The following system of fencing is based on what I learned as the worst student of Mr. Russell K. Wieder, Maitre d'Armes, formerly fencing coach at Texas A&M and Case Western Reserve Universities. I have taken the technical and philosophical background from those lessons and added research from Sixteenth, Eighteenth, and Nineteenth century sources. The result of this study allowed a lazy, clumsy, slow-witted person (myself) to (one-upon-a-time) compete with the most accomplished Dons in the Society, and my students have had greater success. This leads me to suspect there may be merit in my approach.

Important sources in my research were Giacomo di Grassi's His True Art of Defense, Vincentio Salviolo's His Practice, and most especially George Silver's Paradoxes of Defense and Brief Instructions on My Paradoxes of Defense (all Sixteenth Century). In the Eighteenth century I have read Domenico Angelo's The School of Fencing, and from the nineteenth Century I have studied The Sentiment of the Sword by Sir Richard Burton. An equally important source has been the Dons of the SCA, most particularly don David Gallowglass and Don Robin of Gilwell, who will probably disagree with much of what I have written here.

Oh, yeah. I decided not to use "fencing" because I am trying to avoid the sport connotations (and the deplorable standards that exist in American sport fencing), as well as the post-hole digger jokes. "Dueling" is unclear, and "Rapier Combat" is insufficient. I chose Escrime because the French word has acquired few American connotations.

The Background

The history of the single sword goes back as far as there were swords, but there was a dramatic change in the sixteenth century: the point was rediscovered. The Spanish started carrying long light swords called espada de ropera. The advantage of point work soon made the "rapier" popular in the urbanized west (there are good socio-economic and technological reasons for this as well). [This paragraph is moot, now.]

The rapier with dull edges and a button on the point was the practice weapon, a "foil". The rapier was lightened further and was given a triangular blade. This pure thrusting weapon was called the smallsword, and was introduced about 1650. With a button on the tip this is the modern epee de combat, and when fitted with a Very light, square blade is a fencing foil.

The parts of the sword (fig 2) are the blade, the guard, the grip, and the pommel. The pommel is the counterweight (pomme is French for apple) that screws on to hold the grip and guard. The grip is what you hold on to and the guard is the bowl that protects the hand. The blade itself is divided into the tang (which goes inside the grip), the strong part (forte), which is the half nearest to the hand where you have the most leverage, the weak (feeble), which is the half nearest the point, and the point itself.

Grips come in various styles. Pistol grips are frowned on for SCA use because they are twentieth century inventions. They do give good leverage, but at a price in control and off-hand use. The French grip is the most popular, as the gentle curve fits the hand well, and the long pommel gives a light easily moved point. The French grip is the least tiring to use. My own favorite is the Italian, possibly the oldest of the styles. The crossbar gives more leverage than the French and the shorter pommel is better for infighting.

The Single Weapon

The single sword is the most important weapon in Escrime. Every text begins with a discussion of the single sword before progressing to other weapons. From my own experience, a single sword is at only a slight disadvantage when faced with most combinations of weapons. Indeed, most double weapon moves are combinations of single weapon moves. If a fencer does not have his single sword moves down perfectly, he will never reach his potential with combination weapons.

Hold the sword diagonally in the hand between the thumb and the first two fingers. The last two fingers should never exert force on the grip. The sword pommel should come out under the ball of the thumb and lie against the wrist (fig. 3). Most swords have a gentle curve that makes them fit the hand best one way. If you're unsure, roll the sword in your hand until the curves of the sword fit the curves of your hand.

The single sword should be gripped lightly but firmly, like a live bird. If you grip it too firmly your hand will tire quickly, and you will not be able to move the point rapidly or precisely. Remember, a fencer should move his point with his fingers to deceive the opponent, while the arm and hand are rock steady. Do not grip a fencing sword like a hammer, think of it more as a pencil, or a painter's brush. It is also important to keep the sword diagonally in your hand, so that when you straighten your arm there is a straight line from shoulder to point. This allows you to direct your thrusts with greater precision. There is a great temptation to shift your grip until the pommel emerges from the bottom of the hand, under the little finger. If you find this happening, close your eyes and hit straight towards the target, like you were pointing at it. Open your eyes and the sword point is over a foot high and to the right. Try it again with the sword diagonally under your thumb and next to your wrist, and see how the point naturally follows the arm to the target.

