Ren Fair Fencing

[LANCER1562]

As a re-enactor, I train with Richard Brown (aka Diarmid Campbell) in Fremont almost every Sunday (schedule permitting). We train primarily with Celtic broad sword. As a former fencing student (epee), I have found that a lot of the techniques we practice translate well to use with the rapier which I tend to use while in character a a gentleman soldier.

[TheKiltedCoder]

I'd done all three, as well (foil was my fave, though: I'm not really tall enough to do fence epee effectively.).

I met my wife through fencing. We were introduced, and she immediately tried to stab me (She fenced left-handed, but really only did foil). We still have all our stuff downstairs in storage. We were cheap: almost all of our blades were made by France-Lames (although this was long enough ago that they still made decent weapons). I think almost all of our stuff came through Triplette (good folks to work through back then, can't speak for them now: It's been too long).

I never fenced kilted, though: fencing for me was WAY pre-kilt.

I was also a rated director at one point. I wonder what the USFA or FIE would say about a kilted director? If memory serves, the regs required tan or khaki pants back then.

Brian

[Panache]

...Don't remember wanting repeat touches, wanted to skewer the other guy though.

Ron,

In foil, with its "right of way", once you have attacked you automatically prepare to parry riposte.

In epee' there is no right of way, first touch gets the point, AND if you both touch within time you both get the point. Also the entire body is the target.

Therefore epee fencers train to strike multiple targets in their attacks. The first strike at the thumb might miss for a clean single touch, but the follow up strike to the inside of the elbow will probably pick up a single touch, and if that fails as well then a strike to the body will result in at least a double touch.

Once committed the epee fencer Strikes, strikes, strikes and keep striking until the buzzer sounds.

Hope that explains it.

Cheers

Jamie

[george7]

That still doesn't explain how I would trust a plastic tip not to fall off and tear through my kilt into something more valuable (my torso/leg or worse)

[Joe Gondek]

I used to do Rapier in SCA events until my knees gave out
I really miss it

[Derek Conley]

I perform in Renaissance Festivals and teach historical fencing (Saviolo, Agrippa, Fabris, etc). A link to my site is in my sig.

But for fun...

[Riverkilt]

That COULD be a blue velvet kilt you're wearing eh Derek?? I mean it COULD be...maybe...huh??

Ron

[MacMillan of Rathdown]

Ron,

In foil, with its "right of way", once you have attacked you automatically prepare to parry riposte.

In epee' there is no right of way, first touch gets the point, AND if you both touch within time you both get the point. Also the entire body is the target.

Therefore epee fencers train to strike multiple targets in their attacks. The first strike at the thumb might miss for a clean single touch, but the follow up strike to the inside of the elbow will probably pick up a single touch, and if that fails as well then a strike to the body will result in at least a double touch.

Once committed the epee fencer Strikes, strikes, strikes and keep striking until the buzzer sounds.

Hope that explains it.

Cheers

Jamie

That sums it up nicely, Jamie. I trained privately at Falcon Studios in Hollywood with Ralph Faulkner ("The Boss") three days a week, as well as with his open classes a couple of nights a week, then competed on weekends.

The Boss was amazing, and insisted that you went for a multiple hit, or nothing at all. "HIT ME!" he'd roar, and if you didn't get at least two hits, he'd quite forcibly show you where all of your openings were!

According to The Boss the three best swordsmen in Hollywood were "Himself" (naturally), Cornell Wilde, and Basil Rathbone.

Now back to the subject: Always wear a cup, and wear your plastron inside your shirt (it looks better) when fencing in a kilt.

Cheerio!

[Derek Conley]

That COULD be a blue velvet kilt you're wearing eh Derek?? I mean it COULD be...maybe...huh??

Ron

Ah, I wish! Those were black trousers... tucked into knee-high bucket boots.

However, that exact costume, paired with my current kilt, actually looks really good. I tried it on the other day for the hell of it.

[Panzer]

Here's some pics for y'all to laugh at... And yes, those ARE tanker boots...