[Artemisia] Artemisia Digest, Vol 53, Issue 18

[Justin]

*sigh*

I was doing just fine ghosting this thread until you started with the shop 
talk, Marten.  I passed up three puns, and was even avoiding the urge to 
taunt Couchbar (no mean feat, I assure you).  And you had to go and ruin it. 
I hope you're happy.

I must take exception to your assertion that Fabris taught the "botto 
segrete".

To quote "The Art Of Dueling" (pg. 22), because I lack the Italian to make 
my own translation, "Some individuals, more out of arrogance than out of 
knowledge, state that there are certain unstoppable attacks to which there 
is no possible defense or counter. To them I reply out of experience that 
every blow has its counter, and that no blow exists that admits no counter."

Of course, he was wrong, you know...  I *know* the botto segrete. 
Interested parties may contact me off line for free details! (just $200 
shipping and handling, no representation made of suitability for any 
purpose, results not typical, YMMV, etc.).

Contra-contra-posting (and in the proper tempo, even!),
Justin

> Message: 5
> Date: Mon, 11 Feb 2008 10:45:23 -0800 (PST)
> From: Marten van Rosenveldt <kendofencer at yahoo.com>
> Subject: Re: [Artemisia] Four Dons walk onto a battlefield...
<snip>
> Finally, stesso tempo is the ultimate stroke, lo botto secrete as they 
> used to say.  M. Guillaume is the master of this.
>
> Perhaps the hardest of all these concepts of timing to explain and 
> perform, but also perhaps the most elegant and effective, is the concept 
> of "stesso tempo," in which defense and offense become one. Because of its 
> relative slowness, a "dui tempi" response to an attack with the rapier 
> would take an impractically long time, allowing the opponent time to 
> perform a counter. Therefore, historical masters such as Fabris advised 
> fencers of early modern era to defend themselves and wound the adversary 
> "in stesso tempo" with an intercepting attack, an action both defensive 
> and offensive. One way to do this with the single rapier is to catch the 
> opponent's thrust in such a manner that the point is diverted with the 
> portion of one's own rapier nearest the guard, while one's own point was 
> directed against the adversary's target. One's own target, meanwhile, is 
> further removed from danger with an evasive body movement. This is a 
> technique that requires a sure sense
> of distance and timing, as well as a mastery of technique, great 
> sensitivity, and a sure hand.
>
> YIS, Marten; contrappostoing, effortlessly