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ISS - International Sabre Symposium


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  • Timetable
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  • Class list
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September, 8th & 9th, 2018
Cologne, Germany
 
The international gathering of enthusiasts of military swordsmanship.

Class list


Here is the list of classes which the instructors so far have offered to teach at ISS2018.

More class anouncements are being prepared and will be published here, as we receive them from the instructors.

Fencing with the Klewang by Peter Frank
In this class I want to introduce you to fencing with the klewang, a type of cutlass, according to the VOVBW ( Voorschrift voor de opleiding in het vechten met de blanke wapens). The VOVBW was published in the Dutch East Indies in 1937, and used to instruct the troops in fighting uprisings in the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia). As such, it is a rather practical manual, dealing with defending against attackers armed with any weapon, ranging from spears and knives to rifles and bayonets. I want to use the course to explore not only fencing klewang against klewang, but also klewangs against a number of different weapons, with the addition of a pressure exercise in the end, if we have time.
equipment: Just Gloves in the beginning, later we will probably need full protective gear. A short (ca 65ish cm blade) steel or nylon sabre would also be good to have.

Fencing with the klewang and carbine (KNIL) by Martin de Jong
In this klewang-workshop we will learn you more about the weapon and how to fence with it in combination with a carbine as how it was tought in the KNIL in the 20th century.
A few people know about a manual called the VOVBW but there is more than just this one manual.
The purpose of this class is to show you a glimpse of the world of the klewangfencer and to have fun.

experience level: beginner
equipment: because a good klewang-trainingsimulator doesn’t exist at this moment, nylon sabres or modified sabres will be sufficient. Further more: fencing mask, gloves, groinprotector, and a fencingcarbine (no rifle) if you have one.

Introduction to the Berliner Schule – German Sabre Fencing in the 19. Century by Gerhard Gohr

The Berliner Schule was established by Friedrich Friesen in 1808 as the fencing system taught in one of the fencing schools of the German Turner Movement in Berlin. His pupil Ernst Wilhelm Bernhard Eiselen formalised the system in the 1810’s and wrote the first book on the Berliner Schule in 1818. In the following 50 years you will find books written by A. M. Boettcher, v. Görne / v. Scherff / Mertens, W. Lübeck, FR. W. Quehl and E. F. Seidler showing the development of the Berliner Schule during the 18. Century.

This introduction will provide inside into the historical background of the Berliner Schule and its link to the German Turner movement. The differences to other 19. Century fencing systems will be explained and potential reasons for them will be indicated. A demonstration of the techniques unique for the Berliner Schule will be given in form of historic drills. The practical exercise for the participants will focus on the training concept provided by E. F. Seidler in 1843 for cavalrymen on foot or horseback. The basic stance, attacks and defence will be shown and practised. Finally the techniques can be used in a less restricted practice form of “Contraschlagen”.


experience level: Beginners
equipment: mask, gloves, body protection and any Bügel-Säbel / stirrup-sabre (steel or plastic);

Vorhieb: The Meisterhau of the Sabre by Tobias Zimmermann

An important element of Covered-Cut-Fencing is what August Fehn calls Vorhieb, the parry and riposte in one tempo, if you will. This technique in its various forms can be found in every manual on our style, often also under the name of Kontratempo- or A-tempo-Hieb.

In this class, we´re going to try out the specific Vorhiebe Fehn describes, both from the hanging and the steep guard as well as what you can do to prevent them.


experience level: Some experience with the sabre is recommended
equipment: Mask, gloves, arm protection, sabre (ideally with basket)

Buckler, Dagger, Coat – Defensive Tools for the Backsword: by Heiko Große
Practical lessons on the use of Backsword, Sabre, Spadroon, Cutlass etc. with an offhand weapon to defend. This can be real defensive tool like a Targe, Buckler, Parry-Dagger, Dirk etc. or an improvised one like a sheat, stick, coat/cloak etc. Participants will explore the principles and advanced techniques of using a second tool according to the way Highlanders, Stage-Gladiators and Duelists used them in the 18th and 19th Century. Main source will be the Highland Broadsword, Spadroon and Smallsword material according to Donald McBane (1728) and Broadsword and Targe according to Thomas Page (1746).
experience level: Beginners and Advanced fencers are welcome.
equipment: Backsword, Sabre etc. or Singlestick, your favourite offhand weapon/tool, fencing-mask and gloves.

Fencing from the prime guard in Roworth by Anouk Post
This workshop will make use of the treatise known as the Art of Defence written by C. Roworth around the 1800’s. In this workshop we will take a closer look at what Roworth calls ‘following the blade’, the answer to thrusts by using the seconde, prime and half circle parade and specifically the part where you use your left hand.
equipment: Masks and gloves are required, a gorget and a form of chest protection may be pleasant as we will be working with thrusts.

