Training update

The Turku seminar was pretty interesting. Quite low-intensity physically, more of a technical sort of thing. Some useful stuff on structure - constructing a guard - which was pretty much the same as what we'd done for rapier earlier. Also, forming the guard dynamically, by entering it with a strike - for example, throwing a nice expansive roverso fendente and swinging back into posta di donna destra. These are exercises that help us discover what good structure feels like so that we can eventually enter the guards straight away.

Lots of work as well on the stretto-largo thing. I'm getting a handle on Guy's interpretation of it. Essentially, stretto is a fairly tightly defined situation - equal structural positions, crossed in the middle, pressure in the bind such that if one leaves the bind the opponent will strike in that very tempo. Hence when it occurs, the one viable response is to "enter with a cover and come to the close play". It's a specific place to be in, but one that occurs often enough that we have to learn to deal with it - and more importantly, because it actually requires a different set of techniques to deal with. Hence the division between the stretto and largo plays: largo is, in a sense, the broader picture, what you do when you can act more or less freely; stretto is the type of play that you perform when the tactical situation sets up so that you have to enter while maintaining your cover.

It makes sense, and I see the logic of the interpretation. It's somewhat different from the Bolognese tradition, where stretto is defined primarily in terms of half-cuts and the point remaining in presence; while this is somewhat the case in Fiore, there's a subtle but significant difference, perhaps merely in emphasis, perhaps substantive. I'm not sure what I think as yet, and I know that Guy and Ilkka have different views on the matter. The problem is that the defining line between stretto and largo cannot be clearly drawn. It depends on the players, the specific setup of the cross, even on things like how long the swords are. It varies, and while there are points on the continuum which are clearly largo and clearly stretto, the grey area is broad and ultimately dependent on individual judgement. Someone else might be able to play largo in a situation where I'm forced to play stretto. I think that element of judgement is precisely why it's so hard to reach a consensus on the matter.

That having been said, it now seems to me that stretto is the more tactically difficult situation to play in. Everything is compressed, both in distance and in time. And while the decision tree may collapse to the default pass with a cover, the execution of that precise technique becomes particularly important, especially when one's opponent is aware that it's the one option left. Being able to play largo when one's opponent is in stretto is a huge advantage. It's also telling when Marozzo says that the fencer who knows the close play will chase the fencer who knows only wide play around the salle (and hence, you should pay him the seven Bolognese Pounds extra to learn the close play!).

We worked on this in Monday's intermediate class as well. Tiny class - just myself, Jan and Tomi Korkalainen were in attendance, but it turned out to be a really useful session. We did some solo practice followed by half-speed freeplay, all directed at improving flow, getting rid of stickiness, improving decision-making. It all worked pretty nicely - by the end of the session things were getting a lot smoother and there were some nice points.

I've had some frustrations and hiccups in my training over the past year, but it looks like things are picking up a bit. I'm happy with my current progress, both in longsword and rapier, and while there's (as always) so much to work on, I can look back and feel that I've made progress. I'm a better fencer and martial artist than I was six months ago, and that's what is really important. Looking forward, there are so many more peaks to scale, but I'm feeling enthusiastic not just about the accomplishment but the very process itself, and that's really the only place to be if you're going to get anywhere at all.