Combat Training

[Master Nero Attoru]

I was a sabre fencer for a while, but I got tired of all the rules. I was too young for any of the training to really stick with me, though. One thing I have observed is that fencing training is only helpful when both parties are at least marginally following the rules. In real-life sword combat, in which both parties are trying to annihilate each other, I think its effectiveness would be greatly diminished.

Having gone from learning fencing to teaching it, as well as having directed it, I have seen how right of way actually has some real basis to it.  It seems like a bunch of pointless rules, but ultimately it's derived from some realistic ideas in swordsmanship - for instance the reason an attack gets priority is because the attacker would (in theory) hit first, or at least with more force.  You can't execute a counterattack if you're dead...

Also, epee has little in the way of rules - everything done in that weapon is practical.  Beating the blade is done to remove the blade from a certain line so an attack can be attempted, rather than to "gain right of way."

I agree that you have to forego some of the rules of modern competitive fencing in order to adapt to realistic combat, but understand that at its core it is a martial art.  As I said, footwork and timing are things common to all schools of swordsmanship as far as I am aware.  I'm not just saying this out of theory, I use my fencing training when sparring against Master Artorius - considering he has 20 years of martial arts experience, I think the fact that I can hold my own says something about the effectiveness of fencing technique in saber combat

[SOTJ]

Having gone from learning fencing to teaching it, as well as having directed it, I have seen how right of way actually has some real basis to it.  It seems like a bunch of pointless rules, but ultimately it's derived from some realistic ideas in swordsmanship - for instance the reason an attack gets priority is because the attacker would (in theory) hit first, or at least with more force.  You can't execute a counterattack if you're dead...

Also, epee has little in the way of rules - everything done in that weapon is practical.  Beating the blade is done to remove the blade from a certain line so an attack can be attempted, rather than to "gain right of way."

I agree that you have to forego some of the rules of modern competitive fencing in order to adapt to realistic combat, but understand that at its core it is a martial art.  As I said, footwork and timing are things common to all schools of swordsmanship as far as I am aware.  I'm not just saying this out of theory, I use my fencing training when sparring against Master Artorius - considering he has 20 years of martial arts experience, I think the fact that I can hold my own says something about the effectiveness of fencing technique in saber combat

I agree. Epee is slow, though, so it bored me Timing and footwork are always key in any martial art or sport. Fencing is second to none in that regard, excepts perhaps tennis.

[Master Lucien Kane]

I only did a bit of informal fencing with one of my friends who happens to be quite an exceptional fencer. I have a knack for it, I don't know if that is from my many years of martial arts, or my affinity for tactics and strategy, or if it was just my charming personality. Either way fencing is valuable to combat, as it is one of the older forms of combat out there.

I have been in a few brawls, and one pretty nasty fight with a couple of thugs. My martial arts training has served me well, 15 years of Shorin Ryu, and 4 years of MCMAP. Also I combined that with some techniques I got from several different books I picked up. I'm also looking into getting into Kung Fu, and maybe some Tai Chi. I love martial arts, I hate fighting though. As long as it depends on me I strive for peace. Once someone gives me no choice though I have no problem flipping that switch.

[Darth Stingere]

I hate firearms. If I could use something else that was easily concealable, I did. Ballistic knife, throwing knife, dagger, etcetera. I never had to use a sword in combat, although my training included its use. However, I never got in what most people would consider a brawl.

I only did a bit of informal fencing with one of my friends who happens to be quite an exceptional fencer. I have a knack for it, I don't know if that is from my many years of martial arts, or my affinity for tactics and strategy, or if it was just my charming personality. Either way fencing is valuable to combat, as it is one of the older forms of combat out there.

I have been in a few brawls, and one pretty nasty fight with a couple of thugs. My martial arts training has served me well, 15 years of Shorin Ryu, and 4 years of MCMAP. Also I combined that with some techniques I got from several different books I picked up. I'm also looking into getting into Kung Fu, and maybe some Tai Chi. I love martial arts, I hate fighting though. As long as it depends on me I strive for peace. Once someone gives me no choice though I have no problem flipping that switch.

[Jammo]

See, Lucien can vouch for this... Marines get into brawls ALOT. My best scrap had about 50 participants and broke up only when a Colonel showed up. Moving along, I've used firearms just enough to know how useful they are as well as the down side to them. It makes cruelty easy and I've come to dislike the undisciplined gunman for that reason.

[Darth Stingere]

See, Lucien can vouch for this... Marines get into brawls ALOT. My best scrap had about 50 participants and broke up only when a Colonel showed up. Moving along, I've used firearms just enough to know how useful they are as well as the down side to them. It makes cruelty easy and I've come to dislike the undisciplined gunman for that reason.

You brawl with each other..? I assumed he meant brawls with enemies.

[Jammo]

You brawl with each other..? I assumed he meant brawls with enemies.

A crucial part of Marine hand-to-hand combat training is starting needless scraps with EACH OTHER, I assure you...

