Richard Francis Burton

“ Judgment is a term which makes you shrink; it suggests, like "common sense," special gifts, trained and matured by long experience. I mean by it nothing more than that ordinary amount of intelligence which average men bring "to whatever they do. Each well-reasoned lesson will add something to your judgment, and the precision begotten by practice will give it the perfection of which it is capable. Indeed, the beginner is advised not to preoccupy himself with "judgment," as such process tends to cloud the lucidity of thought. ”

“ Nothing can be worse than a slow and "dawdling" retreat, which encourages the enemy to attack you whilst in disorder by what is technically called a riposte en temps perdu.
Every salle d'armes will show you men who are fond of remaining at the lunge, trying the dangerous and objectionable thrust called remise de main, which, except under certain well- defined circumstances, is permissible only to great artists feinting at close quarters and engaging in la bourrache, poignarding the adversary, and displaying what I call the pugilism of the sword. ”

“ When the body is carried to the front you will often see the master lay down his foil and set the pupil up like a sculptured torso with both hands. This is dancing master's fencing. There is no harm in the forward position; it does not increase exposure, because the angle which it assumes diminishes the area of surface, and to a certain extent protects itself by giving additional trouble to the adversary's point. It is also a sovereign remedy against low thrusts. On the other hand, bending backwards is an absolute defect; it is ruinous to all quickness, both in attack and in riposte. ”

“ If, after careful comparison and many experiments, you find that your individuality craves for departure from the beaten path of elementary rule, do so without fear, but do so with judgment. The best guard and the best lunge are those which allow body and limb to act with the fulness of freedom, preserving at the same time a perfect equilibrium. ”

“ Whether your attack be simple or compound, ever remember what I here repeat: The movement of point and hand, together with the extension and elevation of the arm, must precede, though almost imperceptibly, the action of the body and the legs. This is an invariable rule. If your lower limbs begin the move you lose equilibrium; your lunge will give notice to the adversary, and your point will wander from the mark. ”

“ VIII I have now made you as wise as myself upon the subject of moving the body and the limbs, which indeed is all the mechanism of swordsmanship. A few words before we separate.
Why have these positions and these movements been chosen, been universally approved of by the civilised world? The reply is because they are intuitive and instinctive. See how the races that use the knife naturally seize it with the right hand, drape the cloak round the left arm, and, under cover of the body, prepare the weapon for a fatal thrust.
" I'm certain," Shughtie said, " that they are wrong. ”

“ There is no necessity, but in both schools, Italian and French, the left arm acts as a counterpoise; it is the rope dancer's balance pole, it gives equilibrium to the movements, and it introduces symmetry and equality in the action of the two limbs. You must do something with your left arm, and it seems hardly natural that it should hang down dead by the side or be carried " a-kimbo," when it becomes mere dead weight. If you reflect you will probably find the French style best. I have described the Hispano-Neapolitan posture the left hand opposite the pectoral muscles. ”

“ The perpendicular drawa from the left heel of a right-handed man through the heel and toes of the right foot, to be preserved both in guard and during the lunge. The old rule was to set off at right angles from the base, formed by the left foot. We moderns are more liberal; some align the forward heel with the hollow of the other foot, and others, I myself included, with the ankle bone.
The most ordinary intelligence will learn by these first lessons the mechanism of the various positions and actions a mechanism based upon the nature and instinct of our organisation. ”

“ By degrees the bones are strengthened, the use of the muscles is learned, and the two-year-old treads firmly as the young bird flies.
" Such a child is the pupil. As his science and experience grow in stature, so will many weaknesses and defects cast themselves off, and finally they will easily be rectified by reason and judgment.
"But quickness is purely a mechanical and material process, which cannot be reasoned out, which cannot be analysed, which can be produced. ”

“ The pupil, after being made to understand the mechanism, the analysis, and the meaning of each movement, should at once begin to practise it as quickly and sharply as possible. A tardy, ' dawdling ' style is so convenient, and so seductive, by the facility with which it effects each movement, that, it will soon react upon the judgment and acquire all the force of a habit, making intelligence idleness. ”

“ This at once throws the whole machine out of gear; you cannot without great difficulty perform the simplest movement of attack, defence, or retreat. The body has lost its aplomb; it can no longer make sure of hand and arm; it insists upon devancing them or upon lagging tardily behind. See how slight a change causes the virtue to depart from you.
The houghs, the popliteal muscles, are the two springs which project the body and which, properly managed, give it rapidity of motion. ”

“ Quickness, meaning not only of the hand, wrist, and forearm, but of the whole body, is undoubtedly an immense merit, both in the attack and defence, the riposte and the retreat. " Slow and sure," chi va piano va sano, do not apply to our art. There are writers who hold quickness to be the very commencement of the fencing lesson, as it is the capital point of the fencer. Listen to one of the best [7] : "I believe that we must guard against the usual style of instruction, which consists in repeating over and over again, ' Go slowly; study quietly the thrusts and parries ”

