Left-handed fencers

The online retailers Anything Lefthanded, from whom I have bought various items in the past, including the only decent pair of lefthanded scissors I have ever found anywhere (they are the Victorinox general purpose scissors, if any one is interested), have emailed me to tell me that today is International Left-Handers’ Day.

Joseph Swetnam is chiefly remembered now (insofar as he is remembered at all) as ‘Swetnam the Woman-hater’, author of a catchpenny misogynistic pamphlet, The Arraignment of Lewde, idle, froward and vnconstant women (1615), which sparked off a pamphlet war between the sexes and led to its author’s becoming the butt of a comic play, Swetnam the Woman-hater, Arraigned by Women (1620). But by profession, Swetnam was a fencing master, and he also wrote a tutorial for fencers, The School of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence (1617). He may have been a raving misogynist, but his attitude to left-handed fencers was respectful and practical – this at a time when prejudice against left-handers (sometimes extreme) was widely and frequently voiced. It is interesting to see that he estimates that fewer than one in twenty fencers fenced with the left hand.

The Authors opinion concerning the oddes betwixt
a left-handed man, and a right-handed
man.

A Left-handed man being skilfull hath oddes against a right-handed man being skilfull likewise, one reason is a left-hand man is alwaies used unto a right-handed man, but a right-handed man doth seldome meete with a left-handed man, for in Schooles or such places, where play is, a man may play with forty men, and not meete with too left-handed men, except it be a great chance, another reason is, when a right-handed man doth offer or make play, first unto the left-handed man, then doth he endanger the right-side of his head, although hee doe beare his Dagger to the right-side, yet it doth not defend so strong, nor so sure, as it doth the left ... furthermore I have knowne some right-handed men, that were very skilfull, and verie ready if it had beene to encounter against a right-handed man, but by no meanes would not deale with a left-handed man, and this was for want of a good teacher: for the teacher should instruct every one which they doe teach by playing with his left-hand with them, for it is an easie matter to have the oddes of both the hands a like with little practise, and then a man may use which he will, as if a right-handed man were to encounter against a left, and can use both hands alike, then if he play with his left-hand against one that is left-handed by nature, it will seeme more crosse, and more dangerous unto him then a left-handed man unto a right, the reason is that two left-handed men seldome meete together.

Joseph Swetnam (?–1621)

from The School of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence (1617)


<link>