I think this idea comes from the fact that Radaelli
was an instructor at the military fencing school;
i.e., as you said, sabre + military = cavalry. This
myth has caused all kinds of problems -- how many of
us were first told that the sabre target is the torso
because that's where you would aim your blows agaist a
rider?

I know Gaugler mentions a cavalry mentality in his
"Science of Fencing" and I remember doing a double
take, since Radaelli's system is, I think, pretty
clearly oriented toward the duel (but off the top of
my head I don't remember exactly what he said or how
strongly he worded it).

I think Gaugler claims that the use of elbow-driven
cuts is related to military application, but I would
be inclined to disagree. As anyone who has handled a
heavy period duelling sabre would know, these weapons
were not really conducive to wrist or finger-based
fencing (at least as far as circular cuts go). The
use of the elbow thus comes from a mechanical
necessity common to both weapons rather than a split
between military and civilian sabre practices.

Doubtless some of the Radaelli techniques could be
applied to a heavier weapon on horseback, and he may
have taken that into consideration, but someone who
knows more about military sabre than me would be a
better judge of that.

Despite any cavalry applications he may have had in
mind, the notion that he was "only interested in
mounted troops" is false. I don't know any fencing
master versed in his system who would make that
statement. The sabre system itself aside, why on
earth would he include a section on "spada" (duelling
sword) in his treatise if he only wanted to train
horsemen to cut down poor grunts with rifles?

Of course, I may be misreading Maestro Gaugler's
beliefs -- one of his students may be able to correct
me if I have misinterpreted his text -- but even he
wouldn't argue (I think) that Radaelli was PURELY
horse-focused.

Cheers,
Russell

--- Chris <c_holzman@hotmail.com> wrote:

> Dear Group,
>
> Please take a look at
>
http://forums.swordforum.com/showthr...threadid=56831
>
> I posted this and then thought I might want to
> broaden my search as
> well, so I'm posting a link here.
>
> If anyone can provide any information about some of
> the claims we see
> reference to Radaelli, I'd be most appreciative of
> it.
>
> To reiterate - we see all kinds of claims that
> Radaelli was only
> interested in mounted troops - yet the treatise
> regarding his system
> says no such thing, indeed, it fails to mention
> anything about mounted
> troops, cavalry, horses, etc.
>
> Can any of you shed any light on where these claims
> might come from,
> and what sources back up those claims?
>
> Lacking any mention in the treatise, I would suspect
> that it must have
> come from the old myth that "fencing sabre came
> directly from the
> cavalry sabre" especially as cavlary was from the
> old days, and
> Radaelli was from the old days, and both used
> sabres..
>
> Anyone?
>
> Thanks,
> Chris
> --
> Chris Holzman
> Moniteur D' Armes
> River City Fencing Club
> Wichita, KS
>
>
>
>


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