Description of Fencing Forum.

[arnisador]

The current descriptin is:

The sport of fencing is fast and athletic, a far cry from the choreographed bouts you see on film or on the stage. Foil, épée and sabre are the three weapons used in the sport of fencing.

Any suggestions or is this good as it is? Certainly, it emphasizes sport fencing only.

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-

 

[Old Warrior]

How about:

"Fencing is the modern renactment of European sword combat". It has been made into a sport where rules have been created to allow for scoring. The nature of the rules are to reinforce the techniques needed to survive an encounter with sharp versions of the weapon used".

As I have said many times, in a world where 12 year olds have 9mm, 20 shot handguns, no martial art is martial enough to be relevent. European fencing is just as legitimate a "martial art" as any of the arts discussed in this forum.

 

[Phil Elmore]

Yes, every 12-year-old, everywhere, is packing a high-capacity 9mm handgun (most of which actually have magazine capacities of under 20 rounds, but we won't quibble, as this interferes with appeals to emotion).

The fact is that martial skills of all kinds are "relevant" -- because you never know in what circumstances and with what assets you will find yourself when it is necessary to use physical force to preempt or retaliate against the same. A handgun is not a magic wand that renders moot all other skills of all other kinds, nor is there a single weapon that represents the pinnacle of individual armament in all situations and across all environments.

All self-defense is a gamble. We train in different arts and with different weapons in an attempt to improve the odds. You cannot win every bet -- but you can cheat as much as possible.

 

[Old Warrior]

Don't get me wrong, Phil, after a decade of Karate study I turned to epee fencing and recently I began to learn Kumdo. While I have never trained in knife fighting, I never leave home without one. By the way, I read your knife reviews (they were yours?)

Actually, the point I was trying to make was that fencing was as legitimate a martial skill as any. I'll bet in a pinch, my fairly developed hand eye coordination, would make me reasonably dangerous, with my 3" lockback in hand.

 

[arnisador]

Originally posted by Old Warrior
I turned to epee fencing and recently I began to learn Kumdo.

Would you start a thread comparing European and Oriental fencing? Please don't demure on the grounds that you're not an expert--I have studied neither (I did take iaido for a while) but am curious to hear them contrasted!

 

[Phil Elmore]

Old Warrior -- thanks! I did write the knife reviews you mention, yes.

(What knife do you carry? I always get curious about that sort of thing.)

 

[Old Warrior]

Phil:

For over a decade I carried a Gerber, light weight, lockback, with a 2 1/2" blade and a finger notch for a solid thrusting grip. I have small hands and the fit was perfect. The knife was light enough and flat enough that it would fit in my wallet, ergo, I got into every courthouse and airplane by putting my wallet in the tray and handing it to the security guard. It was easily snapped open with a wrist flick. The blade didn't hold a good edge, was a bit flimsy, but it was intended by me to be a last chance, close quaters surprise for a miscreant who would be dumb enough to think than old guy was no threat.

My Wife decided her husband should have a "special knife". She knows I am very security minded and wasn't carrying it to clean my nails. Nevertheless, for a birthday, she bought me a bone handled lockback folder from Col. Littleton. It has the same length blade, looks great (engraved with my initials, of course), excellent steel, holds a nice edge, and fits the curve of my hand (no finger notch). I guess, since it sits in my pocket, concealability is not really an issue. I will admit (when in NYC on empty streets) to carrying the blade open, hilt palmed with the blade up my wrist.

So, for the sake of my Wife's feelings I gave up my old friend, and I now carry a knife that weighs twice as much, won't open as easily, but, in a pinch would serve the intended purpose.

 

[Despairbear]

Originally posted by Old Warrior

"Fencing is the modern renactment of European sword combat". It has been made into a sport where rules have been created to allow for scoring. The nature of the rules are to reinforce the techniques needed to survive an encounter with sharp versions of the weapon used".

How about
Fencing is a martial sport derived from European raipier and small sword combat.

I feel that to say fencing is a martial art is a bit of a misnomer. Their are plenty of European sword and bare handed MA's out there and if you tryed to use them in a fencing tournement you would be disqualifyed so fast your head would spin.


Despair Bear

 

[arnisador]

This is a whole other issue--I think of most martial sports (e.g. Judo) as also being martial arts, though in some cases, such as Kendo, the sport aspect seems to have eveolved to the point where truly martial applications are somewhat lacking. I'm not sure what I think of fencing--it seems to still have a martial art aspect to my mind.

 

[arnisador]

Any other thoughts on the description?

 

[Old Warrior]

"the sport aspect seems to have evolved to the point where truly martial applications are somewhat lacking"

Let's not get ridiculous here. People don't carry swords for self defense or use them in combat. No martial art is very martial when faced with a guy/gal with a gun. I am an overweight, 55 year old guy, who owns and knows how to use a 45 cal. semi auto handgun. Me and my 45 can take on Bruce Lee, Chuck Norris and few others at the same time. No martial art is very martial in the real world.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not denigrating any martial art. Webster's Ninth Collegiate Dictionary defines the word martial as: "anything relating to an army or military life" or "relating to or suited for a war or a warrior".

Kendo is a much a "martial" art as any of the ones discussed in this forum. It has rules, it requires skill, but it doesn't make you much of a modern soldier.

 

[arnisador]

Any other comments?

 

[westernwarrior]

a small question. If we were talking about the older forms if european fencing, would it be more appropriate for the fencing, swords arts, or WMA forum?

 

[arnisador]

That's part of what we're trying to answer! Should this forum be sport only, or European sword-fighting more generally?

In practice we have interpreted the scope of this forum broadly, but WMA-General or Sword Arts are also appropriate.

 

[arnisador]

Thread moved (the Fencing forum is being closed).

-Arnisador
-MT Admin-