sword fighting

[Hitman]

Dear all,
Does anyone know any good web site showing application of sword fighting or weapons?

2. In western fencing after you did the lounge and miss your target, you are open to a counter attack to your knee or body. What is the best defence you would use to stop yourself from getting hit after doing the lunge?

3. Are you allow to step to one side and hit your opponent's chest or back, while he/ she is doing/after the lounge?
Or is this against the fencing rule?

4. What is the best defence against a lunge?


Thank you
Hitman

[Lucas]

You seem to be speaking from a western fencing sport angle.

I have never studied western fencing.

For a straight lunge attack against me, I would rely on footwork and parry.

[sanjuro_ronin]

Dear all,
Does anyone know any good web site showing application of sword fighting or weapons?

2. In western fencing after you did the lounge and miss your target, you are open to a counter attack to your knee or body. What is the best defence you would use to stop yourself from getting hit after doing the lunge?

3. Are you allow to step to one side and hit your opponent's chest or back, while he/ she is doing/after the lounge?
Or is this against the fencing rule?

4. What is the best defence against a lunge?


Thank you
Hitman

Which rules and which weapons are you referring too?

[SimonM]

I did some olympic rules foil fencing WAAAY back (like... a decade and a half ago) and from my vague reccollection the best defense against the lunge was parry and riposte.

As for lunge leaving your knee open, well, yeah.

But in the sports where they do the biggest lunges frequently the knee isn't a valid target.

And I do still ahem... fondly, yes that's the word, recall the canada vs. france bronze medal match in women's team fencing from the 2004 olympics where one of the french women DID get hit in the knee and cried blue murder over it while rolling around on the ground in agony.

Me: when I sword fight it's usually with heavier cut-and-thrust weapons like the jian (which is technically cut-and-thrust even if more thrust than cut) and european longswords and I'd fight more defensively and wouldn't dive into a lunge unless I was **** sure I'd hit my opponent without getting tagged back.

[Oso]

yea, what rules?

but I'd say the answer to 2 would be something compact with a punch

or a buckler or parrying dagger...main gauche????

[Hitman]

Dear all,

I am referring to Epee. I do not know any rule about Epee. This is what I find on Wikipedia.

"Épée - The weapon is similar to a foil (compared to a sabre), but has a stiffer blade that is V-shaped in cross-section, has a larger bell guard, and is heavier. The technique however, is somewhat different, as there are no rules regarding priority and right-of-way. In addition, the entire body area is a valid target area."

If the whole body is the target, then am I correct to said that you can attack the back, arm and knee?

Thank you
Hitman

[mkriii]

Dear all,
Does anyone know any good web site showing application of sword fighting or weapons?

4. What is the best defence against a lunge?

Thank you Hitman

The best defense of course is to not be there. But possibly stepping backward so that he can't reach you with the thrust. This would cause him to be off balance giving you the chance to counter attack.

[mkriii]

Dear all,

I am referring to Epee.
Thank you
Hitman

Is that creole for epee toufe (joke), like crawfish eppeetoufe'........lol. You might not get that joke seeing your from England (not meaning it as an insult).

[SimonM]

mkriii: I rather think that anyone finding themselves in a sword fight in this day and age has likely advanced beyond the point where "don't be there". I mean it's not like people bring their rapiers to the bar with them when they go drinking.

[Lucas]

I mean it's not like people bring their rapiers to the bar with them when they go drinking.

So THATS why everyone looks at me funny when I go to the bar....

[SimonM]

Everybody knows the proper etiquette is "nothing longer than a small sword in any public place" geez, didn't you get the memmo?

[David Jamieson]

thrust, slash, draw, and parry. This is what all swords do regardless of where they come from.

thrusting while standing on one leg doesn't make the blade purpose significantly different.

also a fencer will become adept quickly at any blade which shares similarity to those s/he is accustomed to as a sportive fencer.

Fencing instruction will teach you a lot about how to use a blade weapon properly and safely.

[SimonM]

Actually I don't like the thrusting while standing on one leg thing and tend not to do it. :P

What I meant was that I felt the properties of the sabre would give it a different feel from the jian... regardless of the simmilarity of all swords in basic technique.

Fencing was my first foray into martial arts and although it was long ago it did leave a lasting impression on me.

As for the uniformity of use - I tend to disagree. Number of edges, extent of curve and weight of blade all have a significant influence on technique. A da dao handles differently from a jian which handles differently from a broadsword which handles differently from a falchion which handles differently than a small sword. (note: a falchion handles pretty simmilarly to a da dao, I will admit... and any cut-and-thrust european blade with a slight lean towards thrusting techniques and two edges is essentially a jian with a different crosspiece.)

Some swords concentrate on the thrust nearly to the exclusion of cutting (rapier, smallsword). Others concentrate on the cut nearly to the exclusion of the thrust (shamshir) others are balanced between cut and thrust (jian). Some swords tend towards sticking techniques / single time, others towards evasive defense and others towards a double time parry / riposte defensive technique.

[mkriii]

mkriii: I rather think that anyone finding themselves in a sword fight in this day and age has likely advanced beyond the point where "don't be there". I mean it's not like people bring their rapiers to the bar with them when they go drinking.

Well aren't we being nit picky about my post. What I have said is however is the best defense (not being there that is). Weather you want to agree or not. And I understand that "not being there" isn't always going to work, I realize this. That is my oppinion, if you don't like it then so be it. As far as I'm concerned the topic is mute (that means over if you don't understand what that means).

[SimonM]

What I meant is that I don't think the OP was asking about a RL combat scenario. I think, rather, he was looking for advice on technique for "defense" within a sportive combat perspective.

You need not take offense, we are a rather tongue-in-cheek and irreverent lot here at kungfumagazine.com