the observance. None of which stopped the fights from becoming bloody, desperate, free-for-all affairs.

And of course some were deliberately arranged so as to be vicious and outside the usual standards of decorum. Usually this was when long-standing mutual hatred was involved...poignards in a coach and the like...

[HDG]

Originally Posted by VERITAS

Oh, and also I have never even seen any D&D games - it holds no appeal for me. I have seen SCAers, and far worse LARPers - they have in my opinion less in common with CF than SF.

I'm almost afraid to ask, but who / what is "LARP"?

[Inquartata]

Live Action Role Playing. It can cover anything from a D & D-type scenario played out in the woods ( simulated magic and monsters and all ) to the SCA to Civil War reenactments, but is usually used derogatorily for the more fantasy-oriented activities...

[keith]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

snip.......( simulated magic and monsters and all ) .........snip...

hmmm, they probably need to take better drugs. Or maybe they are just eating the wrong mushrooms.