| What is the difference between fencing,
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| | whether man, woman, black white, young or
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| as a sport and fencing, as a martial art?
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| | old—or any other demographic you care
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| That is, between "olympic fencing" and
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| | to name.
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| Classical Fencing. Even in cases where
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| | That's because the sword is a perfect
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| there are few technical differences which
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| | "equalizer." Women are not absent from
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| is not the situation at the present time
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| | the annals of duelling, though certainly
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| there remain substantial philosophical
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| | the duel seemed to be an almost exclusive
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| ones: The goal of a sport is to achieve
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| | male phenomenon. Nevertheless, fencing
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| mastery over others; the goal of a
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| | "in sport" (not as a sport) precedes its
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| martial art is to achieve mastery of
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| | organization for the olympics by several
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| yourself.
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| | hundred years. During that time women
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| In a sport, winning is the end; in a
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| | crossed blades with men—since mostly
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| martial art, winning is the means.
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| | men frequented the salles.
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| A sport is most concerned with the
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| | Fencing was valued for both body-building
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| product; a martial art is concerned with
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| | and character-building for both men and
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| the process.
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| | women. No doubt women fencers in the
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| In a sport, victory defines excellence;
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| | first part of this century were a bold
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| in a martial art excellence defines
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| | breed, akin to the suffragette. But the
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| victory.
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| | fencing establishment has not exactly
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| In olympic fencing, the emphasis is on
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| | been in the forefront of the fight for
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| touching the opponent, in Classical
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| | women's equality.
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| Fencing, it is on not being touched.
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| | Misconception: Classical Fencers think
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| An entire generation of fencers has grown
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| | that really running someone through with
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| up having seen nothing and known nothing
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| | a sword would be "romantic." As one
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| but the olympic version of fencing. As a
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| | olympic fencer wrote: "The idea of
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| result, there are many misconceptions
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| | running someone through with a sword
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| about Classical Fencing, some of which
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| | strikes me as more barbaric than
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| arise out of simple ignorance, some of
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| | romantic." Fact: This one is interesting.
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| which are promulgated disingenuously by
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| | I can't help wondering, if stabbing
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| those who have a vested interest in
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| | someone with a sword is so barbaric, how
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| misrepresenting the facts. Here are a few
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| | is pretending to stab someone with a
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| of the most common.
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| | sword any less so? The historian Vegetius
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| Misconception: Classical Fencing is not
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| | noted, "They are the most enthusiastic
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| "athletic." Fact: Classical Fencing does
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| | about warfare who are the least familiar
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| not preclude athleticism. On the
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| | with it." The Classical Fencer
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| contrary, it demands it as much—or
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| | understands exactly what this art entails
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| more—than olympic fencing does.
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| | and as a result treats it and every
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| However, the Classical Fencer does not
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| | opponent with a respect approaching
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| attempt to subsitute athleticism for
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| | reverence.
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| skill, maintaining it as the servant of
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| | We understand exactly what it means to
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| skill.
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| | send steel three inches into another's
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| Misconception: Classical Fencing is
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| | chest—or to receive it in ours. That is
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| "non-competitive." Fact: The Classical
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| | why we value defence above all, not
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| Fencer conceives of his/ her weapon as
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| | offence. And no matter who tells you, in
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| deadly. Any touch received might be
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| | a fit of poetic license, that the best
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| fatal. Therefore, one must avoid being
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| | defense is a good offence, this is, as
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| touched at all costs.
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| | every Classical Fencer knows, a lie. The
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| The olympic fencer conceives of his/ her
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| | Classical Fencer knows that it is not
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| weapon as a toy with only the most
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| | enough to stab your opponent as he stabs
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| vestigial relationship, if any, to a real
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| | you. Nor is it enough to stab him a
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| sword. No one touch is important as long
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| | fraction of a second before he stabs you.
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| as the final score shows that they hit
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| | One must "touch without being touched."
