If you practice martial arts of any style you will soon realize that most competitors fall within 3 distinct "types." Learning how to recognize the type of opponent you are facing, what type of fencer you are, and how to apply this knowledge is a large part of being a successful fencer - or fighter in any style of martial art.
"Whosoever is mindful to exercise himself in this true and honorable Art or Science, it is requisite that he be imbued with deep judgement, a valiant heart and great activity, in which three qualities this exercise does as it were delight, live and flourish." – George Silver
George Silver writes that there are three virtues required for excellency in martial aptitude. Silver mentions the need for a noble heart (courage) and great activity (proficiency and not given to melancholy) as prerequisites for someone engaged in the Noble Science of Defense. He also mentions the necessity to have 'deep judgment' which he discusses at length throughout his treatises. As mentioned in my previous post: Principles of the English Fight, 'judgement' in a martial context simply means that we should make the best possible decision with the resources available to gain the optimum result. In the scenario of swordplay this means we should be able to discern the best application of the tactical principles within the context of the duel.
When discerning the best application of tactical principles 'context' is the key to proper discernment and good judgment. The context of a duel varies widely with the propensities of the opponent and the environment of the engagement. Part of using good judgement is in knowing how to quickly discern the fighting style of your opponent. Knowing when he may react and how he may react is 'most' of the battle – we often refer to this as 'sizing-up' your opponent. This isn't any easy thing to do but becomes easier as you gain experience with engaging a variety of different opponent's. In our club we practice the English fencing art of the Ledall Roll, which provides both offensive and defensive techniques which condition us to be ready for any particular engagement. Ledall is chiefly divided in half: half the chases are offensive and half are defensive. We are instructed on 'how' to breech space within measure while safely maintaining distance until our opponent exposes their weakness, Ledall also instructs on how to seize the initiative and how to regain initiative when it is lost. There are a number of specific techniques coupled with the proper tactical applications within Ledall to develop a more than capable fencer. The emphasis on this article however is not on specific techniques from our treatises rather on the general overview of the three primary fighting styles which every person can be categorized. It is important that in any martial context, be it tournament fencing or street fighting, there are always 3 types of fighters, and understanding what kind of fighter you are facing will enable you to use good judgment on the application of techniques and tactics which will be most beneficial for the context of your present engagement. Just as important as understanding your opponent is to understand yourself and what type of fighter you are. The infamous phrase 'Know thyself,' attributed to Socrates, is the most important aspect of 'good judgment;' if you do not know who you are in a martial context then you can never exercise good judgment in knowing your opponent.
"It is to be considered that man by so much the more waxes fearful or bold by how much the more he knows how to avoid or not to eschew danger." – George Silver
1.) The Aggressive Fighter – The aggressive fighter is typically the one who consistently is the first to attack and take the initiative. During a bout, this type of fighter will start most of the engagements and typically uses a combination of offensive techniques to over-power his opponent. It is readily acknowledged by the ancient fencing Masters that the fighter who seizes the initiative is at a great advantage over his opponent who then must defend and attempt to steal the initiative. Stealing the initiative from an aggressive fighter can be difficult as this type of fighter will continue their onslaught and close distance quickly without affording their opponent the ability to retaliate.
"The deficiency of strength may be greatly supplied by Art; but the want of Art will have but heavy succor from strength." - Godfrey
Aggressive fighters typically move forward and linearly without fear of getting hit themselves. In the tournament scene the aggressive fighters are typically the ones with the most double-hits and are also more susceptible to after-blows. They give little thought to defense and this is what makes them so dangerous – they don't care about being hit so long as they hit first. This is a calculated risk they willingly engage in. To defeat an aggressive fighter one must be able to discern the opponent's weaknesses quickly: do they keep their point online, are they presenting an undefended opening, when they are quickly closing distance how will they react if you threaten their center-line? An aggressive fighter typically runs past good measure to close distance and this in and of itself is a weakness in that they are negligent in their defense and open to an off-line attack – always utilize lateral movement against an aggressive fighter as they are predisposed to a linear head-on clash. Also if you are a strong grappler then the aggressive fighter typically puts themselves within grappling range and is often careless in defending against a grapple. Finally, don't just sit back and play defense without returning an offense or your opponent will have nothing to fear.
