Randy on.... sparring

This time some really good notes on why sparring is important to the development of the Art. 

There certainly is a difference between the theory of the art and its practice (Capoferro talks about it thus too). 

The lesson that I want to point out is that putting your theory into sparring practice is as important as drilling that theory. We train in a very sterile (what we're doing, not where we're doing it) environment where A has a role to play and doesn't waiver from that role. This hardly mimics real combat. What it does do is teach a principle of combat. There are too many situations where your opponent may do something different, which is why it's unwise to be sidelined by those situations. Rather, learn the principle, but then see how it fares in practice. 

Without going into detail about when certain things are appropriate and when they're not (hit me up in person for that discussion) I'll simply say that deriving the principles of fencing and then learning to apply them diversely is what is important. 

And, part of Randy's point is: spar more. I guess that's my point too. 

Clint