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Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

Just reading that word makes my leg sore. Physiotherapy is magic though and I might be able to lunge again soon without killing myself!

I'm a lovely sabreur but have tried flunging occasionally, it's amazing what that little extra bit of distance will do in terms of getting the weapon on target (and also convincing the ref that you had priority).

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Liquid Communism
Mar 9, 2004


Out here, everything hurts.




Flunges are why I know I'm not an oly sabre enthusiast.

Such a silly over-stylized 'attack', but it fits within the rules as specified.

Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

Yeah, it's a weird one - I've seen video of oldschool sabre when cross steps forward were allowed, and it's freakin' terrifying. Ban forward cross steps and of course somebody invents the flunge, which looks nearly equally terrifying.

Has anyone here seen (or even been in) a match using that rule change proposed last year with allowing sabreurs to finish attacks with a fleche? Makes sense to me theoretically, but I have no idea whether it would work in practise.

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008

Crazy Achmed posted:

Yeah, it's a weird one - I've seen video of oldschool sabre when cross steps forward were allowed, and it's freakin' terrifying. Ban forward cross steps and of course somebody invents the flunge, which looks nearly equally terrifying.

Has anyone here seen (or even been in) a match using that rule change proposed last year with allowing sabreurs to finish attacks with a fleche? Makes sense to me theoretically, but I have no idea whether it would work in practise.

Wait, are cross steps not allowed for any weapon? Or just sabre?

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

HPanda posted:

Wait, are cross steps not allowed for any weapon? Or just sabre?

They're only banned in sabre.

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008

Cessna posted:

They're only banned in sabre.

Ok, cool. I like to sometimes weird out my opponent with them in epee.

DandyLion
Jun 24, 2010
disrespectul Deciever

I fleched at my opponent and his foil tip snapped somewhere in the blur of it all and when I was done I had scored a point and he had ~1" of his blade buried in my (inner) thigh. The worst part was the medics pulling my knickers down in front of god and everyone at the tourney.



Fleche hard or go home (I did both).

ImplicitAssembler
Jan 24, 2013

:eek:

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008
Daaaaaamn. Guess when the foil snaps, it kinda loses its whole purpose as a "foil."

Just making me feel even better about my purchase of groin protection.

HEY GUNS
Oct 11, 2012

FOPTIMUS PRIME

DandyLion posted:

I fleched at my opponent and his foil tip snapped somewhere in the blur of it all and when I was done I had scored a point and he had ~1" of his blade buried in my (inner) thigh. The worst part was the medics pulling my knickers down in front of god and everyone at the tourney.



Fleche hard or go home (I did both).
that kicks rear end

dupersaurus
Aug 1, 2012

Futurism was an art movement where dudes were all 'CARS ARE COOL AND THE PAST IS FOR CHUMPS. LET'S DRAW SOME CARS.'

DandyLion posted:

I fleched at my opponent and his foil tip snapped somewhere in the blur of it all and when I was done I had scored a point and he had ~1" of his blade buried in my (inner) thigh. The worst part was the medics pulling my knickers down in front of god and everyone at the tourney.



Fleche hard or go home (I did both).

Tonight we dine in Valhalla the hospital cafeteria

Siivola
Dec 23, 2012

Congrats on the point, at least? :ohdear:

Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

HPanda posted:

Ok, cool. I like to sometimes weird out my opponent with them in epee.
Specifically, you can't cross forwards because letting two people, who both think they have priority, sprint at each other with sabres is a bad idea. Crossing backwards to run the hell away from someone is still fine though.

Holy poo poo on the foil through the knickers, that's legitimately terrifying because there are some pretty important veins in your legs. What make/rating were the pants?
The worst I've ever had is getting hit on the hand with a foil point hard enough to make me bleed, but without breaking through the glove.

