ARN - Heavy Rapier Only?

[Chris Backus]

I will say in advance that I didn't seem to get Don Etienne's post, so I'm
replying to Chandranath's response.

I feel that I don't exactly fall into either category.  I've been fighting
with schlagers for roughly six to seven years and I love them.  I love the
blade weight.  I feel it slows down a fight enough so thinking instead of
reacting enters the picture.  I've been in epee fights where the fight was
over and I had won before I realized either of us had moved.  The body does
what it's trained to do, but there is less time to enjoy the fight as it
progresses and spectators have less chance of watching exchanges because the
blades are less visible and moving faster.  Schlagers are generally straight
so the tip is an extension of the arm and no adjustment must be made for the
"gradual bend" that epees have.  I love the great guards that tend to be put
on heavy rapiers.  The average heavy rapier set up seems to be more stylish
than the average light rapier set up.

I don't feel I'm in it for the advantages it gives me, because I feel my
biggest advantages are enhanced by light blades.  I'm better with heavy
blades, though, because I love them.  You're always best with a tool you
love.

Hawkins
Cadet to Don Navarre

----- Original Message -----
From: R. Smith <superboy at lsh.org>
To: <ansteorra-rapier at ansteorra.org>
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2000 8:00 AM
Subject: Re: ARN - Heavy Rapier Only?


> Etienne said:
> > To my view, those using heavy rapier tend to fall into one of two
> > categories.  The first are those who are striving for as much
authenticity
> > as possible, a laudable goal, which will inevitably get them branded as
> > 'those elitist snobs from Bryn Gwlad' (regardless of where they're
> actually
> > from).  :-)
> >
> > The second are those who want the heaviest toy that hits the hardest and
> > looks the "kewlest".  They see foils and epees as 'wimpy' and are out to
> > win-win-win.  These are the same sort of people who switched to
> double-wides
> > the moment they became legal so their opponents wouldn't have any doubts
> > about whether or not they'd been hit.
> >
> > Of the two, the term "schlager-jock" applies more to the second group.
> >
> > Of course, that's just my opinion, I could be wrong.
>
> Not to be contrary, but I think you probably are -- or rather, I think you
> are trying too hard to categorize.  I personally prefer schlager these
days
> (I was a somewhat difficult convert, I think), but I can hardly make any
> claims to "striving for as much authenticity as possible".  I probably
> _should_, but... different discussion.  Anyway, I hope also that I have
> never done aught to give the impression that I do anything to win, either.
>
> Having said that, I'm on the spot as to why I prefer schlager nowadays.
It
> probably does have its roots, at least, in authenticity of feel (well,
> closer to authentic, at any rate), but it's not a conscious effort --
> frankly, I haven't done the requisite homework to make a conscious effort
at
> authentic swords.  It just, you know, feels better. :)  Certainly it has
its
> downside; when we fought epee at NRT, I was astounded at the difference in
> speed and endurance of arm.  Which was cool, as long as the melee fighting
> went...
>
> At any rate.  It seems to me to come down to a matter of personal taste,
> which is affected by a number of factors.  A gentle here prefers schlager
> because his lady bought him a gorgeous schlager for a holiday, and he
wants
> to use it (a good and noble reason, I should add).  As long as we accept
> that people have their reasons on either side, there's no issue.
>
> Going back to the topic that started this (I think):  I don't see a real
> problem with a schlager-only tournament, but then, I wouldn't.  I will
point
> out that there are epee-only tournaments (well, epee and foil, but), and
> while I agree that there are more people without schlagers (and schlager
> auth) than people without epees (and appropriate auth), that doesn't
> entirely invalidate the reasoning.  Does it?
>
> Chandranath Mitra
> Student of Walter Robin


============================================================================
Go to http://lists.ansteorra.org/lists.html to perform mailing list tasks.