Tic Tac Toe Theory and Why Midguard (Chuudan) is TERRIBLE!

[@kobet7341]

Well explained theory man. I’m glad you’re uploading again, I missed your content!

[@JustaBug]

Thanks man! And thanks for supporting me all this time

[@NathanaelTheAussie]

The sooner we get to seeing “guards” as postures from and through which you can move into others, strike, and defend, the more wholistic and dynamic the guards themselves become. You are saying important stuff here mate, keep it up 🙌

[@JustaBug]

Agreed. Be away with static guards entirely, theyre transitional points

[@StuartMcDermid]

My guards are quite often static, but really only when my lower body is moving or when I'm completely out of distance resting. It is a great tactic to adopt a guard that invites an attack on a particular line and then hold it static whilst moving forward to invite an attack you are ready to defend. If they attack into the invitation, the parry-riposte or single time counter is on. If they don't attack, you can keep pressing until you are close enough to strike directly. All of this stuff is part of fencing theory 101. I genuinely don't understand how people fence without a good grasp of fencing theory. If you don't have it, you can really only regurgitate sequences of technique which is a poor training method if you are trying to become better at fencing. There is simply no realistic perception action coupling.

[@JustaBug]

@@StuartMcDermid I think the key point is that a lot of people don't fence. They do things without the pressure testing and therefore what *feels* safest must clearly and undeniably be the safest and none can say otherwise

[@StuartMcDermid]

@@JustaBug Imagine if there were tennis players like this. "Oh I only do kata and practice hitting shots back over the net that I know are coming. Sometimes I do hitting feats where I strike a baseline shot and then run to the net for a volley". I wonder how many matches a player like this would win. I don't give a damn if someone just wants to cut stuff and do kata. People should do what they love. They just shouldn't pretend that they've put in the time and sweat to get good at fencing.

[@JustaBug]

@StuartMcDermid I'm actually a pro athlete that ONLY does the mental training portion of a pro athletes regime. But I definitely do it to a pro athlete level so that makes me a pro athlete /s

[@danielnguyen3035]

I think a lot of the Japanese sword folks might also be confusing waza/kata with live sparring. Iaido, for example, isn't real fencing. It's more like a choreography that combines real guards and strikes. For something like that, where you're simply practicing your forms, I think it's sensible to incorporate chuudan for learning. That said, much like people wouldn't consider wushu to be real sword fighting, studying forms and technique is a pretty far cry from live fencing. Distinguishing between learning a form for the sake of learning and practical applications is something that the kata-focused Japanese sword people might not be thinking about too much.

[@TheSwordLynx]

I absolutely agree! Midguard has many excellent uses like conditioning, distance learning, and introducing beginner level blocking and cutting, but rarely succeeds in pressure testing against someone with a few years' experience. It can feel very safe while putting you in a lot of danger.

[@jackarrows1436]

👻💭

[@thescholar-general5975]

At the very least I think that everyone should learn to fence without relying on the midguard all the time.

[@JustaBug]

Agreed. In fact, I think people should learn to fence without relying on static stances and to see them as transitional frames

[@ivanfiorani1363]

Completely wrong. From midguard you can move forward with the tip as you extend your arms raise the sword to any degree of downwards cut. Mid guard give the best neutral defence and attack. Tic tak toe is the worst analogy as it’s no one persons turn then the next person. The tip is the furthest from you and the closest to the opponent so He w can it be bad. Naturally there is no one perfect stance or position, but the best average is always the best

[@JustaBug]

Youre welcome to your opinion, but I would not agree with you here. The best average is great but excels at nothing. I would rather teach my students to fence from varying positions utilising their advantages and being aware of their disadvantages to create and control the flow of the conflict. And I think youll find that in higher level fencing, turns very much exist, heavily so in parry riposte style systems like with cutting blades The tip being furthest from you and closest to the opponent means that it is an outstretched tool to be dealt with. The manual I work from outlines 3 different ways of dealing with midguard alone. It may feel the safest, and be the safest against noobs, but I can guarantee you any high level fighter will have multiple tools in their arsenal specifically for dealing with midguard and be able to switch between them based on early reactions to make the midguard sitter the chaser.

[@ivanfiorani1363]

@@JustaBug obviously learning multiple positions of defence and attack is necessary, but starting from the best average allows to utilise all these options… Example a neutral jodan allows you to go right or left, if your jodan is bias to, say, the left then a left attack is better than crossing midline over to the right.. It’s time your opponent can see and adapt to

[@tsunamininja]

from the perspective from someone with nil experience - the analogy at least makes sense in that by holding a "suboptimal" guard and leaving an opening - you can prepare a counter attack for the most likely method they will attack from, as opposed to having to keep all directions in mind and reacting accordingly

[@ivanfiorani1363]

@@tsunamininja key point…no experience

[@JustaBug]

@@ivanfiorani1363 I would much rather my beginners start in a retracted guard like hasso for a japanese equivalent and not rely on the false safety of midguard. Starting in midguard with beginners just leads to dull fencing and then when the do go against someone with midguard counters they have no tools in their arsenal. Id rather throw them in the deep end and have them build out an arsenal of tools to use before adding in the "safe" option

[@willynillylive]

Well I am not a beginner keep your blade pointed at my eyes if I get close put it my eyes don't take guards that let me get close you'll lose I am 3rd degree black belt and combat veteran and close quarters combat with blades is something I have years of experience with