Also I stumbled on someone posting photos of a 1930s encyclopedia in GBS, scroll down for the entry on fencing: https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3910890&userid=0&perpage=40&pagenumber=2#post501645567
Most of it looks recognisable but that high septime parry seems pretty awkward.

Siivola
Dec 23, 2012

Lemme just repost then here for convenience's sake:



The high septime is an Italian thing I think ("mezzo cerchio" in Italian), it's kinda like parrying in prime but it lets you keep the point in line.

Ravenfood
Nov 4, 2011
Guessing the pants were 350n but also, that's part of why you should always wear a plastron. Gear can fail. Wear a backup.

DandyLion
Jun 24, 2010
disrespectul Deciever

Ravenfood posted:

Guessing the pants were 350n but also, that's part of why you should always wear a plastron. Gear can fail. Wear a backup.

They were 350n.

It snapped perpendicular about 3" from the tip (and I suspected thankfully this is what kept the wound minimal rather than a sharp broken edge), and the broken bit was dangling from the wire about halfway down his remaining blade. The tip of the broken blade slid under my skin between the skin and muscle beneath (which was thankfully miraculous given the location and the critical artery so close). I forgot to mention he fleched a nanosecond after I did, so it was our combined forces together that let it punch through my pants. I've got pretty big thighs so the fabric was pretty taught and I suspect if they were a bit baggier the slack may have absorbed the broken edge rather than parted/tore.

Funnily enough I didn't even know it happened. Since we both fleched we ended almost chest to chest, and as I was backing away I kind of stumbled back down to a knee and I thought I was tangled in his cable or something and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't disconnect from him until my coach ran over and stopped me from moving any further. At this point I kind of came to my senses (and recognized the shrieks of some of the spectators were actually at me) and I noticed the blade sticking through my pants and a red blood patch growing around the puncture point on the white fabric. They disconnected my opponents foil from his cable and laid me down on the strip and then cut down my pants from the waist to the puncture (and pulled them the rest of the way down to below my knees). It was a decent sized tournament so there was probably ~500 participants/spectators arrayed in the arena and I was mollified and was begging them to stop and that I was fine (I just wanted to go to the locker room to get it taken care of away from spectators).

It was a semi-final match and I had to withdraw obviously so the whole day was ruined in the most spectacular fashion (especially since I was up in points and likely would have won ). Only a couple stitches though, and the pucker scar is out of sight so in the end I can thankfully laugh about it.

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008

DandyLion posted:

They were 350n.

It snapped perpendicular about 3" from the tip (and I suspected thankfully this is what kept the wound minimal rather than a sharp broken edge), and the broken bit was dangling from the wire about halfway down his remaining blade. The tip of the broken blade slid under my skin between the skin and muscle beneath (which was thankfully miraculous given the location and the critical artery so close). I forgot to mention he fleched a nanosecond after I did, so it was our combined forces together that let it punch through my pants. I've got pretty big thighs so the fabric was pretty taught and I suspect if they were a bit baggier the slack may have absorbed the broken edge rather than parted/tore.

Funnily enough I didn't even know it happened. Since we both fleched we ended almost chest to chest, and as I was backing away I kind of stumbled back down to a knee and I thought I was tangled in his cable or something and I couldn't figure out why I couldn't disconnect from him until my coach ran over and stopped me from moving any further. At this point I kind of came to my senses (and recognized the shrieks of some of the spectators were actually at me) and I noticed the blade sticking through my pants and a red blood patch growing around the puncture point on the white fabric. They disconnected my opponents foil from his cable and laid me down on the strip and then cut down my pants from the waist to the puncture (and pulled them the rest of the way down to below my knees). It was a decent sized tournament so there was probably ~500 participants/spectators arrayed in the arena and I was mollified and was begging them to stop and that I was fine (I just wanted to go to the locker room to get it taken care of away from spectators).

It was a semi-final match and I had to withdraw obviously so the whole day was ruined in the most spectacular fashion (especially since I was up in points and likely would have won ). Only a couple stitches though, and the pucker scar is out of sight so in the end I can thankfully laugh about it.

drat.

