Cavalier Attitude

Glossary of Modern Fencing Terms

2017-11-04T04:19:00.000-07:00

If you need a basic glossary of modern fencing terms for yourself or your class, here it is! Feel free to reprint it, but please include the copyright info. (There's a downloadable PDF attached to the end of this post).

Basic Fencing Terminology

Footwork
En Guarde –the “On Guard” stance
Advance –A step forward
Retreat –A step back
Lunge –A “long,” explosive forward action. The principle attacking action
Balestra –A hop forward, with both feet landing on the ground at the same time
Fleche –An “Arrow.” A rapid, flying attack made by pitching the body weight forward leg and launching off the front leg. No longer legal in saber

Bladework
Thrust –A forceful extension of the arm from en guarde to full extension
Cut –The principal attack in Saber. An attack with the edge of the sword
Parry –A “blocking” action against an attack
     Lateral Parry –Blocking an attack by moving the blade from one line to the other
     Circular Parry –Blocking an attack by a circular blade action
     Beat parry –“Tapping” the blade out of the way
Riposte –A return thrust after a parry. Every attack leave the attacker open, a riposte takes advantage of that
Engagement –When the blades meet. It may be a feeling action, or a parry, or the start of a Pris du Fer
Disengage –To escape an engagement by shifting your point to the other side of the opponent’s blade
Coupe –“Cutover” to escape an engagement by cutting over the opponent’s blade
Beat –A versatile “tapping” action against the oppt’s blade. It may be used as a parry, an attack or a feint
Feint –A “False” action designed to get the opponent to open his guard
Invitation –To open your guard to “invite an attack”
Simple Attack –An attack using a simple action in a single tempo of fencing time
Compound Attack –An attack made up of several actions. These include the Doublé and the One-Two
Preparation –The initial actions of a compound attack
Stop-hit –To attack into the opponent’s preparation
Remise –To attempt to hit your opponent a second time without withdrawing after failing the first time. A remise does not have Right of Way
Pris De Fer –“Taking of the blade.” Any of several kinds of binding controlling actions that move the opponent’s blade. Pris de Fer include the bind, croisé, envelopment, thrust with opposition, etc.

Concepts
Right of Way –A set of rules used in Foil and Saber. The essence of ROW is that you may not attack an opponent at the when he is attacking you, or leave yourself vulnerable while trying to hit him. If your opponent attacks, you must parry or nullify that attack before hitting back. Epee does not follow right of way. An attack without ROW may occasionally be successful
Tempo –The flexible unit of time that fencing is measured in. A tempo is the time it takes to perform a single, simple action
Lines of Attack –Foil and Epee acknowledge 8 lines of attack, by dividing the torso into quarters, with two lines of attack in each quarter, and two parries in each quarter.
Sentiment De Fer –“Sensitivity for the steel.” A sense of touch with the blade, sensing what the opponent is planning
Distance –Also called Fencing Measure. There is a particular distance from your opponent at which you are best positioned to both attack and defend. It is cultivated through practice. Additionally, some blade actions may require slightly longer distances than others.
Displacement –Moving the torso out of the way of the attack. Usually a retreat, but can be to the side as well.

The Weapons
All weapons have a few parts in common:
The Blade –The part you hit with. Epee and Foil hit exclusively with the point, while saber allows you to cut with the leading edge and upper part of the back edge. The Epee blade is heavier and thicker.
The Guard –The part that protects the hand. The Epee guard is larger than the foil guard (both are round). The Saber guard includes knuckle protection.
The Handle –Also called the “grip.” There are a few different types. Sabers use a straight handle. French foils also use a fairly straight handle. “Orthopedic” handles are more common now for foil and epee, as they give a better grip. There are different types, depending on personal preference. The most common are Belgian, Russian, German and Visconti. Occasionally, you may see an Italian foil, featuring a short handle and two rings, but they are no longer common.
Pommel –The weight at the rear end of the sword. It counterbalances the weapon, and also holds all the parts together. Most orthopedic handles do not have a pommel, but a nut inside the handle to hold it all together.

There Are Three Weapons Used in Modern Fencing:
The Foil –The most common fencing weapon. Used for thrusting attacks only. Follows the rules of Right of Way. The target is the torso (including groin). Originally a training weapon for the epee, but developed into an art of its own.
The Epee –“The Dueling Sword” Also used only for thrusting attacks. No Right of Way is followed, and the entire body is target. The blade has the same dimensions at those used for duels in the 19^th century.
The Saber –Fashioned after the cavalry cutting weapon, it allows attacks with the entire leading edge and upper part of the back edge of the blade. It follows the rules of right of way, and the target area is all of the body above the waist, including arms and head.

©Jeff Sauber 2017 www.cavalierattitude.com www.facebook.com/CavalierAttitude/

This is an embedded Microsoft Office PDF, powered by Office Online.

No Matter How Bad Your Opponent's Guard Is...

2017-09-03T14:10:00.001-07:00

No matter how bad an opponent's en guarde stance is, you're not going to be able to hit him if he's mentally prepared. Likewise, no matter how good the stance is, he wont be able to defend against your attack if he's not mentally prepared.

I always remind people that stances exist in 4 dimensions-- they are relative to the opponent's attacks, but also to the distance of the combatants as well as the defender's reaction speed.

