While I can certainly appreciate authenticity efforts by historical
swordsmen, the issue of protective plating for us here is a non-starter. Certainly
breast protectors for women and cups for men are strongly encouraged, and I use
the best plastron sold in Germany no matter if it set me back a lot of euros.

But two issues now have been raised: What in the world is someone doing
executing a hit that could fracture bone is linked to a tactic meant to depress
an opponent's score (pun intended).

Observations: Most sport fencing hits in competition are still barely
"feelable" at least over here. Maraged blades are so flexible the bounce effect
would only be enhanced. I understand that stiffer blades are in the works in
the FIE? Neverthelss, bone injuries are possible in sport bouts, so are
broken blades, simply because of lousy technique and the use of pistol grips. We
simply now ignore the FIE and use those pre-1930 rules, and any sporties who
show up undergo an equipment test anyhow. I personally always fence with a 30"
cut-down, and no German opponent, sport or classical, is even aware of the
fact unless I tell'em. That's a function of technique. Show up with a pistol
grip or points d'arret here, for that matter, and you'll be greeted with a
loud, "Aus!"

I can imagine circumstances--one an aggressive, simultaneous charging attack
that wound up with a collision or infighting--in which bone could be bruised
or fractured. (Let me add that crotch shots aren't uncommon, or weren't
when I still hooked up to a light.) It also can lead to broken blades. This
kind of "fencing" may in fact be appropriate if you want to replicate genuine
rapier fight if the literary accounts suggest anything, but certainly it has no
place in a classical bout.Nevertheless I have seen and have received reports
from the US concerning the deployment of aggressive rushes and disarms by
force (blade slapping) by "Italian" afficianados.

Which leads to a technical issue of greater relevance to classical
practice. What are folks' thoughts about supination? I teach it from the initial
lesson on proper grip (other pedagogical issues can be deferred for now) for, in
fact, safety reasons beyond instilling point control. Executed properly,
the thrust of the blade should then always acquire a slight downward
inclination on impact. William M. Gaugler has observed that this can account for the
low accident rate in German fencing before about 1970. It would not work well
if the chest protector has the effect I've been told it has. Indeed, I
suspect it "works" because of another factor--sport fencers' adaptation
difficulties to the new foil tip after getting used to the flick.

Here, we emphasize two related concepts: The decomposition of a continuous
flow of action from first position to the lunge as fundamental; proper French
grip with supination on extension (always, always initiating the lunge or
der Ausfall) with a two-beat architecture at each level from footwork on up.
The "bridge" between them is maintenance of distance or measure. The idea is
to make sure good technique--which includes awareness of tempi-- and safe
technique are the same things, and we drill relentlessly until that's down as
"Korpererinnerung," or body memory. No one advances to even simple parries
until they can demonstrate they've gotten it; they hold weapons only when facing
me.

Our beginners do not bout until qualified. I have 25 of them, and believe
me, it is worth the time and effort to make sure each and every one is tested
and tested again. Indeed, in practice with weapons I follow the late-18th
century courtesy of not riposting into a parried lunge in an unmasked exchange
(a good illustration of this--though the parry has failed-- is in Rowlandson's
wonderful 1787 caricature of the Angelo Haymarket salle) even though we do
indeed wear masks. We're not pussycats; the idea is to instill safety
consciousness and still develop a simple but effective "platform" for delivery.

Now, I raised the body armor question in the context of honor on the strip.
"Honor" is irrelevant to the now-sole objective of sport fencing: winning by
getting more lights than the other person. I simply cannot distinguish
among honor, safety, and good technique. Honorable action is everything on the
classical strip, or should be.

Bill Leckie
Klassisches Fechten Soest
_flanconade@aol.com_ (mailto:flanconade@aol.com)
_soestfechten@aol.com_ (mailto:soestfechten@aol.com)



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