So...I have noticed that I am far more comfortable with closing than I traditionally seem. I often notice this as I am reaching for the dagger kill. Even with small-sword...I mean foil fights, I am more prone to close than ever. I notice the same thing happening in melees, though in a slightly different fashion.

So I have babbled on before about the total space that a given combat occupies, and more importantly that it is imperative to "fill" that space. By "reaching out" (silence, kenobi!) you can, in a sense, keep tabs on everything that happens within that space. You can respond to things as they are, producing an almost harmonious response. But how? I return to my comments on closing. So the space is filled with this magic medium that interacts and responds to everything. Motion disturbs the medium, and this can be detected by other elements in the space, such as the other fencer. When one moves through a medium, there will first be an increase in "pressure" in front of the motion. There was also be a void, or at least a lower pressure, formed behind the motion. Everything else in the medium will shift during this disturbance to try and maintain an equilibrium. As a fencer lunges at me, I can sense the increase in pressure (this time, pressure refers to physical presence). I can also sense a drop in the physical presence behind, or in the wake of, the attack. By sensing these, I can respond in harmony without having to force anything. As water is pushed away from a moving ship, so will I be pushed (or rather dodge) away from the oncoming attack.

This doesn't have to be limited to physical presence. Emotional space is fought over in a fencing match as well. When one opponent seems to cringe (taking up less space), then the opponent will become bolder and possibly more aggressive. Everyone likes a balanced equation. During the melees on Saturday, I could feel this pull. During my better runs, I would kill a few opponents quickly, leaving a massive void of emotional presence/surety in the other side. I would feel drawn into filling this space by applying pressure to the remaining opponents, refusing to let them breathe. The greater my advantage, the greater that pull. Their insecurity bolstered my security.

Now, this effect could very easily be abused by a crafty fencer...not that I know of any.

So today was full of fighting. I had a really good time. There was some silliness here and there, but I was happy with the combat. I started off with my basket hilt and dagger and did well enough. The melees were tough, but I made do for a while.

Then Illadore let me borrow her 45" and things changed. My kill percentage went way up. I was not only fighting range games today, but having the extra reach helped. In singles, it felt like I could almost float the point into the target. I felt no rush, and therefore didn't need to really amp the shot. Nice lazy shots. The 45" practice blade also has enough flex to sap some of the power as well. In melee? The 45" let me be evil in melee. I had extraordinary success. Everybody's number comes up, but I took quite a bit of lunch money. Even when I started worrying about hitting too hard, I could still switch to draw cuts and maintain a healthy range.

I think I will be getting a 45. The advantages were huge and the drawbacks minor. I will have to be careful when keeping my sword free, but that's not terribly difficult. Singles will always be a challenge, but melees are where the longer reach shines.

The 45 is also about the perfect length for me as described by Thibault and Capo Ferro. I will prolly look to order it in the next few months.

So today was beautiful, and there was fencing to be had. Only Christian and I were there, but somehow that worked out well enough. I brought out the baskethilt, hoping to work some of the BT skill set along with good ol' fashioned english thuggery.

I had moderate success. I don't quite have the moment of the sword figured out, so larger transitions are a little wonky. I had a few really sweet passes that ended in an effortless thrust, but most involved considerable back-and-forth. I tried to use the cross-under, but that really depends on either extreme subtlety or overwhelming aggression. You can't really float in between. Needless to say, Christian did not let me get away with much. The only time I got the technique to work right involved me not thinking about it at all. I just went with it. No crazy stringere or invitations. While I was happy that the technique worked, I must admit it was rather anti-climactic.

My footwork is also getting a little better. I can control my retreats to the point of just having my opponent miss. It actually worked well enough today that I often found myself not bothering to make a parry or even reacting to the shot. I just didn't feel threatened. Can't get away with that too much. Once I can throw some slight angles into my steps, I should have all kinds of fun messing with people.