Also, you legit now have a dueling scar/scar from someone charging at you with a sword.

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

HPanda posted:

Also, you legit now have a dueling scar/scar from someone charging at you with a sword.

Yes!

- - -

My son was the one who got me into fencing. About a year ago he stayed late after fencing class and had a bout with a kid who also in his class at school. Afterwards I found out that they had the bout to see who would sit next to a particular girl in their math class.

I am very proud that my son fought his first affair of honor at age 12.

Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

Shiiit. So 800N breeches are probably going to be my first fencing purchase of the year, then.

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008

Crazy Achmed posted:

Shiiit. So 800N breeches are probably going to be my first fencing purchase of the year, then.

What do those run? Like $100-200?

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008
Had some fun in practice today. I don't have my own weapons yet, so needed to use the club's, but it was a really busy session and all of the right-handed epees were taken. Ended up needing to use a foil, but it was all dry, so no biggie. Just had a much smaller bell guard. This made my hand a really tempting target. Since my hand was mostly exposed now, I became very aware of exactly where it was, and started deflecting people's attacks with the smaller bell guard.

Until now, the only time I managed that was on accident. It feels super badass to do it on purpose. So satisfying as they clang off.

Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

HPanda posted:

What do those run? Like $100-200?

I’m in New Zealand so it’s a bit more expensive for me after currency conversion and shipping. I’m looking at the uhlmann ones, does anyone have experience with their sizing/shrinkage etc?

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

My son got his E rating today!

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

The fencing club is closed due to the epidemic.

I swear, I'm going to start fencing against my son in the driveway once the snow melts.

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



How'd that go with your son and that girl in his math class, by the way?

I know that's kind of creepy to ask but it's also a really adorable story.

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

Xiahou Dun posted:

How'd that go with your son and that girl in his math class, by the way?

You know, I don't know. I figure that's his private life. I only know about the duel because I heard about it from his coach.

Hopefully they're enjoying sitting next to each other in math class.

Edit: Or, will once they're back in school.

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



I naturally want to say that obviously she should get to choose who she sits next to in math class cause it's not 1600, but it's so low stakes and so cute I just can't help myself.

Get that kid a half-cape and a giant floppy hat with a feather in it. Hell yeah.

(Also good on you for respecting his privacy.)

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

Xiahou Dun posted:

I naturally want to say that obviously she should get to choose who she sits next to in math class cause it's not 1600,

She's more than welcome to fight duels over seating arrangements herself!

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



And if she ain't want to, I'll be her champion. Keep in mind I'm 31, 200 pounds and do longsword, and my knee is really achey lately so we might have to do some weird Medieval hole in the ground judicial dueling thing to make it fair.

(No I'm obviously not threatening to assault your child I'm just going with the joke.)

HPanda
Sep 5, 2008
Glad I got in one more fencing class last week before everything shut down. The only clubs that might be open now are doing so in defiance of USFA, which means the insurance doesn't cover them.

Not sure how long this will go. Gotta figure out some ways to fence while staying six feet apart. Could bring back modified jousting?

Xiahou Dun
Jul 16, 2009

We shall dive down through black abysses... and in that lair of the Deep Ones we shall dwell amidst wonder and glory forever.



Is there like an Olympic-style fencing version of pell drills? It's been a solid 16 years since I did that but I remember my fencing teacher making like a target post-thing that slowly got turned into like an ersatz Wing-Chun dummy. Obviously not a replacement to real practice but beats thinking happy thoughts.

But I also might be having a stroke. Idk.

Siivola
Dec 23, 2012

Oh yeah, thrusting targets are everywhere in fencing clubs and there's even ones with lights that light up in random patterns available.

