Playing with swords seems to be a part of human nature. Almost everyone can recall a camping trip with little boys dueled against each other with sticks while mother's worried about their children's safety. As a child, I loved to watch the Disney movie Aladdin. One day Aladdin disappeared from my house never to be seen again. Years later, my mom informed me that she had found me playing swords (kitchen knives) with my one-year-old little sister. Fighting with swords was always more than just a way to kill someone, it has been used in entertainment, sports events, and ceremonial processions. 
Stick fighting dates back to 1200 BC where in ancient egypt stick fighting was performed as a ceremony to honor the Egyptian Pharaoh. Honor came to teh warriors who need great athleticism to fight against another. While stick fighting was used to train warriors for war, it was also used in athletic games (like ancient Greece). Having the games kept warriors in shape and ready for battle.
During the Renaissance, fighting become more refined. Sticks were replaced with rapiers. Italians created fencing techniques and created schools for fencing. Fencing began to spread across Europe. There was a time when fencing was a means to duel to the death, however, during the eighteenth and nineteenth century, it became a sport. Weapons were redesigned to prevent unnecessary injuries.
In modern day, fencing has been shown in popular movies including The Princess Bride, and The Three Musketeers, in Star Wars, the light saber duels have their roots in fencing. Modern day fencing is shown in this Dairy Queen Commercial!
In sixth grade I was 6'1. My mom never thought I would be an athlete because of the way my right foot stuck out like a duck when I walked. I was introduced to fencing and fell in love with working hard to achieve a goal. I wanted to go to the Olympics in 2008. While that didn't happen. Fencing became a sort of knowledge that was reflected in my further academic and athletic pursuits. I learned that despite my physical and perhaps mental shortcomings, I could accomplish what I set my mind to.
Emily that's great that you found your niche in life! I wish that I could say that I have. How do you think that this relates to folk knowledge? Is fencing something they can hand you a text book for? (If so sign me up!)
ReplyDeleteThat's really interesting! Great post! I don't think I've ever met a fencer until now. It's very interesting to think that it is a sport that was created specifically to keep warriors in shape between battles. How do you think the folk knowledge comes in? Did fathers used to teach their little boys? It's an interesting history.
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure its something you can learn while sitting in a class! I'm sure you could memorize the basic steps of fencing. But, really I think there is a knowledge that's been passed on through multiple cultures of how to defend yourself when called upon to do so. It's something our ancestors have done for centuries!
ReplyDeleteI loved your post! And you almost went to the Olympics? WOW! Like the earlier comments, I'm not quite sure how this relates to folk knowledge. Is it that the masters of the art would then teach it to others and that it's something that you can't really learn from a book? Great background information, it really makes me want to research more about how fencing developed.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to think about the ways you learn knowledge. Like, some things you have to learn out of textbooks, but some things you have to learn by doing. Like you said, no amount of reading textbooks will teach you how to fence.
ReplyDeleteKim, I was also thinking about how this comes down in Sophic vs Mantic. Do you think that fencing is more something you "feel" or is their a "science" to it?
ReplyDeleteEmily - A good blend of personal and historical in your post. Thanks for the references, which looked good.
ReplyDeleteErin and Maddie - Very good to bring in the question about folk knowledge.
Are athletic skills not transmissible except in active, interpersonal learning? You might take a look at Kacee's discussion about choreography ("Sharing the Dance")
Erin - nice to try tying this in to the mantic / sophic distinction in class.
I think that athletics, like any natural talent, doesn't have to be taught from person to person, some people can just look at a playbook and execute perfectly with out watching someone do it, but is best taught in this way.
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