Sunday, January 17, 2016

Andre Paurenfeindt - Twelve Rules for the Beginner Fencer" Part 2/2

This is a continuation of the previous post which examined rules #1-6. To begin there, click HERE.


I mentioned in my commentary on rule #6 that "soft," "hard," "weak," and "strong" could be interpreted to mean both the pressure in a bind or the divisions of a sword. In other words, a person could be strong in a bind or they could use the strong of their sword in a specific way. Nevertheless, I realize that by artificially dividing up Paurenfeindt's rules into two segments of six rules each, I didn't consider rule 6 and 7 side-by-side while I was writing the previous post. If you consider them together, Paurenfeindt clarifies which of the ideas he is referring to. So, in short, I goofed. Below is my re-written rule #6, after which is exposition for rule #7-12.


EDIT: Rule #6: "Search for the weak and the strong / Indes, note this word"


These two lines offer some interesting insight when considered together. Indes actions, or actions done "in the moment of," are actions in which the feeling of pressure and proper execution of timing allow you to act in the measured instant of your opponent's technique. Depending on what your opponent has done, your technique would require specific blade positioning in order to be effective. Blade positioning deals with the dynamics of bringing your blade to act on an opponent's weak, as in the case of a counter thrust, or on your opponent's strong, as in the case of a counter cut. For example, if your opponent assumes an ochs position and thrusts to your face, one counter from pflug would travel through longpoint and into ochs, thereby meeting your opponent's blade on the weak as it came in and off-setting that point. This setting aside of the point--the weak portion of your opponent's blade--allows you to take control of the center and to then counter thrust. Similarly, searching for the opponent's strong means to bind lower on the blade, thereby giving you both the defensive setting aside and the leverage to make a cut all in the same moment of your opponent's initiating cut. Therefore indes is more than just acting at the same time as your opponent, but being aware of the defensive component of your technique. This is exactly how one avoids double hits. It's not enough to simply act in the same time as your opponent, but rather to have the knowledge to search out the corresponding division of your opponent's blade that will set aside their technique while creating an opening for your own. In this way, a double hit is avoided.


Basic martial concept: Defending oneself while simultaneously threatening the opponent



Rule #7: "Consider soft or hard / Nachreissen is your tool"

In feeling the pressure in a bind or similar engagement (i.e. grabbing an arm, shirking an opponent's hold on your weapon, etc.), one must understand when the opponent is soft because they're transferring energy elsewhere--often in the middle of switching techniques or trying something else--or when the opponent is hard which is often because they are pushing through towards their target.

What's vital to keep in mind is that your opponent's pressure is indicative of the technique they are trying to execute. That pressure is also relative to the forces being applied by both combatants. For example, if I enter a bind with my opponent and go weak, or soft, I'm not going weak simply to do so. Going weak in and of itself is not a conscientious choice or strategy. What I'm actually doing is shifting my target--attempting to strike elsewhere or attempting to strike with a different part of my weapon--which is causing the weakness in the bind, precisely because my focus lies elsewhere. If my opponent were to focus elsewhere as well--go weak, just as I did--then the bind would evaporate and our weapons would be freewheeling, the benefit of fuhlen lost.

Furthermore, following after, or nachreissen, is a way in which your sense of pressure in a bind allows you to make a cut or thrust in the moment an opponent is trying to set up their own technique. Ultimately, following after is a result of acting in-between an opponent's techniques. As they pull back or set up for a second strike, you follow their recovery with a strike of your own. A transitional moment--between cuts, between guard changes, etc.--is potentially a moment where openings can be exploited. If you have established a bind, nachreissen becomes a powerful tool that can utilize the feeling of soft or hard to take advantage of that transitional timing between techniques.






Basic martial concept: utilize pressure to your advantage 


Rule #8: "Strike before and after / Do not close range too hastily"


This is one of my personal favorites because here Paurenfeidt demonstrates the need to be aware of all timings of a fight, not only indes. At times, you can seize the vor and strike first, your successive strikes maintaining that initiative. At other times, your opponent has seized the initiative, and you have been forced to fight in the after, or nach. At still other times, you choose to fight in the after, waiting for your opponent to leave an opening you can exploit. The point is, a fighter needs to be aware of how to utilize all of the timings in a fight.

Paurenfeindt's admonishment not to close range too hastily is sound advice. The effect of closing range is that the timings become much shorter. At close range, the speed at which techniques are executed is much faster than at middle or far range. As fighters close distance, the relative timings become shorter. If you think of a boxer working on a heavy bag this will make sense. As a boxer closes with the bag, their short punches are lightning quick and often follow in rapid succession. To close that range, however, a boxer often leads with a powerful strike to cover their advance, their arm at full extension. This leading punch is much slower (in relative terms) simply because the distance it must travel is longer. Once that distance is closed, techniques can follow in quick succession. If you're trying to strike before and after in order to command the timing of a fight, a hasty closing of range may give the advantage of a command over the timing to your opponent. Haste assumes incorrect planning or a lack of awareness.