As much as I like the BT system, I do really enjoy the more active sword-work. Tacto, multiple intentions, and cuts are all great fun. I will most likely try to hybridize BT with the English/Scottish sword work till I find something efficient AND fun. This will definitely be designed for tourney play rather than melee. Long rapiers will continue to rule that game. Whenever I replace my rapier blade, melee use will be one of the foremost considerations.

So it's only been week and a half since my trip to California to train with Don Blayde (which I will someday write about) . I still have a great deal to practice, but I think I might have picked out what I can use to overcome his style (or at least, the elements he taught me.)

Strangely, I think my basket hilt will be a crucial part of my plan....

So I am fussing with my gear. I've gathered quite a bit of info form the baskehilt and will be excited to apply it to a rapier soon. However, I must do something about my rapier. The econo-dish-hilt has given it a very odd balance, and this is affecting much of my game. I am looking to replace it; I am just unsure of what with. One part of me wants to save up for the uber-nice rapier, but that will take some time. Another part of me wants to get one of the other econo-hilts (the ring) and fuss with it until I get the balance I want. Then I have to think about the blade. My 42 is still kickin' strong, but I have been musing with the idea of a 45. Unfortunately, I would need to get the heavier bated blade to counter the flex of such a long blade, which would make finding a good balance even harder.  I have a del tin already that would work, but the tang is too short AND is unthreaded. I would need to weld a bolt to it before I can even use it.

I took apart my baskethilt and put the swept hilt from my rapier on it. It looks a little odd from the long handle, but it has a sweet balance. It has the mass of a cutter, but it can still be very nimble. I will have to play with it.

Decisions to make....

1) In terms of raw lethality and immediate efficacy, it is better to have a longer rapier than a shorter one. Maintaining distance requires minimal (though careful) effort, while closing distance requires more serious commitment and offers great risk. On a similar note, the rapier appears to be the superior weapon given our combat conventions. In a game where efficiency, risk-aversion, and careful consideration are the critical elements of success, the rapier offers the greatest advantages. Success by use of other sword types, that often sacrifice range and precision for less useful advantages, can more often than not be attributed to other causes such as novelty/Zach's inexperience or possibly the skill of the user being so advanced that the weapon really doesn't make a difference.

2) In a fight, the effort is in filling all the space, physically and conceptually. Nothing Zach does should go unattended by a goal-oriented counter of your own.

3) Time and place are the ultimate goals. If you know when and where you need to be AND you can place yourself there, then actual technique and variance in weapons become irrelevant. This trumps #1.

4) Although various styles and systems all aspire to the same goal and mastery, they offer different modes of learning. To desire mastery of the spanish style of fencing (for example) is to miss the point of martial arts. One should instead seek mastery by way of the spanish style. Form and method are only a means.

5) Victory in a fight is not achieved, but rather maintained. If you did not enter a fight as the victor, than you shall not leave it so. Winning should also not be seen as a goal, because that defines it as a state other than what you presently are. Winning/success/whatever you call it should simply be, just like you simply are. If winning is what you are, than your efforts are simplified to preservation of what already exists, rather than trying to produce something you may not understand.

Hmm....some of these don't sound exactly like they do in my head, but it's 3:30am...so cut me some slack.

So....I think I will have to try a few modifications...errr...creative reinterpretations of Silver's system. For now, my focus is on the use of tacto. Since my range is cut, I need to solidify my defense before I can approach. I tried using binds and overwhelming parries/walls, but these are too harsh against a rapier. Since rapiers are subtle and quick, I need to counter them with the same.

