Sinclair's Anti-Pugilism Questions

[Allen Johnson]

I'm not sure if many people will have access to this manual but there might be a few who can help me.

In several places he suggests you support your right arm (sword arm) with your off hand.
Where exactly on the right arm are you supposed to support?

Is it a grip or just cradling it?

And most of all...Why? I'm not a buff guy but I've never felt like I needed to support my sword arm...even when I was using my heavy, clunky, MRL baskethilt.

thanks- more questions as I read on...

[Allen Johnson]

Few more to add:

Lesson XXII:
"Your antagonist being on the medium guard, raise your hand, and siezing the feeble, make a lunge..." This siezing...is it an actual blade grab with your off hand or is it more of a blade press or beat? Also is your blade supposed to be on the left or right of his when you step in for the lunge and the subsequent cut to the breast?

Lesson XXIV:
"...it is better to endevour, by breaking the measure, to bring him round, and riposte on the outside." Again, is this a physical grasp or push of your opponent or a triangle step/traverse to your left to cut him on the outside?

thanks all!

[Jeffrey Hull]

Whoa! That sort of support by off-hand of sword-wielding hand was something which sense to me, but I was unaware that any manual advocated it. You know the sources for that sort and era of fencing better than I do. Thanks for sharing <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

I became interested in that sort of technique, quite honestly, because I saw the title character of the film *Rob Roy* doing it. I was unsure whether it was historical or for show. But now I think maybe the fight-choreographer Hobbs was utilising that from Sinclair.

So anyway, my guess for that is a simple one: That it not only supported the weapon-arm, for whatever reason, but maybe to keep the off-hand busy while awaiting its more important duty of grabbing or buffetting the foe's weapon and/or body.

JH

[Allen Johnson]

yeah i thought of the bit from Rob Roy as well. I heard from someone else on this question that the propper place to hold the arm would be just above the elbow on the underside as opposed to the wrist as shown in the movie. Who knows - im really not sure the reason.

[Jeffrey Hull]

Another thought:

There may be an 18th Cent illustration now that I think about it, showing such a grip. But I am unsure and cannot name an artist. But we can look out for that <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

JH

[Allen Johnson]

That would be very interesting to see! Happy hunting!