Polish School of Sabre Fencing

[Black Jack]

Here is a very interesting and informative website on the Polish school of military sabre fencing and it's training methodology as seen in the 1830 "Treatise on Fencing".

I just love stuff like this and I will spend some time going over the sight for the Western martial info and its applications in sparring.

It looks like a good guide for a little "hard-knock" R&D between training partners and I want to take a look at what it has to offer in a reverse engineered enviorment for big knifes as what has been done in a lot of the Bowie work out there now that has a bit of Old World European Sabre fencing worked into its mix.

What is interesting to note is that it has biomechanical cutting princples like the FMA defanging the snake strikes, thus showcasing that this tactic is really nothing new, the Polish method displayed here has a number of "limb cuts" as well as evasive "stop-cuts".

Solid Diagrams, 11 angles of attack, parries, guards, reposts, feints, good stuff to incorporate into ones training if desired.

Do not mix this up with modern fencing as the old world stuff is based on survival and not points.

http://www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/Zablocki.htm

[Stranger]

:cool:

[GinSueDog]

Giacomo Di Grasse's work and Knifefighter really got me considering taking fencing. Haven't done it yet, but I did find a fencing school in my area.-ED

[Crimson Phoenix]

If such topics get you interested, check out www.thehaca.com
There's also a great book, "Secret history of the sword" by J Christoph Amberger.
Good surfin' :)

[Brett Again]

If anyone is in to point sparring, fencing is an ultimate training tool. You think you know how to maintain and control distance and close the gap? You also learn how to mentally "tweak" your opponent in to attacking or retreating in to your strategy.

A good fencer is like magic at that. Plus, it's a blast, and you get to where those ever-so-flattering tight white pants.

[Frank Exchange]

"The Secret History Of The Sword" is indeed an excellent and informative book.

Of particular interest is a section on fencing and reality, describing a turn of the century duel where the two combatants were highly respected sport fencers. When they came to fight for real, they lost their style and became much more random and jerky, as they realised it is no good lunging your opponent and hitting his heart with the perfect strike, if he can still kill you in the few seconds it may take for him to die. Sport fencing and real fighting with swords are two very different things.

It also explodes many of the myths around swords, for example chivalry and the striking of horses in the Napoleonic period, and the cutting power of the samurai's katana. Well worth a read.