Stance

The proper way to stand with a sword gives good lateral mobility, facilitates the lunge, and allows rapid advancement and retreats without dropping guard. Unfortunately, a fencing stance is also difficult to get used to. Beginners are encouraged to practice lunging, advancing and retreating until their legs are sore. If they are not sore in 10-15 minutes they are not doing it right.

To get into the standard guard stance is a three-part process. Eventually, you will fall into stance naturally.

1. Stand opposite your opponent with your heels together and your feet at right angles. Stand so that your right toe is pointed straight at your opponent, and your left toe is pointing straight out to the side. This encourages you to turn your body diagonally to your opponent. This makes your chest a smaller target, without cramping your sword arm. To start with, your sword should be held in the left hand by the blade or scabbard.
2. Now grasp the sword grip in the right hand. Sweep the blade up close to your body, point behind you, until you extend your arm pointing at your opponent. Then bring your pommel to your face in a salute, one for your opponent, and one for each marshal or referee. Then lower your arm until the elbow is a hand's width from the body, and the forearm, hand, and blade make a straight line. You should have your point on a line between your opponent's eyes. Your hand should be rolled so that the knuckles are up. Your left hand can be held in one of three places. It can be behind your back, in front of your chest (a more advanced technique), or (best for a beginner) held beside the head. The arm should be straight out from the shoulder, the forearm straight up, and the hand San-Francisco limp by the ear. In this position you can wave it around to help your balance without getting it stuck. The limp hand cost no energy, and doesn't get tired.
3. As the third step move your feet. Step forward with your right foot until your feet are shoulder width apart, and still at right angles. Squat down until your knees are directly over your feet. Go down until the back of your thighs feel the strain, and remember if it doesn't hurt you're not doing it right. Settle your weight evenly between the legs. Bounce a little to be sure. Keep your back straight, your elbow close to your body, your pommel against your wrist and . . . BEND THOSE KNEES . . . your point at your opponent's eyes. Don't worry, it is harder than it sounds the first score of times. Work with an acquaintance unafraid of criticizing you, or with an unkind mirror (I find all mirrors unkind, but that's a personal problem.)

Movement

It is important to be precise in movement, because small errors can lead to defeat. When moving it is imported to be balanced and controlled. Balanced, so one is always ready to attack or defend, change direction, advance or retreat as needed. Control is important so you can learn to judge distances. Some good swordsmen will gull you into thinking they are too far away, and then strike with surprise. Or they will fool you into thinking they are in your reach so your attack comes up short, leaving you off balance and vulnerable. Knowing the length of your advance and retreat will protect you from these tactics.

Fencers with poor parries, or at least with no confidence in their parries, depend on staying out of an opponent's reach for safety. They then dart in and launch an attack, but you now have an extra quarter second to react. Some fencers habitually take a step back after recovering from an attack to give them that margin of extra safety (this yields all hope of a riposte, however).

The most common problem with movement is a tendency to become off-balance and out of position while moving. To remedy this we do a lot of drill, pausing now and then to examine stance and position.

Moving forward, always move the front leg first. Lift it a fraction of an inch, and move it forwards about a foot, them bring up your back foot so they are the proper distance apart. Moving backward, move the back leg first. Try to keep your forward and backward steps about the same distance. Knowing this space is important in judging distance.

To practice, stand on a strip, a sidewalk, or even a long room. Practice stepping forward and backwards. If you take five steps forward and five back, you should end up in the same place. Stop at irregular intervals and study your form. Is your elbow a hands-width from the body? Is your hand turned knuckle up? Is the pommel lightly resting against the wrist? Are you holding the sword with your thumb and first two fingers only? And is your left hand where it is supposed to be? Check your feet. Is the front toe pointed at your "opponent"? If you turn it sideways you can turn your ankle and you may sprain or even break it. Squat down more! Your legs aren't hurting enough!

