In our last blog posting we discussed using opposition to control an opponent’s blade, and gave you the impression that this is an important, even vital, tool in the path to victory. Okay, but as a smart fencer you ask the obvious question: “If it is so good, then how…
In a previous blog post we discussed the importance of getting the opponent’s blade out of the way so that it cannot hit you and so that you can hit your opponent. One of the simplest tools to achieve this goal is also one of the oldest – opposition. Although…
We have rearranged Sunday fencing on a new schedule: 12 noon to 1:00 pm – Team Training 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm – Open Fencing 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm – Musketeer Epee The change has two objectives. Shifting Team Training forward allows the people attending to apply what is…
In all three weapons, the opponent’s blade presents probably the most serious impediment to your scoring. It allows him to parry your attack and convert your opportunity to his with a riposte. It permits her to attack into your attack or its preparation. It allows the opponent to attack you. …
Everyone has a story to tell about something. Sometimes, for an example in a job interview, the story you tell gets you to your objective. Sometimes, for example recounting the details of your injury or illness accurately to the Emergency Room physician, your story may literally save your life. And…
Our previous posts on matrixing the straight thrust as an initial attack and as an attack after the preparation by the parry and the class work following them highlighted several key factors in success on the strip: (1) You cannot think the way a referee thinks. The referee’s task is…
So far we have looked at the simple, direct attack – the straight thrust, point thrust, or cut – and at the footwork associated with it. One of the various forms of straight thrust/cut that our efforts identified is the straight thrust prepared by a parry, commonly termed the parry-riposte. …
In the last blog we discussed the idea that we can identify standard elements of one technique as components of many techniques. The example of the straight thrust/straight cut showed how this simple direct attack is either the start or the finish of a range of actions including compound attacks,…
It is with great sorrow that we announce that we have been informed of the death of John Shields. Although John had not been on the piste for some time due to illness, he retained an active interest in the Salle and visited when he could. John was a long…
Fencing has long had a fascination with tables. Older Italian fencing manuals, in particular, were distinguished by detailed synoptic tables that laid out all conceivable actions in the various lines, along with the counteractions and even counter-counteractions. The problem, of course, is that fencing is messy with many different ways…