Fighting/winning

[James Crouchet]

On Sat, 15 Jul 1995 Aubrey666 at aol.com wrote:

> In a message dated 95-07-15 14:20:59 EDT, you write:
> 
> >Recently I have been trying to approach my fighting completely differently.
> >I
> >have been gathering with Savien and others and studying from a 16th century
> >manuscript written by a fencing master, Giacomo di Grassi.  In order to do
> >that effectively I have pretty much forsaken most of my previous knowledge
> >and
> > experience in order to learn this style.  The result is, my fighting is
> >pretty bad right now.  (Not that it's ever been anything to write home
> >about.)
> > Right now, I walk into most fights with the understanding that this new
> >style
> >is going to put me at a severe disadvantage.  I DO suffer great
> >disappointment
> >at spending more time eating dirt than my opponents.  I would LOVE to have
> an
> >day where I just went out and kicked butt.  But for now, I must take
> pleasure
> >in watching these new concepts grow.
> 
> I like your approach to fighting.  Who are you?
> 
> Aubrey
> 

Aubrey,

I believe you know this gentleman but if not, let me introduce you. Meet 
Antonio Bastiono, Cadet to Don Alden. He has been in the SCA for about 7 
years now and has been a man of honor and vision as long as I have known 
him.

You may remember him as a magician as he has performed several times for
courts in the SCA. He has been working in Bryn Gwlad to advance a more
authentic AND fun form of recreation. He the a model of the idea of
leading the way by example. From his efforts to increase the use of 
French among French persona, to the persona picnicks in the park he 
organizes, to the strides he has made in recreating fighting styles of 
the Elizabethan period he is always a bit ahead of the pack, seeing what 
the rest of us don't see yet.

Look for his work, along with that of my cadet, Otto, in the upcoming 
first issue of the rapier community magazine _La Point_, due for a 
Queen's release.

Savian