Star Trek and Fencing (With YouTube Providing Visual Aids)
While I loved the movie, a few things about Star Trek bothered more. One thing in particular: Sulu's fencing.
Yes, I know the writers just did that because no one takes fencing seriously as a sport, but really? Come on guys, don't call it fencing if it's not. I'll relent a little and admit that the style Sulu used was close to saber, but not that close.
For a little bit of history, saber was originally used by calvary soldiers to hack heads and limbs off while charging forward on horses. It's a hard, fast style. And Sulu apparently DID fence in the original series, but if you notice, he uses an epee. Epee is VERY DIFFERENT from saber. This right here? THIS is epee. THIS is saber. In saber, you hit your opponent with the edge of the blade, where as in epee and foil, you poke them. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE.
Speaking from experience, it is incredibly difficult to switch from a slashing style to a poking style.
What Sulu was doing on the drill was in no way, shape, or form epee. He was using a slashing style with a lot of overhand attacks, which epee does not use. The blade was too heavy to be a saber, and it was not double sided. Only one edge was sharped, which is a signature of kendo, NOT saber. The term 'fencing' refers to the European style, which is very specific.
It bothers me to know end when people use the term fencing to describe non-European styles. Now, please understand that I have the utmost respect for every style of sword fighting out there. I respect the others because I understand just how much work goes into becoming good. I just prefer that people use the correct terminology.
This is Wushu. In my opinion, this is closer to what Sulu was doing. Notice the overhand strikes and the way the man moves. Very different from saber, but still similar. In fencing, turning your back on your opponent is suicide. Not only will it get you a yellow card and a lecture from the judge, it hurts like hell to be stabbed in the back. Especially if your dear opponent is in a sadistic mood and hits you in the neck or back of your head, WHERE THERE IS NO ARMOR AND NO WAY TO PARRY OR ESCAPE.
Head wounds bleed like there is no tomorrow, people. They also hurt like hell.
Sulu turned his back to his opponent at least once and possibly more. In wushu, that's an acceptable move. Perhaps not the most intelligent, but it does happen. It does NOT happen in saber. Or epee. Or foil.
Why? Because it's stupid and gets people hurt. Sulu was trying not to die. If I was in his situation and fencing saber, I would NOT show my back to my opponent, especially since he appeared to be slightly psycho and not afraid to chop heads off. Sulu showing his back while fighting with a saber-style is stupid and highly suicidal.
How do I know this? I have seen my coaches yell at people for doing that. My coaches never yell unless somebody's about to get hurt/die. This should give you an idea as to just how serious that is.
Sulu didn't strike me as the crazed I-Have-A-Deathwish-type.
Also, there were several 'dramatic moments' in which the random Roluman miner (why do miners know how to use swords, seriously?) and Sulu's blades were locked. That right there does not work. If you lock blades with an opponent with is both taller and stronger than you, you are screwed and will die a humiliating death. Well, unless you break their kneecaps while they're gloating over their forthcoming victory, but judges tend to frown on that. How come we never see that in movies?
Second point: if you engage in a series of parries against a much taller and stronger opponent for more than three seconds, you are screwed. If you remember the saber videos I linked earlier in the post, you'll see that saber is incredibly fast. Engagements do not last long. I have seen boutes that have ended in under thirty seconds. The point of parrying is not to block the opponent's attack, but to divert it and then launch your own counter-attack and, you know, SCORE.
Sulu was using a whole lot of parries and relatively few actual attacks. This is also stupid. Continuously parrying tires you out. Tired out fencer=loser. The loser in this situation=the dead guy.
Whew. Okay. In conclusion: writers, if you're going to call it fencing, make it realistic. If you want to have fun with it that's fine, but at least don't call it what it's not. Represent the style fairly or don't use it at all.
Yes, I know the writers just did that because no one takes fencing seriously as a sport, but really? Come on guys, don't call it fencing if it's not. I'll relent a little and admit that the style Sulu used was close to saber, but not that close.
For a little bit of history, saber was originally used by calvary soldiers to hack heads and limbs off while charging forward on horses. It's a hard, fast style. And Sulu apparently DID fence in the original series, but if you notice, he uses an epee. Epee is VERY DIFFERENT from saber. This right here? THIS is epee. THIS is saber. In saber, you hit your opponent with the edge of the blade, where as in epee and foil, you poke them. THERE IS A BIG DIFFERENCE, PEOPLE.
Speaking from experience, it is incredibly difficult to switch from a slashing style to a poking style.
What Sulu was doing on the drill was in no way, shape, or form epee. He was using a slashing style with a lot of overhand attacks, which epee does not use. The blade was too heavy to be a saber, and it was not double sided. Only one edge was sharped, which is a signature of kendo, NOT saber. The term 'fencing' refers to the European style, which is very specific.
It bothers me to know end when people use the term fencing to describe non-European styles. Now, please understand that I have the utmost respect for every style of sword fighting out there. I respect the others because I understand just how much work goes into becoming good. I just prefer that people use the correct terminology.
This is Wushu. In my opinion, this is closer to what Sulu was doing. Notice the overhand strikes and the way the man moves. Very different from saber, but still similar. In fencing, turning your back on your opponent is suicide. Not only will it get you a yellow card and a lecture from the judge, it hurts like hell to be stabbed in the back. Especially if your dear opponent is in a sadistic mood and hits you in the neck or back of your head, WHERE THERE IS NO ARMOR AND NO WAY TO PARRY OR ESCAPE.
Head wounds bleed like there is no tomorrow, people. They also hurt like hell.
Sulu turned his back to his opponent at least once and possibly more. In wushu, that's an acceptable move. Perhaps not the most intelligent, but it does happen. It does NOT happen in saber. Or epee. Or foil.
Why? Because it's stupid and gets people hurt. Sulu was trying not to die. If I was in his situation and fencing saber, I would NOT show my back to my opponent, especially since he appeared to be slightly psycho and not afraid to chop heads off. Sulu showing his back while fighting with a saber-style is stupid and highly suicidal.
How do I know this? I have seen my coaches yell at people for doing that. My coaches never yell unless somebody's about to get hurt/die. This should give you an idea as to just how serious that is.
Sulu didn't strike me as the crazed I-Have-A-Deathwish-type.
Also, there were several 'dramatic moments' in which the random Roluman miner (why do miners know how to use swords, seriously?) and Sulu's blades were locked. That right there does not work. If you lock blades with an opponent with is both taller and stronger than you, you are screwed and will die a humiliating death. Well, unless you break their kneecaps while they're gloating over their forthcoming victory, but judges tend to frown on that. How come we never see that in movies?
Second point: if you engage in a series of parries against a much taller and stronger opponent for more than three seconds, you are screwed. If you remember the saber videos I linked earlier in the post, you'll see that saber is incredibly fast. Engagements do not last long. I have seen boutes that have ended in under thirty seconds. The point of parrying is not to block the opponent's attack, but to divert it and then launch your own counter-attack and, you know, SCORE.
Sulu was using a whole lot of parries and relatively few actual attacks. This is also stupid. Continuously parrying tires you out. Tired out fencer=loser. The loser in this situation=the dead guy.
Whew. Okay. In conclusion: writers, if you're going to call it fencing, make it realistic. If you want to have fun with it that's fine, but at least don't call it what it's not. Represent the style fairly or don't use it at all.