Richard Francis Burton

“ The fencer who first stands before his adversary is travailed in mind about the line of assault: is it the outer or the inner, the upper or the lower that is most likely to be chosen? He will probably wait till the antagonist clearly develops his intention, and thus he exposes himself to a disadvantage. If the attack be simple, and if the hand conduct it rapidly, the attacked gives away the chance that resides in a well-judged onset carried out with thoughtful ardour. ”

“ The legitimate form is when the adversary, after parrying your thrust, removes his opposition, either from futility or with the object of a ripost. You may then either make what is called a "false retreat "that is, return halfway to guard or, better still, deliver the remixe from the full lunge. It is valuable against a man who hesitates about his ripost, and some fencers are so fond of it that they owe to it half their successes. ”

“ Some masters tell you to watch the adversary's eye, and to interrogate his every glance. But the man cunning of fence will soon find that you rely upon his look, and he will take advantage of your simplicity by looking at the precise place where he does not intend to strike. Others say, " Keep your sight fixed upon the button " on the point of the sword. But the sun may be shining upon the blade, or the morn may be somewhat dark for the button to stand well out. ”

“ The swordsman then, and then only, stood in readiness to resist ignorance, as well as to guard against the learned combinations with which he was familiar.
" And the old style acted well," said Seaton, " by teaching the pupil the superior necessity of guarding his vitals. Many a man has saved his life by allowing his antagonist's sword to entangle itself in his arm or leg whilst he returned the thrust in a more decorous iplace." ”

“ In general and on principle, accompany the parry with a retreat of either a full pace or a half pace, according to action of your adversary. Parry with firm foot only when, like the conjuror forcing a card, you have led the adversary to make the attack for which you are prepared.
If you see in the opponent a disposition to attack with firm foot within middle measure, without either advancing or retreating by sudden and irregular movements, never attempt- ing to surprise nor to deceive by unforeseen combinations, then a tic! ”

“ The few, again, who lunge to the rear, and bend the body backwards, instead of retreating from your attacks, according to rule, are almost sure to do the same. I need hardly say that the man who is ignorant of the sword always begins by using it to stab underhand, with wrist low and perhaps in old tierce. He is probably right, whether he knows it or not. The skilful fencer, again, will certainly attempt to make a point by a low thrust when, judging from the academical elevation of his uand, you do not expect it. ”

“ Above all things never shorten the arm, or your ripost will be lost it is throwing gold upon the pavement.
Every ripost must have its opposition that is to say, cover- ing oneself on the line of the adversary's blade. ”

“ Hie retreat is invaluable against compound attacks, feintings, and so forth, because, by remaining in place, your hand often acts too fast, and your blade only beats the air. It is also the surest way to avoid the body stab delivered by shortening the arm. In the latter you may, it is true, stop the adversary by a time thrust, but in the field most probably both will fall, because it places him beyond reach of, and safe from, either surprises- and tirer de surprise is a favourite plan with spme men. ”

“ If you suspect that the adversary, as often happens in the case of a cool, old, wary sworder, attacked you with the object of drawing you on, and especially if you remark that he covers himself well upon that side, leaving the other at all exposed, you may avoid the snare by a single disengagement or a cut- over in the direction which he does not expect. ”

“ The ripost must be so connected with the parry that it may be considered its second part, its continuation, its conclusion.
Therefore, as a general rule, make your ripost in the line where you have met the sword, inside or outside, above or below. The ripost by straight thrust, they say, soon becomes mechanical. Yet to change is to lose time, to waste in combina- tion what had far better remain single. It also frequently allows your adversary to recover himself, or, worse still, to make a remise de main. ”

“ It loses time; it uncovers one side by covering the other, and it cannot be effected without somewhat shaking the play. It is only comparatively safe for a very short man against men much taller than himself.
Nor must you think the retreat, as some do, injurious to the ripost; on the contrary, it makes the latter at once surer and easier.
It often happens that after a lunge freely made the lunger remains for a time without recovering himself, attempting second thrusts, or remises de main, straight thrusts on the side where the parry took place. ”