Time is the 4th dimension

T shirts are Back, plus, New Merchandise!

2017-09-02T00:58:00.001-07:00

Thanks to popular demand, we've reintroduced our popular line of T-shirts! As you may remember we used to offer Tees with some of the most dramatic illustrations from some of the most important fencing manuals. Our old printshop went out of business a few years ago, and we never reintroduced the shirts. Until now!

Currently, we have tees in white, black and navy blue, but we'll be introducing about 30 more colors soon. An we've also added coffee mugs! So if you can't wait until your fencing practice to start thinking about swordsmanship, you can fire up your imagination first thing in the morning. Plus it's a fun to bring it to work and wait for someone to ask about it and then, oh, so casually, mention that you happen to be an historical swordsman.

We'll be adding new designs and products from time to time, so if there's something you wish you were seeing in our store, but it's not there, like hats or hoodies or ..anything, send me an email and i'll see if we can't add it to the line.

Oh, one more thing.. You've probably seen our website, and maybe wondered if these guys are really still in business (dammit, Jim, I'm a fencer, not a web designer!). Yes we are, and we're going to be revamping the site soon. In the mean time, it still works, but we're also exploring the Etsy.com platform, and we've created a CavalierAttitude store there. You can order fencing bags and all the other merchandise all in one place.

Check it out now:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/CavalierAttitude

What's In The Bag Today?

2014-04-17T03:36:00.002-07:00

Here are some new views of what you can carry in your Cavalier Attitude Rapier Bag.

Here's a view of the bag with two modern foils for scale, one's French and one's a Belgian. Both have 35 inch blades. The bag behind it is full of all the equipment you see below, and is slouching somewhat.

And here's what's inside this bag today:
Those two foils
An Epee
A Saber
A Rapier with a 42" Del Tin blade
A 2-handed waster
A Del Tin Viking sword
Three 3-weapon masks

Note the zipper goes almost the entire length of the bag and features two zipper-pulls, so you can close it up or down.
...and there's still room for at least one more mask, and a full uniform and sundries...

And that soggy fencing jacket is in the exterior, water-resistant, outer pocket. That'll keep the moisture from rusting your blades and the rust from staining your nice white jacket. Also a great place to stash your t-shirts of fencing shoes to keep them separated from the rest of your equipment. And the upper pocket is great for tools, gloves and first aid equipment.

Hammer Exercises (Original 2004 Edition)

2014-03-31T01:59:00.000-07:00

Here's an old classic from my archives! I originally put this together for myself and some friends as we suffered from "swordsman's shoulder" and awful forearm strain. It certainly helped me a lot. It got around a bit, and I got back some great feedback from all kinds of swordsfolk and martial artists.

"This is a series of exercises developed specifically with the swordsman in mind; it aims to train all parts of the arm and body to work together in a coordinated fashion to increase range of motion, flexibility, strength and endurance. The exercises are called “Hammer Exercises” because they utilize a common 1-3 pound rubber mallet (although other objects can be used) for resistance, but they are effective if performed empty-handed, too."
(Hammer Exercises, P.2)

The exercise sets described in this extensively illustrated book were compiled by me from various athletic and martial traditions to create a gentle but effective way to train and develop a swordsman's arm. The three sections are easy to learn and fun to practice, and work the arm, shoulder in particular, through a full range of motion in an impact free way. My experience with regular practice of these actions was a stronger freer sword arm and bar less pain and strain in my forearm, even with heavy swords.

The book includes a basic discussion of the anatomical thinking behind the exercises.
The full set of Hammer Exercises is divided into three sections:

1) THREE PLAINS OF MOTION
Three exercises to develop the basic strength & coordination through three basic axes of motion.
2) CUTTING IN TEN DIRECTIONS
Based on the cuts that one commonly would make with a sword–this section most directly relates to swordsmanship.
3) CONTINUOUS MOULINET A simple exercise to further develop coordination between left & right.

The only equipment you need to do these is a rubber mallet, but even that is optional, but it's a convenient and inexpensive tool that is easy to find. You can do these exercises just as effectively with an Indian club, a stick, or just bare handed.

At some point, there will be an updated version of this book available for sale, but until that time, I'm offering this for free download. Please enjoy it, and share it, but do respect the copyright.
Your feedback is greatly appreciated. email me with your experiences, questions and comments: Jeff@cavalierattitude.com

Disclaimer:
This material is presented for informational purposes only. I make no claims as to it’s safety or efficacy, and I take no responsibility or liability for any injury resulting from the material contained herein. Never attempt any exercise regimen without first consulting a doctor.

(NOTE: TO DOWNLOAD, CLICK ON THE "DOWNLOAD" LINK BELOW THE EMBEDDED READER (IT'S RIGHT NEXT TO THE "SCRIBD." LOGO. DON'T CLICK ON THE HTTP LINK DIRECTLY BELOW THIS NOTE).

http://www.scribd.com/doc/215429593/Hammer-Exercises" style="text-decoration: underline;" >Hammer Exercises

Hold it Like a Little Bird... (The Importance of "Sensitivity")

2013-11-04T16:08:00.001-08:00

"Hold it like a little bird, not so tightly you crush is, but not so loosely that it escapes your hand."
This was one of the first things I learned from my first fencing master. Hold the sword carefully. (One famous Hungarian master my friend studied with had his own spin on this, saying: "hold your sword like you hold your d**k!" 'Nuff said).

