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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Storyteller01" data-source="post: 2351551" data-attributes="member: 20931">Look at it from a different angle (literally). Both styles are equally viable. Swords, while coming from the outside, target key bleeding points such as arteries under the arm, the femorial artery, throat, etc. Even if you didn't hit your intended target, the loss of a limb or extensive meant slow death by blood loss unless the fight ended immediately.Avoiding such an attack means moving off a plane or line. Anything on that path of attck will get hit.Piercing requires precision, but can gain access to much more vital areas. It attacks on a point. Avoiding the attack means avoiding said point; something much easier to do than avoiding a line or plane.Look at it from other dualing examples: Japanese duals were nearly always fatal. Those that weren't left difigurement. In contrast, epee/rapier duals didn't have anything close to the same fatality rate. Piercing blows were also to the hands and arms (they were easier to hit. Getting the vitals meant running yourself though on his sword). The fight ended when the opponents couldn't wield his sword. Blood loss was minimal (by comparison), and fatalities were limited to those who deliberately chose to make the kill.</blockquote>