There is a trick Olympic fencers use, hugging the edge of the fencing strip so that their opponent cannot get a good shot at their chest. In the SCA fencing is done "in the round" and lateral movement makes trick is useless. Still, when it comes time to attack the shortest distance is straight ahead, so there is little need to stress lateral movement. If your opponent insists on circling, let him. While he is walking around the circle, you just turn in place until he tires himself out or makes a mistake. I generally move my front foot first if turning in place and my back foot first if circling or moving laterally.

Still, be careful of getting the sun in your eyes.

Judgement and Zen

I suppose I should say something about the various distances common to fencing. A swordsman is said to be outside distance if he cannot reach his opponent, in distance if he can, and within distance if his sword point is further than his opponent. The major distances are:
1) Lunging distance, where an opponent can be hit with a lunge.
2) Step distance, where a simple step will do the job
3) Extension distance, where an extension will strike the foe
4) Infighting, where the sword elbow is close, or even behind the body, and
5) Corp-to-Corp, where parts of the body actually touch.
Most SCA fighting is done at step or extension distance, but lunging distance is preferable. At lunging distance you have an extra tenth of a second to respond to an attack before it reaches you, and allows you to deceive your opponent before committing to an attack.

Be aware that each person has a different measure of distance, depending on the length of his or her arms, lunge, and sword. Estimating your opponent's distances is something that comes with experience. Tall, long limbed combatants have an advantage with their longer distances, but they are at a disadvantage if a short fighter gets inside those distances. To this end, successful tall fencers tend to be snipers, zooming in from the misty distance to launch an attack, while short fighters tend to be in-your-face infighters. I almost said "down 'n dirty", but this would be a mistake: Mr. Wieder was 5'4" tall, and he would stand with his front foot between yours and execute perfect disengages.

It is also a mistake to let your attention be focused on one part of your opponent. The eyes, the point, the hands, the feet, once he knows where you are looking, he can deceive you, if only for a quarter second. On the other hand, if your eyes are constantly shifting, you might miss a subtle clue. The Zen answer is to look at nothing, but see everything. Practically, I advise you to look at your opponent's sword hand, but don't focus on it. This is the least likely point to deceive you, and eventually you will "see" everything, without doing so consciously.

When you start fencing, there is too much to remember. For weeks your instructor will shout at you, "Look at your hand!" or "You're standing up, squat down!" or "He got to close. What were you thinking?" The answer to this last is the "wrong thing" . . . probably your hand position or whether your knees were bent. Don't be discouraged, it happens to all of us. But with many hours (for some of us, hundreds of hours) of practice, the moves become precise and automatic. This is the Zen state of "no mind", which allows you to think about your opponent's intentions and your tactics.

Parries

He who parries not dies. Mr. Wieder drummed this into me. Perhaps the single most important tool for survival is the parry. A parry is the act of pushing an opponent's sword to one side with one's own sword, so it misses. It is most important that your sword must be moved so far, and no farther. A miss should be by a narrow margin, because then your own sword is closer to a riposte, a counterblow while your opponent is off balance and over extended. The riposte allows the parry to actually have an offensive purpose, not just protection but also setting up the attack.

Which parry to use, depends on the side of the sword the opponent's blade is passing. It can pass to the inside or outside, high or low. There are eight basic parries, numbered one to eight. Well, we'll call one prime, since prime isn't often used and the old "seven we'll call one. This gives us four basic parries (one, two, three, and four) and four supplemental parries (prime, five, six, and eight). As advanced techniques, each parry also has a circular parry, but for the time being we will just discuss the beat parries.

The low lines are more difficult to protect, and most SCA fencers cannot deal with them.

These (except Two) are called beat parries, because if properly done, the fort snaps against your opponent's feeble to push it off line, then releases. Momentum will continue to carry your opponent's point off line, and you can bounce into a riposte. Two is an opposition parry, because you maintain contact with your opponent and oppose his blade all the time,

Very often attacks can be combined with disengages and combinations. To counter this, practice quick combinations of parries, particularly Three-four-riposte, Four-three-riposte, Three-four-three-riposte, and Four-three-four-riposte. The same can be done for low lines. It quickly becomes obvious that you don't want to make these parries any wider than you have to, or you won't be able to get back to the other side in time. Parries are best practiced backed against a wall by someone who is practicing attacks.

