(no subject)
So Silver constantly chastises the Italians (tho more so the Enghlishmen that vainly imitate them) for utilizing peculiar tricks and sneaky techniques. At the same time, he begrudginly compliments the Spanish for the eccentricity of their fight. What's the deal? Well, Fabris tells us that most of those trick shots are designed for a specific purpose and context. None of them are meant to stand alone. Most of the Italian masters are against any sort of "all purpose" guard. The crazier the posture, the more specific a response they are trying to draw. So if the Italians use these tricks as specific and carefully ppanned out game-enders, what is Silver complaining about? From everything I've read, Silver is less concerned with the theory of rapier play than he is about the non chalant approach to its use that his countrymen. His book is not an admonishment of the Italians; he is yelling at his own fellow English....by way of insulting the Italians and their subversive ways. And there's another point. Silver doesn't care how the Italians fight. He is simply annoyed that they are teaching what they do to the English.