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Post by Bryn on May 21, 2011 22:16:13 GMT
Hey y'all, I thought this was pretty darn cool so I'd share it. "The Cuts must, as a rule, be delivered within 8 inches of the point and at the "Center of percussion" so that the sword may clear itself and the arm escape a "Jar"" This from A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry - by Burton I just think it's pretty cool that for how much we talk about the CoP like it's the holy grail of sword-y ness, the Brits had it down in writing more'n a hundred years ago. Swordsmanship doesn't change much once you get down to bare bones  |
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Post by Kilted Cossack on May 21, 2011 23:39:23 GMT
To use the vernacular, Burton was the fo-shizzle-nit. Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy, linguist and explorer and adventurer. Travel to Mecca and Medina in the disguise of a true-believing Muslim? Yeah, he did that. Translate the Kama Sutra into English? Yeah, he did that. Translate the Arabian Nights? Yeah, he did that.
I read that once at a dinner party, a doctor asked Burton how he felt when he'd just killed a man. Burton's response? "Generally, I feel quite jolly. When you kill a man, doctor, how do you feel?"
I'm just now getting into the New System, but I've been a fan of Burton's since back in the day!
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Post by Dave Kelly on May 22, 2011 0:03:05 GMT
Another perspective on the nature of the cut. Not o0nly do you want to strike with your weapons "sweet spot" but the strike should be delivered with enough of an angle of attack to provide some draw into the point of attack. "Cut don't chop". A flat perpendicular line of attack will slam into the target with flat force rellying on percussion rather than the edge cutting. Also causing a shock wave suitable for wrist breaking. Like cutting tomatos: slide the blade thru; don't chop...  Another reason saber blades are bowed. |
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TomK
Member
Senior Forumite
Posts: 2,377
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Post by TomK on May 22, 2011 1:37:03 GMT
as I understand it, Burton was the original source used by the modern sword community to coin such terms as Center of Percussion.
Burton was one of the few sources of reliable info that the early sword fans were able to find so his information was a big part of our formative years as a sword community. of course since then more and better sources have replaced Burton but he's always been there for us.
I owned Burton's "Book of the Sword" since I was a teenager, long before internet sword communities or even the internet. his stuff was in the public eye thanks to his more popular works such a Nights, and the Kama Sutra.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on May 22, 2011 14:20:18 GMT
This is, I hope, only a slight and permissible derailing of the thread!
I've been dipping my toes into WMA----on a very, very "dipping the toes in" level. I have been slowly reading, and slowly beginning to practice, some of Silver's methodology, relying on Stephen Hand's book. Between Silver, and bits of McBride and Hope, I've had a fair affection for the Hanging Guard, and it's somewhat jarring to read Burton's evident open and sincere disdain for that guard. Conflict amongst my heroes! Oh my!
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Post by Bryn on May 22, 2011 20:04:49 GMT
Isn't it though? I kinda had the same reaction when I read his opinion of Hanging guard, but after reading his points, I can't help but to agree with him. Doesn't he advocate a High tearce to deal with most of the attacks to the head? Although, I have to say that I think I remember that the counter to Cut 1 from the outside (or is it inside?) in his system looks a lot like a hanging guard counter.
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Post by MEversbergII on May 26, 2011 3:59:31 GMT
Is the New Method in print somewhere? I believe I have a PDF but I have PDFADHD.
M.
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Post by Kilted Cossack on May 26, 2011 13:38:05 GMT
M:
I picked up a copy of Mark Rector's Highland Swordsmanship: Techniques of the Scottish Sword Masters, which includes both McBane and Hope. Of course, shortly after ordering it I read about the Chivalry Bookshelf brou-ha-ha, but that's my only reservation.
Oh, and as one of the Amazon reviewers pointed out, the kilts they wear in some illustrations aren't exactly "era appropriate" but what are ya gonna do?
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Post by chuckinohio on May 26, 2011 13:46:55 GMT
Burton was quite the individual.
The run of "Most interesting man in the world" commercials, from the beginning reminded me of him, because he was.
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