Never try to resist an attack on the blade with superior force. If you feel your blade moving, do not stiffen your hand, but release his blade, and let his own momentum carry him out of line. A beat is best defeated by precise, automatic parries. Do not panic or over compensate, always keep your point close to your opponent's face or heart. This will threaten him, and put you in position to take advantage of his mistakes.

Attacks

Attacks start off simpler than parries. Just extend your arm straight towards your opponent, rolling your hand thumb up so the point aims right at his heart. This is called the extension, and will reach an opponent who is too close. Now is the time for any disengages. Finally, lift your right foot an inch off the ground drive yourself forward with your back foot. Throw your left hand back to balance, and just as your back leg is fully straightened catch yourself on your lead foot. Your knee should be over your foot, and you should be leaning forward so your head is too. This is called the lunge. Afterwards, instantaneously, pull yourself back on guard and be ready to parry the same line you attacked in. [The lunge dates to Viggiani, before 1560.

Be careful that your lead foot is pointed at your opponent. I once beat an opponent who turned his foot in, sprained his ankle in the attack, and was stuck in the throat before he hit the ground. Mr. Wieder saw a student break his ankle, so a sprain was getting off easy. Also keep checking that your back leg is perfectly straight and your foot flat on the ground at your fullest extension. If your heel lifts, it will take an extra fraction of a second to return to guard. One last caveat, make the lunge two distinct though rapid movements, the extension and the lunge. This allows you to use disengages and combinations to deceive your opponent before committing to the lunge.

Since we spent so much time on parries, we must assume they work. It must be accepted that a properly trained and practiced fencer is invulnerable ... unless he makes a mistake. The art of the attack lies in encouraging him to make mistakes. The easiest way is by deceiving him as to which side of the blade we will attack him on. Extend your sword at his breast, then disengage by making a small circle under his hilt (using your fingers only), then lunge on the other side. This is called a simple disengage. A compound disengage calls for two such moves, and it finally attacks on the side you started from. If your are attacking the low lines, go over your opponent's hilt instead of under it.

At first this seems too simple to work, but it is a move capable of almost infinite subtlety. The basic intent is to get your opponent to parry the wrong side. To do this, you use a compound disengage when he is expecting a simple disengage, or a simple disengage when he expects a double one (never use three disengages in a row without a lunge. They catch on.) The most devastating trick to use is timing. You don't have to be faster than your opponent is, sometimes a tiny hesitation, or a slow move followed by a quick one can be more effective. You can even establish a rhythm, which he will unconsciously keep time to, and then be off balance when you strike between beats. [Disengages were described by Fabris and Giganti in 1606.]

Psychology is very important. The proper parry is always faster than any attack, after all the hand parrying only has to move 2-6" while the attacker lunges two feet. To defeat the parry, you must fool your opponent into thinking the attack is coming somewhere else, or a tenth of a second later, or even a tenth of a second earlier (when his parry doesn't make contact, he will be momentarily confused). If you notice that he parries wildly in one line, disengage there, perhaps even a little far off the line, then slip under his blade using only your fingers (this is much quicker than using your hand or arm) and hit him before he can recover. Or perhaps you notice that he counters a double disengage like a metronome. It should be possible to strike between beats.

Practice three-four, four-three, three-four-three and four-three-four attacks with someone learning the appropriate parries. Also work on two-one and one-two-one low attacks. Lunges in two line are very dangerous, but perhaps you should try them for practice. Remember to recover from each combination quickly and with a parry, because your opponent is encouraged to riposte. In fact, it is possible to include a disengage in a riposte. Then you can parry his riposte, and offer your own counter-riposte. This can go on all night.

Sparring and Practice

It is very easy to get carried away while fencing. When your just starting you should spend hours drilling advancing, retreating, lunges, attacks and parries, before even attempting a combat. In bouts you will quickly find yourself losing your form, using clumsy movements, and sacrificing style for speed. Stop yourself. Speed will come with practice, but if you sacrifice style you will never be quite as fast as you would be with it. These moves are designed to allow an economy of motion that shaves fractions of a second off your moves . . . eventually. Even experienced fighters benefit from wall drill. Sir Richard Burton (who found the source of the Nile, lived with the Arabs, translated the Kama Sutra and wrote the British Army's fencing and bayonet manuals) used to work at the wall for several weeks after returning from the East and fighting hordes of natives with his saber. In early bouts, fight only "instructional bouts", with a coach and 2-4 spotters to tell you when your form is getting sloppy, or to point out hits you didn't feel.

