Quick update before ISMAC

I've been pretty terrible about updating this blog in the last month; a lot of things kept me pretty busy, and I just haven't had the time to put anything new and exciting up. I've also been really focused on my Fiore material for the free scholler test in seven weeks, so my mind has been elsewhere. Anyway, enough excuses! Here's what we've covered recently, and where we will be going when I return from Detroit next week:

1) Revising and refining the performance of the "stepping in the guards" drill, aka the solo form. Judging from last night's session, we're all pretty much on the same page, but there are a few details that need to be cleared up:

a) The first two steps (assuming a right-handed fencer) are to the right on a 45 degree angle, and then to the left on a 45 degree angle. We no longer do a full triangle step, as it is not mentioned in the text.

b) On the same note, there are only two directions: 45 to the right, and 45 to the left. I noticed that when people were throwing the first tramazzone, there was a tendency to center up; we should still be facing 45 to the left, both forward and backward.

c) In order to avoid confusion, the two ribbon cuts are now known as "dritto" and "riverso" ribbons; when changing to the left hand, the terms "left" and "right" were quite confusing.

d) All of Dall'Agocchie's guards (with the exception of Testa and Alicorno) are done with the point up, facing either the opponent's flank (the low guards) or his face or chest (the high guards); if the point is down, it should be all the way down, which makes it a larga (wide) guard. Having the sword at the level of stretta but with the point facing down is not the guard.

2) Simplification of all of the most important covers, which are:

a) a cover in Entrare or Faccia with a thrust to the face or chest; useful also against a low attack with a void of the lead foot.

b) a cover in Guardia di Testa moving to the right, a falso manco while moving to the left.

c) a mezzo mandritto moving to the right, a riverso sgualimbro moving to the left.

The footwork for the aforementioned actions is unique, and it is consistent: the only "major" change is when the left foot is forward instead, in which case all the same blade actions are possible, but with a slightly different movement of the feet and body. (We'll cover

a) Faccia and Entrare typically involve a mezza volta of the sword (this is the strongest action) in order to cover, and then a step towards the origin of the attack for the counter. If for some reason the attack turns out to be to the leg, a simple voiding will happen.

b) Guardia di Testa requires you to step behind your right foot with your left, which lines the body up (almost a rapier stance) and removes the target. If the attack is low, Testa just drops lower to intercept.

c) The falso manco is almost always done with a step of your right foot to your left (again, lining your feet up, but not crossing them), and the counter is done with a pass of the left foot on the traverse, i.e. to your left.

d) The mezzo mandritto, curiously, is done with a step to your right with the right foot; the following footwork for the cuts and thrusts is never mentioned in the text.

e) The riverso sgualimbro is always done by stepping to your left with the left foot; the counter is done with a volta stabile to your right (i.e. the riverso ridoppio), and the imbroccata is done with an increase of the right foot.

f) another possible case is the pass back of the lead foot with a tramazzone (dritto or riverso) to the sword arm. This is only done against an imbroccata or stoccata.

3) The changing directions drill, both directions. I had just written everything up for this, but I lost it, so I'll keep this short.

a) all attacks must be made in earnest, except when it's a provocation. You can't defend against a defense, or cheat by anticipating. Everything falls apart.

b) When beating the patient's sword with a ridoppio, thrust an imbroccata while passing to his right with your right foot. This is much safer, and more realistic.