Instead of the uncompromising bladework Silver normally suggests, I will have to make use of a very soft, ghost-like tacto. I will have to open all my movements with the slow hand to start the ball rolling. This will cause the opponent to do something, hopefully presenting their sword, which will allow me to engage tacto. However, the goal will not be pushing or dominating the engagement, but rather attempt to "stick" to the opponent's blade. I need to cause my blade to follow in the wake of my opponent's motions, hiding in the shadow. This will allow me to keep tabs on everything without giving away too much. When the moment is right, I can then make use of the stronger leverage offered by the baskethilt. Even then, I have to be careful about how i apply that leverage. Simple pushing and winds are too rough and will spook the opponent into dangerous disengages and pumps. Instead I will look to cut into the opponent's blade, providing a strong result while reducing their ability to recover.

In essence, I need my blade work to be present yet intangible, like smoke or water (ish). When everything is presented, my blade needs to stick to theirs without exerting pressure. This is a difficult skill to develop, but I must have it if i am going to succeed with this form. The next step will be moving my whole body within the wake of these motions, denying any sense of it short of vision (which can be deceived aswell!) Ideally, I will close in measure while the opponent is fishing around for my sword.

Now, this is exactly what you are supposed to be doing with a rapier, and all the masters talk about it. However, since the baskethilt is fighting an uphill battle already, I need to be more than just familiar with the concepts. I need to understand the advantages of the rapier so I can turn it back on unsuspecting opponents.

I am also getting tired of writing "opponent," so I will take Thibault's lead and from now on refer to any conceptual opponent as Zach.

I worked with tacto today. At first glance, the less subtle grip on a baskethilt would seem to deaden one's ability to use tacto. I played around with it earlier and learned a few things. You definitely need to loosen your grip and wrist, more so than a rapier would require. However, once you find an orientation you like, you can tighten up your grip and guard. It is THEN that you can use the baskethilt's greater leverage with greater surprise.

Hanging guards and the 5' are also much more comfortable with a baskethilt than with a rapier. Flipping the hand over is still a pretty big motion, but you can reduce it with a very loose grip. Actually, you almost open your grip enough to push against the cage, rather than hold the grip at all. With my large welding gloves, this is actually just secure enough to get away with during light tacto.

Tacto will be hard to gain with the baskethilt, since most people will not want to risk giving me leverage. I will need to practice intercepting the blade smoothly to engage tacto "quietly" when the opponent becomes aggressive. I basically need to mask the baskethilt's presence and only apply its greater power and leverage at the last second. I will most likely work with the "sticky hands" approach, hoping to sneak up on the opponent's blade in the wake of its motions. And now that I am preferring the action of cutting into the blade rather than beats or binds, I can really surprise my opponent. The big step will be syncing my footwork to follow the slight pressures of tacto.

I think that the cut following my parry 3/cut-into-the-blade should, instead of a riverso tondo(?) with the true edge, be a scything cut with the false edge as I fade to the right (my inside). Less mechanics and less time for the opponent to recover.

Yes I did just steal that mod from a someone I know. Different delivery, though....

The fencing was ok. I was hoping for a bigger turnout, especially fencers who play with (heavy) rapier. I only had one pairing that I really had to think about, though I had a few challenging opponents. I played in the small sword bearpits made up of Ivan's people. Ehh. Smallsword and I aren't agreeing at the moment, and I don't have the time to devote to the style.

I was happy with some of the techniques I pulled off with rapier&dagger. I looooved my high quarta over the arm. It was pretty. I also managed a few quillon locks and "crossed swords and dagger" parries. I had brought out the rapier for one last practice before I shipped them to California. I wish I could have done them more justice.

I do think I helped a few people out during the practice. Mostly war stories and "as I see it" comments, but I hope it was useful. One of the newer fencers I am working with is doing well. I think she's getting the whole fight mentality down, now it's time to grind through refining technique. This is convenient since I need to do that as well. I have fun watching this fencer fight, especially when she pulls some crazy technique out of nowhere. The other week she parried with prima and passed forwards to strike. It was awesome and the timing was pretty good. With any luck, she'll be trouble for people very soon. And since she is probably going to be in the dreaded AEthelmarcian Foreign Legion, her skills will be put to good use.

More for the Cause!