The Lunge & The Line of Hau=Stoßfechten by Marcus Hampel
In this class you will learn about all necessary details of F.C.Christmann’s concept of lunge and line for his view on cut and thrust fencing. Both are connected firmly to each other and one can only be thoroughly understood and trained by knowing about the other.
experience level: For beginners it contains valuable principals. For advance students it shows special details. For instructors it provides another point of view on these wide known concepts.
equipment: For this class you will just need a sabre. A single stick will do the trick a well.

Offline footwork in Hau=Stoßfechten by Oliver Janseps

The „Theoretisch praktische Anweisung des Hau=Stoßfechtens“ from 1838 is one of a few sources in saberfencing of this timeperiod which includes a lot of offline-footwork. The footwork is usually applied in the tempo of the opponent combined with arrets -stopthrusts- or ramassements, wich are actions against the blade.

We could have a look on a few volts and some ideas to bring it better into practice or some more volts for a better overview of the source. This depends on the participants.


experience level: The workshop is suitable for beginners and advanced.
equipment: A fencingjacket would be great, but you absolutely need a flexible blade for this workshop!

Bodymechanics of Simon de Frias’ Destreza del Sable by Antonio Guzman-Avalos

This workshop will introduce an interesting sabre fencing system, which applies concepts of Destreza for the use of this weapon. Simon de Frias was a new-spanish fencing master, a diestro not only in sabre, but in rapier and small sword. It should be noted that Simon de Frias was a master of arms certified und accredited by the New Spain government.

His book “Tratado, Elemental de la Destreza del Sable”, published in Mexico in the year 1809, it is a unique example for the adaptation, under solid principles and rules, of the spanish fencing art for the use of the sabre. An essential part in this system is the so-called body motions or opposition of planes; it is a footwork enhanced by bodywork, which it is not found in any other known western sabre fencing system.

In this class the theoretical background of the system will be introduced, which, together with a series of drills, will allow the participants to be proficient in de Frias’ body mechanics.


The 1876 Method of Joinville : the origins of cane fighting by Julien Garry

This workshop aims at presenting the techniques described in the 1876 method of Joinville, which was destined to French mariners. Though these techniques were supposed to be put into practice with cutlasses, they turned out to lean more toward “sports” than toward military use, and contained the seeds of a sport that we still know today : cane fighting.

After some brief specific warm up, we will present the different guards of this methods and the 4 ways of attacking. The method will be presented, tested and finally applied during fun exercises.


experience level: beginner/medium
equipment: saber (nylon, steel or wood), mask and gloves

Lecture: by Julien Garry

This lecture is based on my master’s thesis, presented in 2018.

In this lecture we will identify the different phases of the evolution of saber fencing and lance fencing in the French cavalery, from the Napoleonic campains to the Second World War. We will also dive into a real-life romantic conflict that lasted several decades and opposed Alexandre Muller and various cavalery officers at the time when fencing on horseback became mendatory in the French army.


Gusztáv Arlow’s sabre system by Mátyás Miskolczi
Arlow was a military sabre fencing expert in the K.u.K army. His system is mainly based on Barbasetti’s one but Arlow has merged it with technical elements of the “old Hungarian sabre school” which was not documented by anyone. He has detailed and well elaborated drills focusing on actions of second intention. Arlow’s way of sabre fencing focuses on fencing as a sport but many elements are derived from duel fencing.
experience level: participants should have a basic knowledge and experience in sabre
equipment: steel sabre, mask, cup – optional: full fencing gear (for free sparring and/or full speed practising)

Sabre Duelling and Code of Honour in Hungary by Mátyás Miskolczi
Who has fought duels, when and how were duels fought, who has contributed, how it was regulated and what was the duels’ social function in the late 19th and also still in the early 20th Century

Sabre fencing for beginners by Stefan Dieke

If you are new to sabre fencing this is the class with which the ISS should start for you.

This class will address common concepts of sabre fencing (parry-ripostes, cuts, lunges etc.) aswell as some basic fencing theory, like forte-vs-foible, fencing time, second intention etc.


experience level: Beginners
equipment: Safe practice sabre (steel or nylon) or a wooden stick of about 90 – 100 cm length and about 20-25 mm in diameter.

Setting the Standard (Henry Angelo) by Susan Kirk
‘Setting the Standard’ – A practical look at Henry Angelo’s British military sabre system and how he created an effective sword fighting system and packaged it for mass instruction outside of a traditional fencing salle.
experience level: The session will be suitable for all levels of sabre experience.
equipment: Normal sabre training kit

Skirmishes

We will explore the application of the sabre (and related weapons) in group combat. While we will not be enough people for ‘battles’ we will have to make do with ‘skirmishes’. Expect different scenarios and goals, eg. ‘capture the flag’.

Protective equipment: minimum: mask, gloves; full HEMA gear is recommended.


Weapons: Nylon sabres (loaner sabres are available), approved simulators for all kind of other battlefield gear – no missile weapons!


© 2012 by Stefan Dieke