A fencing hit should be a touch and go hit, bending the blade 2-4 inches. It is unfortunate that many SCA fighters have not been trained to call blows this light (but there is evidence the standard is changing.) A more forceful blow will likely lead to a live blade lodging in a bone and being impossible to withdraw. Sir Richard is very definite on this point.

Proper clothing to wear for practice varies. Always wear a mask, and I recommend a glove. The SCA demands "impenetrable material" over the head and torso, with no bare skin showing anywhere. Even Mr. Wieder demanded two layers of stout cloth over the torso.

Advanced Parries

Advanced techniques in parrying include the four secondary parries, the counter parries, and "closing the line".

The four secondary parries correspond to the four basic parries, but with the hand turned over.

Counter Parries are sometimes called circular parries, because the idea is to counter a disengagement by circling around a disengage while the attacker thinks he is circling around you. He ends up lunging in the same line he started in, and may be confused enough to let your riposte through. Practice using your fingers to make your point circle your opponent's hilt. A good trick for a quick counter-parry is to roll your hand over to another parry, forcing the point of your sword along. For example, a counter-six can follow a parry of three.

Opposition parries have already been discussed as the natural form of the parry of two. It can also be used for other lines. If you extend your blade with your hand turned slightly, it is possible to forestall an attack with your hilt while keeping your point on line. This is a little dangerous, as you must parry with only a few inches of guard, rather than a foot of fort and guard, but it can be successful. It is more effective if the fingers are up parrying to the inside and down parrying to the outside. It is a slower technique, with a less active riposte than a beat parry, and works better with heavier blades, like the schlager or a real rapier.

Special attacks call for special responses. A bind is best countered by a firm parry in the next line he carries your sword to. By this time he will be engaging weak with weak, and be unlikely to muscle in. A ballaestra or charge is easily met with calm alertness and a quick riposte.

Advanced Attacks

Advanced kinds of attacks come in three kinds: attacks on the blade, stop attacks, and attacks in time.

Attacks on the blade are beats, binds, and envelopments, and were only developed very late in the sixteenth century. All are often used with an opponent who keeps his blade extended, and doesn't react to a disengage.

Beats are made by snapping the weak part of the blade against your opponent's strong part, WITH THE FINGERS. Bounce off his blade into an extension. This will probably not allow an immediate hit, but it can be combined with disengages. If your opponent is holding his grip so tightly that the beat doesn't move him out of line, he is holding it too tightly to respond to a quick disengage.

A special form of beat is the glissade. If your opponent holds his blade with the fingers up (French style) it is often possible to knock the blade from his hand. Cross the strong part of your sword and the weak part of his. Straighten your arm convulsively and lunge straight for his heart. This will often work if no warning is given, and sometimes knock the blade from his hand. At worst, he will tighten his grip so that he cannot comfortably parry disengages for several seconds.

Binds are attacks with your strong part against your opponent's weak. For a bind in four, cross your blade to the right of your opponent's, then straighten your arm while rotating the point counter-clockwise. This takes your opponent's blade and moves it down and inside yours. He can stop you by making a circular parry or a parry of two, but both require great presence of mind. Very often your opponent will be vulnerable to a thrust in two to the thigh or abdomen, and at worst will be in a different line than he expected so that a follow-up disengage works (I suggest bind from four to two, disengage four, disengage and attack three.) Binds also work from three to one, or even from two to four or one to three. USE YOUR FINGERS. If your opponent is holding his blade so tightly that you can't move it with your fingers, he is a sucker for a disengage.

Envelopments work like binds, but they are 360^o circles instead of half circles.

Stop attacks are attacks made to forestall an opponent's attack. This is done with careful timing. If an opponent is too predictable or uses overly complex attacks, a quick lunge in the middle of his preparations can touch him. Among the best targets are people who use cut-overs or remises. A cutover is like a disengagement, but goes over the point rather than under the opponent's hilt. It means that for an instant the sword is pointing straight up, and the swordsman is defenseless. A remise is a second attack in the same line when the first one fails. Most remisers pull back their arm while still closing with their opponents, looking like a sewing machine. They are to close, and with the arm pulled back they cannot properly defend themselves. A well-timed stop thrust catches them off guard between stabs.

