John Wayne School of Swordplay
by Bob God
(Summerland)
Armed and Hammered!
I've been pouring over the nonsense in the SBG forum regarding "Spinning a Sword."
It's pretty much the same thing as twirling a gun like many - o.k, all - of the stars of western movies did.
It's fun and amusing and looks really cool; but, while it may improve one's eye-to-hand coordination, it neither improves ones marksmanship (or swordsmanship) nor serves any practical purpose in a fight.
As I posted on the page @ http://www.sword-manufacturers-guide.com/bg.html I recommend running away from any fencing or martial arts instructor willing to teach their students any such foolishness; it is N0T swordsmanship - it's just showing off.
The same is true of spinning around and turning one's back - even momentarily - on one's opponent.
I, for one, have no problem with stabbing a person in the back if they're foolish enough to turn their back on me in a fight (fools deserve to die)!
The problem I see with such useless movements stems from "rules" in mock combat organizations like the SCA; training to pretend to fight isn't at all the same thing as learning to use a weapon to kill one's adversary quickly and efficiently rather than allowing one's self to be killed instead.
In real fights, whether unarmed or armed and hammered, there are no rules.
Thrust for the heart; cut for any major artery.
In order of preference, they are:
1. Carotid (neck);
2. Femoral (inside of thigh);
3. Brachial (inside of upper arm); and
4. Radial (inside of wrist).
Another good cut to make is the forehead - one's opponent will be blinded by their own blood, allowing one to go in for a killing blow.
If all of this sounds unfair or unsportsmanlike, that's because fights aren't supposed to be contests of who's left in the game - they're contests of who's left ALIVE!
Pax Spatha,
B.G.
