Our Series on Fencing Articles Continues
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Our Series on Fencing Articles Continues
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January 1939
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OUR SERIES ON FENCING ARTICLES CONTINUES
In our December issue, we printed an article entitled, "A Winning Argument From the Losing Side." It created both favorable and unfavorable comment, depending very much upon whether the reader favored the French or Italian School of Foil. Since this magazine has always followed the policy of acknowledging the authorship of any articles it has printed, we took it for granted that our readers would understand that an unsigned article was written by the Editor. Imagine our surprise to hear the article's detractors asking us for the name of the villain who had thus attacked the French School. We actually heard various perfectly innocent devotees of the Italian School accused of trying to smear the great French School of Foil. We herewith take full blame for the article in question.
In reply to those whom the article offended, we can only say that we still consider it as having been entirely fair. It was fully explained that the writer was a French foilsman who still believes that the French foil is the finest foil weapon ever developed. His success from time to time with that weapon in competition has confirmed his belief in the soundness of the principles behind the School under which he has always fenced. However, as a competitor and spectator at the Olympic Games, he could not help but see the efficiency of the Italian foilsmen and, from year to year, see the increasing inroads the Italian School was making upon the dwindling power of the French foilsmen. There must be reasons for these results, and it is up to every foilsman to analyze and endeavor to meet this very serious challenge. Our December article was our personal analysis. It was also intended as an essay to the foilsmen of America, many of whom have never heard the loud, low "Ah-Li" of an orthodox Italian foilsman as he rattled the teeth of a riposted opponent. There are certainly two Schools of Foil, and America, predominantly French School, is only sticking its head in the sand if it continues to ignore the other School. Our article was intended to explain the differences in the two Schools and why the Italian School had become so efficient over the past 15 years. If we made you mad, our efforts were partly in vain. If we made you think, we will forget about the few tempers we aroused and consider the article a success.
We now present our second Article in the series. It is written primarily for French foilsmen. All foilsmen can make use of some of the exercises suggested, but the strapped Italian foil will not lend itself to certain of these exercises. Never having practiced with an Italian foil we have limited this Article to the weapon with which we are familiar. The principle of alternate exercises holds true however, for all swordsmen and it is a simple matter to adapt these exercises to the particular requirements and license of the weapon involved.
Dernell Every
