Jump to content
This Site Uses Cookies. If You Want to Disable Cookies, Please See Your Browser Documentation. ×

Is there a military historian in the house?


Recommended Posts

I watched parts of a PBS special on Japan, and the Samurai culture (gorgeous costumes. I'd love to see a Samurai Sleeping Beauty.....)

But I digress.

One of the paintings that they showed depicted a large group of warriors taking a firm, wide second position and brandishing swords. I've always liked the theory that ballet's positions came from fencing stances (with a nod to chess moves), and wondered if anyone knew if second position was a particularly helpful move for fighting (I understand it's a wide base of support).

They were perfectly turned out, too, and resplendent in red and black.

Link to comment

Yes, while the second position is not particularly useful in European fencing (too much frontal exposure of the body), it is a very useful position to take in massed musket or pike formations, where individual frontal exposure is not a critical matter. Changes and lunges into fourth position are made much easier when standing at a preparatory position of second. In kenjutsu, the Japanese style of fencing, the fencers stand at more of a distance from one another, and the second position is more useful there.

(Samurai Sleeping Beauty - what a concept! Desiré blows pirouette, pulls out tanto, commits seppuku)

Link to comment

I received some basic instruction in samurai sword from a Noh actor. If memory serves, the turnout helps one attain quick lateral moves without sacrificing the speed of advance or withdrawal. As does the eternal plie. The upper body featured similar wisely constructed compromises for quick action in a variety of directions. All centered from what my teacher called the "one-point": located halfway between navel and groin. Strongly influenced the Noh and Kabuki. It would be interesting to hear from some of our Japanese dancers who perhaps have a more intimate knowledege of these two functionally disparate yet similar arts of the body.

Link to comment

Further, Japanese fencing styles make much more of a two-handed grip than did European modes at the time of the rise of ballet. A swordsman in the Kyoto school, say, can move very quickly to an attack, or even just plant his feet and counterstrike from a firm balance. Additionally, Buddhism informs Japanese representational art, and persons of courage, like samurai, are said to "have stomach", which was thought in medieval Japan to be the seat of courage. Oddly, the Zulu of South Africa have a similar idea. Displaying warriors ready for battle in full frontal armor is therefore a way for the artist to compliment the samurai, showing them as persons of courage.

Actually, Carabosse being an immortal elemental youkai, wouldn't have to commit seppuku; she would likely change herself into a swamp or something. And you thought HORSES onstage were messy.

Link to comment

Mel: See the Jenufa (The Opera) section of the documentary The House (Royal Opera House) for what happens when you have BOTH horses and a swamp on stage. I believe cast and crew alike were contemplating group seppuku...after murdering the designer & director.

Link to comment

If I understand correctly then, European fencing minimizes the profile while Japanese fencing emphasizes mobility at the cost of an increased profile. Does this imply that the European style is more defensive and the Japanese style more aggressive?

Link to comment

Not really. Most kenjutsu makes use of the cut as the primary method of obtaining a "touch", as in saber fencing. The point of the sword is not used as freqently as in foil or epée. And the kenjutsu stroke, whether cut or thrust, is most often done two-handed, much like the earlier broadsword. It's rather unusual to see a two-handed move in the kinds of fencing based on the rapier and smallsword.

Link to comment
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...