We're all taught not to hold the weapon in a deathgrip, and we all take it to heart, but how often do we ever stop to think about why? The reasons are few and very practical:

Expending too much energy clamping down on the hilt of your sword will tire your hand out too fast.
Holding too tightly will make it very difficult to move the weapon flexibly and fluidly,
Concomitant to the above, it actually can make it easier to be disarmed in certain situations.

And perhaps even more importantly, a gentle grip lets you know where the business end of your sword is, and, when blade-on-blade actions occur, it lets you know what to do next.

The masters frequently talk about "Sentiment du fer" the "feeling of the steel," or sometimes just "sensitivity" and make it sound like some magic power, but it's actually very practical and important for a swordsman to develop.

For the attack, the balance of the blade will tell you where the striking part of your sword is. In the case of a thrusting weapon, it tells you where the point of your weapon is, something like the way a gun sight can help a marksman hit the target, IF the sight is lined up properly. If the balance of a sword changes, a swordsman can find his point off by inches or missing the target completely. The fencer's sense of touch lets him put the point right where he wants it.
In the case of a cutting weapon, broadsword, saber, etc., the optimal place on the edge of the sword to hit with for maximum effect is called the "center of percussion." Having a good feel of your weapon lets you know where this is at all times. When actually cutting something, this becomes immediately obvious. Even for a modern sport saberist, who may prefer to hit with the very tip of the sword, the sense of touch still lets you know where the tip of the sword is.

In the case of blade-on-blade exchanges feeling how the opponent's blade makes contact with yours will tell you where to go next. If you engage his blade, you are likely to feel three things:
1) No resistance. This tells you he is unprepared, and you can continue through directly or with a bind.
2) Strong resistance. A lot of tightness tells you the opponent might be nervous, and will almost certainly be responding a tempo behind your lead.
3) Moderate, sensitive resistance. This tells you the opponent is aware of you, too. Offering enough resistance to feel you out (literally). In this case, DON'T close or engage with this opponent without a plan.

Even in the case of a parry,when the opponent attacks and you catch it on your blade, you can feel the quality of his attack and what to do next if you're careful to be aware of what you're feeling. A light, snappy attack may signal an opponent already thinking of his next move and may call for a rapid riposte, while an attack with full, heavy physical commitment will tell you that the opponent may be slower to respond, maybe more likely to be taken in a throw or disarm, if you use grappling in your system.

From the neurological point of view, it's also important to be aware that one's neurology responds faster kinesthetically (physically) when responding to other kinesthetic cues than to visual cues. Which is to say, you tend to respond with your body faster to things that you feel than things you see. A visual cue, like the sight of a sword coming at you, has to be converted in the brain to a series of physical actions to get a response. Th visual-to-kinesthetic conversion only takes a few thousandths of a second, but considering that a straight attack delivered in distance takes about one one hundredth of a second to arrive, those few thousandths make a difference.

It's not uncommon for an advanced fencing student to be given a blindfolded fencing lesson at some point. At one level this may seem very mysterious, and the stuff of kung-fu-movies, but it's actually very practical training for fast physical awareness.

Back-and-forth drills are a great way to develop one's sensitivity, since you're limited to a few, preset actions that you repeat back and forth with a partner. The trick is to repeat the drill a bit longer that you might think is necessary, till the action becomes internalized and you can begin to turn your attention to what you are feeling.

In Tai Chi, they call the development of the touch "listening" and it's a very apt way to put it--listen to what your sword is telling you!

A new source for great Spanish fencing swords!

2013-04-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

From time to time I like to share information about sources for great fencing equipment (more often on our Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/CavalierAttitude). Today, I wanted to share this link with you. they are located in Spain and offer some amazing reproduction swords for fencers, and run by people who really know about swords and fencing. Please check em out--you won't be dissapointed!
http://Espaderoartesano.blogspot.com/

Our Customers...

2012-07-03T05:06:00.005-07:00

Not only are our customers fearsome, strong and goodlooking, they're talented, too. Just take a look at this lyrical letter we got from Kate, in Australia:

I stand, with a cavalier attitude, within a ring of fellow renaissance fencers.
Slung across my shoulder, leaving me completely hands-free, my bag carries my rapier, my sword, my two-hander, my dagger, and my buckler.
They drag bags that are too big, cradle bags that are too small, juggle individually bagged swords.
“Is it a snowboarding bag? A golf bag? A rifle bag?” they ask in confusion, knowing all too personally the faults of these bags they list.
“No,” I answer them. “You’ll never guess.”
“Is it for a musical instrument? A travelling salesman?” they offer wildly.
“No, it is for…. rapiers!"
Collectively they sigh in rapture and disbelief.
“There is no such thing!” ventures a brave soul. (Doubt my word? With my rapier just a zip away, and his tangled like a Gordian knot in his silly eastern sword bag that doesn’t believe in quillions?)
“It’s new, it’s from America ,” I tell them.
“Ahhh,” they sigh, “Too expensive then.”
I tell them the price.
I tell them the website.
They are lost for words.

