Therefore let every man that is desirous to practice this Arte, endeavor himself to get strength and agility of body, assuring himself, that judgement without this activity and force, avails little or nothing. (Giacomo di Grassi, 1570) The above statement rings true in that in order to achieve perfection in any craft or skill, practice...practice...practice... is required. The swordsmanship training program is no different. The exercise forms enhance flexibility and strength with respect to wielding the sword. Therefore, the exercises are repetitive, difficult and long. Discipline forms the core of the training program. Basic Principles: The following briefly describes the basic fight principles that the student must know and apply to successfully defeat an opponent. These principles are consistent with today’s combat training systems. 1# Physical Balance This refers to the student’s ability to maintain his/her equilibrium and remain in a stable fight position during an engagement. This is critical for deploying a defensive maneuver or posture, and for launching an effective attack against the opponent. There are two aspects of balance that the individual must possess: a) The student must develop the ability to move the body, utilizing such concepts as passing steps and gathered steps as an example, and to ensure that the feet do not cross and are kept apart at approximately shoulder’s width. Also the need to lower the body’s center of gravity to enhance stability. b) Through training and experience, the student must also be able to move his/her body in an engagement to maintain balance and stability, while at the same time, exposing the opponent’s weak points. 2# Mental Balance A successful student must also maintain mental balance, in that he/she must not allow fear or excitement to overcome his/her ability to concentrate or react skillfully during a fight. 3# Position This refers to the location of the student in relation to the opponent. An important principle when being attacked is to move the body to a safe defensive position in order to prevent the student from being hurt. Then, the student would look for a counter-attack opportunity. This principle would apply in both armed and unarmed engagements. Movement to an advantageous position will require accurate timing and distance perception. 4# Timing The student must learn though experience, the best time to move to an advantageous position in an attack. If the movement is too soon, the opponent will anticipate the movement and deploy a counter or adjust his/her attack. Similarly, if the student moves too late, the opponent will be successful in delivering his/her strike or attack at the instant when the student is most vulnerable. 5# Distance This describes the relative distance between individuals engaged in a fight. The student must learn how to position oneself at a distance that is most advantageous. Adjustments to this distance is continuous during an engagement to ensure that the student maintains the most advantageous range between himself/herself and the opponent. 6# Momentum A critical principle that the student must learn to acquire is the understanding of the physics behind momentum. Momentum describes the body’s tendency, while in motion, to continue in the direction of motion unless acted upon by another force. The greater the mass or speed of the movement, the greater momentum. This is a key principle that can be effectively employed during longsword attacks, whereby the student can leverage the momentum of an attack, and redirect the momentum behind the strike, and counter (parry) with an attack. This principle applies to other forms of attacks, and provided the student understands the principles behind momentum, the following can be deployed: a) The student can use the opponent’s momentum to the student’s advantage by introducing an imbalance on the part of the opponent by exploiting the opponent’s own momentum. b) The opponent’s momentum can be exploited by forcing it to extend further than is expected by the opponent, thus causing imbalance. c) The student must also be aware that the opponent can also use the student’s own momentum to the student’s disadvantage, and therefore, must avoid placing the student in an awkward and vulnerable position. (Based on - The Art Of Longsword Combat)
Posted on: Sat, 15 Nov 2014 18:39:12 +0000
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