Maestro Hayes,
>And my advice for classical purists
>who crossover in the sport world is
>to fence epee - no conventions employed,
>no bizarre calls to worry about, and it's
>a good test of your classical practice.
Maestro, I don't want to come off as disrespectful here, for I hold your
training and the authority of your position in the highest regard.
However, I believe that modern epee does not even come close to classical
epee. The electrical apparatus and the change from one-touch to 15 touches
has greatly changed epee technically and tactically, bringing it far away
from it's classical roots and it's martial (dueling) effectiveness.
Once one crosses over into sport epee they are no longer classical purists.
And the test would be an inaccurate test of classical epee ability because
different tactics are necessary and employed due to the machine and the 15
touches, than are employed in classical (one-touch, non-electric) epee.
The usual tactic taught by sport epee coaches and seen in USFA competitions
these days is to get one touch ahead of your opponent and then simply keep
forcing double touches so that you stay one touch ahead of your opponent. In
the sport version which is fought to fifteen touches these days, it does not
matter if your opponent touches you 14 times (think 14 wounds) as long as
you stay one touch ahead and win with touch number 15. This tactic is the
logical conclusion of fencing epee to 15 touches with an electrical scoring
machine. Additionally, the double defeat (a double touch resulting in both
fencers losing the bout) is not allowed in sport fencing. According to USFA
rules, one fencer has to "win" and so overtime is given to avoid a tie. Can
you picture two aristocratic duelists who keep on attempting (and making)
double hits and won't stop until only one of them makes a single hit?
As you know, the original duel during the classical era was to one touch and
epee practice during the classical era was designed to simulate the dueling
sword and train one for the realities of a duel. Modern sport epee as it is
being coached and fenced today breaks the time honored defensive rule of
"touch without getting touch". Once developed, the habit of forcing double
touches is very hard to break and would make you a very poor duelist (and
epee fencer) by classical standards. (It can also ruin your foil fencing
too!)
According to C-L de Beaumont, "Foil fencing, as we know it today, with its
complex rules and conventions, was evolved from the small sword play of the
seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. It may be said to date from the
invention of the mask, generally credited to the famous French master La
Boessiere, about 1780. Foil fencing with its limited target, complicated
phrases and traditional conventions became increasingly unlike the
sword-play required in duels which continued to be prevalent. The courteous
exchanges of the schools were poor preparation for the more serious
encounter with heavier weapons on greensward or gravel path, at first light
and often under dripping trees, against an adversary whose sole object was
to score a hit regardless of the conventions of right of attack. During the
last quarter of the nineteenth century, the epee de combat was developed to
train those who frequented the schools to prepare themselves for a duel. Its
comprehensive target and absence of conventions were designed to approximate
to the conditions of the jeu de terrain. (However,) As competition fencing
became more widespread the basic conception of approximating epee bouts to
the conditions of a duel was progressively abandoned."
