Rhythm

This post backs up a lesson I gave in the Salle this week. Like most theory it should be put into practice in order to really learn it.
Musashi refers to the fact that there are rhythms in everything in life and that these are particularly important and relevant to exponents of the sword. The accomplished practitioner should be aware of these rhythms and how to match and also disrupt them. This holds true for the modern fencer as without a concept and awareness of both your own rhythm and that of your opponent you will not be able to dictate the fight and close to a distance where you can make a valid hit. All to often I see fencers plodding up and down the piste in a predictable rhythm and then wondering why a) they cannot make a hit or b) why their opponent can hit them so easily. Rhythm and footwork need to be viewed as another weapon in a fencers armoury and like any weapon there are times when it is appropriate to deploy different styles and times when it is not.
Matching Rhythm
Matching rhythm is appropriate where you wish to employ more complex compound attacks, particularly those that involve feints or deceptions to confuse your opponent. A matching rhythm allows your opponent to see your feint and react to it, thus allowing your compound attack to succeed. Complex blade movements are difficult to execute when you and your opponent are not synchronised. A matching rhythm is also useful to lull your opponent and makes a sudden rapid attack or change of rhythm more upsetting to them.
Disrupting Rhythm
Disrupting an opponents rhythm is useful when you wish to attack on their preparation or do beat attacks etc. You can disrupt an opponents rhythm by using varied footwork styles such as cross steps, ballestras and appelles etc, leaving them in such a state of confusion that you can make your attacks with greater chance of success.
It must be noted that you should not exclusively concentrate on your rhythm as this will narrow your perspective too much, rather your rhythm should be natural and easy to maintain. Like all things in fencing a seemingly simple concept can be deceptively difficult to execute. However, there wouldn't be any fun otherwise would there?!

Yagyu Munenori

Munenori was a contemporary of Musashi during the late 16th and early 17th centuries but trod a totally different path. Whilst Musashi was an itinerant swordsman and didn't find a stable occupation until the latter part of his life, Munenori became the sword instructor to the Shogun and thus attained a very influential position. He was an exponent of the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu school, which had an approach that was strongly influenced by contemporary Zen thinking. His lasting legacy was the Hei-ho Kadensho, or The Life Giving Sword, in which he recorded his thoughts on advanced sword play. His main philosophy was that the mind should remain undisturbed or unattached whilst engaged in combat which would allow the swordsman to triumph over his adversary, although his explanations were much more complex than this. He also cultivated the development of a steady mind (Zanshin) that was attuned to it's surroundings, thus allowing the samurai to develop an almost sixth sense. Whilst firmly based in the time, many of his writings are directly relevant to modern fencing and life in general. Munenori was not only a great theorist/philosopher; his outstanding skill with the sword was demonstrated when he single-handedly fought a group of enemy samurai who had launched a surprise attack on the Shogun himself. Munenori quickly killed seven of them and delayed the ambush long enough for assistance to arrive.
The story that typifies Munenori to the later generations is that of an occasion when he was pre-occupied in observing cherry blossoms in the grounds of his house when he suddenly felt a sense of danger. Upon turning he found only a page who acted as his sword bearer. Munenori was dismayed that his sixth sense had let him down and the Page noticed this and asked the reason for his Master's discomfiture. Upon hearing Munenori's explanation the Page confessed that whilst he had sat behind Munenori in the garden he had wondered whether his Master would be vulnerable to attack whilst viewing the blossoms so intently. It was this that Munenori had sensed, so his zanshin had not let him down after all.

Further Reading

Here is a list of some of the writings that have influenced me and as a result the content of this blog.
The Book of Five Rings (Gorin-No-Sho), Miyamoto Musashi. Trans. T. Cleary or W. Scott Wilson. Either translation is good but offers different perspectives on the text. I read the Cleary version first and then the Wilson one and got something different from both.
The Life Giving Sword (Hei-Ho-Kadensho), Yagyu Munenori. Trans. W. Scott Wilson. Munenori's treatise on sword-craft and life in general within a Zen frame of reference
The Unfettered Mind, Takuan Soho. Trans. W. Scott Wilson. Almost a companion book to the Life Giving Sword, Takuan was Munenori's friend and Zen advisor
Musashi - The Lone Samurai. W. Scott Wilson. Life story of Musashi with a wealth of detail.
Sword and Brush - Dave Lowry. On the surface a book about Japanese calligraphy but contains much of interest to the old fashioned martial artist in general.

Every Opponent Different, Every Opponent The Same...

