Untied to strict adherence to rigid cultural and religious values (as many Eastern forms), Liechtenauer’s Kunst des Fechtens is remarkable for its pragmatic approach to combat – not only allowing for the possibility of the left-handed fencer, but also fundamentally including an approach that favors fencing in a way that plays to the strengths of one’s dominant side, regardless of which side that happens to be. In spite of this, misunderstanding of the intentions behind the glosses often leads left-handed fencers to fence as “right handers in reverse,” which is both mechanically unsound, and not in accordance with the teachings of the Liechtenauer tradition.
This class will address common misconceptions about being (and dealing with) a left-handed fencer – both in application of KdF concepts of fencing, as well as implementation of standard plays and techniques.
