Re: [DL] Stage Fighting (was A Shameful Confession) [OT]

[Xotzil@aol.com]

>>That would be because the point of Stage Fencing is not to hit the other
>>guy. It's to bounce off his sword in a decorous manner while making the
>>blades go TING. Or clang. It's as related to fencing as....fencing is to
>>real swordplay.:)

Well, the first sentence was true...heh.

The intention is NOT to hit the other guy, agreed, but there are two factors that go into a stage fight, and those depends on who has taught you.

(1) Fighting within distance (that is to say, you WILL hit the other person if your moves aren't controlled)

and

(2) Fighting on target (not angling your pointy stick so that you'll miss the other person).

Within those two factors are four combinations. I ended up studying with someone who believed in fighting in distance and on target. Made playing with German Dueling Sabres an experience that gave me lots of grey hair (which you can see if/when you meet me at a major con).

Thing is, though, modern fencing tells you that a lot of moves in swordplay are no-nos. You DON'T get to cut at a person's head, or jab towards their eyes. Trying to wound their wrists or hamstring them are right out as resonable moves. You also tend to move in a generally lateral direction (back and forth) a majority of the time, which is something that, if you're smart you don't do in the real thing. There are also certain places which you will score more "points" for than others, which make those primary targets...in the real thing, wound your opponent whenever you can wherever you can and try not to let the same thing happen to you.

For fun, once, our wombat professor had us put down the pointy blades and pick up buttoned ones (they were epee blades with heavier cup hilts). He then challenged each one of us, one by one, no striking above the shoulder, to score three hits on him.

I was one of the last ones to go and the only one to score even one hit. Kept my eyes on his the entire time and moved more in a circular formation than in a lateral, balancing footwork between T and side stepping (for those who give a monkey's, this is more akin to the Spanish style of medieval fencing, though I wasn't using anything in my off hand).

Scored two hits and we both hit the other simultaneously on the third.

I also mocked the PB fight. Didn't do a lot of the gymnastic stuff because I'm broken, but did a lot of the other, and all of it makes good swordplay sense, although some of it is overly showy.

Sorry..."real" swordplay is kind of a hobby of mine and I tend to get even more long winded about it if given a chance. :P

--Jacques