Large Fierce Mammal

Crown’s Law of Dirty Fighting: There IS no such thing as dirty fighting. There’s only fighting.
(Source: The Swordmaster’s Grimoire – http://classicalfencing.blogspot.ca/2013/08/fight-dirty.html)

To many a modern fencer, the “weapon” in hand is no weapon at all, but an instrument of athleticism no different and more deserving of noble regard  than a tennis racquet. In discussion with one who openly brings concepts of martial artistry into fencing practice, even accomplished fencers routinely ridicule any such idea as archaic and obsolete, and continue to ply techniques grown from generations of teachings that are finely honed for the scoring of “points” by those who know the continuation of a life, possibly their own, no longer stands on their very next move.

As long as all participants embrace this mindset, something that only approximates the True Arte of Fence will be seen in Olympic style competitions, but an approximation is all it will ever be – one undeserving of any claim to being representative of a true evolution for such would imply improvement by Natural selection. What has actually happened is quite the contrary. ~ To the Point

I hold many a sports fencer in high esteem, and acknowledge that a prime motivator of most to enter into that undeniably enjoyable and beneficial endeavour is an interest in historical swordplay. Yet one need not linger long in the company of sports fencers before losing all patience with the too often encountered casual encapsulation of the Truths presented by centuries of conflict with edged weapons in a few dismissive sentences intended to bring us forward to the “enlightenment” one sees on the fencing strips of today.

You’ve heard the bullshit: Duels between Gentlemen were always fought only to first blood, the designated target of the sports sabre is predicated on the “fact” that the horse and legs of a cavalryman were long ago declared off limits by the immutable Laws of Gentlemanly Conduct, and the fuller – that groove that runs down the length of many a blade (sword and otherwise) – is actually a “blood groove” without which a blade could never be retrieved from the enemy’s body due to the powerful effects of sheer suction. Something sucks about that latter argument – always one of my favourites – but it’s neither the blade nor the body it’s embedded in, and whenever this idiocy is spoken in my presence, I always offer to provide immediate proof of fact by demonstration, if you know what I mean. Akin to my response to those who tell me that presenting a weapon in self-defense is foolhardy on the grounds that my assailant will simply take it away and use it against me – I pull out a Sharpy marker, explaining that every mark on their, or my, body will represent a cut or puncture, and then invite them to show me.

I’m not alone in my sensibilities on this subject. For a student of the Blade, ruin awaits when the Truth of the Fight gets overlaid and confused with unverified claims of “fact”, wishful thinking, a partially digested understanding of what Gentlemanly deportment and Honour truly mean as they are wielded by real people in real world affairs, and how little any of that has to do with fighting.

I invite you to click here to read Master Adrian Crown’s piece on the subject of fighting, from which the image and quotation at the top of this piece were drawn, and then enjoy the video examples I have ever so carefully selected to support today’s sentiment.

The first is presented by the inimitable, authoritative, and marvelously outspoken  Matt Easton of Schola Gladiatoria who has a Youtube Channel you all should follow. You will find the article he’s referring to here.

Next is a fight scene from Game of Thrones in which the character of Bronn steps forward to champion Tyrion Lannister after his election of trial by combat. To set the tone, Tyrion’s crimes are recounted here.

Being hampered in his fighting ability in a structured combat by his small stature, and the expectation that the fight must be on the enemy’s terms – never a good deal to accept – Tyrion is more than glad to accept Bronn’s kind offer, the outcome of which follows. Harken ye to the final words spoken at the end of the scene.