02-03-2011, 10:50 PM
A fencer at my club has taken to wearing stripey socks while fencing. The kind of striped socks one would find on a British sailor circa 1800 AD.
The socks elicited many negative comments, much mocking of stockings, to which he grumbled sotto voce: "There is obviously a deep anti-pirate bias at this club". We all had a hearty laugh at this droll aside. But, it occurred to more than one of us that he was right. Many fencing clubs embrace the "pirate" ethos, but they universally suck at fencing (while managing to have a pretty good time, generally).
After some more discussion, it was decided that, despite the traditional wearing of white, we were in fact Pro-Ninja.
Indeed, we decided that we were Pro-Ninja and we vote.
So there.
The socks elicited many negative comments, much mocking of stockings, to which he grumbled sotto voce: "There is obviously a deep anti-pirate bias at this club". We all had a hearty laugh at this droll aside. But, it occurred to more than one of us that he was right. Many fencing clubs embrace the "pirate" ethos, but they universally suck at fencing (while managing to have a pretty good time, generally).
After some more discussion, it was decided that, despite the traditional wearing of white, we were in fact Pro-Ninja.
Indeed, we decided that we were Pro-Ninja and we vote.
So there.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.