Sword Dance (1/2)

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Sword Dance - Part 1
(for full disclaimers see part 0)
***************************************************************************

Methos glared at MacLeod.

"Read my lips. N. O."

MacLeod pouted. "Awe c'mon, Methos. These kids will really benefit from
seeing it - most of them have no idea a sword can be used like this."

Methos rolled his eyes. "So do it yourself - it's not difficult. I know you
can do it, and before you say 'but I use a Katana, it wouldn't be right,' I
*know* you've trained with two handed swords."

MacLeod groaned. "But not half as much as you have. For most of my life, the
Rapier has been the 'fashionable' sword..."

"And?" Methos cut in. "So use a Rapier."

"But it wouldn't be authentic. Besides, you said yourself, you've been
training for *centuries* using just this kata."

"It's not a kata."

"Then what *is* it?"

"It's..." Methos shrugged. "OK, kata would cover it. But it's European. Not
Oriental."

"I know. And that's half the reason it's perfect for my class. Show them
that the Europeans had martial arts as well as the Chinese, the Japanese,
the Koreans...whoever."

Methos growled in exasperation. "For the last time. No."

MacLeod sighed. This was not going as he expected. "Please, Methos. You'd be
doing me a huge favour." Methos raised an eyebrow. "And you are staying here
at the moment."

"I can move out."

"Can you?" MacLeod watched as Methos thought about the question. "I know you
don't have an apartment arranged here yet, so where would you be going? A
hotel - that Adam Pierson can afford?" The ancient Immortal shuddered.
"Which won't stock a decent brand of beer and *certainly* won't have a
minibar in the room."

"OK, so I can't move out. I'm still not..."

MacLeod grinned in predatory fashion. "You will if you want to *keep*
staying here until you've got an apartment."

Methos flashed MacLeod a very dark look. "This is black mail."

"I know."

Methos sighed in defeat. "OK. I'll do it. Now what *exactly* did you have in
mind?"

MacLeod settled back in his seat, savouring his victory. "The class I'm
teaching is Arms and Armour History, with particular emphasis on European
arms and armour." Methos nodded. "So far, I've talked about the different
types of armour and I've had one practical session where we got one of the
students into a full suit of armour."

"I'm glad you've not managed to con me into that one," Methos muttered. "I
hated that stuff."

MacLeod grinned. "But you wore it."

"Of course I wore it. I got mixed up in one of the crusades and mixed up
with the Knights Templar." Methos grimaced. "Don't ask."

MacLeod decided to not push his luck. "Anyway. Having covered the armour
section, I've moved onto the weapons and I've done a lecture on the
different types of sword favoured by the knights. I took in examples of
them, but I could see in the eyes of my students that they didn't believe me
when I said how well balanced and manoeuvrable a two handed broadsword could
be. So I've been looking into getting some form of demonstration, but there
isn't anyone in the Seacouver area with enough experience to stage a mock
fight with me, and besides which..."

"That won't really prove a thing," Methos finished wryly.

"Exactly."

"I hate it when you're right."

MacLeod smiled. Methos grimaced. "My idea was to get you to come in on a
couple of occasions..."

"Two?! No way, uh-uh, not a chance."

"On two occasions - tomorrow and Friday - and do or help me do two
demonstrations. Firstly that kata, and then secondly, the basics of Rapier
work."

"Get a student."

MacLeod's eyes narrowed. "Not likely. Besides which, U of S wouldn't insure
me for that. *I* may be a trained swordsman - they're not."

"I forgot universities these days take rather a dim view of skewering one's
students." Methos sighed theatrically. "Pity. I suppose I'd better help you
out on that one too, then. Although that one will cost you several beers at
Joe's - I haven't used a Rapier since..."

"Don't tell me, let me guess," MacLeod chimed in, "you inspired Shakespeare
to write Romeo and Juliet."

"No need to get cute, MacLeod."

