musing on a Meyer plate
Meyer. He’s been beneath my gaze for years, perhaps decades. A brief conversation by two people whose scholarly skills I admire brought his work to my attention. A friend reproduced one of his plates for my Alce scroll, and while the art was beautiful, the position in that one plate dissuaded my study. I didn’t know him at the time, but I dismissed him in favor of the Italians. This is a mistake, I will try not to make again.
One of his plates details two swordsmen in close contact. Each flat to flat; each looking for the flinch to move to second and kill. Meyer seems, at this introductory point in my study, to favor a forward committed stance, and one that would require a passé, or a resetting of the stance to finalize the move. A re-commitment (or reconnection) would make clear the intent and cause the opponent to end the strike. No chance there. A passé is the only move in play. My passé is quite good, can I count on it?
This kind of move is one my my favorites, based probably on my own fear of commitment, and weaknesses. Maybe I always need a lateral way out. No second chances with that kind of move, it is full commitment with only three outcomes. Either I thrust in second before the opposition, strike at the chest, and strike a kill (this I know I can do) or my opponent senses my motion, redoubles his third, then strikes to parry my thrust (in which case, I’m vulnerable) or takes a half step in retreat and rises for a thrust to the face, or the opponent withdraws completely, and resets. With a complete withdrawal, I can recover. At least I think I can. In each case, the one to commit first has control and the advantage. All of this requires that I move first which means that time, and nerve is my true enemy, and thereby my strength.
One of his plates details two swordsmen in close contact. Each flat to flat; each looking for the flinch to move to second and kill. Meyer seems, at this introductory point in my study, to favor a forward committed stance, and one that would require a passé, or a resetting of the stance to finalize the move. A re-commitment (or reconnection) would make clear the intent and cause the opponent to end the strike. No chance there. A passé is the only move in play. My passé is quite good, can I count on it?
This kind of move is one my my favorites, based probably on my own fear of commitment, and weaknesses. Maybe I always need a lateral way out. No second chances with that kind of move, it is full commitment with only three outcomes. Either I thrust in second before the opposition, strike at the chest, and strike a kill (this I know I can do) or my opponent senses my motion, redoubles his third, then strikes to parry my thrust (in which case, I’m vulnerable) or takes a half step in retreat and rises for a thrust to the face, or the opponent withdraws completely, and resets. With a complete withdrawal, I can recover. At least I think I can. In each case, the one to commit first has control and the advantage. All of this requires that I move first which means that time, and nerve is my true enemy, and thereby my strength.