Countering the Way I Fence OR How I Learned to Love Bulleted Lists

Last week I nearly posted had a half-baked blog post about four situations that give me particular trouble. In the process of writing that post, I realized that all four of those situations do a similar thing in different ways. They deny me safe entry into the center line.

In order to describe how this happens, I need to describe my ideal fight flowchart.

• My sword goes on the outside line.
• If their sword is particularly far to their right, I perform a yield and thrust to the center line.
• If their sword is not, I take their sword and fold it across their body, thrusting in prima-seconda into the center line.
• If I cannot take the outside line, I disengage around, circle, and try to look threatening until my opponent gives me the center line.

There are obviously things that happen outside of this. But this is the safe game, and I know that if I do this, I will generally not lose, even though I might not win.

There are many opponents who do or have done things which push me out of this game.

• Two-layered sweeping defensive parries with short blade.
• Offline sword prevents blade contact.
• Sweeping parries prevent first and second intent of shot. Closing distance prevents the third.
• With longer sword, sweeping dagger could pick up first and then closing distance/throwing shot prevents the second.
• Wrist cocked at an odd angle such that their blade is already folded in the opposite way across their body.
• Can't fire prima-seconda shot because attempting to get good opposition slides my tip to their strong.
• Can't yield around because their hilt is too far to their left.
• Buckler and long, semi-offline sword.
• Buckler closes center line.
• Sword being offline prevents good blade contact.
• Offline sword and leaned back guard.
• Sword being offline prevents good blade contact.
• Leaning back and usage of distance prevents full-intent center-line shot.
• Wide, completely-offline, longer-ranged case game.
• Usage of distance and greater range prevents full-intent center-line shot.
• Swords being offline prevent good blade contact.
• Wide, one-sword-online long-ranged case game.
• Good blade contact possible with one sword.
• Second sword comes in for the kill through center line, maybe parrying.
• Double-kill-stravaganza.

All of these different classes of opponents, and all of these similar themes. Instead of spitballing solutions to particular opponents, I should spitball solutions to particular issues. With that in mind, I can establish an ongoing framework for improvement and things to try.

• Things which suppress my defensive capability.
• Sword far down enough that I can't touch it.
• Point sword at their hilt. Fire at their forearm with right-circling footwork to remove my target area.
• Maybe shots with arm pointed to the left but wrist sharply to the right, to place my hilt in the way of their sword but still go for the body?
• Lean in with dagger, to the point that they cannot fire a single-tempo attack.
• Lean in with sword, crossing the planes of their most likely ingress. Perform a large lunge, blocking them out to the outside after they execute their attack, since their attack will by necessity be multi-tempo.
• Dive in with a wide outside parry and force the scrum.
• Sword pointing to my left enough that I can't acquire and maintain good opposition.
• Disengage and play on the inside (ugh).
• Attack to the forearm on the outside.
• Things which suppress my offensive capability.
• Sweeping parries.
• Attack to non-protected areas (feet/legs).
• Twitch sword up past their tip to avoid the sweep, then descend in prima. Down if they are tall, and rise in terza.
• Usage of distance.
• Deceive distance.
• Post the sword.
• Weird lunges.
• Cross leg behind before lunge.
• Passing step / lunge.
• Force them to move, attack when they move forward.
• Patience.
• Dive in with a wide outside parry and force the scrum.
• Usage of off-hand implement.
• Take their arm.
• Find ways to turn their implement into a disadvantage.
• This category deserves a very long entry all to itself.
• Dive in with a wide outside parry and force the scrum.

"Dive in and force the scrum" seems to be an acceptable solution to enough of these that I really should add it to my game. So, I guess that at practice tonight I'll be practicing my dagger dives.