zzambrosius_02 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
zzambrosius_02) wrote2012-06-01 10:26 pm
zzambrosius_02) wrote2012-06-01 10:26 pm
Four by Four-a beginning.
I call this page Four by Four because it is sixteen things I have learned about swordfighting over thirty years as a practitioner. The great swordsman Mr. George Silver (author of ‘Paradoxes of Defense’, ca. 1598) built his form on sets of four because he said that nobody could remember more than four things at a time when under stress. Swordfighting is inherently stressful, even when practiced, for fun, with simulated weapons. Therefore, I followed Mr. Silver’s example in this.
My other major inspirations in the art and philosophy of swordplay are:
Royal Armories MS I33
Fiore dei Liberi’s ‘Fior dei Battaglia’
‘The Book of Five Rings’ by Miyamoto Musashi
All that I have learned from the many practitioners I have crossed swords with over the years, most especially the members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).
4x4
W is for Watch.
First, and most importantly, watch the sword hand(s).
Next, be aware of the rest of the foe’s body and what he is doing. (Be not deceived by head fakes.)
Then, pay heed to your peripheral vision, that no foe may join the fight from the flank.
At last, take care that no man is behind you.
Expansion: In any real fight, first look around you for any place where a second or third foe might be hiding. While still safely out of range, look all around, and also above.
M is for Motion.
First, keep your feet moving.
Next, if you are constrained, rock from heel to toe.
Then, use your hips to generate power, and not your arm.
At last, when your hips are pinned, generate power with your shoulders and gut, not your arm.
N is for Neutral.
First, sword neutral
Next, shield neutral
Then, stay balanced in your stance.
At last, have a defense, but do not be defensive. (Musashi)
Expansion: Musashi said: “Stand in a guard that is not a guard.”
C is for Cut
First, always cut your opponent(s). (Musashi)
Next, change the angle of the fight to open your foe to the cut.
Then, remember that time and distance are two aspects of the same thing. (Fiore)
At last, remember: often, the best defense is a rain of blows. (von Clauswitz)
You should remember that “defend yourself and cut when the opportunity arises” and “the best defense is a rain of blows” are not opposites. They are different aspects of the same mindset. When you can transition smoothly between these aspects, then you can choose any point on the scale between that best applies to the situation at hand. You will then be always in the optimum mindset for the fight you have in front of you.
My other major inspirations in the art and philosophy of swordplay are:
Royal Armories MS I33
Fiore dei Liberi’s ‘Fior dei Battaglia’
‘The Book of Five Rings’ by Miyamoto Musashi
All that I have learned from the many practitioners I have crossed swords with over the years, most especially the members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA).
4x4
W is for Watch.
First, and most importantly, watch the sword hand(s).
Next, be aware of the rest of the foe’s body and what he is doing. (Be not deceived by head fakes.)
Then, pay heed to your peripheral vision, that no foe may join the fight from the flank.
At last, take care that no man is behind you.
Expansion: In any real fight, first look around you for any place where a second or third foe might be hiding. While still safely out of range, look all around, and also above.
M is for Motion.
First, keep your feet moving.
Next, if you are constrained, rock from heel to toe.
Then, use your hips to generate power, and not your arm.
At last, when your hips are pinned, generate power with your shoulders and gut, not your arm.
N is for Neutral.
First, sword neutral
Next, shield neutral
Then, stay balanced in your stance.
At last, have a defense, but do not be defensive. (Musashi)
Expansion: Musashi said: “Stand in a guard that is not a guard.”
C is for Cut
First, always cut your opponent(s). (Musashi)
Next, change the angle of the fight to open your foe to the cut.
Then, remember that time and distance are two aspects of the same thing. (Fiore)
At last, remember: often, the best defense is a rain of blows. (von Clauswitz)
You should remember that “defend yourself and cut when the opportunity arises” and “the best defense is a rain of blows” are not opposites. They are different aspects of the same mindset. When you can transition smoothly between these aspects, then you can choose any point on the scale between that best applies to the situation at hand. You will then be always in the optimum mindset for the fight you have in front of you.
no subject
A for attitude
Put the lightening in your eyes and the Thunder in your voice.
when done your opponent can be beaten before the first blow is struck. Beat his mind and spirit and you beat the man.
no subject
My first thought with Regards to W is for Watch is that through practice we need to add mental understanding to what we are watching. Now you gain some form of perception from what you’re seeing, and can translate that into actions and reactions. It is at this stage of evolution that I see most people get hung up, because what they “Perceive” is not always the truth, and some folks have a hard time understanding the difference. In a fight often times it is at this stage that I will be able to defeat my opponent. I sell them on a false perception, and by understanding what they “see/perceive” I am in control of the Truth, and the encounter. I find that Video and a good teacher can help to evolve someone through this stage.
To move forward to the next point of watching the whole Body, this again evolves with the understanding of technique, motion, measure, and timing. Every combatant will gather a little bit different information from their observations based on their level of understanding. What I like to add at this point and get people thinking about is how does it feel? You can see your opponent and what they are doing, but can you feel them? Can you see/feel their tension as you change the measure of the fight, do they push energy at you right before they attach? Can you feel the discomfort in them when you set up a certain way? When you can add feeling to what you can see and you can understand what you’re feeling you get even closer to a true nature of what is happening, and you are less likely to be sold a bill of goods that is going to get you beaten.
More later, lunch is over...:) Thank you for sharing, I hope this kind of feedback is what you were looking for, I look forward to more discussion.
Octa
What I have in mind at this stage is to continue this by expanding each of the sixteen points by four, and maybe then again, each of those. Your insights are potentially very valuable in that project, especially in reminding me of things that should appear at some level. This is, after all, a Beginning. It is very generic- no mention yet of different weapons, various shields, etc.
I have a slightly expanded version of this that I printed a copy of and took with me to my local, where I intended to give it to a 12 year old kid who is getting interested in boffer play. Three of my mundane friends read that version, each of them said that it gave them a clearer idea of what swordplay was like than they had had before. More importantly, August read it, and when I asked him if he thought it would be useful to him he gave a very enthusiastic yes. I will post the current version later today.