52 replies to this topic

[Nekki Basara]

I fenced foil on and off for the last 18 years or so now. Fenced sabre in the national intervarsities here but it's a small tournament in a small country and I was just filling space on the team.

von Bremerhaven, on 04 April 2012 - 04:37 AM, said:

I know what you mean, Rock. Fencing is very defensive. The idea is to survive the duel, and kill/wound the other guy if possible. Kendo is VERY physical. I like nothing more than a good Men cut, followed by a solid bodycrash, capped off with a rousing bit of taitari. My dojo does not practice passthrough Kendo, where the attacker steps around his target to follow through and perform a nice pretty zanshin. We were taught " Cut the mans head, slide the shinai through the goove and bring the tsuba up under his chin, knock his head back, then step in and drive your hips into him and put the ******** arse on the floor".

Both sports have a lot to offer, though as much as I like Fencing, it lacks the sincerity of Kendo.

I found Kendo to be far too restrictive for me when I tried it.

[Dex Olesa]

Fenced all three but Sabre was my best. Fenced seriously for 5 years, tried to get back into it a couple of years ago when I went to the Royal Military College, but I was pretty rusty, and really only wanted to fence for fun, not for serious competition.

[Sam Slade]

wwiiogre, on 05 April 2012 - 12:43 PM, said:

Just like olympic fencing has very little to do with real sword fighting.

I fenced foil for a significant period of time(almost went to 2000 Olympics but the cost was prohibitive, you go through so many blades). As to the above comment I found 'recreationist' fighting with rapier really quite close... the place I did it had fencing masks and some nice body armor so we basically went with sabre target area and it was game on... most fun ever fighting against three other people with accuratly weighted/forged dueling rapier, anything goes rules.

Nekki Basara, on 12 July 2012 - 02:28 PM, said:

I found Kendo to be far too restrictive for me when I tried it.

As to above, I was kicked out of my kendo class for not following their style restrictions(worth noting that a sharp slap to the head will get you a free shot in kendo... against the 'rules' though).

[Nekki Basara]

I was fencing foil seriously for about six years (something in the region of 6-10 hours training a week, while in school) and never managed to break a blade. I saw it happen years later at an intervarsity competition, and I've seen people bend them out of all shape but for some reason mine never had a problem until I lent it to the university club, where it came back with a deformed guard....

Fifteen years of me using it and it was fine, one weekend with the club.... *sigh*.

[Strum Wealh]

Nekki Basara, on 21 August 2012 - 07:26 AM, said:

I was fencing foil seriously for about six years (something in the region of 6-10 hours training a week, while in school) and never managed to break a blade. I saw it happen years later at an intervarsity competition, and I've seen people bend them out of all shape but for some reason mine never had a problem until I lent it to the university club, where it came back with a deformed guard....

Fifteen years of me using it and it was fine, one weekend with the club.... *sigh*.

Were you using standard/club-level blades, or FIE-level (maraging or not) blades?

[Nekki Basara]

I honestly don't know, my parents bought it for me when I was nine and I'm not sure how much they researched it.

[Sam Slade]

depends how light you want the blade to be; more speed equates to less strengh(when you are getting the cheapskate blades like I was). Also the hit detection buttons at the end have that damed wire holding runner in them that gives another weakness... and I was a bit aggressive.

[Nekki Basara]

I was pretty aggressive too, but somehow myself and my brother never damaged our blades.

Also I misremembered, it was the practice blade I got at nine years, I think the electric one in question didn't turn up until I was twelve. I miss that sword

[JazzySteel]

I've fenced for four years now. I fence all three weapons but am only truly competitive in Epee. For the past year I've been working in alaska and kinda dropped out of the sport. But now im in college I plan to find my equipment and pick it back up.

[Bindusara]

Epee, 3ish years. Haven't been able to fence since I just moved but hopefully getting back on the strip soon.

[Faenwulf]

Well, not a fencer here, but swordfighter. Viking-Age Swordfighting to be precise. Or more precise, right now I prefer the axe until my new sword arrives. The old one I have is just a pain in the ***.

You haven't lived until you crashed with your shield, screaming like a madman, into an enemy shieldwall.
Really, for me there's no wonder anymore why most ancient societies and some more modern ones highly idealized the status of the warrior.

[Atlai]

Yay cool other fencers!

I have been fencing Epee for bout 4-5 years, i used to fence competitively but now more for fun
This is my(competition approved too) mask(done by me)

[Nekki Basara]

It looks so happy! That's awesome, I never thought of doing that kind of thing.

[Atlai]

Nekki Basara, on 24 August 2012 - 12:02 PM, said:

It looks so happy! That's awesome, I never thought of doing that kind of thing.

Thanks, it is happy, there is a joke at my fencing place that it is so distracting not being able to see my face and have that thing staring at you thats why i win bouts.

[Nekki Basara]

I'd believe it. There's definitely a lot to be said for the psychological edge.

[Atlai]

Yeah which is cool that they still let me use it in competitions, of course, it could turn out im a really bad fencer without that edge

[Komaru]

Tynam, on 05 April 2012 - 12:34 PM, said:

I'm a fencer, but not precisely qualified to answer the question, since my chosen weapon is 'various forms of medieval longsword', with 'arming sword and buckler' a close second. (Technically I've done some sabre as well, but not enough to really count.)

Woohoo! Another HEMA/WMA guy!

I've fenced foil for about 5 years now, though I spend most of my time in class helping teach the new kids these days. I'm not an expert, but my instructor recommends I get a teaching certificate because I'm good the teaching side of things. I've been doing Italian longsword for about two years now, with little bits of dagger, side sword, and other weapons thrown in. I did kendo for a few months before scheduling demanded I drop it, but I do MISS the workout.

I wanted to say how HAPPY I am to see everyone getting along in here. Far too often, when people bring up fencing, you get people who do iaido, kendo, HEMA/WMA chiming in as well, and then someone tries comparing a katana to a longsword, or claiming that fencing isn't "real swordfighting" or that "NONE OF THAT JAPANESE **** COUNTS".

So far, we've had people from all kinds of sword arts popping their heads in, we're all getting along. Makes me really happy that we're focusing on something we all enjoy,rather than trying to pridefully tear each other apart.

[Arfer]

Darn, I was hoping you wanted to sell some stolen 'mech parts.

[Nekki Basara]

Anyone who's achieved any reasonable level in a sword discipline knows that the blades are designed specifically for whatever armour prevailed at the relevant point and place in history, so there's no point waving e-peens.

However, for the funzies: thrusting V cutting: thrusting rules, cutting drools. Discuss.

[Faenwulf]

As an axeman I have to say: Come Here and I'll cut your head off! Your tiny little e-peen fencing tool will never get through my sturdy wooden shield!

Sooo...yeah.

But to be honest: Neither Modern Fencing, Modern Iaido/Kendo or Modern Medieval Swordfighting is anything like the real deal and someone who fought with those weapons for live or death in the ages they were used would just laugh at our silly doodling.
For example: because of the most common rule set we use here in germany ( for example no head/neck hits and nothing below the elbows and knees, and no private parts as well as no thrusting with any other weapon than a spear) it is extremely common to use light weapons and try to hit somebody over their shoulder on the back because of the giant round shields used in the viking age. Would be totally useless in real combat.