Matt asks:
One must wonder, if we should always strike as hard as we possibly can, then what is a Villano? What is a Buffel?... Someone who strikes harder than is humanly possible?
I would offer this answer from the sources:
Liechtenauer alluded to buffel or “buffalos” as a demeaning term for farmers and fencers who relied on their strength and raw force alone rather than skilful technique. So it wasn’t that he was against “Strength” but its substitute for lack of skill. You can certainly be skilful and strong. Doebringer, writing on how to face multiple opponents, similarly instructed the best technique (taught by older masters) was the Eysern Pforte (a position with the blade in front, pointed toward the ground). He stated, “With this you could even fight against four or six farmers” (i.e., untrained men who rely on strength). So again, its strength without skill, not strength alone. A number of 15th century humanist writers on physical education stressed repeatedly the importance of muscular strength and conditioning.
As mentioned earlier, the 13th century tale, "Iwein" describes the knightly warrior’s martial craft where, “With practice the weak man can too learn to fight far better, otherwise the state of swordsmanship, as an art, may not have achieved this level of skill. Here was the union of skill and strength.” So, again, not relying on strength alone.
Also, the master of arms Vergerius in the early 1400s wrote how in war skills alone were useless without the strength and endurance needed to bear the rigors of campaigning.
Alberti in the 1430s declared, “In all training no end may be preferred to that of physical soundness” and advised as exercises for youth “Games which require dexterity, endurance, strength, qualities of eye and nerve, such as fencing.”
We see this same thing in the 16th century. For example, Castiglione much later wrote the ideal courtier had to possess “strength, lightnesse, and quicknesse,” as well as “an understanding in all exercises of the bodie that belong to a man of warre.”
So, there's a lot on this topic.
Let me also add that, again, given my size and build, I encounter a lot of fighters and students who are big guys with a lot of body weight able to hit very hard. I always end up telling them, they are relying too much on trying to “whack” and “smack” and not wielding their weapon skillfully with proper form –which would permit them to more efficiently use their strength effectively.
[One last interesting item is toward the end of Jörg Wilhalm’s c1520s fighting manual, it includes an interesting image of something like three men: a rich man, a poor man, and a fencer. It essentially reads along the lines of the wealthy man has money but no real wealth because he does not have skill or strength. The poor working man has strength of body but no skill or money, while the man who has skill has true strength and wealth. {though…I’ve always pointed out couldn’t the rich guy just hire the strong guy to kill the skilled guy? - jk}]
JC
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This sums up exactly what I am trying to say as well.>
