Fencing . n men who had really mastered the sword wouldnot be understood. There would not be the heavy and re-sounding thumps which the public consider their due ; so thebest combatants would be thought tame. This is to beregretted. Sabre play does not admit of the same exquisiteskill as fencing, but it is a noble and manly form of contest,closely resembling the real battle. We may conclude with a hint to fencers who may opposeepee to sabre, or foil to stick. And this hint is very , if you know it well, the guard recommended by CaptainHutton, draw, whenever you think you can parry an
Fencing . n men who had really mastered the sword wouldnot be understood. There would not be the heavy and re-sounding thumps which the public consider their due ; so thebest combatants would be thought tame. This is to beregretted. Sabre play does not admit of the same exquisiteskill as fencing, but it is a noble and manly form of contest,closely resembling the real battle. We may conclude with a hint to fencers who may opposeepee to sabre, or foil to stick. And this hint is very , if you know it well, the guard recommended by CaptainHutton, draw, whenever you think you can parry and riposte,your adversarys dropping cut on the forearm ; and -never forgetthat, to extend Captain Godfreys dictum, it is more easy to makesure of a cut than it is of a thrust in the heat of an other words, beware of failing to credit your adversary withthis advantage over and above his individual skill. \For Bibliography^ see Appejtdix at end of book, ^ BOXING- AND SPARRING BY E. B. MICHELL t 2. Fij^ure I.—On guard BOXING AND SPARRING CHAPTER I. THE TIISTORY OF It may be an unpleasant surprise to some of the great admirersof Boxing, to bear tbat tbe antiquity of tbe art is incapable ofbeing proved, or even seriously maintained. Although fingerswere made before fists, and nature has given to all of us ourhands and arms before they would have the strength or skill touse a sword or a dagger, still it must be admitted that very fewpeople resort naturally or instinctively to the use of the fist as ameans of attack or self-defence. Test the matter as you will,by any of the established theories for ascertaining the age of ahuman institution or practice, and you inevitably arrive at thesame conclusion. Children, in their earliest struggles with oneanother, before any wicked intruder into the nursery has giventhem a hint as to ways and means, seldom or never resort tothe doubled fists for disabling their infant foe. Scratching,biting and pinching are the most obvi
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