The Coblog

Lesson 29

The lesson from practice today focused on plate 11 from Capoferro, which demonstrates several different methods for attacking underneath an opponent’s sword with a passing step.  The plate gives examples for when the opponent attempts to gain your blade on the inside line, has already gained your blade in either line, or you have gained their blade in either line.

For an idea of the action, here’s what the plate looks like:

Capoferro, Plate 11. Courtesy of viahup.com

1. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, disengagement
3. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, glide
4. From the student’s engagement in 4th, simple parry of 4th, riposte by glide
5. From the student’s invitation in a high, transverse fouth, as the opponent steps forward and attempts to gain in 4th, disengage to the flank while making a passing step in 2nd..  Recover forward
6. From the instructor’s engagement in 4th, feint by disengagement (hand in 4th) and disengagement to the flank with a passing step in 2nd.
7. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, feint by disengagement (hand in 3rd) and disengagement to the flank with a passing step in 2nd.
8. From the student’s engagement in 4th, as the instructor attempts a disengagement, execute a disengagement to the flank with a passing step in 3rd.
9. From the student’s engagement in 4th, as the instructor attempts a disengagement, parry 3rd and riposte  by detachment to the flank in 3rd with a passing step.
10. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, as the instructor attempts to disengage in order to engage in 4th, execute a disengagement to the flank with a passing step in 2nd.

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Lesson 28 – expanded

1. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. In time, as the instructor invites in 3rd, straight thrust
3. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, disengagement
4. In time, glide in 3rd
5. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, simple parry of 4th, riposte with a glide (no lunge)
6. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, simple parry of 4th, riposte by glide with a lunge
7. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, simple parry of 4th with a gaining step, riposte by glide with a lunge
8. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, time thrust in 4th
9. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, arrest in 4th (with a lunge)
10. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement.
11. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement with an advance.
12. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement with an advance.  After the instructor pulls distance a few times and makes the initial attack fall short, student uses a gaining step to cover the extra distance.
13. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement with an advance.  Instructor parries and retreats.  Student recovers forward with a feint by disengagement and disengagement.
14. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, double feint by disengagement and disengagement.
15. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.
16. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries and retreats, student recovers forward with a feint by disengagement and disengagement
17. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries, retreats and places blade in line, student recovers forward, executes a blade seizure in 3rd and glides.
18. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries, retreats and places blade in line, student recovers forward, executes a blade seizure in 3rd and glides.  Instructor retreats to make the glide fall short and then steps back in with an attack to the low line.  Student responds with a time thrust in 2nd.
19. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries, retreats and places blade in line, student recovers forward, executes a blade seizure in 3rd and glides.  Instructor retreats to make the glide fall short and then steps back in with an attack to the high line.  Student responds with a time thrust in 1st.
20. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries, retreats and places blade in line, student recovers forward, executes a blade seizure in 3rd and glides.  Instructor retreats to make the glide fall short and then steps back in with an attack to the high line.  Student responds with a passata sotto.
21. In time as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd,double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.  Instructor parries, retreats and places blade in line, student recovers forward, executes a blade seizure in 3rd and does a feint by glide.  As the instructor attempts to time thrust in 4th, student executes a disengagement and fleches to the low line.
22. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts end of lesson.

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Lesson 28

This week in practice I wanted wanted to spend some time working on feints.  Here’s what we did:

1. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, disengagement
3. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, glide
4. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, simple parry of 4th, riposte with a glide (no lunge)
5. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, time thrust in 4th
6. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, arrest in 4th (with a lunge)
7. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement.
8. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, feint by disengagement and disengagement with an advance.
9. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, double feint by disengagement and disengagement.
10. From the instructor’s engagement in 3rd, double feint by disengagement and disengagement with a coordinated step.
11. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts end of lesson.

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Lesson 27

This is a lesson that I did with Dori at practice yesterday.  My goal for this lesson was a little different then what I usually do.  The idea was that during the lesson we might start with a base action, and then once that was working, I would either counter the action, or give a different cue, and let Dori figure out what she wanted to do with it.  The lesson was pretty fun, but it was also the first time I’ve really tried giving a lesson like this and I think it would work much better if I can keep the parameters for the action fairly limited so that things don’t get out of hand (ie, keep it simple and focused on just a few things).  Anyway, here’s  a cleaned up version of what we did.

1. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, straight thrust
2. In time, as the instructor changes to the invitation of 3rd, straight thrust
3. In time, as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, disengagement
4. In time, glide in 3rd
5. From the student’s engagement in 3rd, simple parry of 4th, riposte by glide
6. In time, as the instructor attempts to engage in 3rd, disengagement
7. Same as 6, but instructor parries the disengagement.  Student responds with a counter parry and riposte.
8. Same as 7 except that the student uses a feint by disengagement and disengagement to defeat the parry.
9. Same as 6, but instead of a disengagement, the student takes an engagement in 4th and glides
10. Same as 9, but the student engages in 4th, transports to 2nd and glides.
11. Instructor attempts a blade seizure in 3rd.  Student executes a disengagement in time
12. Same as 11, but instructor attempts a counter attack in countertime.  Student defeats this with a feint by disengagement in time and parry of third with a riposte by glide.
13. Same as 11, but instructor attempts a parry and riposte in countertime. Students defeats this with a feint by disengagement in time and disengagement.
14. Instructor attempts blade cover in 4th.  Students parries 1st and ripostes with a glide.
15. Same as 14, but student takes passing step back with their front foot with the parry.
16. From the instructor’s invitation in 3rd, three straight thrusts, end of lesson.

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Lesson 26

A lesson I taught at practice yesterday.  Part of the goal of the lesson was to introduce the passing step as described in plate 9 of Capoferro.  To keep everything simple, I taught the lesson right handed.

1. From the instructor’s invitation in 4th, straight thrust
2. From the instructor’s engagement in 4th, disengagement
3. From the student’s engagement in 4th, glide
4. From the student’s engagement in 4th, simple parry of 3rd, riposte by glide
5. Same thing, riposte with a lunge
6. Same as 4, riposte with a passing step
7. From the student’s engagement in 4th, time thrust in 3rd (hand in second)
8. From the student’s engagement in 4th, counterattack with a passing step, hand in 2nd
9. From the instructor’s invitation in 4th, three straight thrusts, end of lesson.

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