Attacks in time are attacks made at the same instant as an opponent launches his, and requires great skill and not a little luck to be successful. The time is the opponent's, and time thrusts call for removing the body from the line of the attack. All attacks in time should depend on closing the line as partial protection. In addition the fencer can make either a volte or a passata sotto.

A volte moves the back foot to the right, turning the body away from an attack on the inside line. Hopefully, the opponent's blade will pass harmlessly off to one side while he impales himself on your outstretched blade. To attack into an attack on the outside, step to the left with the front foot.

A passata sotto calls for ducking under an attack, and then allowing the opponent to run upon your point. When your opponent starts his attack, throw your left leg back, and drop onto a deeply bent front leg and off hand on the floor. If your opponent tries to follow you down, his point will probably miss or glance off your back while he runs onto your outstretched point.

With any time attack, you will be off balance and out of position afterwards, so if it doesn't work you're dead. Use them very seldom.

The ballaestra combines a jump with a lunge, giving you nearly a ten-foot lunge. It is also possible to charge. Start a charge while well out of distance by crossing the left foot in front of the right and then running at your opponent with an outstretched sword. If your opponent is cool he will parry your attack and permit you to run onto his point. A charge with two weapons often uses the sword to sweep the defender's weapon to one side, then strikes with a dagger. I saw Sir William of Wier do a somersault on an epee point when Neil Langham disengaged under his sweep.

A disarm looks good, but is difficult to do. It cannot be done with an epee and I have my doubts about a true rapier. There is one kind of disarm, suggested by Angelo, that might work. After parrying an opponent to the inside, quickly step forward with your back leg to trap the sword under your off arm. Tightly close your elbow on the blade and lift the guard straight up with your hand. This will either take it out of his hand or leave him in such an awkward position he can do nothing. The present your point to his throat (if you are very close, direct the sword behind your back to his armpit) and inquire "do you yield, Sir?" Of course, the churlish can always say "die sucker" instead. This is not SCA legal, as it involves trapping the blade.

Special Stances

George Silver gives a total of seven stances in his Brief Instructions, most of which show a heavy weapons origin. He calls many of them by Italian names, but they are not quite the same names given by the Italians. They do have a wonderfully period flavor. As for everything in this article, directions are given for a right hander, and a southpaw can reverse them.

Double Weapons

According to the old sword-masters, a double weapon was any weapon or combination of weapons that took both hands. Since many of these are heavy weapons (two-hand swords, halberds and pikes), I will confine myself to those remaining weapons legal for SCA light weapons combat.

I have found that in general, double weapons confer only a slight advantage over the single sword. A small sword, properly handled is capable of nearly as many actions in a space of time as the human mind is capable of directing, so the offhand weapon frequently becomes a distraction. A dagger is useful when fighters get corp-to-corp, and a buckler or target is of vast use against multiple opponents, but in most circumstances the offhand weapon is a hold over from the days of heavier, slower swords (a 16th Century rapier weighed just over two pounds). It is unfortunate that many SCA fencers use double weapons as a crutch, rather than developing perfect single sword technique. Please note that double weapons are more significant in Heavy Rapier (AKA schlager) combat.

Double weapons for SCA fencing in the round usually consists of a sword and an offhand weapon, so-called because the sword is normally carried in the strong hand. Examples of offhand weapons include the dagger and main gauche, the buckler, the target, and the cloak. Of course, all kinds of improvised bucklers exist, including tankards, stools, or large fish. If all else fails, the empty left hand can be used to bat away swords.

The empty hand is the most doubtful of the off-hand weapons. The small area of the hand makes parrying more difficult, and standing so the hand is out in front (and so more effective) cramps or reverses the sword arm. More, the empty hand is vulnerable itself, as batting away a sharp blade will leave deep, painful gashes in the hand. Rarely do SCA fighters acknowledge this, although a sharp thrust will be accepted. I personally get the willies at the thought of my hand being slashed or pierced, so I don't put it out there. George Silver didn't like to expose his hands either, and pointed out that the Italians that did wore mail gauntlets.

