I (24m) am a 6’6" tall fencer (historical fencing on rapiers). And I think that short fencers actually have an advantage over tall fencers.

Yes, tall fencers do have longer arms, but this is compensated by the fact that short fencers are usually quicker and dodge easier. Plus, if a tall fencer aims at the top of a short one, the upper body (or head/neck) is easier to remove from the attack line than the belly. The belly is simply the center of mass and therefore harder to deflect. Plus, the belly is a bigger target compared to upper body parts. And plus, if we’re talking about real blades, the belly is also soft and easy to pierce. And a tall guy is usually bigger than a short one, so he’s a bigger target - and then there’s his juicy belly right on a convenient line of shots for a short fencer.

So I think that a short fencer has more chances and auxiliary factors to stab a tall fencer in the belly than a tall fencer has to stab a short one in the neck, for example.

  • @dragontamerEnglish
    23•1 month ago

    that short fencers are usually quicker and dodge easier.

    Lulz.

    No. It’s that shorter fencers must doge quicker to compete.

    In my days in College, as a 5’9" average guy, I wasn’t much faster than anyone else. And without any reach I couldn’t keep up vs the taller people either.

    Just being shorter doesn’t make you faster.

    And a tall guy is usually bigger than a short one, so he’s a bigger target - and then there’s his juicy belly right on a convenient line of shots for a short fencer.

    Just gain some flexibility and squat down deeper. The good tall fencers could hit me in my belly consistently despite me being shorter.

    And while squatting down, your tall legs are longer anyway so you can lunge deeper when you do this maneuver. We shorter fencers cannot.