C.4. Sabre Actions from the 1877 Manuel d'Escrime

The authoritative definition of technique in the French School at the start of the classical period is the Manual d'Escrime, published in 1877 by the Ministere de la Guerre (the French Ministry of War).  Chris Slee's translation is the source for this discussion.

The text is divided into two sections, one for the sword and one for the sabre (see discussion in the post C.2. Foil Actions from the 1877 Manuel d'Escrime).  The Manual serves as a marker for French Contre-Pointe (sabre) technique at the start of the classical period.  Its contents are important in serving as a baseline for comparison for the evolution of French sabre technique up to the 19o8 Reglement d’Escrime.

The technical material in the sabre section of the Manual includes:

(1) nomenclature of the sabre

(2) the manner of holding the sabre

(3) preparatory movements

(4) guard

(5) step (by reference to the sword portion of the manual)

(6) appels (by reference to the sword portion of the manual)

(7) gathering (by reference to the sword portion of the manual)

(8) lunge (by reference to the sword portion of the manual)

(9) voiding the leg

(10) moulinets

(11) engagement and lines

(12) attacks, including both simple and compound of not more than 3 movements including feints.  The attacks (12a) through (12d) are executed by moulinet, and (12e) through (12g) are by cut.

(12a) head cut

(12b) banderole cut

(12c) face cut to the right

(12d) face cut to the left

(12e) flank cut

(12f) stomach cut

(12g) forearm cut

(12h) point thrust

(13) parries, including the head parries (13a) through (13c) and the body parries (13d) through (13g)

(13a) head parry

(13b) face parry to the right

(13c) face parry to the left

(13d) banderole parry

(13e) stomach parry

(13f) flank parry

(13g) point parry

(14) riposte and counterriposte with the same strikes as the attacks

The Manual provides a teaching progression.  These are all simple or compound actions, with the exception of one reference to a beat executed by turning the hand in the fourth lesson. 

Sources:

France.  Ministry of War; Fencing Manual; translation by Chris Slee; [fencing manual]; reprint by Long Edge Press, no place; 1877 reprinted 2017.

France.  Ministere de la Guerre; Reglement d’Escrime (Fleuret – Epee – Sabre); Librairie Militaire Berger-Levrault & Co., Paris, France; 1909.

Copyright 2021 by Walter G. Green III

Sabre Actions from the 1877 Manuel d'Escrime by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.

B.4 A Tournament with Touches, Correct Execution, and Reasoning

It is well established that, for some short period in the classical period, fencers could be awarded points or fractions of a point, not just for hitting the opponent but also for the quality of their fencing.  Gerard Six recently posted a translation of the rules for an unusual example of this on his Facebook page.  Because of the emphasis on correct execution and upon the reasoning leading to a hit, the format may be useful for a classical fencing program tournament in a Salle or Club.

In 1920 the Federation Nationale d'Escrime of France created a Fencing Challenge Classical and Reasoned in foil for students under the age of 19.  A challenge in this context was an event that awarded a trophy and that was conducted as an annual event.  We know that the first event awarded medals to the best fencers, and a prize of a beautiful weapon was awarded, but we do not know if the challenge was ever held in subsequent years.  

The available material does not indicate the format, pools to pools, pool unique, or elimination.  What we partially know is the basic rules of scoring the bout:

Individual matches between fencers were for 3 touches.  The translation does not  indicate whether this is the first fencer to 3 touches won or whether this was fenced for a total of 3 touches between the two fencers.  The further description suggests that the total of three touches (3-0, 2-1, 1-2, 0-3) may have been the rule used.

Each touch results in award of 2-5 points on the following scheme:

• 2 points for the fencer scoring the touch + 1 point for correct execution (or style) + 1 point for the reasoning leading to the hit.

Note that the formula does not result in 5 points, and both the translation and the pictured promotional poster are consistent in this.  What the additional point was awarded for is unknown.  Similarly, how the reasoning was assessed is unknown.  The simplest solution would have been to have the fencer scoring explain to the jury why he selected the tactics that he did.  

This formula could, for a given hit, arrive at the following award of points:

• the hit (2 points) + correct classical technique (1 point) + a solid explanation that makes sense out of why the fencer fenced the way he did (1 point) = 4 points
• the hit (2 points) + correct classical technique (1 point) + an incoherent or incorrect explanation that makes no sense out of why the fencer fenced the way he did (0 point) = 3 points
• the hit (2 points) + abysmal classical technique or no technique at all (0 point) + a solid explanation that makes sense out of why the fencer fenced the way he did (1 point) = 3 points (although this combination appears relatively unlikely)
• the hit (2 points) + abysmal technique (0 point) + a useless explanation of reasoning (0 point) = 2 points

This formula is obviously scorer based - if a fencer executes a world-class parry to escape under the most impossible conditions but does not hit, that fencer receives no points.

The winner of the competition was the fencer who won the most bouts and scored the most points.

Although some work would be required to fill in gaps of what we know about the rules, this format may have promise.

Sources:

Six, Gerard; "A competition that touches me"; automatic translation; [social media post]; at www.facebook.com; accessed 28 January 2021.

Copyright 2021 by Walter G. Green III

A Tournament with Touches, Correct Execution, and Reasoning by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.