Sat. May 3rd: Rapier: Pointy Saber, or Big Smallsword? A Guide for the Uncultured with Scott Bradley

Scott Bradley is a well-known non-peasant and utilizer of pointed objects within the tri-state area. Despite the better judgement of local regulatory bodies, he has somehow been allowed to swing said pointed objects in the presence of others for an unfortunate number of years. At least three, though his ability to count past that has been called to question. Despite being a prolific longsword practitioner, he has not entirely lost the ability to read some books, including manuscripts by masters such as Talhoffer, Liechtenauer, Ringeck, Hector Mair, Meyer, and Von Danzig. This background in the history of fencing has been a foundation for his ravenous acquisition of knowledge, which has branched into the forbidden craft of modern Olympic saber and epee. The coaches and cultivators of his fencing style include Mark Wickersham, Rob Childs, and Michael Roth, although they may deny the allegations.

Scott found fencing unintuitive at first. Utilizing a professional background in personal training and kinesthesiology, he developed a system of breaking down and remodeling motor memory. The concepts of this methodology guide his style of teaching, and enable him to offer a dense breakdown of the art of the Rapier.

The priorities for his class will include universal essential-but-understated principles of fencing, strengths and weaknesses unique to rapier, solo training guidance that will actually make a difference, how to fight tall opponents, techniques stolen from epee, techniques that will get you banned from epee, and unique insights gleaned from a fighter who does not believe in keeping secrets.