Dentsu Lab and Japanese fencing master Yuki Ota team up to bring you this dreamlike (and totally badass) video of two fencers in combat, enhanced with practical and digital effects.
If you’re one of those people who likes the concept of fencing – it is basically medieval combat realized, after all – but thought the real thing failed to live up to expectations with its diapered participants and bendy prop swords, then this video is almost certain to turn your opinion around.
Dentsu Lab, a creative design and technology collaborative associated with Japanese ad giant Dentsu, got together with Yuki Ota, Olympic fencing medalist, World Fencing Championship winner, and Japanese household name. Together, they initiated “More Enjoy Fencing,” or the “Fencing Visualization Project,” depending on where you’re from and how much you care about proper grammar, filming this short piece explaining the surface mechanics and skills of fencing in as eye-catching a way as possible.
The result is part surreal peyote dream, part edge-of-your-seat Hollywood action, as Ota and a fencing partner jab and dodge, jump and parry in slow motion, their swords (or foils, if you prefer) leaving neon trails that highlight the surprisingly complex movements involved in the sport. The announcer also has kind of a dreamy voice, in case you needed further convincing to watch.
Don’t fret if you can’t speak Japanese, either. The announcer briefly explains a few simple techniques, talks about sword types, and explains how points are awarded, but it mostly boils down to, “Stick the pointy end in the other guy before he does it to you,” but the video refrains from getting into nitty-gritty details.
It’s unclear what the future holds for the so-called “More Enjoy Fencing” project, although it plainly seems the aim is to encourage more interest in the sport, which, while probably more popular in Japan than many other countries due to Ota’s current fame and popularity, is still a fairly niche pursuit. In any case, we think this video is definitely a great start.
Source: Kotaro Blog
Images: More Enjoy Fencing/YouTube