“ If the glorious gift of understanding, after being polished and perfected as far as teaching and training permit, be dealt out in such humble rations that it can divine nothing, cannot follow the course of events as they fly, cannot inspire itself with the opportunity before too late, then, I say, expect nothing from it. ”

“ Believe me, the innumerable counsels which fill your ponderous treatises, the preparations for all and everything that may occur, are as feather weights when actual experience sits in the other scale. Does a man ever profit from the experience of another man? ”

“ In old duels men have been tied by the left foot, and even still in parts of Europe, Heidelberg, for instance, a line of chalk marks the ne plus ultra of retreat. The idea of " falling back " is always distasteful, and the single step to the rear in the rude and instinctive judgment of men represents the premier pas of flight. ”

“ This part of our system immensely increases the fencer's self- I reliance. At the same time, it diminishes the confidence of his; opponent; the latter, after successive failures, is likely to lose head, always a gain to you, and perhaps to rush forward with a compound attack. In this case you meet him hand to hand with a "Contre de Tierce" or " de Quarte," and, if your wrist l>e strong and dexterous, you may make his sword strike the ceiling. Even if he does not rush, he is most likely to throw himself open in some way. ”

“ Didn't you vex the dull ear of a drowsy man one whole evening last week with crotchets about happiness? how every being, human or otherwise, comes into the world with a certain capacity for enjoyment which can't be increased and can't be decreased? how every being, human or otherwise, is equally Dlest absolutely in equal measure, though one's always in extremis and the other's not? ”

“ But beware of the man especially if there is what hair-cutters call a " thinness " upon the upper part of his head, or if the corners of his beard show a slight powdering of pepper and salt who tries to shorten distance between himself and you by stealthily gaining ground under the mask of some well-devised feint. ”

“ When such comprehensive defence is found, appre- hension and anxiety calm down, and the wandering thoughts range themselves willingly under orders of the will; there is no more uncertainty; indecision is at an end. ”

“ L'escrime exige des facultes varies, celui-la seul y deviendra superieur, qui sera d'une constitu- tion physique avantageuse, qui a un morale solide unira Pintelli- gence, le coup d'ceil, Pa-propos, la sensibilite du toucher, qui joindra au sang froid, qui permet de prevoir et de concevoir, I'impetuosite reglee qui execute, et enfin, qui saura mettre d'accord toutes les facultea diverses pour en former 1'ensemble de son jeu; quelques uns moins bien doues pourront devenir des tireurs difficiles, sans jamais etre des tireurs serieux ”

“ III It was still evident that my auditory was only half convinced, if even so much, and that a second home thrust was required. As usual, I began with a feint, so as not to let them see the point.
How often you hear in the sallcs d'armes " I do this in an assault; I should never attempt it in the field."
Now this is playing, mere skylarking, with the foil. If the action be really good it is fit for bo^h forms of combat, and vice versa. On the other hand, you are right to encourage eccentricity of fence when dealing with a man whose peculiar style you would stud>. ”

“ The eye for ever! " came from the proper quarter.
V I now proceed with pleasure to another heresy of my practice.
"What ferocity of heresy'/" Shughtie groaned; "the man milit hail from Arabia Felix."
You will read in the fencing books; " Une fois en mesure, les vrais tireurs no doivent marcher ni rompre d'une demi-semelle, mais de leurs places faire franchement des attaques qui peuvent etre precedees d' engagements, et de quelques petites attaques au fer avec finesse, qui doivent finir par un coup tire a fond." ”

“ Car combien que la loy do suivre les mouvements naturels doive estre inviolable, toute fois il faut entendre que la neces- site n'en a nulle, et qu'elle enfonce toutes loys, quelque stables qu'cllcs puisscnt estre. ”

“ I The assault is the fencer's life, after he has emerged from the chrysalis state oi ihe plastronneur. It is a career full of dangers which incessantly repeat themselves; of rocks and shoals that must be weathered ”