The dagger and main gauche are large knives, usually with slender double-edged blades. The main gauche (or "left hand" in French) has a guard for the hand, while the dagger has at most a small cross. Without a guard, a dagger is best held back close to the left side, and brought into play if the distance closes to less than sword reach. The main gauche can be used passata, but it would be best to use it stocata, either with the sword well forward, or with the body turned square so that the points are equal, and the main gauche covers the inside while the sword covers the outside.

The buckler is a small shield, usually less than a foot in diameter. It is held in the offhand with a single strap. It is normally used for parrying, at which it excels because it gives more protection to the hand than a main gauche, or even a sword. George Silver thought this was the best of all left hand weapons single combat, and is very effective in either passata or stocata. Oddly, I also like it best.

The target is a larger shield than the buckler, and is distinguished by a strap around the arm. It was most often round, but square ones were not unknown. The extra area is good in melees, but in single combat it can blind the user. Passata was designed for the target. In the SCA, a target can be used only with Heavy Rapier (schlager).

The cloak requires a great deal of dexterity to use well. Used cautiously, it is an improvised buckler or target. Many cloak users like to throw it around to blind their opponent or divert his blade. Against this type of cloak use, stay well clear until he blinds or entangles himself in a miscast. You will not have to wait long.

It is possible to use two swords at one, the "case of swords" (for some reason this is called Florentine in the SCA, but the case of swords is the name Di Grassi and Salviolo use.) The case of swords is dangerous only if the user is dangerous with one sword. It is important not to hold the swords close together when in distance, or they may both be swept aside with a broad bind or envelopment. Some swordsmen use one sword to trap his opponent's weapons, which is best countered with a disengage. The most effective technique is shifting sides so the opponent is alternately faced with a right hander or left-hander. Such a swordsman is vulnerable while changing sides. I regret to say that I find this the most dangerous combination, conferring a significant advantage over the single sword

Using both hands on one sword is a holdover from the 2-LB rapiers of the sixteenth century. With a smallsword or "light weapon" you can get all the speed you need with one hand, and you are less cramped in your options. If you want leverage and force, you have no right being on the field with light weapons.

It is important to remember that any of these combinations offer limited advantages over the single sword. They should be studied to counter them first, and to use them only second. I would suggest avoiding them until you are very competent (10-15 weeks of thrice weekly sessions) with the single sword before attempting them. If you must fight with double weapons before this time (and I do not recommend competitive bouts before this anyway) chose a dagger and hold it well back, ignoring it unless you find yourself infighting. If you have no choice of weapons, hold the second weapon out of the way and fight with the weapon you know.

Miscellaneous

Blow calling takes a paper in itself, but some general notes are worthy of observation. I started fencing with visual rules, so by the time I was fencing in the SCA I had a good idea what a good touch felt like. Thus, I prefer to conduct practice with observers calling the blows. This keeps everyone honest, and sharpens the observer's eyes.

When fighting a bout, it is important to call your injuries. When in doubt, call the blow. There are names for people who ignore the hits their opponents score: Rhino, Weeble or worse. It is much better to lose a fight, a tournament, or every tournament than to lose your good name.

Mental attitude is very important in fencing. Keep an icy calm, let nothing disturb you. A little roll playing helps at first, I even used a sneer. This will not only help your attitude, but also a proud, straight carriage will be less tiring in a long competition. It is very difficult not to get angry when you are losing, but restrain yourself. If you feel yourself losing your sang froid, resign the fight or stop the practice. Explain that you are getting upset, excuse yourself and retire. After cooling off for several minutes, you may discuss what upset you with the other participants ... politely. This will get you a reputation as a gentleman, which is worth far more than a victory. DO NOT FIGHT AGAIN. After cooling off, you may spar with other combatants, but it is best to avoid the combination that upset you for the rest of the day. This is cautious advice, but I have an Irish temper.

In a fight, your concentration should be on the pattern of the fight. After a number of months, you will find the individual moves are instinctive. You need only notice that your opponent would be a sucker for a double disengage after his low line attack, and your body will launch one automatically when the time is right.

