a fight by any other name
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How do you know having a sharp makes it hard for a grappler? How/when does fencing address this in its training as a swordplay method?
For my charity work, I volunteer at the Haight Ashbury Free Medical Clinic. My specialty is managing combative and belligerent patients. The second step of our restraint protocol is physical, which means I get to grapple. I've faced armed patients on more than a few occasions - we once had a patient that was packing seven knives - and I'm telling you from direct experience that a sharp makes it very difficult. If you don't beleive that, well, then who's being silly?
How does fencing address this? Ironically by using the method that you probably least understand - right of way. Foil and saber has a rule about right of way, which basically means that the first fencer to get his or her weapon in line has the right of way, just like the first person to get to a four-way stop sign. This was established for a very real reason. Early fencers did not have the safety measures that we do today (but as a historical fencer, you know that, right?) Today we have kevlar jackets. Back in the day, they didn't even have practice weapons. So right of way was established to prevent to fencers from simultaneously lunging and simlutaneously dying. Now all you need to do to deal with a single opponent when you have a sharp is to put that sharp between you and that opponent with the sharp part facing the opponent. It's simple. It's effective. And it's the foundation of modern fencing. Establish right of way. No one will attack onto an extended weapon (barring the occasional psycho, but then all bets are off for any form of martial arts - and that comes from my volunteer experience too - you just can't predict psychos).
Maestro Charles Selberg used to make this bet with any comer to prove right of way. He would take a live sword and give you a practice weapon. He would then extend his weapon, establishing right of way and bet you that you would not lunge without removing that line. And you can't. It'd be suicide. I've been on the recieving end of Maestro Selberg's bet and it's simply not possible.