Thank you,
Kate

Thank you, Kate!

The Cestus--a Roman Boxing Weapon, Close-Up

2012-06-08T04:56:00.000-07:00

I was wandering around the Greek and Roman galleries of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City the other day. If you've never been there, well, you could spend everyday there for a week and still not see everything they have to offer (and I've heard what's on display is only the tip of the iceberg compared to their entire collection). Anyway, it's a great place to spend some time.
The Greek and Roman galleries offer a great assortment of big and small items, from marble monuments through everyday items like bowls and jars, to helmets, swords, and armor. In one small display case I can across this delightful surprise:

Here we have a ancient roman sculpture of a left fist wearing a cestus! It would have been made at the time that gladiatorial fights were commonplace.The label indicated that it was probably sculpted to stand alone, perhaps as a votive offering (I could see it as having been a sign for a school or even an award of some sort). I've seen cestii roughly depicted in sculptures or paintings, but never life sized, and in such detail!

Now if you're a little lost here, let me back up and tell you what this is. The cestus is commonly described as a kind of early gladiatorial "boxing glove" or knuckle protection, but in fact, it is far more of an offensive weapon. It would have been used in prize fights, and the kind of brutal competitions that the Romans loved (possibly also for personal combat and defense).

There's no question that this item features knuckle protection. There is a plate that covers the knuckles, probably with a strap on its inside for the boxer to hold on to. I have to note that in this sculpture, the thumb is oddly exposed over the knuckle protection. Perhaps the boxers actually used it this way, or perhaps the boxer posed for this sculpture in a relaxed position (the thumb at full extension as it is seems quite relaxed). Perhaps the boxer merely lent his cestus to the sculptor, and the sculptor used his own hand to pose, and guessed at the proper grip. Alternatively, it may be that without the thumb exposed, it was difficult to tell what the sculpture was supposed to be. Either way, I would assume that when used in combat, the thumb would have been balled firmly with the fingers, or at least under the knuckle-guard. Judging from the simple curve of this guard-plate, and it's thickness, it's very likely to have been leather.

But what is most fascinating about this sculpture is the projection extending from the boxer's middle two knuckles! This cestus is no mere hand protection. This is a potentially deadly offensive weapon.
Even though there's no way of knowing what the actual projection would have been made from, it's still a very nasty bit of business. If it were made of hardened leather, it would leave punishing bruises on the opponent's body, and possibly break bones and even gouge out eyes. If it were made of bronze or some similar metal, it could easily break ribs and bones. Notice the scalloped striking edge of the projection, which would help the blow "dig in" even more, yet not necessarily break the skin. (I 'm guessing that the projection would have been cast of bronze or some similar metal due to the thickness of it in the sculpture).

It might have been based on a common street weapon carried for self defense, sans the knuckle protection, in the way that brass knuckles were, until recently commonly carried (and probably still are, in some parts of the world). It is interesting to notice on the sculpture how a string or thong runs down the back of the hand, to stop the deadly spike from being pushed down the fingers during the fight.

Rotten Bag Update

2012-03-30T03:18:00.000-07:00

I'm happy to say that once we were able to track down the right people at Ebay, they promptly stopped the guy who was selling our old garbage. We're still keeping an eye out on things like Craigslist and other chatboards. If anyone comes across a seller offering "brand new" Rapier Bags at an unrealistic price, or tries to make a deal on a quantity sale, please let us know and we will certainly reward you for your efforts.
We are happy to offer wholesale quantities and prices to honest resellers. Email us if interested.

Beware Rotten Rapier Bags!

2012-03-28T23:36:00.000-07:00

We have been warning customers about an Ebay seller who got his hands on some rotten Rapier Bags that were designated for the garbage dump, due to water and mold damage. I do not know how he got access to the stuff, whether he dug them out of the trash, or someone sold them to him (he claims he's selling them for someone else). This seller is not authorized to sell our products, and these bags are a POTENTIAL HEALTH HAZARD due to the presence of BLACK MOLD. We do not recommend anyone buy these bags, and will not warrant or replace them. (For what it's worth, the seller will not accept returns, either).

A few people asked about the whole story, so here it is, so far...

A year and a half ago, we moved our stock of Rapier Bags out of out of our old warehouse into a pristine new facility. We had some serious issues with the ethics of the old warehouse, but I won't go into detail now. When we moved the last few cartons away from the back wall, we were horrified to discover those cartons and the bags inside soaking wet and covered in black mold! There were holes and leaks in the back wall! Rainwater had been coming in, probably for a long time. In fact, part of the wall came away when we pulled the boxes away. (Happily, those boxes sacrificed themselves to protect the rest of our stock, which we carefully examined and found to be in pristine condition).

The old warehouse promised to compensate us for the damage and advised us to leave them, and file a damage form. They even gave us a claim number to submit to their insurance company.

We moved the rest of our stuff to our wonderful new storage facility, and business went on as usual.

Except their insurance company told us it was a made-up claim number and there was no insurance. And the old warehouse refused to return our calls. So we sued them.

Six months ago, in court, they testified that they never did any maintenance to their storage building, and that they took the Rapier Bags and dumped them because of the water damage and the mold.