To quote Master Roger Crosnier, "The fact that the apparatus not only
registers the validity of hits, but also measures the time between hits
which have landed on both fencers, has led epeeists to forget the basic
principle of fencing, which is 'to hit and not be hit.' The efforts of epee
fencers are now directed towards one objective, which is to hit first and
within a margin of time of the opponent's hit. This conception of epee
fighting, which is unfortunately prevalent, has had an effect on the
character of the weapon. Whereas earlier epeeists used their sword as they
would have in a duel and fought bouts to one hit, the younger generation
fight for as much as ten hits (fifteen these days) and take risks which no
sane duelist would have dared to take. Now that the main object is to hit
first, technique has suffered as a result, and takes second place to
athletic qualities which permit rapid footwork and staying powers. If, in
the past, an epeeist was a fencer having at his command every fencing
stroke, his modern counterpart is limited in technique and relies on one or
two actions which he does well and quickly. It is generally acknowledged
that the quality of epee fencing has fallen within the last ten to fifteen
years and that this is largely due to the electrical apparatus. Those of us
who have fenced epee for many years have watched with some misgivings the
general trend of it's evolution. Originally, the epee was meant to be a
sporting replica of the dueling-sword. A bout at epee was intended to mime a
duel, where obviously, the first of the antagonists to land a hit would have
drawn blood. Under normal dueling conditions, the scoring of a hit would
have brought an end to the combat. Having this in mind epeeists fought for
one hit. Their technique and tactics were subjected to the logical
conception that they must hit, but not be hit. In order to put this
principle into practice, an epeeist had to learn all of the offensive and
defensive strokes known in fencing, if he wished to be successful. In fact,
he had to be as technically sound as any foilist while having to face
dueling conditions which, unlike those in foil, were not governed by
conventions of right of way. Bouts and competitions in one hit lasted for
many years. (Then,) For a time matches and competitions were decided in two
hits and later on in three hits. Automatically, much of the original
character of the epee disappeared... Short bouts remained in favour until
the end of the second world war, when fencing, in general, became influenced
by the importance attached to athletic qualities in all games. Speed of
footwork and stamina became necessary assets in competitive fencing. Epee
contests then demanded athletic as well as technical qualities, and longer
bouts came into favour. There are always some weaknesses to be found in any
change. It is also expected that some people will take advantage of them and
benefit by them for a time. Such was the case with the appearance of the
electrical apparatus which not only registered hits, but also measured time
within a 25th of a second. The epeeist took advantage of the apparatus,
concentrating his efforts on hitting first and within the required 25th of a
second of his opponent's hit. He chose to forget that the basic principle of
fencing is to hit and not be hot. Technique took second place to athletic
qualities. Most epeeists efforts were centered on delivering a fast fleche
and an even faster stop-hit. There were few constructive tactics and the
game was very uninteresting. Fencers hurled themselves at each other more or
less simultaneously in a negative game of double-hits. An example of this
concept of the application of epee fighting during that period was the final
tie for first place for the World University Title, just after the war,
opposing a Frenchman to a Dane. They tied twice more with six double hits
(the matches were to three hits), and had two more double hits before the
Frenchman finally scored the winning hit. The Final Pool of the Olympic
Games in London, in 1948 was little better, the analysis showing that 50 per
cent of the hits scored had been double-hits. It was unfortunate that the
French, the recognized masters at epee, should have been the worst culprits.
The Helsinki Games in 1952 saw them pay the penalty for their mistake. The
Italians, on the contrary, having paid due attention to their technique
proved that by adding to it the necessary athletic preparation, the could
continue to fence and be champions. There is little doubt that their example
greatly influenced a 'renaissance' of epee fencing and that their lead is
being followed in every country."
Sorry for the long quote. However, I know that there are a few of you out
there who do not have Master Crosniers book (long since out of print) who
will appreciate the history he gives us. And Maestro Hayes, at least he
gives the Italians (you style) due credit for their "superior" epee
technique in 1952.
Anyway, I think from all of the above you can see how modern sport epee is
far removed from its classical and martial (dueling) roots. I believe being
a good sport epeeist would be a handicap in a real duel because of the
suicidal tendencies it would develop. I would think a classical purest, if
he truly understands the all differences between classical and sport
fencing, would not even want to crossover.
(My apologies to you Jeff Savit, for I know you will take offence at the
above statement. But I really don't intend it that any. You and I just
define classical fencing amazingly different from one another.)
Again, no disrespect to you Maestro Hayes.
I agree with your posts 99.9% of the time.
With the uptmost respect,
Rez Johnson
"Standing guard on old, forgotten roads, that no one travels anymore."
The Fencing Master, by Arturo Perez
Rez Johnson, M d'A
Headmaster: Mississippi Academy of Arms
President: United States Traditional Fencing Association
Certified Fencing Instructor: (USTFA, TFI, AAI, USFCA)
Certified Fencing Master Apprentice: (USTFA, USFCA)
Teaching Classical Fencing and Historical Swordsmanship since 1980
Modern Sport Fencing Coach from 1980 - 2002
Mississippi Academy of Arms
P.O. Box 955
Pelahatchie, MS 39145-0955
E-Mail:
1@MSFencing.org
Academy Website:
http://MSFencing.org
USTFA Website:
http://TraditionalFencing.org
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