Poll on technique revised.

[jeremy pace]

With the input of my Colleague of the Sword, i think this flows a little better....
Again, this is a query on conscious sword technique decision. I find it interesting that most people fall into two distinctive groups when sparring. Which do you "feel" you hold towards? Keep in mind while most of us may not fit exactly in these types we do lean more one way than the other. And in ARMA i know it is about study of the texts that we follow, but most of us have trained in other ma and different sword techniques.

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<p>Spar of the moment.
<input type="radio" name="option" value="1" />1. By the fechtbuch! ........ you follow the manual you are working on explicitly. No variants or other styles please!
<input type="radio" name="option" value="2" />2. Adaptable ............ You are not afraid of using what you know from other Martial Arts. After all, what your opponent may not expect may be a good learning experience!
<INPUT TYPE=Submit NAME=Submit VALUE="Submit vote" class="buttons"></form>


Thanks for indulging in a Swordsman's curiousity on how his fellows train. <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

There is no true way- Miyamoto Musashi

[Mike Cartier]

I definatly consider myself a by the fechtbuch type of guy, not that other arts do not influence me but only as a reference to historical techniques or to fill in gaps in what in the book(s).
But then I think maybe thats a symptom of the book i work from, Meyer's book is probably the most comprehensive book out there.

[jeremy pace]

Yeah, i watched some of your sparring vids. Cool stuff. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" /> I have tried a lot of different things and the group i spar with uses many different schools. We fight as realistically as possible, but not very period. For instance: i have a buddy who uses a korean staff style that has incorporated a roof stance, after he watched me use it, to setup for an attack. It appears to leave him very open, but talk about intimidating!

[JeffGentry]

Hey Jeremy

From what i can see all situation's are covered in the fechtbuchs, It is just a matter of whether i know and understand and apply what they show and say whether it work's or not.

I don't realy have any MA training so that maybe why i go by the fechtbuch's, and i do not see much reason not to if i encounter a situation i cannot deal with then i probably don't know something or am using the wrong technique/principle, I find usualy if something isn't working it is usualy me doing something wrong.


Jeff

[jeremy pace]

Thanks for the input. Thats the point of the poll, to see our differences. I agree, most everything i use is either in the books or are slight adaptations. But, most people i spar with have been in a ma since they were kids, and like many of the maestros say fight anyone you can. From peasant to drunk to master. I think in the here and now we have awesome opportunities for training since we are so emersed in culture and different fighting techniques. I try to learn from everyone i fight.
My reasoning for the poll is that a lot of these people i spar pick up what im doing, change it, and then use it against me and others. I just wonder how often we do the same. Or consciously know it.

[Shane Smith]

At ARMA~VAB we strive to remain true to the manuals in all of our endeavours at the hilt. That is prerequisite. That said, the many variables that manifest in each individual, be they by the nature of his physical structure or emotional/intellectual temperment or other factors, will of course have notable influence on his/her particular fencing "style"...even when the techniques and concepts remain consistant with the source-texts.

I fight in accordance with the manuals but I do not look like anyone else in particular. I note that ARMA study groups' members tend to display distinct characteristics in their freeplay that are often readily recognizable from one group/region to another. And yes, we all demonstrate bad habits on occasion.

[Jake_Norwood]

True, Shane.

Are we role-playing, pretending to be Fiore or whoever, or are we fighting, doing what we know in order to kill the other guy?

Sometimes I fight "like Meyer," or at least trying to restrict my stances, cuts, techniques to what I see in Meyer. It's an enlightening experiment, and worth doing on occasion. It will, I believe, improve what you do and give insights to more technique. OTOH, sometimes you need to just plain fight. To see what works, to see what you can do, honestly. If that means that I use a throw out of Fiore in the middle of a clearly German set of Winding and Binding, so be it. In the end there's only the guy who's dead and the guy who isn't.

Jake

[KatherineJohnson]

I'll mix techniques from differant manuals (Seriously, I dont think our ancestors would expect anything less). But I try to remain true to this being *historical european* swordsmanship and as such I avoid moves I see in boffer tag or techniques from say, japanese swordsmanship that I dont think are in the manuals.

Not that this says much, as Jeff said, I feel that manuals cover pretty much anything that can happen in a very effective manner and normally when I see a japanese sword demo I see them doing basically the same techniques, but not as well as I've seen my fellow ARMAteers do them or as well as I feel I do them.

[Aaron Pynenberg]

I am trying in all my techniques to be what I call a "Lietchenauer Pureist" that is sticking to the masterstrikes as much as possible, which is very difficult, because I have not trained in it since I was 7 yoa like my historical counterparts may have. I find alot of meaning in the words of Doebringer though, and every time I read it it gives me the willies, because I think it is so pure- now I am not saying that other techniques are not valid etc...just an approach that I think has some merit- Aaron

[DaveSmith]

I tend to stick to the book whenever I study ANYTHING new. Once I become proficient, then I can start to add new things. Always have to have a good basis before you can start ad-libbing... at least that's what works best for me.

[Rod-Thornton]

Same Here Dave. Being new to the discipline, I tend to follow our group's tenet of staying in historically accurate actions (or at least historically accurate efforts!).

I recall one comment made in our group (Virginia Beach) that the worst hits received by one member was when he found himself in a historically inaccurate position or guard.

That being said, the goal is to also become unpredictable and that cannot happen without some individual efforts to 'mix-it up' I would think.

[Aaron Pynenberg]

I agree for the most part- as long as "mix it up" means shifting from guard to guard. I wouldn't ever advocate staying or moving in a postion that does not adopt a guard. I figure the combination of particular body movement and mechanics is probably what you are refering to...in which case I would agree, just always staying in one of those guards, either moving or launching or recovering from a technique. Staying still or loose- probably not a great idea. - Aaron