The next step is to launch an attack that you know won't work (say a bind-disengage from high to low lines), to provoke a riposte your expecting (a simple riposte in one) to set up an attack that will work (double disengage in the low line!). This is called "second intention", and most international competition fencers fight second intention habitually. I did it once.

Third intention allows you to plan an attack for three moves ahead, and I have heard of fencing in fourth intention. Like chess, the further ahead you can plan the better.

This set of notes is on the Italian style of fencing, and the style I was taught is very close to combat fencing. My master learned in the 1920s from a master who learned in the 1880s, so I am only three generations away from real sword fights. In fact, my master fought a duel with live steel in the 1940s (I understand it was fought to first blood, with another master over a point of technique. Mr. Wieder won.) I was never allowed to forget that I was learning the sport form of a martial art, not a pure sport. Unfortunately, this is an attitude rarely found in the contemporary salle d'arms.

Most modern American fencing is on the French pattern. The Italian style emphasizes a single guard and line of attack, with a great number of variations in timing and psychology, while the French has more complexity of stance. Perhaps the most obvious manifestation is in attacks. The Italian school has just one attack, with the thumb up, straight for the heart, depending on guile to put the opponent's blade out of position. The French have no less than eight attacks, from each line with the fingers up or knuckles up. This makes each attack come on a slight diagonal, which avoids the centered guard with a sacrifice of several inches reach (a diagonal is longer than a straight line.)

We of the Italian school argue that our attack is easier to direct (since it is a natural extension of the arm), that it does not sacrifice the inches of reach, and that none but a fool could fail to parry a simple attack anyway. To disengage in French is neither as quick nor as easy as in Italian.

Other types of Fencer include the Tapper, the Stomper, the Fidgiter, and the Flee-er. None of these should be emulated, and they can be annoying. These habits will prevent them from becoming good fencers though, so you can beat them next year at the latest.

The Tapper is always touching your blade with his. Like the sneezing baby, he only does it to annoy, because he knows it teases. Actually, I think these are nervous types who are impatient, but not confident enough to attack you. Ignore the tapping. If you can discern a rhythm to his actions, counter parry as he starts to tap, so he can't find your blade and stop thrust him. Otherwise wait him out. He will eventually get nervous and impatient and do something foolish.

The Stomper will stamp his foot before attacking, and periodically during the fight. This is the gimmick of a nervous or insecure fencer, who is trying to shake your confidence. Do not start when he stomps, and if he does it again smile and inquire if his foot has gone to sleep.

Mind you, these are good techniques against an easily rattled fencer, who is confused and distracted by the tapping or startled by the stamp. If it doesn't work the first time it should not be tried again, and never against an experience fencer.

The flee-er always jumps back a foot when he parries or recovers from a lunge. Here is a man less than confident of his parries. Pin him against a fence or wall and run him through when he can no longer run (OK, in the SCA someone will call hold and give him a reprieve. Sigh.) Still, if you are forced into an affair of honor before you are ready, there is no shame in using this yourself. Do not use this while sparring, and sparingly in a tournament. If you do not parry you cannot riposte, and that is a serious deficit. Stand your ground (at least occasionally) with a counterfeit of confidence and die gallantly. You will learn more, and eventually stand your ground and triumph.

A lot of SCA "rapier" men started out with heavy weapons. The fact that they are smart, fast, and experienced fighters often conceals defects in their form. They handle even light weapons very forcefully, which can be intimidating, but does not make good use of the weapon. They also often have trick moves that are almost acrobatic or theatrical. Sir Richard has little faith in such "bottes secret", and neither do I. The same energy and practice applied to lunging practice or wall drill will yield greater dividends.

Practice, practice, practice. Start with the basics and return to them periodically. Take shortcuts and violate form only if you are forced too early into an affair of honor, or God forbid, a fight with live steel. Do not expect early victories. You can take your time, and even lose every bout for the first year, then in a number of months be a match for all comers. (Assuming you practice 3-5 hrs a week just fencing.) If you rush things, take short cuts and sacrifice style for speed you can win in weeks but you will never have the repertoire to beat top quality fencers. You will have to unlearn many things before you can truly excel.