H.2. The Fencing Catechism

What is a catechism, much less what is a fencing catechism?  A catechism is a traditional method of religious instruction, typically for learning doctrine, used in both the Protestant and Catholics faiths.  Catechisms first appeared in the late Middle Ages, with the modern question and answer form being popularized by Martin Luther in a 1529 catechism.

A catechism typically breaks the knowledge to be taught into small bits, what we would today call in modern instructional use "chunks."  Each chunk is addressed by a Master asking a question, and the student replying correctly with a memorized answer.  For example, this is a typical catechism question from the Classical Academy of Arms Fencer's Catechism:  

• QUESTION: What is a simple parry?
• ANSWER: A parry made in one tempo to defeat the final action of an attack.

Starting the question with "what is" or an equivalent indication that this is definitely a question is a common technique.  And you will note in this example that the chunk of information that forms the answer is short, complete, and concise.  

In the 1700s political catechisms were being used in Europe and the Americas.  These were followed in the 1800s by catechisms on history, industrial subjects, the United States Constitution, and even the principles of communism.  In this context it is not surprising that a fencing catechism appeared in print.  

In 1904 the Freidenker Publishing Company produced George Heintz Senior's Theory of Fencing With the Foil, in Form of a Catechism, 0riginally a serial in the monthly journal Mind and Body (from 1896 to 1899) also published by Freidenker.  Heintz, a German immigrant, was Master of Sword at the United States Naval Academy until 1915 and well known in German and Turner fencing circles.  Heintz's son, George Heintz Junior, served as his father's Assistant Master of the Sword and took over the Master position in 1915.

Heintz's book included contributions by Professor George Wittich and detailed syllabi for fencing classes.  But the focus for students of the catechism was 54 questions (4 more were added by Wittich).  

Questions included questions that are classic chunks.  For example:

• QUESTION: How many openings do we distinguish in position of defence?
• ANSWER: We distinguish four positions.

But they also included questions that could have been two or more chunks, and two or more questions:

• QUESTION: What is meant by "remise," and how is a remise executed?
• ANSWER:  A remise is a second thrust after the lunge, and is executed if the opponent does not return at all or is slow in returning.  It is executed by a slight drawing back of the body and thrust again at your opponent, but the arm must not be drawn back.

In this case, the question ask for two things, a definition and how is it executed. The answer answers four things, the definition, when it is used tactically, how it is executed, and what you must not do.  As a result the answer is long and would be (with the other 58 questions) a bit of work to memorize.   

Heintz's catechism is the only one we have encountered from the classical period.  However, versions of the use of the fencing catechism have survived into the modern period.  Edoardo Mangiarotti and Aldo Cerchiari's 1966 manual, La Vera Scherma, included a set of questions and answers that were intended for use in preparation for professional examinations.  The United States Fencing Coaches Association even created inadvertently a do-it-yourself version of a catechism.  Their examination forms provide a list of questions that candidates for coaching ranks could be expected to be asked by the examiners; the candidate can download the form and prepare accordingly.  And, of course the Classical Academy of Arms publishes a Fencer's Catechism in both paper and on-line flash card form.  In addition, the Academy's  Discussion Questions for Oral Components of Professional Examinations provide an expanded form of the catechism with detailed answers.

Sources:

"A history of Cane Self-Defense in America: 1798-1930"; [article]; at https://martialartsnewyork.org/2016/08/16/a-history-of-cane-self-defense-in-America; 16 August 2016

"Catechism"; [online encyclopedia entry]; Wikipedia; at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/catechism; accessed 15 March 2021.

Classical Academy of Arms; Discussion Questions for Oral Components of Professional Examinations; [instructional document]; Classical Academy of Arms, Glen Allen, Virginia, United States of America,  2021.

Classical Academy of Arms; Fencing Catechism; Edition 1.4; [instructional document]; Classical Academy of Arms, Glen Allen, Virginia, United States of America, 2021.

Heintz, George, Sr.; Theory of Fencing With the Foil, in Form of a Catechism; [fencing manual]; Freidenker Publishing Company, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States of America; reprint by Forgotten Books, London, United Kingdom; 1895, reprint no date.

Mangiarotti, Edoardo and Aldo Cerchiari; La Vera Scherma; [fencing manual]; Longanesi & C,  Milano, Italy; 1966.

United States Fencing Coaches Association; “Master Practical Exam Score Sheet”; [form]; no place, United States of America; downloaded from the United State Fencing Coaches Association website ; 15 March 2021.

Copyright by Walter G. Green III

The Fencing Catechism by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.