After the free fencing done last weekend with our friends at the Kunstbruder Fechtschule, and teaching class today at NYHFA's Poughkeepsie branch, I started thinking about how to deal with reconciling the sport-fencing mentality and the Ernstfechten mentality that we at NYHFA try to cultivate.
What are some of the pitfalls* of sport fencing?
* Assuming of course one's goal isn't to become the best tournament fighter in the world, ever. If that's your goal, then ignore all this.
1] Little or nonexistent cutting intent: sacrificing cutting ability (since it's "irrelevant") for an artificially increased speed in hitting, recovering, etc.
2] No fear of the weapon: because it's not a weapon, it's a flattened stick and no matter how hard anyone tries, it's not going to cut you. Adding masks, gloves, gambesons, etc., there's less of a chance that it will even hurt you.
3] Rapid-fire attack mode: because it doesn't matter if you get hit incidentally (see #2), and you're not actually trying to cut through anyone (see #1), you can attack in a frenzied, "suicidal" manner. Or, you can continue the fight even after receiving a blow that, with a real sword, would have incapacitated you and ended the altercation.
I'm sure there are plenty of others, even without getting into issues inherent with particular sword simulators.
Now, what can we do about it? Sure, one can get into an academic pissing-match in the salle or on the forums: "But he would've been dead if blah blah.." Or, one can be a little more Zen about it, "I'm fighting myself, there is no other opponent" (i.e. I'll fight as purely as I can, even though it probably appears that I'm slow, that I'm constantly losing, etc.) One can always just cross over and play their game.. but that'll probably end up degrading into a sloppy slug-fest. There is a synthesis to be found though, it's one that Mike and I have discussed a bit, which is fencing to punish bad fencing: They keep rushing in? Pommel strike to the face hard. Leading cuts with their forearms? Snipe their hands hard. This seems kind of vindictive—and let's be honest, it kind of is—but hopefully it will instill at least a healthy respect for the weapon in your hands and thereby force them to think twice about what it is they're doing.
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This is a good solution. Normally I'm a fairly calm and controlled person, but I do recognise that pain is one of the best teachers. If fencers make a point of showing poor technique and poor swordsmanship just because they can get away with it or because they can't be bothered doing things properly then a sharp rap on the face quickly brings them back into line. They look upset at first that you hit them hard, but then they make damn sure not to make that same mistake again when fighting with you!
ReplyDeleteInstead of risking injury to my students, I just routinely hit the hands, if exposed. I don't have to do it hard because they're exposed.
ReplyDeleteAn example: one student never fought out of anything but pflug. I did a shielhau 8 times in a row, succeeding with each as a thrust. I didn't have to do it hard, just fast enough to work. Since then, he actually tends to not go to pflug, while in zufechten, against me at all. The way he fought from pflug allowed it to happen, but there's a ton of other examples as well. It may not teach as fast, but I don't want to risk breaking a finger by hitting exposed parts really hard. We fight pretty hard, as is. I need them to be able to train so I can too.