“ But you see a master in every school daily and hourly protesting against the awkw r ardness of his pupils' guards, against the clenching of the hand, the tension of the arm, the stiffness of the shoulder, in fact the wilful and sinful expenditure of force, without once explaining to them, so clearly that they never can forget it, the essential difference between the complete repose of the guard and the vivid muscular action of the attack.
To show how natural is our position, attempt in any manner to change it. There are many ways, but all will equally fail. ”

“ To be on guard, to guard yourself, that means to assume the properest position for defence and its complement, offence. Now that the heels are parted by the proper distance, say two foot-lengths; of course it differs with every man. ”

“ You move like a professor. Bend your knees a little more, and when you practice alone for I see that you will be a swordsman bend them as much as possible. The academic law is that the knee should be on a plumb-line with the instep. ”

“ The least tendency to assume a bad habit not those so called in the salles d'armes, but a habit which does not belong to the pupil's individuality should be pointed out, commented upon, and corrected. It is hardly fair to expect this amount of time and trouble from' the average teacher, who after a certain number of years must find the average pupil exceedingly flat and stale. ”

“ You will not forget to keep your left shoulder well to the rear so as to show only a profile to the adversary. In due time you will be able to take ome liberties in this matter, and, indeed, there are first- rato fencers who show two-thirds of front; but these are men whose well-trained muscles obey like lightning every order of the brain, and who can escape the thrust by an almost imper- ceptible amount of shrinking. And, remember, shoulder always low, and no extra strength applied to it, or you will "counter from the shoulder" and strike with your point the ground instead of the adversary. ”

“ At first you must be careful to keep the Left foot firmly on the ground; it is apt to turn and to drag an inch or two forwards, which, besides having a slovenly look, alters your distance without your being aware of it. When lunging, rest upon the major arch of the left foot, formed by the heel and the cushion behind the big toe. This firm base gives immobility to the left leg, which is apt to be shaken by the vigorous tension of the bow. ”

“ Do not raise the foot eo high, you waste time; nor yet draw it along the ground, which might cause a stumble. You will find advancing much easier than retreating. And, again, as a beginner, always stamp; it makes the body eit firm and motionless on the left. ”

“ I may add that these and other methods always failed if the fencer held the nandle properly. He should accustom himself to feel his weapon with his little finger and its neighbour. Remember, also, that grasping the grip or putting any strength in the forefingers and thumb not only tires the wrist, but also makes the point wander. Some men have a trick of laying the index along the handle, but I never found their fencing good style; it is even advised by masters, who forget that etraining the muscles is tho chief result of the exceptional position. ”

“ When you clear a fence or a ditch you imitate the grasshopper, not to mention the more lively animal that can hop over its own St. Paul's. When you drop from a wall or make a low jump you also bend the houghs to prepare for the feet touching the ground, otherwise you suffer from the jarring shock. ”

“ If, under pretext of training the hand and decomposing the movements, you allow this habit a chance of existence, you will sow the germs of a defect which may presently become ineradicable. It is your work to oppose it. ”

“ When sufficient practice shall have made these movements familiar to you, when you feel the ease and rapidity which result from them, and when you are conscious that they have given, with the patience of assured strength, a new life to your thews and sinews, then you have a right to venture upon certain modifications. ”

“ It is born with man; some have their pint, others their gallon, but few are wholly without it, whilst those who possess the donum dei to a remarkable degree at once take the highest places in their several pursuits. ”

“ Formerly, when foils were capped with leather, not with gutta-percha knobs, some puerile dexterity was also shown in locking the buttons and in screwing the foil out of the opponent's grasp. Disarmings, in fact, are fitted only for the theatres. ”

“ This, too, is the best treat- ment of tricks such as turning the toes in or out, opening the mouth, stiffening the fingere of the left hand, squaring the left elbow, and so on. But the pupil must not be too pedantic with himself. The right foot, for instance, by academical rule, should be placed straight to the front. If he learn that he gaine base and strength by a trifle of deviation, why should he not do so? ”

“ Few men go beyond or outside of this imaginary perpendicular; many inside that is to say, the knock-kneed fencer is more common than the bow-legged. Both are faults, because they take from the power and spring of the lunge ”

“ But the student can, as usual in all studies, do much for himself ten, in fact, to Mr Professor's one. He will, as a looker-on when others are taking the lesson, carefully note their defects and obtain their measure by comparing them with the master. ”

“ Well," resumed Shughtie, " while the particular Don was intent upon his gambado, Flat-footed Jack suddenly let fly at him a perfectly straight thrust with a common whittle some 6in. long, and worth when new 4d. He was only careful to put his thumb along the bone handle. Of course, every blow killed. I should be afraid to name the number of our countryman's triumphs." ”

“ Badminton Fencing, page 91.↑ The froissement, or Jroisst. is executed by rubbing or scraping one's foil along the opponent's↑ Liement (binding the blade) is executed by passing the point over the opponent's sword without losing touch of his blade, straightening the arm and lunging in one movement, with strong opposition. Flanconnade is the liement d'octave. Croise. or twist, da bringing the adversary's blade from an upper to a lower line, when the other's point is too low. Badminton Fencing, page 53.↑ Coule is gliding the blade along the adversary's without pressure or scraping. ”