Basic martial concept: Gain proficiency with all timings


Rule #9: "Fight near the body / Do not neglect the harassing strikes"


Zeckrur or the "harassing strikes," also potentially translated as "provocations," are described by Joachim Meyer in 1570 as "not actually delivered as a cut, but is rather flicked; [...] you make your weapon snap at your opponent...with the flat or foible of the blade" (Forgeng trans. p. 59-60). This suggests a type of harrasment or provocation of the opponent whereby you are trying to provoke him to create an opening he was otherwise keeping closed or to bait him to respond in haste with a poorly conceived retaliatory strike. In essence, the beginning fencer is reminded to create opportunities. This is part and parcel to controlling a fight, or at least controlling one of the engagements of a fight.

The first line, in my opinion, is the most enigmatic of the twelve rules. If the two lines are taken together, however, I believe we can make more sense out of what it means to "fight near the body." If one is to use the flat or weak to make harassing strikes, one must keep in mind that those harassing strikes are not an end. Instead, as a means to an end they create opportunities to aim for an opponent's vital targets, namely the body and head. Therefore, if you wish to successfully target the head or the body, you must do so when there's a safe opening, and that can be achieved by baiting the opponent with harassing strikes.


Basic martial concept: Control the tempo of the fight by using threatening strikes to create opportunistic openings


Rule #10: "Step close at the bind / otherwise you will be wounded"


This one is fairly simple. In a bind you are most threatened if the blades are weak on weak. It's very simple and fast to perform techniques such as a durchwechseln where the opponent slips the tip of his blade under your own in order to thrust. In order to avoid this, bind at least in the middle of the blade, or more preferably strong on strong. To do this, you must step close. Implied here is the sense of audacity that you need to close in a bind. Beginners are often sword shy and prefer to hand snipe or make ineffective cuts out of measure rather than engage in a true bind. This is connects nicely with rule #12.


Basic martial concept: When engaging, do so in a way that maximizes your ability to defend yourself.


Rule #11: "The front of the hand is called the long edge / Seldom attempt deflections with the short"


The long edge is determined by one's grip, as I describe in this video. In general, deflections with the short edge are more difficult because of the handwork required. I have also read translations that state "seldom suffer a parrying of the short" (Christian Trosclair trans.), which puts reception of the parry on the active agent. If your short edge stroke is parried--i.e. you've "suffered" a parry"--I can only imagine that the handwork required to return back to the long edge is difficult in order to recover. I believe that the intended audience needs to be considered here. For a beginner, the handwork required to parry with the short edge is certainly more complicated than a long edge parry. As with anything, practice makes switching from long to short edge fairly simple. However, for a beginner, the transitioning handwork between long and short edge often feels clumsy, unsure, and awkward.


Basic martial concept: Perfect that which comes easy first, or at least rely on easier, foundational material.


Rule #12: "If you frighten easily / Do not learn to fence"


Fiore dei Liberi points out that audacity or boldness is a trait that all fencers must have. Indeed, all martial arts require that you be able to defend yourself using violence. There's no escaping that fact. If you attempt to fight with timidity, you will get hurt. This is certainly not to say that those who are timid shouldn't train in martial arts. They should, as long as they have the express purpose of eliminating that timidity. To be timid, or fearful, is to hang back, receive blows, and not take the inherent risks that violent confrontation demands. This is dangerous, as the requisite mindset for accurate self defense is not present. As an instructor, watching a timid person become more oppositional and forward is immensely rewarding, and I've always been in awe of the way in which learning self-defense promotes positive change in a person. So, to add on to Paurenfeindt's rule, I would say, "If you frighten easily, and don't care to change that fact, do not learn to fence."


Basic martial concept: Martial arts are a violent pursuit; understand and come to terms with this at the outset.


Andre Paurenfeindt's rules are a wonderful springboard for instructing novices. They outline many of the basic martial concepts that are vital to understanding more complicated material, and as such, provide a base for a martial artist to further explore other fighting systems as well. Moreover, these rules can also be used to delineate early rank if your fencing club uses a ranking system. We do this in the NJHFA. As members of the larger Historical Fencing Affiliates, we use Paurenfeindt's rules to help define our Novice and Scholar ranks implicitly, if not explicitly (click HERE to see the ranking section of the HFA's charter). A solid foundation in these rules are a great way to gauge proficiency in the art and evaluate a practitioner's skill set for rank advancement.