I hate fencing illustrations

[wflaschka]

Has anybody else noticed how fencing illustrations always have weird, old-fashioned en garde positions?

For example -- fencinglessons, a page on a site I otherwise admire.

The fencer is in a modern garde, with shoulders at ~45 degree angle. But the hand is floating in the middle of the target! I understand that, in the olden days with non-bendy blades, fencers had their shoulders in line with the opponent to make less target... and the hand would be in the middle of that arrangement. But in this day and age, when obscured or invisible targets can be hit, the 45 degree garde configuration is more natural and the hand doesn't need to be in the middle.

If this fencer were attacked, he would have to make a decision, using his brain and eyes (of all things) about whether to swing his parry left or right. A better illustration would have the fencer in a six position, because then there is no decision-making process for the parry -- either it's four, or it's not worth moving the hand. I mean, why wouldn't someone want to close out a line from the get-go!?

Another problem is parry 4. Illustrations of parry 4 always seems to show a hugely bent elbow, forearm lateral across the chest, with the wrist bent (aka "broken") and the tip pointing at the sky. Do people really still parry like this? Do these people not suffer by relying on tiny wrist muscles to do all the work?

I mean, why not just roll the hand 20 degrees and leave the small wrist-muscles out of it? The blade travels the 8 inches you need to protect your torso, and your hand is still pretty much in line, and point control is better. Why not illustrate that??

Am I insane and alone in my hatred of doofy illustrations?

[a517dogg]

most efnicng illustrations are retarded. but those are pretty good it hink. if you had the guy standing normally, then you wouldnt' be able to illustrate a parry six with the rollover thingy, because he would already be in six and wouldn't move. so he'd just sit there. but since he starts from middle, he can actually parry. noone would ever fence like the guy in the picture is standnig but then again nobody fences classical style with their hand up and doing parrys and **** anyway.

[PisteOff]

My coach yelled at me when I used to come on guard 'in the middle'. Though some famous fencer (Aldo Nadi?) always came on guard in the middle and used it effectively (according to some sources). *shrug*

==PisteOff==

[FoilyGeezer]

My coach would tear us a new one if we came en garde in the middle. In his world, you came en garde in four against righties and in six against lefties (assuming you're a righty) and anything else was simply not acceptable.

[Aoife]

In his world, you came en garde in four against righties and in six against lefties

Ooooh, that makes a bit of sense. I think I'll try that next lesson (not for over a week may I add! Blooming Easter holidays, robbing me of my two lessons a week!!!)


((Not that I'm having slight withdrawl symptoms ))

[Jupiter]

i did a few recent drawing of a coach and a student, the student is facing forward, and the coach is walking back to the engard line, wait, maybe i'll post it here. you're right about how 'stiffly' some beginning illustrators draw, but please don't discourage them. one of our fencers is practinging his illustrations and with a bit more practice he'll be good. see below link for funny fencing drawing.

[wflaschka]

Originally posted by FoilyGeezer
My coach would tear us a new one if we came en garde in the middle. In his world, you came en garde in four against righties and in six against lefties (assuming you're a righty) and anything else was simply not acceptable.

I learned something like this, kinda.

But nowadays, rather than assuming different baseline garde positions depending on the fencer across from me, I do this:

Line up front foot with front foot of opposite fencer, always guard sixte. This line-up means your sixte is always closed and your four is always open, no matter what the handedness of the opponent. Also, the main target (high inside line) is in the same place -- you don't have to change your aim at all.

This arrangement demystifies lefties, and helps my students treat lefties and righties substantially the same. As a lefty coach, I needed to make the same situations relevant to either hand. Nowadays, when I switch to my right hand, they hardly notice.