The Coblog

Lesson 21

We had a new fencer come out to practice today.  He’s done a little bit of work in the past with I33, German longsword as well as several years of SCA heavy fighting.  Here’s what we went through today:

We started by going over the stance, basic footwork and the lunge.  We practiced the footwork for a few minutes and then went on to cover the sword, basic hand positions, guards and parries.  Then I had him put on a mask and we did the following lesson.

1. From the invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. From the invitation in 4th, straight thrust
3. From the engagement in 4th, straight thrust (we skipped disengagements)
4. From the engagement in 3rd, straight thrust
5. From the invitation in 3rd, parry 4th, riposte by glide
6. From the invitation in 4th, parry 3rd, riposte by glide
7. From the invitation in 3rd, time thrust in 4th.
8. From the invitation in 4th, time thrust in 3rd.
9. From the invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts end of lesson.

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Lesson 20

Here’s a single rapier lesson that I did with Dori at practice today:

1. In time, from the invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. In time, from the engagement of 3rd, disengagement
3. In time, engage in 3rd and glide
4. From the invitation in 3rd, time thrust in 4th
5. From the invitation in 3rd, parry 4th, riposte by glide (no lunge)
6. From the invitation in 3rd, parry 4th, transport to second, riposte by glide
7. From the invitation of 3rd, parry of 2nd (kind of a wide, half circular parry), riposte by glide
8. From the invitation of 3rd, parry of 2nd, riposte by glide with a passing step
9. In time, gain in 3rd with an advance and glide
10. Same thing, but the instructor may attempt a disengagement in time.  If so, parry second and riposte with a passing step.
11. In time, as the instructor attempts a blade seizure in 3rd, disengagement in time
12. In time, as the instructor attempts a blade seizure in 3rd, feint by disengagement in time and disengage
13. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts end of lesson.

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Lesson 19

1. From the invitation in 3rd, straight thrust, closure with the dagger in low fouth
2. From the engagement in 3rd, disengagement
3. Same thing, but instructor parries low 4th with the dagger.  After trying a couple of different options, we ended with Dori passing forward and doing a glide with the dagger.
4. From the engagement in 3rd, glide
5. From the invitation to the inside high line, parry 4th with the dagger riposte in 3rd hand position with the sword
6. Same thing. instructor counter parries the riposte with the dagger in low 4th.  Second touch with the dagger by glide while passing forward.
7. Same thing. instructor may or may not do the counter parry.  Either way, student recovers forward to make the second touch with the dagger
8. In time, attempt a blade seizure in 3rd, instructor disengages, switch to a blade seizure in 3rd with the dagger and pass to the outside low line.
9. Same thing, second touch with dagger
10. Same thing, but the instructor parries low 4th.  to block the first touch.  We played around with it a bit and found that while I couldn’t get in a good touch with my rapier at this point, I could pretty easily get a touch with my dagger as she was passing in.  We ended up settling on having her do a transport to 1st with the dagger during the touch which blocked my dagger sufficiently.  The dagger touch ended up in about the same place the first hit did but arrived after my dagger parry.
11. From the invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts, end of lesson.

For action 10, we came back and tried it from a same handed perspective.  If I block her attack with my dagger in low 4th, the transport doesn’t really make sense and it’s easier for her to just make the dagger touch on a glide.  However, if do a dagger parry of second the transport worked pretty well.

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Lesson 18 – from Dori

1. From the invitation in fourth, straight thrust.
2. Same thing in time
3. From the engagement in fourth, disengagement
4. Same thing in time
5. In time, gain on the inside line and glide. No blade contact.
6. Same thing in time and with mobility
7. As the instructor attempts a blade seizure in fourth, disengagement in time
8. From the invitation in third, time thrust in fourth
9. In time, as the instructor moves from engagement in third to invitation in fourth, girata
10. Same thing with mobility
11. In time, In time, harsh blade seizure with contact in fourth. Instructor does nothing.  Glide
12. In time, Harsh blade seizure with contact in fourth. Instructor breaks ground.  Girata.
13. Choice – if the instructor holds, glide with a lunge, if the instructor retreats, girata
14. Same thing with mobility
15. In time, as the student attempts a harsh blade seizure in fourth, the instructor frees the blade but does not more forward. Counterdisengagement.
16. In time, as the student attempts a harsh blade seizure in fourth, the instructor frees the blade but does not move forward. Switch to seizure of third and glide.
17. Same thing, student’s choice as to whether to do the counter disengagement or changing to third and gliding
18. Same thing mobility
19. As the student attempts blade seizure in third the instructor performs a disengagement in time. Student counters with a time thrust in countertime in fourth.
20. As the student attempts a blade seizure in third the instructor performs a disengagement in time. Student counters with a girata in counter time in fourth.
21. CHOICE – Blade seizure in fourth. if the instructor does not free her blade from the line and does not break ground, glide in fourth with a lunge. If the instructor does not free the line but breaks ground, girata in fourth. If the instructor frees the blade but does not move forward, counterdisengagement or switch to a blade seizure in third. OR, attempt a blade seizure in third – if the instructor does a disengagement in time, perform a time thrust or a girata in countertime.
22. From the invitation in 4th, three straight thrusts end of lesson.

The distance issues here were interesting since in some instances with the girata Dori was rapidly breaking ground as soon as blade contact was made, so my girata ended up covering just enough ground to hit her . On the action where she was moving in for a disengagement in time in response to the blade seizure, the girata was done from considerably closer distance. It worked well in both instances, with the angle of the girata being wider to Dori’s outside line when it was performed closer.

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