Recently, we were alerted that someone was selling those rotten bags on Ebay! Sure enough, and they're even using our company name right in their auction title! I don't know if this guy fished them out of a garbage dump, or if the crooked manager of the old warehouse sold them as abandoned property (which is not legal), or if the seller IS the crooked manager of the old warehouse.

We contacted the seller and sent a "Cease and Desist" notice, and explained that they were violating our intellectual property, and our material property rights, since they were not an authorized reseller. I also explained that these bags pose a potential health risk, particularly to anyone with respiratory issues, due to the black mold. The seller doesn't care. The bags are cleaned up, and look good to him, and he has a lot of them, and plans to sell them.

Well, we have the wheels of justice turning, but as you know, the wheels of justice turn slowly, and in the meantime, I am concerned about unknowing customers buying bags that may not be all they should be, or even a serious health risk.
Because these illegally obtained bags are basically hazardous garbage, we will not warrant or replace them, and the seller is adamant that he will not accept returns. We do frequently sell Rapier bags on Ebay under our own account Cavalierattitude! http://myworld.ebay.com/cavalierattitude%21/?_trksid=p4340.l2559

Food for fencing

2011-07-06T02:15:00.000-07:00

Whether you train like an Olympian, or just noodle around once a week, the things you put into your body can strongly affect how well you fence.

Let's take a quick look at three things that sources say can help:

Protein--protein has probably been associated with physical activities longer than any other substance. Most obviously, protein helps build muscles, which are made out of protein. While building muscle isn't the thing that comes to mind first when one thinks of swordsmanship, muscles are unquestionably involved. Consuming protein after working out gives the body materials to help rebuild the muscle, as well as connective tissues, and speed recovery time.

There are plenty of way to get more protein into your diet. Protein powders & supplement are easy to find in health food stores, and offer protein from various sources that are generally easily digested and rapidly assimilated. Whey protein comes from milk and is the most rapidly assimilated. Soy is also popular, for people who don't do well with dairy. Some proteins, like casein (also a dairy derivative), are more slowly absorbed, and popular with weight-lifters who want to consume a protein that offers their muscles a slower, more continuous supply.

Protein bars are convenient ways to get protein, but be careful--some of them have a lot of calories!
Low-fat cottage cheese is considered to be a good dietary source for dairy protein.

Meat is, of course, a very traditional source of protein. Unfortunately, meat often also includes a lot of fat/cholesterol and salt, which are less than ideal, particularly red meat. Another important consideration is that meat is digested rather slowly and can slow your whole metabolism down. Avoid consuming large quantities of red meat the day before a competition or serious training session. It can make you feel like you're made of lead. Save the barbecue for the day after.

Chicken and fish are usually lighter and healthier, and more easily digested depending on how they're cooked.

The more active you are, the more protein you may need. However, too much protein can increase nitrogen in the blood which damages the kidneys. For average people, sources say you should have a hunk of protein no bigger than your fist (which is a charmingly unscientific, and not terribly useful, definition).

Do some research, and experiment to see what works best for you. You might find your muscles recovering faster when you begin to increase your protein intake. Remember to avoid sources that will also increase fat & salt. Take as much as you feel you need to help your recovery, but you won't need much extra, since "bulking up" isn't your goal, and too much at one time will not be absorbed.

Carbohydrates-- "Carbs" are the fuel your body actually runs on. After you burn through the carbs in your blood stream, you body begins to break down muscles into "burnable" compounds, and if it still needs more, it will then metabolize your body fat into fuel. (Your fat is like your body's savings account, it will break down and "spend" muscles before it goes for the fat reserves. This is why some people who exercise for weight-loss don't loose much weight: their body is reserving the fat for an emergency!).

Supplementing with carbs before you exercise can give you more energy to run on. If you've found yourself running out of steam before you're done, or you just can't find the energy you need to get up to speed when you train, you may benefit from increasing carbs before you start. Be careful, though! The unused carbs you consumed will be converted to fat and stored for future use.

As with proteins, some sources for carbs are better than others. Simple carbs are usually starches and are easily metabolized, while complex carbs, like sugars, take a lot more work for your body (in the form of an insulin release) to metabolize. You can find simple carb supplements in stores, or you can use dietary ones, like pasta, or starchy vegetables. You can consume them a couple of hours before training. Highly conditioned individuals facing an extended competition might even "carb load" which is to say, consume a lot of carbs the night before a competition to saturate their bloodstream with usable fuel. Any carbohydrate that isn't utilized gets converted to fat, so don't overdo it!

Hydration-- Experts say that almost all people in industrialized societies are going around in a state of mild dehydration! Dehydration will make you uncomfortable, it can make you confused or even become overheated. You body needs plenty of fluids for the chemical exchanges going on inside your muscles: bringing carbs into the muscle and taking waste materials and heat out. Hydration is vitally important for strong exercise. Always try to drink 16 ounces of water or a sports drink before working out to keep you well hydrated.

Water is great for hydration. Sports drinks frequently include mild mineral salts, or "electrolytes," to replace substances your body may be metabolizing or sweating out. These minerals are considered to help your nervous system work properly. Avoid sugary beverages for hydration! The sugar can actually make you more thirsty, and the sugar also causes your body to release a burst of insulin to break down the sugar, and that can also cause your energy level to drop fast.

