~theatrical fencing & stage combat~

[abortretryfail]

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My wife and I are former fencers and would love to get back in the game. However the sport
is severely centralized in Metro Manila which makes it extremely difficult to maintain a club outside
the capitol region in terms of support and competition Several clubs have already come and gone
here in Cebu.

So I’m proposing to start a new group… however, instead of focusing on competitive training we’re
just going to do this mainly for fun. But to add an incentive, and keep the drive to perfect one’s skills,
the group will work to provide quality swordsmanship for theater and film… a bit similar to what Tim Weske’s
Swordplay Studios is doing in Hollywood…

http://www.swordplaystudios.com/

So aside from Olympic fencing there will also be studies in the choreography, filming, and safety of staging
theatrical swordfights. These studies could also include history of swords, sword fighting styles, and sword
making of both western and eastern blades.

So I'm calling out now to all Zorro, D'Artagnan wannabees, and other sword enthusiasts!!!

[abortretryfail]

the weapons of fencing

épée



The dueling sword of fencing, initially reflected a need for a weapon that taught practical fighting technique
for the private affairs of honor.

Derived from the rapier...



...long-bladed sword designed exclusively for thrusting, the rapier set the fencing world on its ear. For centuries,
swords had been envisioned as edged weapons, designed for cutting important parts off of one's opponent. Suddenly,
men were poking neat, lethal holes in one another.

The rapier was the typical weapon for a musketeer...



foil



A blunt tipped, flexible sword designed specifically for training purposes - the mechanics of swordplay could be
explored and practiced to a much greater degree.

Developed for training in the use of the 18th century small sword. Also known as the court sword
as it was part of dress of men of noble stature.



The fencing master became a learned man of breeding, a combination teacher, historian, artist, scientist and
philosopher, and the fencing school became a place where noble families sent their sons to gain refinement.

An evolution of the rapier, the court sword made for more faster and versatile sword fighting. It was looked upon
as the epitome of killing implements as featured in Count of Monte Cristo...





sabre



Broadswords, sabres, and cutlasses were used extensively in military circles, especially by cavalry and naval personnel,
and saw some dueling application in these circles as well.



For both cutting as well as thrusting it is the choice weapon of Zorro...

[abortretryfail]

anyone interested in crossing swords can PM or contact me at 918-936-1564
or email eisen.alquiza@outlook.com

as well as for those who would like swordfight choreography or actor sword training
for their production :mrgreen:

[abortretryfail]

Fencing Fun Facts

Fencing is one of only four sports to be included in every modern Olympic Games, since the first in 1896.
Fencing was also a sport in the original Olympic Games in ancient Greece.

Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic Games, was a fencer.

The tip of the fencing weapon is the second fastest moving object in sport; the first is the marksman's bullet.

Fencing is conducted on a 14m x 2m "strip" or "piste" to replicate combat in confined quarters such
as a castle hallway. The end of the fencing strip represents the line drawn in the earth by duelists' seconds
(trusted men to make sure the duel is played fair): to retreat behind this line during the duel indicated
cowardice and loss of honor.

The 750 gram weight test used to ensure a touch is scored with sufficient force is based on the amount
of tension required to break the skin. In a duel, honor was done when blood was first drawn -- even if
from a minor wound such as a blister.

The target area in sabre, originally a cavalry weapon, is from the waist up because it is contrary to the
rules of chivalry to injure an opponent's horse.

There was originally no time limit on a fencing bout, until a Masters Championship bout in New York in
the 1930's lasted for seven hours. Thereafter, bouts were limited to 30 minutes. Today, the time limit
has been reduced to just 3 minutes for 5-touch bouts and 9 minutes for 15 touches.

Fencers wear white uniforms because before the advent of electronic scoring, touches were recorded
on the white surface with a wad of ink-soaked cotton on the tips of the weapons.

Famous Fencers: Bruce Dickinson, the lead singer of Iron Maiden - foil. Neil Diamond, entertainer - sabre.
Prince Albert of Monaco - sabre. Andrew Jackson (US President) fought a duel of honor with swords.
General George Patton, competed in fencing in the 1912 Olympics and once owned a riding crop with a blade
in the handle made by Georgio Santelli, New York fencing instructor and equipment manufacturer. Most recently,
movie star Jerry O'Connell - sabre.