Ravenfood
Nov 4, 2011

Xiahou Dun posted:

Is there like an Olympic-style fencing version of pell drills? It's been a solid 16 years since I did that but I remember my fencing teacher making like a target post-thing that slowly got turned into like an ersatz Wing-Chun dummy. Obviously not a replacement to real practice but beats thinking happy thoughts.

But I also might be having a stroke. Idk.

Golf/tennis ball on a string. Tie one or a few to a pvc pipe frame at variable heights. That's the cheap version. There are tons of more expensive ones, including light-up targets and just outright standing targets that hold a blade, wear a mask, etc. That one seems better for epee since it's all about letting you set up an arm target at adjustable extension and practice hitting it.

E: idk what sabreurs do. Yell and hit things?

Liquid Communism
Mar 9, 2004


Out here, everything hurts.




Tennis balls are good, I also like a 2" ring on a string hung from the ceiling for lunging practice.

Easiest thing, though, is footwork practice. You can do it anywhere and it requires nothing.

10 Beers
May 21, 2005

Shit! I didn't bring a knife.

Figured there might some interest in this here. Guy Windsor is offering his online training course for $20. Normally $500, so jump on it if you're interested!


https://swordschool.teachable.com/p/solo-training

Cessna
Feb 20, 2013

KHABAHBLOOOM

Since the club is closed my son and I have started doing drills in the driveway.



Fencing outdoors in the plague ridden city is the most Edgar Allan Poe thing I've ever done.

Crazy Achmed
Mar 13, 2001

I've been stabbing the fence in the backyard (there's a joke to be made there), sadly I didn't think to go and borrow my club's electronic target board before the gym got closed ahead of national lockdown :(

Jack B Nimble
Dec 25, 2007


Soiled Meat
I want a fun way to get some cardio, what's the best place to buy the following:

Wastrel arming sword.
Replica arming sword that resembles this "short sword".

I want to practice some messer forms/drill and hit a pell. I fenced a little in middle school (lol) but there aren't any clubs around me so I'm not worried about 1) not being able to teach myself or 2) limiting myself by choosing a arming sword over a long sword.

I'd appreciate any advice about to where to spend my money or where to find messer or arming sword drills, no one I know does anything like this.

Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 14:52 on Mar 27, 2020

Siivola
Dec 23, 2012

For drills, you're unfortunately a bit out of luck. There just isn't that much solo training material for either weapon out there. Your best bet are the Bolognese masters of the 16th century (Manciolino, Marozzo and the anonymous one) since a lot of their material is solo forms, but Joachim Meyer (also from the 16th century) might also have something. And that's it.

You can get wooden swords from Purpleheart Armory. I don't really know any company making a replica of a sword like the Dark Souls one since to be quite honest, the proportions are all wrong. Kult of Athena sells a ton of various kinds of sharp swords though.

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Jack B Nimble
Dec 25, 2007


Soiled Meat
Thank you for the reply, that's a lot of great information for what I know was a kind of silly request. If you'll indulge me, I have a few follow up questions:

1) would the training material increase considerably if I did switch to a long sword? They seem much better covered; I preferred the one handed arming sword for several reasons but maybe I could change my mind.

2) It doesn't literally have to look like a dark souls shortsword, maybe it would better if I had just asked for a site that makes reputable replicas of arming swords. If it matters, I care more about it being true to the techniques of construction and design principles than an actual copy of a specific sword.

Edit: you already kindly recommend Kult of Athena, so it would have better for me to just ask if they're historically accurate, or more for practical hema use, etc.

I'll get a purple heart armory...waster? I'd seen that as one of the potential sites so I appreciate the recommendation.

Edit the second: I mean really, this arming sword looks enough like the dark souls short sword I posted to satisfy me, neat!

http://www.kultofathena.com/product.asp?item=SM36050&name=13th+Century+Arming+Sword+-+Atrim+Design+-+Type+XIV

Jack B Nimble fucked around with this message at 21:15 on Mar 27, 2020

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