Plate 38, on the left
My copy of Leoni's Fabris translation is currently unavailable to me, so we go with guesswork and what-I-have-been-doing-recently.
The general idea is to create an invitation, and then, using your blade to limit where theirs can go, you take their blade by applying your quillon to it and thrust over their blade, between their blade and their arm. This invitation is made most effective by limiting your target area - that is to say, you know that there is only a certain area on your body that your opponent can hit, from various distances.
The invitation you create should cover all of those places, and then as you enter measure, you execute your thrust, walking forward with intent. Ideally, your positioning will allow you defend yourself regardless of whether or not they thrust, and if they do then you have stronger positioning by virtue of the fact that you are taking their blade with your quillon. So you want them to go for the thrust, and you are limiting the time in which they can perform the thrust, but even if they don't then it's not fatal.
This technique should be most effective when you have a weapon shorter than your opponent's weapon. And lastly, this technique should be able to be mirrored horizontally for usage against left-handed people, and mirrored vertically for use against people who want their blade below yours.
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The Technique
- Begin by placing your hilt in a position below their tip, and your tip in a position above their tip. Your blade should be to the left of theirs, but your positioning should force them to thrust above your blade if they wish to hit you.
- Additionally, this space through which they must thrust should be the space that you will be "sweeping" with your top quillon.
- Your quillon should be approaching parallel to the ground, with your fingernails up.
- Move forwards, such that you enter the "danger zone" in which your opponent can reach you, and are in the process of exiting the "danger zone" such that you are too close for your opponent's sword's tip to effectively touch you.
- Raise your hand at the same time you bend your wrist to lower your tip. Your false edge should touch their sword, but the true push should come from your top quillon pushing their sword upwards. You might have to move your hand left somewhat as you raise it, in order to gain the appropriate positioning.
- Your tip might end up lower than your hilt. This is a good thing.
- At this point, you should be stabbing your opponent, with their sword completely blocked-off. Good job.
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This technique seems applicable to both Italian and Spanish fencing. For the Spanish, the angle would be shallower, but it would be an effective counter to an opponent attempting to attack with detachment via Weak over Strong. The other versions of this, which I alluded to earlier, would also be useful here.
Additionally, it seems like you could use the principles here as yet another tool in the single-versus-case game, using this as a single-tempo parry/riposte against the front sword.
The advantage of this technique is that it works slightly better if your opponent does nothing. As well, it is much harder for your opponent to regain strength, since your tip is angled downwards. The disadvantage is that it requires you to anticipate your opponent's action, and doesn't branch naturally from parrying.
This is an interesting technique, because it emphasizes knowledge of measure and anticipation of action. After all, if your opponent doesn't thrust, then you will still be blocking them out with your hilt.
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My left shin is unhappy, so I won't be using this as effectively tonight as I would normally. I will likely be fighting primarily Spanish, since that involves less shock on my lower legs, even if my footwork gets sloppy.
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Anyhow, that's all for the moment. Have fun!
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