C.7. Stonehenge and Wood's Foil Curriculum

In 1863 "Stonehenge" (a pseudonym) and the Reverend J. G. Wood published a short introductory manual that included fencing, the broadsword, and archery, one of a series of such books found in the late 1800s and early 1900s that addressed a number of sports or pastimes.  The curriculum they describe is for the foil and is a simple one at approximately the intermediate level.  We include this in our technical blog because this book is not a specialist text, but rather is the sort of general interest text that could survive and inform amateur trainers well into the classical period.

In 1884 a short introductory manual that included chapters on "How to Fence," "Broadsword Exercise," "Archery," "Hurdle Racing," "Vaulting with the Pole, or Pole-Leaping," "Throwing the Hammer," and "Putting the Shot" was published.  This volume is attributed to Aaron A. Warford, the author of a number of how-to books.  Warford's fencing chapter is identical in text and illustrations to Stonehenge and Wood's.  

In other words, Warford appears to have plagiarized Stonehenge and Wood's work.   This was not uncommon at that time - modern concepts of intellectuial property were not well developed.  At this point we cannot be sure that Stonehenge and Wood had not lifted some of their text from another, earlier source.  Lawson suggests that at least the broadsword material was not original.  The unintended consequence was that this curriculum certainly survived into the classical period.

The Stonehenge and Wood curriculum consists of the following elements:

(1)  The Guard

• (1a)  First Position
• (1b)  Second Position

(2)  Footwork

• (2a)  Advance
• (2b)  Retreat
• (2c)  Lunge
• (2d) Recover

(3)  Engagement

• (3a)  Inside Engagement
• (3b)  Outside Engagement

(4)  The Parades (Parries)

• (4a)  Simple Parries

1. (4a1)  Prime
2. (4a2)  Quarte
3. (4a3)  Tierce
4. (4a4)  Quarte over the Arm
5. (4a5)  Seconde
6. (4a6)  Demi-Circle

• (4b)  Contre-Parades

1. (4b1)  Contre de Quarte
2. (4b2)  Contre de Tierce
3. (4b3)  Contre de Seconde
4. (4b4)  Contre de Cercle

(5)  Attacks

• (5a)  Simple Attacks (all can be parried by one or more simple parries)

1. (5a1)  Straight Thrust
2. (5a2)  Disengagement
3. (5a3)  One-Two
4. (5a4)  Beat and Thrust
5. (5a5)  Beat and Disengagement
6. (5a6)  Cut Over the Point
7. (5a7)  Cut Over and Disengagement

• (5b)  Double

(6)  Feints

(7)  The Assault

Sources:

"Stonehenge" and Wood, J. G.; Archery, Fencing, and Broadsword; [multiple sports manual]; Routledge, Warne, and Routledge, London, United Kingdom, reprint by Kirk Lawson, unknown place; 1863, reprint unknown date.

Warford, Aaron A.; How To Fence; [multiple sports manual]; Frank Tousey, Publisher, New York, New York, United States of America; 1884.

Copyright 2021 by Walter G. Green III.

Stonehenge and Wood's Foil Curriculum by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.