When sabering, do you duel or dance?

[Waxman]

While I do enjoy actually dueling, most of the people that I do duel with are either not as serious as I am or look at it more as a chance to have some fun, like friends or young kids.

So in that case, yes I tend to dance more than duel, especially when there's a crowd around.
I can't tell you how embarrassing it is when you or someone does something that to the spectators eyes looks dangerous.

I mean, lightsabers have this natural tendency to attract crowds of young children to the immediate vicinity.  To them, they look at it more as a toy and thus tend to approach a little too closely for their own safety.

Besides, it's extremely difficult actually dueling with a Saber Staff without the user wanting to do a few spins and twirls just for sake of show.

[Master Rel]

I was practicing with my shinai and was trying to get into a jedi sense of mind with move moves and intent.



An interesting aspect is that when I hold the "sword" I fall into a mentality and accept a particular posture...quiet, focused, eyes locked, fairly static, constantly shifting to maintain facing, etc.

I am not sure I would approach it all that differently if sabering with a light weapon...it is my preferred approach when using a sword...spent way too long with the routine to just break it.

So I would most assuredly be a dueler rather than dancer, though the paradox of a static focused type facing off against a frenetic and impulsive type.

Once engaged then there is plenty of movement and aggression, but no spinning per say.

I appreciate the spinning and open choreography...this is where it gets a bit weird...I put down the shinai and picked my bō staff (5'9" hickory staff).

When I was studying monkey kung fu I ended up focusing on the staff...this related into a sweeping flowing style that I still use when I pick up a staff...even if I try to approach the staff use as I do the sword, I will fall back into the crescent and figure eight sweeps...constant movement.

With tonfa or kama I am intently in movement, constantly on the attack.

Now with paired short sticks or blades (18-20"), I built an unusual technique while studying Philippine Silat I find the most relative to commonly seen light saber dueling or routines.

I am firmly ingrained with particular weapons...if I want to fir into the flashy routines I will have to avoid a single standard blade...stick with a pair of shorter blades or the longer singe blade with near equal blade to hilt ratio.

It is an interesting situation that I had not given much thought to until now.

Even with some foil and epee training/experience, I still have tough time coming off my line...I guess I should have shifted to saber when I had a chance   

*****

How about those others of y'all with extensive martial training...do you find your approach tempered by the weapon and or your specific training type?



 

[Kaiden Shardsbane]

Not sure if my training would be called extensive, but personally I haven't found my style to change all that much between weapons.  I've fought with staff, single blade, florentine, and duel wielding, and I adopt a very similar stance with all of them.

[Jammo]

I tend to think in terms of objective, so dancing just ain't my style...

[Master Nero Attoru]

I guess I would say something in between dueling and dancing.  Artorius and I dueled quite a bit when we first got into the saber hobby, but lately we've been flexing our creative sides a bit more with some choreo type stuff.  Not as competitive, but it's really quite fun.