Yet another foot question

[Stuart McDermid]

Parries that move the offending blade to your right are outside, and safer!

In general, Yes they are.

Unfortunately, the carte guard you lie in to make a simple tierce parry is nowhere near as secure on it's own as a tierce guard due to the necessity for a bent elbow in carte. This bent elbow brings the fighters close together for an engagement which of course reduces reaction time for them both.

The Italian sidesword methods seek to attain the best of both worlds by lying in a tierce and using a circular parry coupled with a step off the line to the left. The English is to lie on the outside guard and just parry carte. Parrying in carte is not a disadvantage when you do it with your point offline as is advisable with a sword optimsed to cut.
Cheers,
Stu.

[DavidEvans]

True...But I thinking more rapier than sidesword(spado de lato). Thro I prefer living in third.

[leam hall]

And another note, as you train alone. I have discovered, as I spar with others, that the length of my strides while training are insufficient for actual use. I'm sure an SFS might be able to use just a mere movement to evade but right now I find I have to practice larger steps.

Much more noticeable muscle usage, too! <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[Jake_Norwood]

Man, *this* SFS leaps like a bullfrog to get out of the way...

Jake

[TimSheetz]

HI all,

I don't know exactly what simile to use, but leaping and/or jumping certainly do seem to accurately describe the movements.

I have done some Tai Chi, and the shifting weight as described just doesn't cover enough distance for safety or the speed.

I wouldn't say it couldn't be effective to move that way, I would say that it would only be effective in a very narrow set of circumstances. I think that the best value from Tai Chi could be the sense of balance and ability to flex/give before force in highly deceptive ways... but it still is not "cost effective" if you have limited training time.

I think folks are better off focusing on physcial development of the muscles required to wield a sword easily. Then when physique is not an issue and things that were difficult are easy, you can work refinements.

Anyone say "Yea' to that?

Peace,

Tim

[Casper Bradak]

I definitely agree. I know it can be tough to teach a technique when the individual trying to learn it doesn't yet have the physical prerequisites to perform it, even if it has set in mentally.
Of course tai chi would be effective in a very narrow set of circumstances, because it has become a very narrow exercise. For a true martial art to be combat effective, it must keep and exercise all true principles and discard none in favor of becoming something else, lest it become too focused, turning into exercise, sport, or farce, that can only be used in certain specialized circumstances.
But how versatile it is is what you make it as well, just like specializations of swords.
The push when pull, pull when push type pinciple is universal and constantly repeated in the manuals in one form or another.

[Jake_Norwood]

Incidentally there's a step in Meyer called a "stolen" step, which is a sort of combination back-passing sweeping step and, if I'm reading the illustrations right, often includes shifting the weight to the back. You'll also see this in zornhut, where the figure in the image has shifted the weight back (I believe) to avoid an unterhau. So I think that the shifting of weight to the back *is* valid, we're just not pulling it off yet.

Jake

[Casper Bradak]

Reminds me of the "turning away" discussion, so often seen in medieval art, though I hven't looked at the one in Meyer so I don't know if it's the same thing. The same maneuver is taught in the modern art I study, and makes an excellent short void among other things.

[leam hall]

More experience to add to the discussion. While working out with Gary in North Joisey and the boys in South Joisey I missed something important. Didn't dawn on me until yesterday morning when I did my first practice at the new apartment.

There's no gym here so I'm practicing on morning dew moistened grass. It adds a very important lesson--know the big steps but use the small ones. The ground you're on may be slick. The other practice I've done has been on solid, dry surfaces.

I would guess there are ways to minimize the problems with larger steps on tricky ground, but I'm not sure I know what they are.

[Jeff Hansen]

Leam,
The key to large steps on a surface such as wet grass is to lower your stance and spread your legs to keep your knees over your feet. This keeps the force directed toward the ground, instead of to the sides, which makes them slide.
Make sense?

[David Kite]

So, Jeff, in your opinion, in order to minimize slipping with larger steps, one should work more on stepping "down" when on slippery surfaces as opposed to stepping "out"? I haven't had a slick surface here for a week or so (no rain), otherwise I could try it myself.

I tend to take pretty large steps naturally when practicing solo, and I still tend to slip and fall on my butt. I'm assuming this would help solve that?

David Kite
ARMA in IN

[Jeff Hansen]

Yep. It also helps to have good conditioning and flexability, so if you do start to slip you can catch it without pulling anything important. <img src="/forum/images/icons/shocked.gif" alt="" />

[leam hall]

I'm familier with the "down" bit. My problem is, as an aged and ~260 pound'r that getting back "up" is difficult. I'm already losing to leg shots in an upright and more mobile stance.