Feb 28 2009
Wednesday 25th February – The Third Group
With a new group we ran throught the basics of sabre fencing. It seems that every class I take knows the basics of what to do before I even start the lessons.
Now this has been talked about before. In fact it happened over 400 years ago.
This is a quote from another blog that explains this. It mentions a man called Silver. He was a fencing teacher who lived during the time of Queen Elizabeth. At the end of the quote there is a bit of English written at the time of Queen Elizabeth.
Below is a conversation with a new student who turned up to back-sword training last night, which for my amusement I present in the traditional manner. It is interesting to note that this student claimed no knowledge of any other martial art before coming along to my class:
Master (M): Can you think of a suitable response to someone stepping forward and launching an attack at you?
Scholar(S): Block them.
M: Yes, that would be appropriate. How about another?
S: Er… step away from them?
M: Indeed so. In our system it is said that there are three possible responses to an attack, so what would you think the third might be?
S: Um… hit them first?
That is indeed what Silver says to do, although he phrases it somewhat differently and puts it in a different order:
1. The fyrſt is to ſtrike or thruſt at him, at yt inſtant when he haue gayned yõ the place by his cominge in.
2. The ſecond is to ward, & Aftr to ſtrike of thruſt from yt, remembringe yor gournors.
3. The thyrd is to ſlippe alyttle backe & to ſtrike or thruſt after hym.
