Basic Thrust Exercises

All these drills assume starting in the basic en garde stance.

Solo drill.

From the en garde stance:

1. Snap the hand out. The only muscles which should be actively firing are the triceps and the deltoid. No other body movement should be visible.
2. Withdraw the hand back into the en garde position.

This exercises can be done both with and without the sword in the hand.

Extensions:

• Have a partner use a mask or focus pad held at their right shoulder to refine distance and targeting.

Solo drill.

From stance:

1. Deploy the arm as described above.
2. Shift your weight from the back foot to the front by extending the rear leg. In this final position, there should be a vertical line from the front ankle through the hip to the shoulder. Do not over extend. It is in this step that the sword hand may be turned into second (fingernails down) or quarte (fingernails up).
3. Shift your weight from the front foot back into the en garde stance by extending the front leg.
4. Withdraw the arm as described above.

Notes:

• ALWAYS include recovery back into the en garde stance as part of the exercise. Do not simply end at the thrust.
• Balance and posture are keys to success in this exercise. Movement should flow smoothly from step to step.
• Do not lift the shoulder (engaging the upper trapezoid muscles). The deployment of the arm still uses only the triceps and deltoid muscles.
• The sword hand is turned into second or quarte in step 2, not in step 1. The texts are explicit on this point.
• The rear hand may be thrown backwards for balance or maintained forward for defence (most notably when holding a dagger).

Extensions:

• Have a partner use a mask or focus pad held at their right shoulder to refine distance and targeting.

Solo drill.

From stance:

1. Deploy the arm as described above.
2. Drive you front foot forward a walking pace by extending the rear leg. In this final position, there should be a straight line from your back foot through the knee and hip to your back shoulder and front shoulder must not be further forward than your front foot. It is in this step that the sword hand may be turned into second (fingernails down) or quarte (fingernails up).
3. Shift your weight from the front foot back into the en garde stance by extending the front leg and returning the front foot to the en garde stance position.
4. Withdraw the arm as described above.

Notes:

• ALWAYS include recovery back into the en garde stance as part of the exercise. Do not simply end at the thrust.
• Remain relatively upright. The sources explicitly condemn the “Italian” practice of making as much distance as possible in the lunge.
• Balance and posture are keys to success in this exercise. Movement should flow smoothly from step to step.
• Do not lift the shoulder (engaging the upper trapezoid muscles). The deployment of the arm still uses only the triceps and deltoid muscles.
• The sword hand is turned into second or quarte in step 2, not in step 1. The texts are explicit on this point.
• The rear hand may be thrown backwards for balance or maintained forward for defence (most notably when holding a dagger).

Extensions:

• Have a partner use a mask or focus pad held at their right shoulder to refine distance and targeting.

Partner drill. The aim of this exercise is to build a sense of sentiment du fer [the feel of the steel].

One partner is the agent, the implementer of the technique. The other partner is the patient, the provider of the trigger to which the agent responds. The patient uses a mask or focus pad held at the right shoulder to refine distance and targeting.

This drill may be done at either “narrow measure” (where a thrust on the firm foot will hit the opponent) or at “just measure” (where a thrust on the lunge will hit the opponent).

In pairs, both partners adopt the en garde stance.

1. At the engagement, the agent asserts a little pressure on the patient's blade.
2. The patient provides one of two trigger stimuli:
   1. Additional pressure against the agent's blade as if contesting the engagement; or
   2. Releases any pressure from the agent's blade as if preparing some other action.
3. The agent responds to the change of the strength of the engagement in one of two corresponding ways:
   1. Caver the point of the agent's sword under the patient's weapon and thrust (in response to an increrase in engagement pressure); or
   2. Thrust (in response to a releaseof engagement pressure).

Notes:

• ALWAYS include recovery back into the en garde stance as part of the exercise. Do not simply end at the thrust.
• Remain relatively upright. The sources explicitly condemn the “Italian” practice of making as much distance as possible in the lunge.
• Balance and posture are keys to success in this exercise. Movement should flow smoothly from step to step.

Partner drill. This exercise aims to refine the recovery back into the en garde stance by ensuring that the sword arm is only withdrawn AFTER the body has been returned into position. Withdrawing the arm before the body creates an opening which an opponent can exploit.

In these instructions, the partner named the agent initiates the technique and the partner named the patient tests the agent’s use of the technique.

This drill may be done at either “narrow measure” (where a thrust on the firm foot will hit the opponent) or at “just measure” (where a thrust on the lunge will hit the opponent).

In pairs, both partners adopt the en garde stance.

1. At the engagement, the agent asserts a little pressure on the patient's blade.
2. The patient provides one of two trigger stimuli:
   1. Additional pressure against the agent's blade as if contesting the engagement; or
   2. Releases any pressure from the agent's blade as if preparing some other action.
3. The agent responds to the change of the strength of the engagement in one of two corresponding ways:
   1. Caver the point of the agent's sword under the patient's weapon and thrust (in response to an increrase in engagement pressure); or
   2. Thrust (in response to a releaseof engagement pressure).
4. Regardless of whether the patient optionally parries or sets aside the agent’s thrust, as the agent recovers back into the en garde stance, the patient makes a counter thrust to whichever opening he or she can see.

Notes:

• ALWAYS ensure that the arm remains deployed until the body is withdrawn into the original en garde position. Failure to do so creates an opening which the opponent may exploit.
• On thé withdrawal, keeping the arm deployed protects against pretty much anything the patient may do in counter-attack.