Over Engineering?

[Mike Edelson]

As to the original question, sure! If you want to go fight and take a chance that you will survive with a minimum of training, this is the best way. Assuming that you do, in fact, survive. Then you can learn more and really understand what you're learning and you will be awesome. It kinda sucks for all those guys who don't survive though. Bummer dude. Next time.

[Mike Ruhala]

Yeah, I'm not real big on the AOE thing. I'm well aware you can quickly achieve stunning success with it against intermediate and low level fencers under a specific set of circumstances that don't really reflect what a fight for your life is like. As soon as you have to fight somebody outside that zone you'll run into trouble either because of your opponent's experience, unpredictability, friends or their simple willingness to temporarily ignore a wound that will ultimately prove fatal. I actually have used an AOE-type approach for people in the past but never martial artists, I always reserved it for people who I knew wouldn't train but would benefit from knowing one or two high probability self defense techniques.

All that said, with experience you'll start learning what works well for you and what your vulnerabilities are and then you'll start adapting your style. That's healthy, normal and productive but if you're serious about learning how to fight for your life get a solid grounding in the fundamentals first.

[Jesse Eaton]

I think the Mike's are missing an important part of what Kevin was describing. " I'm well aware you can quickly achieve stunning success with it against intermediate and low level fencers under a specific set of circumstances that don't really reflect what a fight for your life is like" That's true, but it is only half of the equation, and is missing the critical part. The critical part is what Jeremy said "When facing another fencer, the goal is not to counter the opponent's AOE, but instead to remove the things necessary for them to use their AOE." Having an AOE is ok, having an AOE and being able to "remove the things necessary for them to use their AOE." When you can do that, you can beat almost anyone. You have to fight in such a way as to get your opponent to fight your way, either through force or enticement. It's fairly easy to get middle to low functioning opponents to do what you want them to by force, but beating skilled opponents is, in large, through enticement. I have a thread about the art of deception in KdF. That's what deception is all about, getting your opponent to do what you want them to so you can make use of your AOE and they can't. That's what it really means to have the vor. I have the vor when I'm able to lead my opponent into fighting the way that is advantageous to me.

Or so my current working theory goes...

[Ben Floyd]

I'm waiting for all the dussack bouts from FA to come out. Whenever they do, I'll be able to point to one specific video in which I am specifically leading the other fencer into my fight. It was against Rob Hunter in the semi-finals, I think.

[Jean Chandler]

It appears that every thread from now on is going to be infested with sports fencing gibberish from epeeists and the like...

J

[Kevin Murakoshi]

It appears that every thread from now on is going to be infested with sports fencing gibberish from epeeists and the like...

J

Yep, I'm doing it just annoy you.

[DavidCoblentz]

It's actually impossible to do HEMA properly without at least 5 years of training in foil...

[Jean Chandler]

hahahaha

[Dustin Reagan]

It appears that every thread from now on is going to be infested with sports fencing gibberish from epeeists and the like...

J

Better that than a lot of the "True Art" gibberish I see in a lot of the threads...

[keith cotter-reilly]

It's actually impossible to do HEMA properly without at least 5 years of training in foil...

Now I know the truth of how you feel!!!! How can I train with you anymore before I do 5 years of training!!!???

I had the AOE discussion with one of the Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu training partners the other day in regards to competing in that martial art. Somewhat deja-vu reading it here. We basically came down to the same conclusion as Jeremy. Making the opponent fight your game is very important. It is easier in some martial arts than others for sure. But I think it is important in all of them.