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| the opponent more often than they were
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| | And as you face skillful opponents you
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| hit themselves. Some epee fencers will
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| | discover that this is exceedingly
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| allow themselves to be hit, as long as
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| | difficult to accomplish. The first rule
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| they can hit the opponent at the same
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| | in any fight is "You will get hurt." The
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| time (a tactic not likely to be often
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| | more you know about real fighting, the
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| used in deadly combat!) So. To the latter
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| | less inclined you are to do any.
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| it is a game; to the former it is life
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| | But remove the reality of it, stylize it,
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| and death. Decide for yourself which
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| | sanitize it, deny the truth of it and
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| attitude is likely to engender a more
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| | what happens? If you play with toy guns,
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| determined, more "competitive" situation.
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| | you'll be inclined to treat guns as toys.
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| Misconception: Classical Fencing means
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| | It is not running someone through that is
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| "non-electrical" fencing.
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| | romantic. What is romantic is standing up
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| Fact: In Classical Fencing we don't use
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| | for what you believe in, doing what you
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| the electrical scoring method because we
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| | believe is right, protecting those who
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| don't need it. But just because someone
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| | need your protection, no matter how
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| fences "dry" that doesn't make it
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| | overwhelming the odds, even at the risk
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| classical. It's quite as possible to
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| | of you, yourself, being run through.
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| fence badly non-electrically as
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| | Misconception: Classical Fencing is about
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| electrically. It is also just as possible
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| | "preserving the past." Fact: The logic
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| to fence beautifully and use the
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| | behind this one is fascinating.
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| electrical apparatus—it's just that the
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| | No one fights duels anymore. We have the
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| apparatus is then rather superfluous.
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| | Olympic fencing now. So Classical Fencers
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| Misconception: Olympic fencing has
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| | are "preserving a bit of the past." We
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| "opened the door" for female fencers.
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| | have cars to drive now.
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| One person wrote: "The transformation of
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| | Nobody has to walk very much anymore.
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| fencing from a martial endeavor into a
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| | So people who run marathons are doing it
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| sport is the very thing that has opened
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| | to preserve a bit of the past? Nobody
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| the door for me and every other female
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| | rides horses around. We have cars,
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| fencer to be accepted as an equal." "We
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| | trains, busses, planes. So people who
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| would not be taken seriously if fencing
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| | ride horses are just "preserving a bit of
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| were still considered training for
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| | the past?" Nobody uses a javelin or
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| duelling, rather than a sport." * Fact:
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| | discus in war anymore. So those people
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| Perhaps while I slept last night, the
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| | who throw the javelin or discus are doing
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| World Championships, the Olympics and
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| | so to preserve a bit of the past?" Bach
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| other similar events became co-ed. Or do
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| | has been dead a long time. People who
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| we still segregate men and women into
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| | play his music are just "preserving a bit
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| separate fencing categories? Has the USFA
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| | of the past?" What was true a hundred
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| mens' foil champion and the USFA women's
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| | years ago or two hundred, or five
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| foil champion fenced-off for the title of
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| | hundred, may very well still be true. In
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| National Foil Champion lately.
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| | the case of fencing, virtually everything
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| Considering it has taken until very
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| | that could be done with a sword was
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| recently (the 1997-1998 season) for the
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| | well-known by the 16th century.
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| "weaker" sex to be permitted to fence
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| | Swords—real swords, mind you—have not
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| sabre, I think I'll not hold my breath
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| | changed much since the late 17th. The
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| awaiting that development! There is a
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| | principles of fencing are the same now as
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| maxim in combat: at any given moment on
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| | ever, and their applicability beyond
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| any given day, anyone can kill anyone.
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| | fencing as important as ever.
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| When you face an opponent with a sharp
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| | Classical Fencing is not about preserving
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| sword—in reality or conceptually—you
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| | the past; it's about preserving the
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| most certainly take that person seriously
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| | truth.
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