Philippine National Hero Jose Rizal studied martial arts, pistol shooting, and fencing. He once challenged
Wenceslao Retana to a duel after Retana made careless remarks of Rizal's parents and nearly fought a
duel with Antonio Luna over English lass Nelly Boustead. During his stay in London, England he
was once called the swordsman

Many of the ballet positions are derived from fencing - they were used in 17th century dances at the French court,
partly because they could be readily taught to the men and partly because of their combination of grace and strength.

Jean Louis, from Haiti, of French and African descent, is reputed the finest fencer who ever lived. A
French officer, he won one duel fighting with a foil against his opponent's sharp-pointed weapon: first he humiliated
his opponent by calling which button he was going to pick off -- one at a time -- then winning the duel by slashing him
across the face. On another occasion, he defeated all the officers of a rival regiment in succession.

[abortretryfail]

Fencing in the Movies[edited]
by Nick Evangelista

Sword fighting in the movies has been a primary source of the modern public's awareness of fencing.
In 1920 Douglas Fairbanks's silent film The Mark of Zorro gave the world a fresh image of the heroic
swordsman. From this moment on, fencing was associated with swashbuckling adventure.


Fairbanks defends the helpless in The Mark of Zorro (1920)

Before Zorro, movie fencing consisted of some fairly primitive blade whacking. Fairbanks was the first
to ask a fencing master to advise on a production, creating the first movie swordplay that actually
resembled fencing.

The leading fencing masters working in films of this period were Henry Uttenhove and Fred Cavens.

Douglas Fairbanks would go on to become the first president of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.


The next wave of movies to feature fencing came in 1935, spurred on by Errol Flynn's Captain Blood.
In Captain Blood the fencing was more intricate and expertly staged than in earlier, silent films.

Errol Flynn in The Adventures of Robin Hood (193

The most successful fencing masters working in Hollywood at this time were Fred Cavens, Ralph Faulkner,
and Jean Heremans.


The third and most recent incarnation of swashbuckling films arrived in the mid-1970s, beginning
with director Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973). At this juncture movie fencing began
to reflect directors' desire for historical accuracy, and the action took on a more realistic look.


Viggo Mortensen prepares for battle in The Lord of the Rings trilogy (2001-2003)


Heath Ledger as the dashing lover Casanova (2005)


Johnny Depp and Orlando Bloom cross swords in Pirates of the Caribbean (2003, 2006, & 2007)

[Lostsoul]

wow bai.. ganahan kay ko atong ilang moves.. ani sa pirates..

[Lostsoul]

we had our first lesson today.. it was really great!!, I get to hold a weapon for the very first time. Tnx bro Eisen!! Hope the plan push through!!

[Lostsoul]

everyone is welcome to join. heheh its really fun and challenging!!

[abortretryfail]

Why Fencing Is Good For Your Health

Fencing is one of the oldest sports and one of 4 to be included in every modern Olympic Games.
It is a great activity to be involved in since fencing is a great way to get and stay fit. Fencing involves
lots of movement. It is a sport which requires the players, in this case the fencers, to be constantly
on the move. Fencing requires footwork (movement around the fencing piste). A fencer is constantly
in motion.

More and more parents are trying to encourage their children to get involved in fencing. Because
fencing is a good sport with aerobic and anaerobic components, getting children involved early on
in life will help them to realize the importance of physical activity.

Many children exercise by getting up off the couch, going to the kitchen and back to the couch to
spend the afternoon watching television or playing video games. This is definitely not a good practice
for a healthy heart. Children who develop poor physical practices early in life will likely carry these
practices with them through life.

Fencing is good for your health since it provides loads of physical activity plus it requires the individual
to stay in shape. The sport of fencing would be much more difficult for the person who isn't in shape.
In preparation for fencing a person needs to practice stretching and strengthening exercises.

Staying physically active and in shape promotes healthy living and a longer life. Anything which will
provide healthy benefits is good for your heart. Eating healthy is a big factor for good heart health
and is also a good practice to get the family into. Since fencing is a good sport for your heart, perhaps
it might be one physical activity which the whole family could get involved in.

Fencing could be that one sport and area of interest the whole family has in common. Fencing with
friends and family would surely make the activity more enjoyable. Developing heart healthy living is
extremely important but is also easy to avoid in our society of fast food and so many other things to
take our minds off of it. Fencing is good for your heart and it is a good sport to teach young children
the importance of physical activity, hoping it will promote healthy practices that will help them for
their long life.

[abortretryfail]

cool TV spots made by the guys at swordplay studios...

Milki Commercial (Israel)

Lux Super Rich Commercial (Natalie Portman)