[Darth Stingere]

A crucial part of Marine hand-to-hand combat training is starting needless scraps with EACH OTHER, I assure you...

I see. In Russia, we are punished severely for that sort of thing. The punishment creates pain tolerance, which saved me on my last deployment. Although we never really interacted with one another much after training, so you would have to track down another operative and fire on them to actually start a fight unless you wanted to compromise your goal and fight with your own team.

[Jammo]

I see. In Russia, we are punished severely for that sort of thing. The punishment creates pain tolerance, which saved me on my last deployment. Although we never really interacted with one another much after training, so you would have to track down another operative and fire on them to actually start a fight unless you wanted to compromise your goal and fight with your own team.

Well, its not in every unit and the brass certainly hates it, but it happened with alarming frequency in my unit. You could catch a whoopin' at any time if you were caught unaware. We were jerks, now that I think about it. A guy I still consider a good friend used a stun gun on me one time... I threw him in a trash can for it.

[Master Lucien Kane]

You got a stun gun eh Jammo? lol I took a cattle prod to the rib cage one time.

Stingere, surprisingly the scraps that our units took part in... as frowned upon as they are create brotherhood in the units. Also it creates a more aware Marine, they have their time and place... Generally when officers aren't looking. lol

[Manroon]

Let me just say these stories are really incredible to read!

Not that it stacks up at all, but I've done a tiny bit of airsofting. Just went out a couple times with friends. But for those of us who aren't military, it really seemed to be a good way to get some training. Makes you learn tactics pretty quick. Of course, it isn't life threatening, but getting shot sure hurts. lol I think the best I learned from that, was that stealth can be a HUGE advantage. I got something like 4 or 5 kills in the span of a minute or two. I was last man standing on my side, and since I was hunkered down good and low in my foxhole, half the five guys left on the other team thought they'd already won, that they were safe. Only ONE knew I was there. I think I got 1 or 2 of the standing guys, then rolled to my left and caught the guy who had seen me earlier trying to come up my flank. Cut him down, but he almost got me. Turned out by the end I think it was down to 2 on 1, and the guy who got me was a pure luck shot. If I'd flinched, or not been cocky and done a victory arm pump a second before, he'd have missed and I'd have shot him.

Point is, no matter what you are training in specifically, a little practical 'live' training is pretty effective too.

[Darth Stingere]

You got a stun gun eh Jammo? lol I took a cattle prod to the rib cage one time.

Stingere, surprisingly the scraps that our units took part in... as frowned upon as they are create brotherhood in the units. Also it creates a more aware Marine, they have their time and place... Generally when officers aren't looking. lol

We didn't form bonds like that. We were more like maybe co-workers than siblings. @Manroon- nothing is more fun than an exercise like that, when you don't need to worry about getting killed but you can still use your training. My sword training used real swords (katana), so we would always come out of it with a few cuts, and one of the sloppier men lost a finger (note that I said men). It was always the men getting injured. I was the first woman to get injured in a long time.

[Jammo]

I still call the old platoon my "kids." I was their NCO and they was mine. I even bucked up on some jerk claiming to be a Sergeant out in town back in Okinawa because I saw him harrasing two of my "kids." I showed him my ID, asked for his (he declined to show it), and then I told him to post and get the **** away from my Marines since they weren't doing anything wrong. He walked off all pissy and this other guy asked if I wanted to see his ID. I said something like "I guess while I'm on a roll checking them, why not?" and he flopped a Sergeant Major ID on the table and bought a round for those two Marines and I, telling me that he was about to post the knucklehead himself when I stepped in, but it was great to see a Corporal look out for his own. That story got around the Battery a bit and Marines would do anything for me because they knew I had their back. I guess that's how it should be done, but unit culture varies a bit.

[Jammo]

Alright, now for the tactics funny of all time for me... years ago when I was on leave in my Jarhead days, my sister asked me for a peculiar favor. She was short on chaperons for her church's junior high outing to some games and rides kind of place, a little mini amusement park of sorts. I wasn't doing anything and Marines are encouraged to mentor to kids and all that, so I went. As the guy in charge in was going over the days activities, something struck me as amusing. There was a laser tag game on the schedule. I was hanging back as the teams were dividing up and noticed that the boys were all one team and the slightly outnumbered girls were on the other, so I walked over to the girls and grabbed a vest. They got a little wide eyed since they had been told by my sister what I do, of course, but I called them all together and designated three of them to run in a SWAT style urban warfare stack with me, their objective being to clean up whatever finally kills me on my rampages. The rest of the team I organized in a corner of doom with interlocking fields of fire and gave my sister command, telling her to keep them all organized and I'd push targets her way. The team score was a 2 to 1 slaughter and the top five individual scorers were me, my swat team, and my sister. Handing out a vicious whoppin' with tween to early teen kids was fun.

[Darth Stingere]

Seemingly cultures are very different. Then again, I wasn't a Marine, but as far as I know, none of our soldiers are encouraged to interact with civilians. Even so, I'm not sure I could have passed up the chance to show some teenage boys what women are capable of.