So, in a nutshell consider:
Carbohydrates before practice
Protein after practice
Hydration before and during practice.

I have not found a single, ideal source in book or on the web to recommend for specific amounts, since everybody is different, and it depends on your level of training. The best thing is to do your own research to start, then experiment --slowly and sensibly-- to find out what improves your performance.

Looking forward to your feedback!

Cheers,
Jeff

Blackbeard's Sword!!

2011-01-17T05:02:00.000-08:00

Blackbeard set the mold for everything we think of when we think of a pirate. Heavily armed, wily, hairy... A crazed biker of the sea who never lost...

Here's some fascinating new discoveries....Like his sword!

http://news.yahoo.com/nphotos/Blackbeard-Ship-Ornaments-Discovered/ss/events/lf/011411blackbeardship

Thinking with your feet! The importance of knowing the right distance

2011-01-08T16:33:00.000-08:00

Trench warfare –or– don’t use your head, use your feet!

One of the hallmarks of fencing, regardless of style, is footwork.* In fact, it’s apocryphal that fencing spawned ballet. Nearly every historical treatise describes it’s own very particular footwork patterns or techniques... St. Didier, Agrippa, Thibaust, DiGrassi, Viggiani... you name it. And certainly, modern competitive fencers are drilled in footwork, lunges, and distance until they do it in their sleep.

So it’s a peculiar thing that many fencers neglect this area of their training. It seems endemic in nearly every gym except the most competitive: fencers love the blade-work, but seem loathe to do the footwork.

This 4-page, downloadable report discusses the importance of proper footwork--why it is vital to your ability to defend yourself, possibly even more than the parry.

It explores how distance effects the effectiveness of your parries and your timing, and most important, offers practical solutions solutions and exercises.

read it, try it out, and share you opinions and experiences!

Use the link below to get the report!

Trench Warfare -or- Think with Your Feet, Not Your Head!

Unhappy end to a gladiator--Discvovery News

2010-12-14T13:40:00.000-08:00

Fascinating story from Discovery News:

Gladiator Stabbed, Tossed as Trash?
It's interesting hisrotically, and also regarding the kinds of injuries he suffered.
http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/gladiator-stabbed-tossed-as-trash.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

"The bones of a Roman man, who was stabbed to death and left to rot with the rubbish, have revealed gruesome details of what appears to be a gladiator combat, according to British researchers who have examined the skeletal remains.

Unearthed in January only 12 inches under the grass the Yorkshire Museum’s gardens, in York, England, the bones show that the man, most likely a disgraced gladiator, met a violent and bloody death.

"The physical evidence reveals he was a swordsman and that his body was literally dumped with the rubbish –- there was no hint that he had been buried in a ceremonial way," said Andrew Morrison, head curator of the Yorkshire Museum, where the bones are going on display this week..."

Read the whole story here:
http://news.discovery.com/archaeology/gladiator-stabbed-tossed-as-trash.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

Time Warp Reaction Speed Video

2010-11-01T22:05:00.000-07:00

It's back, and now on YouTube. This video is GREAT for people interested in reaction speed and the nervous system (people like fencers and martial artists). If you read our Reaction Speed Report, you'll especially appreciate this video. In a nutshell, you can see the difference in reaction time depending on how close the stimulus is to the brain of the responder.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TsSd58jjih0

Here it is--The Reaction Speed Report!

2010-07-23T01:15:00.000-07:00

(PLEASE NOTE THE REACTION SPEED REPORT HAS BEEN TAKEN DOWN! IT WAS ONLY BEING OFFERED FOR A LIMITED TIME. A REVISED VERSION MAY BE OFFERED FOR SALE AT SOME TIME IN THE FUTURE. IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN OTHER, SIMILAR FENCING REPORTS, PLEASE LET US KNOW.)

I'm very pleased to be able to offer this to all of you. I'm also a little bit embarrassed, since we've been promising to deliver this for a long time now, but technical and other difficulties have prevented us from getting it to you sooner.

I truly believe that this little PDF will have a real impact on improving the fencing ability of anyone who applies the techniques contained in it.

With out any further ado, here it is. Please read it and give the material in it a fair trial. I think you'll be very pleased!!

And remember to check back to this blog--we don't update it too often, but when we do, the material will be practical and topical and fun!

You can download it here:
http://www.scribd.com/doc/34756952/Reaction-Speed-Report

Please note: The "Timewarp" video referred to in the report (Season 1, Episode 18, "Body Modification") currently does not seem to be available anywhere on line. If we can locate a link to it again, we'll post it to this blog.

Cheers,
Jeff Sauber
www.cavalierattitude.com

Occam’s Razor

2010-05-04T03:16:00.000-07:00

William of Ockham must have been a swordsman. 700 years ago, he penned the following, which stands today as one of the most common sense standards of scientific method. It’s also one of the best possible pieces of advice a fencer can take to heart:

entia non sunt multiplicanda praeter necessitatem

which translates to:
entities must not be multiplied beyond necessity

and in practice means:
The simplest solution is usually the most correct one.

