AHF Fencing: 08th June 2016

Sabre with companion weapon: Cutting to the lead leg

A number of techniques which open the opportunity to strike at the opponents lead leg.

Standard riposte

The techniques discussed are intended to counter the following scenario

• Attacker lunges and strikes with cut 1 to defender's lead leg.
• Defender withdraws lead leg and strikes an overhead cut to attacker's head or torso.

Feint creates opening

• Attacker opens with cut 1 as a feint to defender's head or torso.
• Defender prepares to parry off hand weapon, perhaps preparing a counter thrust to attacker
• Attacker continues the feint by then striking the lead leg, in the same action raising off hand weapon to parry any riposte to the upper target zones.

Cutting short

• Attacker opens with a well telegraphed strike to the lead leg which cuts short, off hand weapon readied to parry.
• Defender withdraws leg in response.
• Defender, seeing the opening lunges to strike with a counter to an upper target zone.
• Attacker interrupts timing by parrying with off hand any incoming strike and cuts with cut 4 to the defender's now extended lead leg.

Thrust to the foot

Note: Thrusts delivered quickly to the foot are hard to defend against because they have little telegraphed intent.

• Attacker lunges and thrusts to the defender's lead foot.
• Defender (from outside guard) rotates sword counter-clockwise downwards to deflect the thrust (resembles cut 4).
• Defender strikes directly to attackers head with a fast cut 6.

Note: rotating the sword clockwise downwards would also parry a cut 1 to the lead leg, but this is less preferable as it ties up the sword in a dead parry, rather than striking the opponent as described in the standard riposte above.