Simply fantastic. Events like these are awesome. Please keep in mind I say these following things with respect to everyone's training, time put in and passion for the arts.
If I were to offer my two cents, and keep in mind I do not practice fencing, just concepts of fencing with empty hand...not weaponry.. so I realize the approach is different.
I double checked and did not see a single low line attack. A lot of legs were exposed. For instance, if I were in Elizabeth's corner during her match I would of told her to use a drop guard and either swipe in a diagonal upward motion to attack Hunter's wrist/hand/elbow or to swipe at her knee using triangle footwork to bridge the gap. Moving straight in on a taller opponent is very hard to do and one will normally take a hit or two before getting into range. With the point system your using, this does make it a little more difficult for the shorter person, but in my opinion it is not a disadvantage if the shorter practitioner learns diamond/triangle/square footwork.
Tony vs Nick. This was great. In the beginning, Tony came out aggressive but seemed to become reactionary toward the middle/end. Action is faster than reaction and Nick started to dictate the terms of engagement and range as the bout progressed. I think Tony would of avoided/evaded a lot more of these attacks if he would of used pendulum footwork instead of a leg retraction and bringing both feet together, locking himself in that position for a half beat.
This last thing is a personal preference and something that was instilled in me by Sifu Vito and Guro Dan. Don't play " tag ". Always use " punches in bunches " and never retreat backward in a straight line. Angle out and away. A slash followed by a stab or vice versa has a higher chance to score than a single strike followed by a quick retreat.
Let's face it, it's all about the %. A great baseball player hits at .300. That means they fail 70% of the time.
Anyway, these were great fun to watch. My comments come from the FMA approach and personal self expression, and are said out of respect. It is easy to watch from the outside and have " God Vision ". Much different when your actually in there as a combatant. We don't spar with sabers anyone, im with an SCA group. I would absolutely love to get out west and join you guys at one of these events, even If it were to be just a spectator.
I always remind my students " Everyone has a plan.....until they get hit in the face. "
Thanks for sharing this Cang.
This is also something similar I would of told her as well.
Charging is one thing. But CHASING is another, which was Elizabeth's fundamental mistake. It's true that, as the shorter fencer, you need to bridge the gap. But that gap should be bridged within a short distance AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE. In other words, acceleration through a short distance matters more than charging through what quickly becomes a LONG distance. If I were coaching Elizabeth between points, I would have told her not to pursue any attack beyond a single stride, and to focus on bringing Hunter close to her, then attacking with a BURST of speed over a SHORT distance.
Edit - I saw Nick use what looked like capoeira footwork! A little bit of the Ginga.