19th Century Sabre: Understanding Feints 

Glad you're finding these helpful - You're in Tasmania; are you training with one of the clubs over there :)

@@DanielPopeScholarVictoria Not atm, currently studying Jaime Merelo’s Spanish Sabre manual. But plan to join with Stoccata once I’m satisfied with that study.

How much do I have to pay you for making these comments ;)

Heheheh - it's a hidden secret of Meyer that he was a time traveler! ;-)

Thanks! I have some other sabre videos in the works :)

Thanks! I'm glad you found it useful :)

Thanks! If only I had the time I would definitely make a full series on Waite :-)

Depends what you mean by beat! If you just want to stay safe, then you can simply retreat, and cover the opponent's attacks with smaller parrying actions. Of course, this just puts you where you first started from a tactical perspective. A more useful answer is to execute a time attack. For most feints the easiest time attack is on the arm - as they cut their first feint you cover with a very small parrying action - possibly with a slight extension of the arm, and then as they cut to another opening, attack the forearm and then slip backward quickly out of range - this is generally pretty effective, and even if it fails, you're still safe.

Basically a simple attack doesn't provide the opportunity for a stop hit, and if the opponent tries it they (should) be stopped by the opposition of your guard. In reality of course it's easier said than done :D

@@DanielPopeScholarVictoria Thanks Daniel! I come from classical fencing (epee) and I remember quite some situations when my opponent made a stop hit to my arm above the guard (or flick from the side) when I was attempting a simple attack. It might be that I was at wrong distance. This part of the "tactical wheel" alwas was not clear to me ;)

@@andrmoro8430 I agree. The direct attack vs the stop hit has always been the most problematic part of the wheel for me too. As with everything it’s still susceptible to a skilled opponent. I’ve had time attacks on my forearm in Sabre too as the opponent flicks underneath with the back of the blade. 🙂

@@DanielPopeScholarVictoria The difficulty of overcoming stop hit is the reason for the existence of the extended tactical cycle. Counter-time is designed specifically to entice and trap the stop hit. Feint-in-time defeats counter-time. Then simple attack beats feint-in-time.

@@l3lixx exactly so - and with every addition to the tactical wheel the level of complexity grows , and the diversity of play. These more complex tactics and actions lend themselves to a lighter sabre, and so as the game evolves the weapon evolves to across the 19th and into the 20th century.

Glad it was helpful!

I haven't gotten my copy of the Stockholm yet, though the combination sounds like a series of attacks from distance, which makes sense: Most of our fencing is (or at least should be) done from advance-lunge range, only entering measure once you're ready to execute a "plan" - in the case of a lunge, half step, lunge, sounds like exactly this kind of idea; lunge threat, and pursue. I could be wrong though - as I say, still awaiting the book.

Thank you - that means a lot!

Thank you! Hopefully more content soon

:D