Old Stuff - 9-15-06 Recap
Last week we covered the most important topic in fencing… footwork. As Tristan is fond of saying “A fencer with average blade work and superior footwork will kick the c*@p out of a fencer with superior blade work and merely adequate footwork.”
We reviewed 3 different slope steps being used in place of the lunge, 2 different pivots (regular and step through), and the skip. We also used the slope step in a one step exercise with our partners. We learned the ever present counter cool move against the slope step, being the pivot. Finally we talked about schlager philosophy, which is chiefly centered on the fact that a schlager is awfully heavy so we have to treat it a little differently than an epee.
Things to think about:
- The schlager being heavy must act in a combination of shots, or a combination of shots and footwork to be successful. Simply throwing shot after shot will weary you out and won’t work on top of that.
- Lacking the blinding speed of the epee we may need to think about other ways to fool our opponent, eg slope step.
- We need to be stronger just to hold the stupid thing for 6 hours a day 3 days in a row at war. So we should start an exercise program which strengthens our forearm front and back, triceps, biceps, and possible other arm muscles. You can lift weights, do lots of drills with a heavy sword, or use a sand scabbard.
- The schlager will play differently than the epee. You will just have to go out and spar with it to get used to that.
- There are many different ways to build a schlager. You should experiment by borrowing other people’s equipment to find out what you like before you buy one yourself.
- You should really assemble your schlager in person at war for the best results. Schlager blades are highly variable and mail order is hit and miss at best.
Up next for this week, line drills featuring strength and endurance training. As usual bring your heavy schlager, long one if you have it, and be prepared to hold it out there for a long time. After that you will have to come and see.