Sabre Styles: Active vs Passive Defense

[@donaldbadowski290]

Nice vid. I can see using it to as an example to my students on how they can defend. I think another "school" of defense would be Aron Szilagyi.

[@UGam-lb9mg]

It works because he is very tall... Your defense cannot be passive.

[@reneverstrynge4570]

and left handed

[@_valexiaa2794]

@@reneverstrynge4570 Both of them are left handed...

[@MihailEtropolski]

There are always times and distances at which an attacker must make a choice of holding or finishing. If you train to find and create the right distance and time for those moments on defense, you’ll get better at recognizing them than the average attacker. There are plenty of taller and/or longer fencers who won’t defend like Buikevich. It doesn’t work because he’s tall; it works because he’s practiced in it and has a talent for playing possum. Now, what does make “passive” defending less successful is that the athletes have gotten so explosive and long-reaching that it’s possible for an attack to reach 1 meter or 4 meters, each in a single action that takes roughly the same amount of time. That makes a defender’s nuanced game of “am I here or am I there” insignificant, which is why Buikevich and others saw a huge drop off circa 2010. Making the top fencers of today fall short needs a lot more movement to give the defender a decent chance.

[@raoulkurvitz6305]

Dershwitz is one of the most interesting sabre-fencers. Noone else does what and how he does. And he is a left-hander, which drives me crazy, 'would need a mirror to understand what he is doing. And then, on the piste against Buikewich, another left-hander - my Gosh. Isn't this too many of them? 🥺😮💥

[@christianalbertjahns2577]

4:50 I never thought I've seen counter riposte

[@samsignorelli]

Darryl Homer pulled one off against El Sissy at a NAC recently....Homer kinda flunges with a head shot, gets parried, and counters the riposte -- WHILE STILL IN THE AIR -- and one-lights it for the win. El Sissy then applauded the move.

[@heyheyheyitsevz00]

2:38 sounded like the sigh from wii sports😭😭

[@bunnyrstudios]

Awesome~ I think that this will help me find my style in sabre fencing!

[@ericdew2021]

What Dershwitz was doing wrong against Buikevich was attacking deep to the body. If Buikevich is passive with arm out, no moving blade, then just slap him on the arm. If you fail, you have a chance to get away. The uncertainty of the passive defense is whether the person will stop hit (which Buikevich does very well, due to his long arm) or parry. A defender who is flailing the blade hoping to pick up a parry has to change from flail to cut if he intends to stop hit/counter. Doing so is rather noticeable and the attacker can key on that to complete the attack: flailing means door is closed, no attack; cutting means door is opened, make attack. Two lights will favor the attacker.

[@patricksviola]

I agree. That said he had never fought Buikevich as it was his first year in the senior circuit. Buikevich is one of those fencers where you know exactly he does but has many ways of setting it up seemingly from the same defensive position. See the bought with him and Yakimenko from Beijing.

[@naughtyfencer6971]

Nice vid, very informative one. Thanx!

[@samsignorelli]

2:38....Jesus....

[@michaelguernsey1206]

Active is so much more fun

[@samsignorelli]

I like tghe fact that when Eli throws out a PIL....it actually IS a legit PIL (Looking at you, Nicolas Lopez of France).

[@Philosoraptor11]

Buikevich works in the states. Saw him grab a kid and shake him for losing a bout. Had to card him for it. He might be chill as a fencer, definitely not as a coach.