I recently revisited some period clips on Youtube of Aldo Nadi and Lucien Gaudin fencing – along with Nedo Nadi and Roger Ducret. All were universally respected champions in the world of early 20th century fencing, and many folks see them as the end (and sometimes the pinnacle) of the classical fencing era.

Now, I’ve already demonstrated here that the era of classical fencing really ended in the 19th century, and that the modern fencing era was in full swing decades before the invention of the electric scoring apparatus in the 1930’s.

Nevertheless, when I revisited these clips the other day, for some naïve reason I expected to see fencing that still adhered fairly closely to combative ideals, with a few modern characteristics creeping in. Here is what I saw:

Aldo Nadi vs Gaudin

Aldo vs Nedo

Gaudin & Ducret

NOT classical fencing.

These videos cement the argument that modern fencing started far earlier than most people give it credit for; each of these fencers is thoroughly modern in these assaults. We see, among other things:

sliding forward on the lunge,

attacking into attacks,

bent arm attacks,

dropping the guard well within the adversary’s measure

aiming the sword point backwards after an attack, while still in the adversary’s riposte distance

recovering to a standing position after an exchange and a hit, and even turning the back on the opponent! (this is the least classical thing on the list – in a combative encounter you always return right to guard after delivering a thrust: just because you stabbed your adversary doesn’t mean he’s done trying to stab you…)

These are all things you’ll see at the Olympics today, on top of a horde of other changes that have snowballed since these videos were made. For example, there are no flicks occurring in this footage and there is still much more blade contact in the videos than you’ll see today in modern competitions. But the conclusion is unavoidable: this is modern fencing. Extraordinarily skilled, yes, but still modern.

Not to make it sound like this is a problem in and of itself — that is how the winds were blowing at the time, and immersed in it as they were, these men didn’t have the view of the trend that we have. They had no idea where it would all lead, to lights in masks and all the rest. And even if they did, they may or may not have cared. Either way, to pass judgment on the fencing in these videos would be inappropriate and arrogant.

But that said, only an exceedingly small number of masters bucked the trend and continued traditional teaching. A greater percentage did so at first, and certainly the champions in these videos were familiar with classical fencing. But as the “world moved on,” to quote Stephen King, the number of masters resisting the changes of modern fencing and staying traditional got so small that today a lobster might need both claws to count them.

Ultimately the point is that real classical fencing, and more broadly real traditional fencing, has for a long time been much more rare and therefore more precious than most folks imagine. This trend was well underway before the electric box, before the cold war, and even before the first World War. The Nadis, Gaudin, and Ducret, as we see here, are the proof in the pudding.

The contents of this post reflect my own views and opinions, and do not necessarily represent those of my masters at Martinez Academy of Arms. Any errors are fully my own, as I am still in training and have been encouraged to research to further my studies.