Class roundup.

So going through today's class in my head is leading me in some interesting thoughts.  This month we've had a couple of newbies all with different kinds of experience.  I'm still, basically, teaching rapier for longsworders because I honestly think that is what Swetnam was trying to do-  there's reasons, part of it is because of the differences in attitude between Silver and Swetnam,, Then there is the casual mention of halfswording when caught on the back foot. (oh crap... well, that could still be a surprise when it turns up in competition)

Because of the nature of my class and the limitations of equipment and.. you know, all that stuff. I don't teach someone completely new to fighting. Today's newbies were a couple, him with some sport fencing experience and her with some years of Thibault's single rapier. Well, I think it's Thibault, she understood the pose, my complaints/comparisons about how light the Spanish swords are and so-on... I should give her the light rapier, and ask more questions. I think I know how it will go, and  the worst case scenario ends with me running back to the books, cross referencing and... well, it ends up with a new valuable, knowledgeable, member with a new set of assumptions and a shitload of work for me. (Or sending her to the best instructor within walking distance from my class and demanding regular reports)

He's a sport fencer and the way he uses the sword suggests he's more comfortable with sabre than anything else. (the point keeps on sneaking upwards and ready for a cut- if he insists on doing that, we'll just have to give him a proper sabre) There's the usual "one hand tied behind the back" thing going on. And another thing- he doesn't understand afterblows. He's really good at getting them, a tip of the point, a weak false edge, an insignificant push cut. He does them at something close to sport fencing speed, so I'm going to have to watch him carefully to find out why the cuts and stabs aren't proper.


There is no such thing as the "best system", the "best weapon" or "true length" and no number of nested triangles can present a science for your internal monologue... After all who thinks "holy fuck, that's a... what sword is that? Yes, he's stabbing me in the eye with a rapier" or cares to argue about how a longsword is blunt when they've just had their arm broken by a walking stick.