The SHASHKA: what, whom, where, when and how?

[Radu Transylvanicus]

Originally Posted by Tim Simmons

I am not sure you actually fence with combat weapons, fencing is practice and sport. I also feel you are stretching things to think one fences when dueling, which most often ended in a most bloody ungentlemanly fight for survival. Many cavalry troops were used as a shock weapon against infantry positions where the weapon would pierce or cut down often fleeing opponents once thier formation had been breached. Beautiful steel but not the most noble weapon. Tim

Wikipedia: In the broadest possible sense, fencing is the practice of armed combat involving cutting, stabbing or bludgeoning weapons directly manipulated by hand, rather than shot or thrown (in other words, swords, knives, pikes, bayonets, batons, clubs, and so on)....

It is not necesarily the guys with funny withe tights in the Olympics, could be practiced with weapons, like "back in the days", fencing is a lot like sex, it could be done on your own, very safe and easy but no fun, so its good to have a partner or sometimes depends, if youre really good or crazy you do it with a lot more than one... That being said, I hope my wife doesnt read the posts...