2.) The Defensive Fighter – The defensive fighter can be a calculating fencer who awaits an opponent's attack in order to exploit an opening. Any time you attack, even in True Time, you are susceptible for a counter-attack. It is the Defensive Fighter's prerogative to take advantage of this momentary opening. A wise defensive fighter understands where his opponent's opening are and when the opportune time is to target those openings.
"Labor to parry well, rather than to hit at random by too much ambition or heat of passion." - Lonnergan
There are also defensive fighters who are unwise and typically unskilled – this is the fencer who stands in a stagnant guard like a statue unwilling to move and trying to remember a particular techniques that he might use if his opponent attacks with technique A, B, or C. A good defensive fighter is not a stagnant fighter and actually attempts to provoke their opponents into opening themselves up. This is done through provocations, feints and movement in and out of measure. A wise defensive fighter is one who understands the rules of engagement and tactically exploits his opponent's weaknesses. A defensive fighter is like a spider which builds a sophisticated web and waits to entrap its prey when he is at his weakest. This type of fighter relies heavily on tempo so that when his opponent is vulnerable to attack (during transitions, immediately after stepping, or after throwing a cut) he can quickly exploit the opportunity. The biggest weakness of a defensive fighter is the inability to defend quickly enough – for example, an aggressive fighter can quickly attack the low-line and subsequently initiate attacks to the high-line thereby disappointing the expectation of the defensive fighter. In fact, it is the expectation of the defensive fighter which is his greatest vulnerability and a good fighter can exploit this in a number of ways. Likewise, a smart fencer will also provoke a defensive fighter to move within their expectation and subsequently beat their defense with an unexpected feint or thrust to a different target. Defensive fighters deliberately extend an opening as an invitation to attack but this same strategy can be used against them as well. If a defensive fighter exhibits trepidation then attack with full vigor knowing that he will be timid in his defense. "Attack a timid fencer briskly; you will disconcert all his measures and put him in disorder" (Lonnergan).
3.) The Dancing Fighter – There are also fidgety fighters that never quit moving. They constantly transition from one guard to another to another non-stop. They typically like to circle around their opponent and execute random cuts at target of opportunity or to just provoke a response. They are a moving target and as such can be difficult to attack. The moment you strike in with a cut they have already voided back or leapt off to the side. They are difficult for the aggressive fighter to attack because they move around very quickly and are consistently moving off-line, the dancing fighter also won't engage in a toe to toe exchange when advanced upon. They typically attack when you are trying to simply square up with them thereby frustrating your endeavors. Footwork is the greatest strength of these type of fighters and while this style can be considered a type of defensive style their ability to slip and be evasive with ease utilizing footwork places them in a unique category of their own. Many defensive fighters are not dancers because they may be heavy, awkward or flat-footed.
The dancing fighter expects you to chase them. The surest way to counter their style is to reverse their strategy by backing away from them, cornering them with side-stepping, utilize feints to close distance, and 'hit and void' consistently to frustrate their designs.
Conclusion
These are the three primary types of fighters. There can be variations of each with some overlap. It is important to develop yourself as a more holistic fighter who is able to transition from one style to another fluidly. The only way to do this is to fence against each of these types of fighters and practice each of these styles yourself. Typically, most fencers will only adopt one particular style and many fencers are quite successful in one of these categories. However, a fencer should know his own dominant style, supplement it by practicing other styles (a defensive fighter should practice being aggressive and vice-versa) and knowing the particulars of these styles will enable you to practice 'good judgement' no matter your opponent. If you know your opponent then you know his weaknesses and how you may exploit them to your greatest advantage.
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