Gumbyfencer

This is my second lesson with Puck. This time, we actually made it through to a full hour lesson. We  continued our work with the dagger oppositions and added passing steps to the end of attacks. That is, making Capoferro’s passata sotto, and subsequent low running attack part of the lesson. I’ll try and get video of exactly what we mean by that later.

We also introduce dagger parry notation here. The dagger parries are notated as if the dagger was another sword held in the left hand. Therefore assuming a right handed fencer: Parry 1 defends the fencer’s low outside; parry 2, the low inside; 3, the high inside; and 4, the high outside.

Further, dagger “parries” as we are doing them are done in single tempo, we thought that this was better than saying “dagger counterattack in 3rd”. Dagger counterparries are done in dui tempi of course.

1. From Master’s invitation on the inside line, straight thrust.
2. In time, when master invites on the inside line, straight thrust.
3. From Master’s invitation on the outside line, straight thrust.
4. From Master’s invitation on the outside line, straight thrust with lunge, finish with a pass under the sword and a dagger strike with pass
5. In time, when instructor invites on the inside line, straight thrust with lunge, finish with a pass under the sword and a dagger strike with pass
6. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, disengagement
7. In time, from Master’s engagement on the outside line, disengagement
8. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, disengagement
9. In time, from Master’s engagement on the inside line, disengagement
10. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, disengagment, finish with a pass under the sword and a dagger strike with the pass
11. In time, from Master’s engagement on the inside line, disengagement, finish with a pass under the sword and a dagger strike with the pass.
12. From Student’s engagement on the outside line, glide
13. From Student’s engagement on the outside line, glide, finish with a pass under the sword and a dagger strike with the pass
14. From Student’s engagement on the inside line, glide
15. In time, blade seizure in 4th, glide
16. In time with mobility, blade seizure in 4th, glide
17. Student executed blade seizure in 4th, instructor retreats with poor parry of 4th, forced glide with lunge
18. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple parry of 4th, and repost direct
19. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple parry of 4th, and indirect repost
20. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple parry of 4th, feint by repost and disengagement
21. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple parry of 4th, feint by repost by glide and disengagement
22. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple dagger parry of 3rd, repost in quarta
23. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple dagger parry of 3rd, repost by disengagement in quarta
24. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple dagger parry of 3rd, dagger transport to 1st, repost below the sword, hit with both dagger and sword
25. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple dagger parry of 3rd, dagger envelopment in 3rd, repost direct in quarta
26. From Master’s engagement on the inside line, simple dagger parry of 3rd, circular dagger parry of 3rd, repost direct in quarta
27. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple parry of 3rd, repost direct
28. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple parry of 3rd, repost indirect
29. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple dagger parry of 4th, repost in low terza
30. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple dagger parry of 4th, repost in low terza, finish with a passing under the sword and hit with the dagger
31. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple dagger parry of 4th, dagger transport to 2nd, repost in quarta
32. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple dagger parry of 4th, circular dagger parry of 4th, repost in low terza
33. From Master’s engagement on the outside line, simple dagger parry of 4th, circular dagger parry of 4th, repost in low terza, finish with a passing under the sword and hit with the dagger
34. Puzzle: 32 but master counterparries dagger 1st against the sword. reposts by disengagement to the inside high line
35. Solution: dagger counterparry of 3rd repost direct
36. From Master’s invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts.

In addition to closing the line against suicidal hooking counterattacks, we added the passing on the outside attacks. We use these to get out of the situation and to close distance when the opponent is retreating.