Smallsword Duelling

[M ELEY]

Fascinating information from all involved. I personally loved that movie 'The Duelist'. Just wanted to add that as far as fencing goes, the German academic schools also were heavily involved and it was quite popular to bare the scars provided by the matches, so much so that it became a Hollywood steriotype to show movie villains of the era with such scars-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_scar

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Fascinating information from all involved. I personally loved that movie 'The Duelist'. Just wanted to add that as far as fencing goes, the German academic schools also were heavily involved and it was quite popular to bare the scars provided by the matches, so much so that it became a Hollywood steriotype to show movie villains of the era with such scars-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dueling_scar

That is a truly fascinating article on scars - thank-you - which I would never have encountered if not for your post.

[M ELEY]

Glad you liked it, Keith. Admittedly, I'm a wuss and would rather have not been scarred up in this way!

[urbanspaceman]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Glad you liked it, Keith. Admittedly, I'm a wuss and would rather have not been scarred up in this way!

I only visit this planet occasionally, so I have to confess that the behaviour of the male species is sometimes even more perplexing than the female

[fernando]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

Glad you liked it, Keith. Admittedly, I'm a wuss and would rather have not been scarred up in this way!

Common sense, Captain ...common sense. Many years ago (long before Internet) i watched a documentary in the TV where a bunch of these guys 'fought' for a scar; close to each other, wearing goggles, crossing swords at high speed (you can't call it fencing, nor duelling) and looking to get cut; indeed the willing to get themselves a scar was more their goal than inflicting one to their foes.
In a different scenary, who doesn't remember the movie Royal Flash, where Malcom MacDowel (Flashman) had to be scarred in his face to impersonate the Danish prince; but at least here there was some practical sense ... so to say.


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[mariusgmioc]

Originally Posted by fernando

Common sense, Captain ...common sense. Many years ago (long before Internet) i watched a documentary in the TV where a bunch of these guys 'fought' for a scar; close to each other, wearing goggles, crossing swords at high speed (you can't call it fencing, nor duelling) and looking to get cut; indeed the willing to get themselves a scar was more their goal than inflicting one to their foes.

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As far as I remember this was a common practice... and fashion among German students in the 19th... maybe even early 20th century.

[fernando]

Originally Posted by mariusgmioc

As far as I remember this was a common practice... and fashion among German students in the 19th... maybe even early 20th century.

Yes indeed, Marius; still is healthier to collect antique arms than fashionable scars .

[Rick]

There was a documentary film made in the early sixties, Mondo Cane, in which a German student got his scar at a Barber's shop. From what I remember the barber offered this service to those young men who desired the scar.

[Chris Evans]

Hi Fernando,

Is this what you were referring to? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OSaFdDko_k

Cheers
Chris

[fernando]

That's the one, Chris. Good catch .

[Mel H]

Mark Twain devoted part of his well known 1880 book, A Tramp Abroad, to a view of his own observations of Heidelberg students' fencing.
An amusing read.

[fernando]

Here is the part mentioned by Mell:
http://www.mark-twain-in-heidelberg.de/htm/mthd_c05.htm
Hopefully by now notions of this 'sport' are fully clear and the current (not so within scope) topic will fall asleep .