A friend of mine during my fencing days studied fencing with the great Italian fencing master, Aldo Nadi. He used an Italian foil (as did I), which has a crossbar about an inch and a half behind the cup-guard. One grips the Italian foil by holding the "ricasso," the section between the crossbar and the guard, between the thumb and index finger, placing the middle finger on the crossbar to give strength to the grip, then curling the two remaining fingers around the grip between the crossbar and the pommel. (Too many "grips" and more than you want to know about holding an Italian foil correctly—unless you have an assignation at dawn in the nearby park....).

Anyway, my friend, Jack Nottingham (great name for a fencer!), developed this condition in the middle finger of his right hand. Gave him wall-eyed fits. I don't know what he ever did about it. Just lived with it as far as I know….

(Gee, that's a great help, Don. Thanks a lot!)

Don Firth