***

Methos finished arranging his props for the kata demonstration just as
MacLeod led his class into the auditorium.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce Mr Adam Pierson," MacLeod began
as the class sat down in the first couple of rows of seating. "Mr Pierson
is, amongst other things, a member of the SCA, and as much of an expert on
various different styles of European sword work as you are going to find in
the twentieth century." Methos smiled, more than slightly amused by
MacLeod's introduction. "He is going to be with us today and again on Friday
to perform a couple of demonstrations. Today's is going to be about the two
handed European broadsword. Mr Pierson?"

Methos nodded as MacLeod took his own seat. "Good morning - can you hear me
all right?" There was a general clatter as people indicated they could. "OK.
The European broadsword was a vicious weapon, particularly preferred by the
British. Now, the British, as a rule, tend to be an unruly bunch, so it
stands to reason that their favoured weapon would be able to do a lot of
damage."

Methos turned to the table beside him and picked up one of the two swords
resting on it. Holding it upright, he turned back to the class.

"This is a two handed broadsword, and with it, one could not only hack,
slash and stab with it," Methos punctuated his words with the appropriate
action, "but you could also quite literally brain someone with it." He mimed
bringing the hilt down onto someone's head. "As you can see, it's not a
subtle weapon." The class laughed as Methos grinned. "But despite its size
and length, this was one of the most well balanced swords of its time.

"This particular blade is a 'safe' blade - the edges are deliberately dulled
for display purposes, but even so, you could still comfortably kill someone
with it." He replaced it on the table. "The major advantage of using a sword
as big as a two handed broadsword is that once you start a swing, it gains
momentum as gravity acts. The real skill in using such a sword is being able
to control that momentum, and that is where this demonstration comes in.

"It was not only customary but required to practice with this weapon, and
much of that took place in formal war games or tournaments where mock
battles could be and were staged. However, many people liked to be able to
hone their skills away from competition, so like any other martial art,
practice routines were created and then passed on. The then sword masters
wrote down some of these, in the late fourteenth century, and it is from
these written records that the following kata - to borrow the Japanese
word - is taken.

"This particular routine was considered, by the master who noted it,
extremely flashy and difficult, so more than likely it was developed for use
in some form of tournament. That said, there are also records of it being
used as a real test of a swordsman's skills, right up until the beginning of
this century. The clue that it was originally designed for a broadsword and
specifically the two handed British broadsword is that it was first written
down in 1437.

"Before I show you the weapon, let me explain the set up," Methos continued,
moving to one side of the stage so that his audience could clearly see the
three stools he had set up. "These three stools indicate the position that
three men would have assumed. In a tournament, these might have been
freemen, or they might have been condemned men or slaves - the records don't
show - but for practice purposes, then stools would have substituted. On the
first two are apples, while on top of the third is a mushroom. The
objectives are as follows: The first apple, cut the stalk from the apple
without harming the fruit. Second apple, to be cut in half without damaging
the stool. Mushroom, to be quartered, again without damaging the stool.
There were also said to be other challenges from time to time, using things
that a fourteenth and fifteenth century swordsman might have to hand, but
these were the three most common.

"Now," Methos turned to the table and picked up the other sword, "this sword
is a fully edged weapon. It will do horrible things to wood, never mind what
it would do to flesh and blood. So, if I can have three volunteers, I'd like
you to verify what shape these stools are in now." Methos glanced at
MacLeod.

MacLeod nodded. "Three people?" A few hands raised. "OK, Sandy, Michael and
Phil." The three people named went up onto the stage.

"Sandy, Michael, Phil - you three are going to be my judges and you're going
to tell your classmates how well - or not - I do." Methos grinned. "I want
you three to inspect the three stools, the apples and the mushroom to make
sure that I haven't cheated in any way."

While the three students did as they were asked, Methos pulled off his
sweatshirt, removed his boots and socks and started to do some warm up
stretches.

"What's the verdict on the stools?" MacLeod asked.

"They look OK," Sandy answered.

"Good." Methos finished his warm up and came to stand behind the three
stools. "If you three can sit back down - when I've finished, you'll come
back and see how I've done." All three nodded returned to their seats.
Methos carefully measured how far away from the stools he was with the sword
blade, then took a large pace back. Gripping the sword in front of him with
the blade pointed down, Methos looked out at his audience. "With the scene
set, this is the Sword Dance."
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