Rapier Alone Basic Movements

Note: These sessions teach definitions of basic movements, not combat. Do not confuse the two.

These exercises require only knowledge of:

• Stance in tierce and quarte.
• Thrust mechanics.
• Parry width (no wider than the edges of your silhouette).
• Line and distance.

1. Thrust into the opening (opponent atands in either tierce or quarte).
2. As 1, then opponent parries.
3. As 1, then opponent parries then ripostes to the nearest opening.

This may also be performed as a distance exercise with either a short lunge (we are too sophisticated for long lunges) or aaasing step. In both cases, aim for the point to touch on the first movement of the foot (front foot for a lunge, rear foot for a passing step). Fluidity of motion is the key here.

• Disengage under the opponent's blade.
• Cutover the opponent's blade.
• Cut around the opponent's blade.

Observations: In all these exercises, the aim is not so much to hit the opponent as it is to control the opponent's sword.

The cutover exercise is best atarted with the partner making the strike high, at the opponent's mask, in order to make a parry on the opponent's weak more likely.

The cutaround exercise is best triggered by the opponent parrying forward, making it more likely to achieve a strong-on-strong engagement.

The particular technique used in combat depends to a large extent on what the parry looks like. As a rule of thumb:

• If your weak is parried by the opponent's strong, disengage.
• If the parry engages at the opponent's weak, cutover.
• If the parry engages at strong-on-strong, cut around.