Enough of Rapiers. What about Sabers?

D7reamers

D7reamers

Joined
Aug 29, 2001
Messages
850
I want to learn how to use a saber a its full potenial, but I having a bit trouble winning with it, because I get hit in sword arm too much.
So, got any good tips on use a saber?
 
Hi D7,
Do you mean modern sabres or military sabres?
Are you fighting sabre vs sabre?
There are a number of sabre manuals on the web that can probably help you.
Cheers
Stu.
 
Hi D7,
Two pieces of advice.

1. Read your sig line.

2. Read your sigline again. ;)

Actually, it's hard to tell what you're doing wrong, it could be one of several things.
1. Over extending
2. Failing to get back out after your attack.
3. Not voiding with your arms as well as your body.
4. Coming in on the wrong line. (This assumes you're fighting in the round rather than online as in Sport Fencing.)

I'm sure there's more, but that's what comes to mind as "probable."
 
Hi,

I am not sure whether you are the agent or the patient agent when these hand hits are occuring. Are you being hit in defence, whilst attacking or on the retraction?

In addition to what Ken suggests, it could just be that you have your distance wrong. You do not want to be at close distance where you can be hit with the time of the hand. You want to fence at a distance where he must use at least the time of the hand and body if not the time of the hand, body and foot in order to hit you. This starts to become difficult against taller opponents where his close distance is your wide distance however.

If you are having problems with your opponent sniping at your hands as his offense, then adopt a hanging guard, block his blow and then run him through in prima on a lunge or pass. This works brilliantly against those who have never seen the hanging guard used offensively before.
Have fun,
Stu.
 
Hanging guard is awesome and one of my favorite positions. Only problem is, overuse teaches your opponent what to expect.

I didn't mention distance because you didn't say where on the arm you were being hit.

If it's hands, your distance is okay but your voiding is off. You'd be well advised when you see the hit coming in, to lift your hilt,(while leaving the point centered) block with the forte or terce, and withdraw.

A nice move is to see the lateral cut coming in, lift the hilt, keeping the tip low, block outside with the forte and then pivot the tip up into the opponent's sword arm. It's very fast and usually unexpected.
 
Hi Ken,

You like hanging guard huh?
Has anyone here read Hope's New Method? I started today and it is interesting that he builds his whole system around the hanging guard in seconde. I am getting a spadroon soon and will be trying it out.
Cheers
Stu.
 
Here are some online manuals which might have some good advice. First is Starzewski's classic on the traditional Polish school of the saber. The saber was first used by the Poles and others in Eastern Europe and is probably a descendant of Oriental curved swords. Historically there was almost constant warfare between Turks, Tatars, Cossacks, Poles, and other people in the area. Note that in the illustrations the "good guy" wields a Polish Karabela while the "bad guy" wields a Turkish Killij!:

www.kismeta.com/diGrasse/zablocki_SabreFencing.htm

Here is the saber manual of the famous Explorer, Adventurer, and Orientalist Capt. Sir Richard F. Burton. He includes an entire section on the technique of "Manchette", or arm cuts and counters thereof. In Central Europe "Manchette" had developed into a whole subsystem of fencing in which all attacks and counterattacks were directed at the enemy's sword-arm, and Manchette-duels were fought as a form of stylized limited-target duel, sort of like the German Schlager-play but with the sword-arm rather than the face being the one target:

www.ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_burtonnewsword_0200.htm

And last but not least is the original "Cold Steel", by Capt. Alfred Hutton:

www.thehaca.com/pdf/ColdSteel.pdf
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top