"Right of way" is simply meant to encourage good parrying habits, as opposed to double kills.
Since the epee was the duelling weapon, "right of way" was not used--the rules were meant to reflect that, if both fencers got hit, both would get hurt.
It prevents what usually happens when someone knows that they are sparring against a blunt weapon - taking a hit in order to score your own point. Not a good idea with a blade.
As stated, the rule builds good habits. It just insures that someone won't keep taking a shot in order to score their own at the same time.
If your opponent attacks first, and you attack right after, and both shots land, your opponents shot counts since he attacked first. You should have parried instead of taking the hit while counter-attacking.
Keep in mind also that, should you counterattack and not take a shot, you're just fine.
"For instance if you truly wanted to penalize double hits you would call a double kill or even deduct a point from both. From what i have seen it tends to make peiople seek that mythical right of way position where the other guy cannot strike. But if that makes you ignore his point then you are giving yourself and artificial safety area that doesn't really exist."I agree with you there. It doesn't make the one initiating the attack bother to counter a potentialy deadly, reckless counter attack due to the fact that it won't count. Something to be aware of if one wants to train realisticly.
Mike,Here is a question for you fencers. I noticed that proper fencing form has the rear foot flat on the lunge. However I have noticed that in some of the rapier manuals (pallas armata etc) that some of the illustrations show rear foot heel raised. When I try this i feel like i get a little more range.You'll occasionally see modern fencers roll that rear foot (heel off the ground), but it's considered bad form.And it can potentially injure the knee joint (think hurdler's stretches). Also it seems as if some of the Rapier lunges are not quite as deep as sport fencing. This would make sense to me because its easier to recover from a not as deep lunge. Something that i would be thinking about if i were duelling for real.No doubt. Many manuals seem to advocate what would be known as "half-lunges", actually. In a duel, this makes sense.Then again, there are famous manuals like Meyer's and Capo Ferro's, that show lunges that a "deep" in the sense that the knee of the lead leg goes beyond the foot--this is likewise hard on the knee, and is more difficult to recover from. *whips out his singlestick and clocks Bludhall across the cranium*Now, are you gonna get up and say, "It just brushed me"? ;)