Left Handed Swordsmen

[Jonathan Newhall]

Well, my sparring and training partner is left handed and I'm right handed. This results in the somewhat obvious problem of us tending to mirror mode each other's movements.

Anyone ever faced a left handed swordsman before? Any idea how to reconcile this (as it does often tend to result in double-KO's)?

[Jeff Hansen]

Well, my sparring and training partner is left handed and I'm right handed. This results in the somewhat obvious problem of us tending to mirror mode each other's movements.

Anyone ever faced a left handed swordsman before? Any idea how to reconcile this (as it does often tend to result in double-KO's)?

First off, the sword can attack along four planes in two directions with two edges plus the thrust. Which hand is dominant on the sword has no effect on that so forget about it. Always remember to attack the person behind the sword not the sword itself. As for the mirroring, I guarantee you're not being aggresive enough. Once you're out of zufechten and into kreig if you're attacking in the vor as you're supposed to there shouldn't be time for mirroring. Another answer is simply to move more. Change guards frequently and if your opponent tries to mirror you use the time between guards to attack. To clarify: if you are taking the initiative and he is mirroring you then when you change stance you know that he will shortly be doing the same. Use that moment while he is between guards to attack. Since you already know which guard he's switching to you should be able to choose the most advantageous form of attack. Then keep at him and don't give him time to do any thing other than defend.
I hope this is helpful.

[Jonathan Newhall]

Jeff-

What I was referring to is that the masters advise you to fence with strength from your side that is strong. Ordinarily this results in many techniques as your strong sides are cross-ways while facing each other. The problem arises when the strong sides are mirrored rather than diagonal (i.e. I am being attacked on my right and simultaneously attacking on my right with a Zornhau because my opponent is left-handed rather than the ordinary outcome of two Zornhaus coming at each other cross-ways).

The problem is not intentional mirroring, but unintentional mirroring. If we both were to do a strike at the same time it's a total wash who wins because they aren't designed to defeat themselves from the same side, but from the cross side. I was hoping for help in how to counteract this without relying overly heavily upon one or the other of us fencing from our weaker side (which, as I've said and you doubtless know, is constantly ill-advised by the masters that I've read).

[Jeff Hansen]

Close and bind. Think kron vs. shietlhau then apply the principals to all four planes of attack.

[Jonathan Newhall]

Uh, sorry, but that's not particularly clear (I've seen many interpretations of Kron, or at least two, and am not familiar with ARMA's current interpretation). Could you explain a bit further?

[Jeff Hansen]

Hilt extended up and out toward the attack, blade up, recieve the blow on the lower half of the blade coming to a bind on your stong.

[Jonathan Newhall]

Alright, I'll see if we can apply the principles of the bind to the situation a bit more effectively and see if that resolves it.