Is either of those used in the sport (not the illegal activity) known as
fencing? I've watched friends fence and been mighty impressed. Sabre
sounds awesome, please narrate a session of it, so I can figure out how it's
gone about. What really intrigues me is tilting; one would have to be an
accomplished rider as well as sword-handler. Ah, the good ole days! <g>
2008/8/24 Roger Day <[log in to unmask]>
> I used to be a fairly good swordsman myself - foil and sabre were my
> weapons of choice.
>
> Roger
>
> On Sun, Aug 24, 2008 at 10:52 AM, Judy Prince
> <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> > "Sprezzatura"----variously defined as "nonchalance", "the finest art that
> > hides its art", "studied casualness", "an aristocratic indifference
> towards
> > one's own works", "the appearance of careless gaiety", "skill in seeming
> > effortlessness in horsemanship, sword display, singing, dancing,
> speaking,
> > and writing so as to catch the eye of those higher in the hierarchy, and
> > especially that of the prince"----gives us Baldassari Castiglione's
> keyword
> > for the ultimate courtier of the Renaissance.
> > Philip Sidney, often said to be The Courtier in Elizabeth's England,
> studied
> > to be such. He wrote his poems, emphasising that they were trifles, many
> > written slapdash as he rode his horse near Wilton House, on his sister
> Mary,
> > Countess of Pembroke's estate (her husband, Henry Herbert, Earl of
> > Pembroke). Sidney was superiorly skilled in riding, swordplay and
> military
> > campaigns as well as in writing poetry and argumentation. He was an
> > influential and prototypic blend of sportsman and artist.
> > Have sport and art ever been far separate from governing, from politics,
> > from jockeying that impossible perfection of skills requisite to "play on
> > The Big Team" or, similarly, to make way for a new Big Team?
> >
> > Athletes and poets may train while wisely sequestered, but their aim is
> to
> > connect to others, to _show_ their skill and power, and to gain from the
> > show material as well as immaterial rewards. Much can be said about the
> > intrinsic joy of athletic and poetic acts---and it is real---but we can't
> > set aside the existence of the extrinsic goals of the performers.
> >
> > Judy
> >
>
>
>
> --
> My Stuff: http://www.badstep.net/
> "I began to warm and chill
> to objects and their fields"
> Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
>
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