The Tao of Fencing

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The Tao of Fencing - according to Raven

Let us start with what most people would consider the most important rule in fencing: Keep your eyes on your opponent.

Some will recommend that you concentrate on your opponents' footwork while others say to watch the shoulders or torso. Some fencers may announce their movements by adjusting the position of their feet, thus letting you know what to watch out for. The drawback to watching the feet in that once you are under attack, you will probably have to shift you view to make a successful parry and riposte. Something else to keep in mind when considering this strategy is that not all fencers telegraph their moves with their feet, nor do all fencing moves require movement of the feet. Thus could you find yourself dead without anyone ever moving a foot. Watching the shoulders will surely tell you when your enemy is moving against you, it provides and adequate view of the entire attitude of the body. Watching the torso gives you a perspective similar to watching the shoulders, but with the advantage of keeping the prime target area, the heart, within direct view.

One feeling that is universal is that you do not watch your opponents' blade. Chances are that this is likely to keep you on the defensive 100% of the time. Always keep in mind that the blade is not your enemy. the person trying to kill you is. Rapiers don't kill fencers, fencers kill fencers.

A problem many people new to fencing experience while trying to keep their eyes on the opponent is that the tendons that run between their eyes and their hamstrings have not yet been stretched out. this causes their eyes to close every time they go into a lunge. The only solution to this problem is practice. The new fencer needs to work at keeping their eyes open while practicing lunges. This will prove difficult at first, but as the tendon stretches the new fencer will find it easier to keep their eyes open while fencing. One caution must be observed: over stretching this tendon may cause the fencer to stop blinking entirely. This can lead to the eyes becoming very dry., which is a painful proposition, at best, that could possibly require surgery to correct.

In all honesty, I am of the belief that the rule, 'keep your eyes on your opponent' is old, weather-worn, outdated, and ready for overhaul. The new rule to keep in mind should be: Keep your eyes on you opponent, unless there is someone better looking nearby that you can keep your eyes on. Rather than watching my opponent, which I sometimes find tedious (and seems to have little bearing on the outcome of my fights), I highly prefer watching comely spectator in low-cut garb. You may ask how I win so frequently without keeping my eyes on my opponent, to which I reply, "Really? You think I win a lot? Cool! Thank you." I would them explain, while grinning ear to ear, how I find using 'the force' (no, I don't mean duct tape --stop thinking like a 'heavy') to be most beneficial to my style of fencing.

As a side note, another point of contention among fighters is positioning. Some will argue the merits of an uphill or downhill facing position. others say to not face into the sun, nuclear explosions, or look directly at a solar eclipse, These are all senseless argument, except maybe the one about the eclipse. The only proper way to decide your positioning is to face in the direction which provides the best view of those nearby that you find attractive. Hopefully for you, this will also be in the general direction of the person you are to fence.

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