Yesterday was a beautiful morning here in Norfolk, the sun was shining, the air was crisp and clear and the trees and countryside had taken on their rich golden autumnal hue. Driving to the salle on mornings like this always puts me in a good mood and my spirits were further lifted by the fencing I saw. It was a ladder day and this afforded me a rare opportunity to just observe my students on the piste. As I sat on the floor in my usual cross legged pose (before the cramp set in – not as young as I was!) I listened to the sounds of the salle. A colleague presiding on the next piste, the buzz of the electric scoring boxes and the clash of blades; all was as it should be…..

As I observed the fencing I found myself registering many different things about each fight and each combatant. One particular point that I noticed was how the style of one of my students changed markedly when he fenced a friend. After this fight I asked him if he felt differently about this particular bout to which he replied “Well, yes..” (I sensed there was a hidden “Well Duuuh” in his reply) as if this was an obvious question. I then explained why I had asked.

In my opinion every opponent should be treated differently and every opponent should be treated the same. This paradoxical statement may sound counter-intuitive but by stating it I mean that every opponent you face will have different strengths and weaknesses, different motivations and distractions and it is this tactical aspect that must be analysed and dealt with in a unique way. However, each opponent should be treated the same in the sense that they are there to be defeated. Every bout should be treated as another day in the office, just another opportunity to overcome another opponent. If a fencer starts to treat an opponent as ‘special’ it is at this point that the emotions begin to outweigh the facts of the matter. Once an opponent has been identified as ‘special’ there is a danger that the desire to beat them will overwhelm technique, thought and control. That is why every opponent is tactically different but treated the same in terms of outcome; they are there to be beaten, do it and move on.

The Simple Things

This week I was at the Salle as usual and assisting my coach with a group foil lesson. Andy announced that he was going to be doing a lesson regarding the engagement of sixte and some bright spark in the class said "Oh that's basic..." in a sarcastic tone. What that person didn't realise (and what we then demonstrated) is that a 'basic' technique can be made increasingly more complicated by upping the pressure on the student to perform it correctly by using a step, movement or increased speed or accuracy. In fact, there really are no 'basic' techniques in fencing. There are techniques that are taught early in a fencers career but they are foundations and should not be dismissed once learnt; rather they should be built upon time and time again through vigilant practice. It is a commonly held misconception (particularly in Western society) that once you've been shown something you know it. In the Japanese martial arts the first demonstration of a technique is just the start of the journey to apply it. Many times I see relatively experienced fencers lungeing incorrectly, the classic fault being the lifting of the back foot from the floor. This seems like a simple error but it completely negates the speed, power and balance of a lunge and weakens the attack. Once this habit pattern gets ingrained in the fencer it is very difficult to remove it. Only through constant practice of these simple things does the fencer gain greater understanding of the basic principles that underpin each technique. Ironically this basic understanding may take years to attain.....

Economy

One of the principles I mentioned earlier in this blog is economy. I believe that all fencing techniques should be performed with the maximum economy of effort. Your resources in terms of energy and time are finite and therefore you should not waste them by expending energy needlessly. All too often I see fencers flailing madly at their opponent in the vain hope that they will score a hit when all that results is that they exhaust themselves early. This is especially relevant to 15 hit tournament fights when energy can tail off dramatically toward the end of a bout.

A fencer should always concentrate on moving their point towards the target area of their opponent in the most efficient manner. This means that wherever possible the point should remain in line and not be deviating from this line except for the most precise of disengagements etc. Violent waving of a foil usually results in a replacement of the point that is flat. Whilst parrying the point should not be swept across but should be controlled, again to ensure that the riposte is finally valid.

There are several techniques that I regard as the most economical.
The most basic is the direct lunge made whilst your opponent is moving toward you (not whilst they are attacking or extending their arm). The objective here being to hit your opponent before their front foot lands.
A slightly more complex attack (and one designed to gain you the right of way) is the beat attack on your opponent's preparation. Again, the intention is to beat your opponent's blade and hit them before their front foot is firmly planted, ensuring they cannot evade your attack.
A method of economical defence is to invite your opponent to attack on your own preparation and then score with an intentional parry riposte. Again, you are making your opponent do the work by lungeing although you may have to use body language and deception to induce your opponent's attack.
Finally and probably the ultimate form of economy is the derobement. You straighten your arm in an attempt to induce your opponent to engage your blade and attack down it. This is especially effective against an opponent who charges in to do it. If they take the bait you evade their engagement with a miniscule circular disengagement whilst maintaining your straight arm (n.b. most important not to bend the arm a fraction) and let them impale themselves on the end of your foil. If executed correctly this is a very satisfying move. It is not one to be tried more than once in a fight but it gives a great sense of satisfaction if successful!

There are many other economical moves and the few detailed above are just examples. The perceptive fencer will be able to think of more to add to their repertoire of economy.