In science, when a researcher is experimenting to prove a point, or laboring under an overriding belief system, it’s not uncommon for a researcher to overlook the most apparent solution to a situation. For example, when Lister, the 19th century doctor, suggested that doctors might actually be spreading disease between patients, and could stop this by simply washing their hands after each examination, the medical establishment was outraged, and Lister was drummed out. After all, patients got sick because of their lifestyles, or evil humors, or other possibilities that science could not then account for. But the idea that germs could be passed from hand to hand? Outrageous! Childishly simplistic!

And, as history has proven, correct.

One of the wonderful things about fencing are the amazing number of combinations and finesse of blade-work, and we work very hard to master those. But I’m always surprised to see how often good fencers will exercise poor choices when it comes to crossing swords, by applying overly complex or poorly practiced techniques.

In fact, the evolution of fencing is one of continually distilling and refining. The correct solution to any situation was the simplest. If you study the history of the art, you can see that the weapon and the way it was used was continually refined, and old methods and swords left behind to history.

I’m not a great fencer, but I have been lucky enough to train with some of the best in the world, and while they all had different styles, one thing that was abundantly clear, after learning the gross motions, the true art was in continually simplifying, distilling, every move. Sometimes the simplest was as easy as a thrust, sometimes the simplest was a beat-feint-coupe with a ballestra-fleche. But it was always the purest, most direct that won the day.

Some more theatrical teachers may poo poo this idea as a modern concept, something like “that’s just trying to score quickly,” but if you think about it, you can see the value in a real life and death situation: The more time you spend fencing with an opponent, the more you give him to use against you. In bullfighting, the fights don’t last longer than 10 minutes because if it continues longer than that, the bull will have figured out the toreador, and the man has little chance defeating the bull. How much faster can another swordsman do the same? In a real fight, you don’t want your opponent to know any more about your ability.

Once, in college, I had the opportunity to lose brilliantly against a high ranking Polish fencer who had years developing his basics, and nothing I could do could get me past his simple beat attack or parry riposte. No doubt he had more complicated attacks, but I wasn’t good enough ever to find out. It was a good lesson.

Several years ago, at a rapier event, I was free-fencing with a guy who seemed to be quite good, yet never protected his arms. I landed two hits to his wrist and was surprised that he didn’t even try to defend. The rapier I was using was a pretty heavy 4 foot Del Tin, and I felt a little bad, since even with a moderate hit, I could feel it impact with bone. Finally, I stopped and suggested that he might want to displace his arm to avoid the touch. He just shrugged: “My teacher says hitting the hand is dishonorable, and so we don’t deal with it.” Dishonorable? Fencing, as at least one renaissance master said, “is the art of deception.” It’s arguable how much is really honorable in meeting someone for a game of murder with big knives. It’s not arguable that a cut to the wrist of an armed assailant can save your life, and if honor is in question, win the duel whilst sparing the life of your opponent.

Nuts and bolts: Simplify! Drill the bits and pieces until they’re “airtight.” If you’re doing a beat attack, drill that until you know with 99% certainty that as soon as you’ve made contact with the opponent’s blade, he’s hit. If you’re doing a disengage or a coupe, practice it until it’s as reliable as humanly possible, or more.

Try this: Pick one simple attach and one simple defense, and use only those for a night, or a week, even if it means you get hit a lot. After a while, you will find you get hit a lot less.

Think about your fencing—you can be your own best coach—analyze it for anyplace you can simplify and purify. Never give the opponent a stronger dose of your skill than it takes to defeat him. Leave him wondering.

Compound attacks are comprised of these simple pieces all put together, anyway, and the better your “alphabet” of simple techniques, the better your “dialog of the blade will be.”

Some news

2010-04-16T20:02:00.000-07:00

Hi folks!
First off, I have to issue a huge apology for people who signed up to the mailing list and then didn't get the promised Reaction Speed Report. Seems some people got it and some didn't. If you didn't, we didn't forget you, and you don't have to do anything--we'll be getting it out shortly. (If you can't wait, email us and we'll send it).

We're going to be posting more regularly to this blog--articles with meaningful content. If there's a particular topic that interests you, let us know and we'll try to cover it. And don't be shy about responding to anything we've written, even if you think it's full of hooey. We're always interested in feedback.

If you haven't seen our cool, classic t-shirts, have a look! We'll be adding some new designs in the coming weeks, too!
http://www.cavalierattitude.com/New%20T-shirt%20Page.htm

Visitors to the website may have seen the unfinished link to a special arm-exercise book for historical fencers. Sadly, I've had to put the update in the back burner for the last few months. That product, when it will be finished, is an update of an older ebook that I wrote a few years ago. The exercises in that book gave great results to people who used it. On the bright side, we're probably going to give away the original one as soon as we can deacrchive & re upload it.

More, soon!
--Jeff

Good stuff coming!!

2009-10-27T14:44:00.000-07:00

I've been neglecting the blog a bit, but there is some very good stuff on the way! In honor of our new mailing list setup, I've put together a report about reaction speed, what it is, why it's important to everyone who picks up a sword, and how you can improve yours. It's so good, in my humble opinion, I think it would make a good and saleable product on it's own, but I want to give it to my customers and subscribers. It's getting the final proofing now, I'll let you know when it's done.

