Fencing left handed.

[Britney-Thornton]

I'm an ARMA-youth member in the Virginia Beach study group and I have a question involving tactics. I am a left-hander studying longsword, and during our training sessions I do a mirror image of all the drills and excercises that the right-handed people do.
My question is: How does a left-hander fight best against a right-handed fencer? I've had difficulties because they are attacking me "backwards". Any advice?

[JeffGentry]

Hey Britney

Well it seem's to me that if your left handed fighting a right hander and you are for instance in left och's it close's the opening a right hander would normaly attack(your left side), and the same would be true for your opponent his right would be closed to your attack.

You could use vom tag straight over your head or anyone of several other gaurd's, L-plow, fool, L-schrankhut, changer, I think the main thing is you have to make sure you attack were his gaurd is not, I know that sound's simplistic, when you come to the fight start looking and moving from gaurd to gaurd high, low, right, left, try them all attempt to make him give you an opening by constantly moving.

Like lichtenauer said "He who move's is alive, he who is still is dead"


Jeff

[david welch]

Attack first, and keep attacking.

Practice your strikes in combinations, and when you strike throw three or four strike combinations like boxers do.

My favorite one against a right hander for a lefty like me:

Get in a guard that lets you strike high (roof, wrath) and just as soon as they start to go into roof, throw a full power wrath to the (facing them) upper left and step offline to the left.

"Just as" you make contact with their sword when they cut at your strike, pump your right hand under your left forearm and back as fast as you can... the first pump is your wind, the second is your doubleing, and they both cut at him behind his sword. Try to throw this so there are no starts and stops to it, like it is all just one cut.

Immediately cross your hands and strike fast with the short edge to the low right while bringing your right foot over and up a little, but leave it still trailing. You probably won't hit them with the low right... it is mostly just to make them keep defending themselves, and it gets their sword low and to the outside.

Then bring the sword full around for another full powered wrath strike stepping with the left again.

Finish with a crossing strike high to the right to cover you while you step back and out of krieg and go to plow. Be ready to thrust if they follow.

I know it sound long... but the whole thing takes less than a second and a half, or a maybe two at the most.

If at any point they are able to displace you, leap back as fast as you can.

With ALL strikes, be ready to drag the tip of the sword across their body, unwind your hands, and stab.


This is a very fast, powerful combination that is hard to defend against, and is the type of attack recommended by Doebringer.

[JeffreyHendricks]

Hey, cant help ya, but I'm quite used to fighting rightys, though i cant explain it very well, but im really not used to fighting southpaws like me....