[CFML] Re: Fleche (Steve Hicks & Jeff Sauber)

This arrived in my email from Steve Hicks, but it was meant to
be posted to the list.
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> There's some evidence (a period description of a
> technique of Taricotti,
> which is repeated by some fencing historians) that
> would date some sort of lunge
> to the early 15th century. The 2nd generation of
> 16th century Italian masters
> (e.g. Altoni, Viggani) were clearly using something
> akin to the modern lunge.
>
> Steve

I think that there's nothing that's ever really new,
just that different thing s become popular at
different times. Much of the pre-rennaisance sword
technique conforms to unarmed fighting, which utilises
"walking" footwork (left, right, left, right), and
that limits the opportunities for lunging, since the
body is only in the right position to lunge half of
the time (every other step). Same holds true for the
fleche.

Nevertheless, I'm sure that there were plenty of
bravos long before the rennaisance who hurled
themselves at their opponents when they saw the
opportunity, and by that, paved the way for both the
lunge & the fleche.

Viggiani gets the credit for codifying a form of
fencing where the sword-side of the body & the sword
leg generally stays forward (although there's plenty
of twisting from the waist). This way of moving the
body would allow for more frequent opportunities to
launch a lunge.

I have to say, I'm not familiar with Taricotti. Where
could I find out abvout him?

Cheers,
Jeff




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