At my request David Rawlings of Boars Tooth Fight School came to Utrecht on 26 and 27 September 2009 to teach a 2-day workshop about the sword and buckler system I.33. I specifically asked him if he could approach this system in a way that would make it appear simple and logical. David definitely succeeded at this.
During Day 1 we practiced stance, movement, and the main positions in the system, and we started looking into what position is used & why.
Day 2 brought more focus on action-reaction as we were guided deeper into I.33. Without bringing in any (unnecessary) complexity, he showed how the actions and reactions described in the manual are actually the only sensible way to deal with a given situation. As we went through the various exercises, David further explained and demonstrated the main points in (his) fencing theory, stimulating an intuitive understanding of the reasons behind the actions. These are lessons that will help not just with sword and buckler fighting but with all fighting arts. In order to be able to keep practicing after the workshop, each participant was given a copy of one of David’s DVDs about I.33, that I am sure will be a great help.
In short, all participants had a great and inspiring weekend. David has distilled a simple, logical system out of the I.33 manual, and managed to teach this in an instructive and easy to follow way, just as I requested.
If he doesn’t react…
… Stab him in the face!
H.E.M.A.N. – nlhema.myfreeforum.org
Reinier van Noort
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