HISTORICAL FIGURES
Connected to the World of Fencing
George S. Patton
Known as General George S. Patton, and whose life was made into the film Patton (1970), also was selected by the Army's entry for the first-ever modern pentathlon, in the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. Patton got fourth, in fencing.
He then traveled to Saumur, France, where he learned fencing techniques from Adjutant Charles Cléry, a French fencing Maestro at the cavalry school. At Fort Meyer, Patton then redesigned saber combat doctrine for the U.S. cavalry, and to do more traditional moves, he designed the M1913, aka the "Patton Sabre".
In Saumur, he learned more about fencing, and then moved to Mounted Service School, at Fort Riley, Kansas, where he was a student, and a fencing instructor.
Patton, was the first Army officer to be designated "Master of the Sword". In September 1913, he continued to teach fencing, and was selected to fence in the 1916 Summer Olympics, however, the games were cancelled because of World War I.
Bruce Lee
You may know Bruce Lee from his many films, or from his martial
arts career. In any case, Bruce Lee was also a fencer, and used many
fencing moves to develop his own martial art.
To the left, a young Bruce Lee using a Franch Grip.
Joseph Bologne, Chevalier de Saint-Georges
Known as a Classically trained musician, and friends of Maestro Domenico Angelo, and son Henry. They made arrangements for him to fence others like; he Prince of Wales. Saint-George as seen fencing with La Chevalière D’Éon (who was wearing a black dress at the time, and although was painted as a woman, was not born one), and then painted by Charles Jean Robineau (seen to the left). It shows the Prince and his entourage watching D’Éon get a hit on Saint-Georges.
Robert A. Heinlein
As a writer, he was known for: Starship Troopers, The Puppet Masters, Have Space Suit, Will Travel, The Man Who Sold the Moon, and many others.
Born in Butler, Missouri was a United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, class of 1929. As part of a fencing team in 1927, he won the 1927 Epee medal.
"..The foil was a lightweight toy, a fake sword with a limber blade that bent at the slightest pressure. The stylized imitation swordplay that used the foil was about as dangerous as tiddlywinks... It was made for him. The highly artificial rules of foil fencing gave great advantage to fast reflexes and a sharp brain, both of which he had.". --from "The Tale of the Man Who Was Too Lazy to Fail", in Time Enough For Love.
Neil Dimond
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He went to Abraham Lincoln High School, and there he received his high school diploma, and was member of the fencing team. He later attended New York University on a fencing scholarship, focusing on sabre, and was a member of the 1960 NCAA men's championship team.
Still today, he uses his fencing skills, with warm up exercises before his concerts.
He wrote the song; DANCE OF THE SABRES.
Camillo Agrippa
A 16th century Italian fencer. Wrote Trattato di Scientia d'Arme, con vn Dialogo di Filosofia (Treatise on the Science of Arms, with a Dialogue on Philosophy), using where he used diagrams to show moves using geometry.
This book is one of the most important fencing/swordplay books ever written.