In the meantime, sign on for occasional updates and interesting news:

New Website is up!

2009-07-09T11:46:00.000-07:00

After promising for WAAAY too long, we finally got the durned thing up'n running. It's not quite finished yet, but it fits the bill better than the old one. In addition to the Rapier bag, and some info about our little company, We've got a line of cool fencing-related t-shirts, with more on the way, and we'll be offering a great little book of exercises for rapier fencers (and other martial artists, too!), and we ought to have some more products coming soon (but I won't say anything more about that right now).

Now, those of us who have done business with us in the past through our old site knew that there was a glitch in the site that prevented it from calculating shipping cost. To light a fire under us to replace it with a new site, we decided to let it slide and fix it on the new site. Guess what? The new site still has the glitch! It's seems to be a Paypal thing. So the unintentional "tech issue" discount--free shipping==is still in effect, until we work it out. can't say how long that will be, but not long.

A priceless fencing lesson, for a quarter!

2009-06-20T09:55:00.000-07:00

One of the neatest training aids for a fencer is a simple quarter! Here are two great uses I know...do you have others? (For our European readers, any coin about 1.5-2cm in diameter and fairly thin, will do).

The twenty-five cent lunge lesson
Back in the 70s, I studies with a venerable old German fencing master. His style of fence was certainly early 20th century, and may even have been older than that. I don't know what his age was when I studied with him, but he did mention his first exposure to fencing occurred before World War I. Suffice to say he was old, and yet with a sword in hand, he moved like lightening! In fact, I remember his lunges striking the target like rifleshots! Despite his power, and the fact he wore heavy looking old leather shoes and not sneakers., his lunges were very quiet. "Zee lunge shouldt be qviet, like A kat!" he would tell us.

Several years later, at college, I was exposed to a training tool that taught that kind of cat-like speed and fierceness, while training us to lunge in a way that was safe for our knees, too.

The tool was a simple quarter.

But first, lets take a quick look at the lunge. On of the most common mistakes a beginning fencer makes is to execute the lunge by stepping forward into it, as if it were a static pose one moves into. Now, an effective lunge covers the distance of two steps in the time of one, so obviously, it has to be faster than a single advance step to be effective, otherwise, two advance steps would do fine. The second mistake you often see, even by high-level fencers, is to launch the lunge forcefully off the back foot (which is fine) but ignore the front leg. As such, the lunge causes the fencer's body to "fly" up and they come down hard on their front leg, which is usually fairly relaxed in that moment, and unprepared of the kind of shock it will receive on landing. This kind of flying lunge can eventually wreak havoc on the sensitive knee joint of the front leg.

In fact, a good and safe lunge employs both legs, not just the rear leg. After extending the weapon-arm, a wise fencer kicks forward the front leg, and thrusts forward from the rear-leg (classical fencers launch off the rear heel, competitive fencers like to use the ball of the rear foot). The front leg forward-kick begins a fraction of a second before launching off the rear leg, so that , at end of the lunge, the forward momentum of the body neutralized by a rolling motion of the front foot, similar an ordinary heel-toe step (land on the heel not the toe! Only a ballaestra lands on the toes, and that's a hop!)

Done right, no matter how powerful a lunge is, it lands fairly quietly. Like a cat.

So a good finish to the lunge depends on how prepared the front foot is. In order to function effectively, the front leg has to kick forward to be ahead of the lunging body.

To train this, simply put a quarter under the heel of the front foot when you practice your lunge (if wearing rounded-heel sneakers, you may want to put the coin under the ball of the heel). Now practice your lunge: extend your arm as you normally do, kick forward your lead leg while thrusting off the rear leg. The forward kick should propel the coin straight forward ahead of you.

If you've fallen into the bad habit of lifting your body during the lunge, the quarter won't move, and you'll step over it. However, if you kick spontaneously while lunging, and without raising your body it'll work brilliantly (hint--relax the rest of your body! There may even be a feeling of your body dropping slightly during the lunge).

You might also notice that this exercise prevents you from "flying" which is to say, your body, and so your sword, will move in a straight line towards your intended target, and with more force, rather than upwards. You become more powerful, more direct and more accurate.

If you've been experiencing front-knee trouble, give this exercise a try--you may be very relieved!

Safer hand parries
If you practice an historical style like rapier or smallsword you know it's important to keep the thumb and fingers tightly together. It's good form, and in actual practice, helps keep your fingers from getting tangled up with your opponent's blade when things get messy. In an actual encounter with sharp weapons, this could keep you from having your thumb or finger cut off!

When you practice, try holding a quarter sandwiched between your thumb and hand. It'll remind you to keep those fingers together!

Welcome!

2009-02-12T01:15:00.000-08:00

This is the blog for Cavalier Attitude, maker of the very unique Rapier fencing bag, the biggest, strongest most versatile bag for the historical fencer.

Our regular customers probably know that we've been promising a new website for quite some time now, and it is on the way! we've also been planning a number of other products in the near future.

In the meantime, we decided to put up this blog to better stay in contact with our customers, as well as anyone interested in fencing, historical combat and those things that we just find cool.

Products aside, expect to see some interesting articles and links on fencing, fitness and related topics.

Check back often!
Cheers,
Jeff Sauber