Fabris's Fourth Rule on Proceeding With Resolution in Single Sword

My 100th post is approaching, and I want to get it over with so I don't think too hard about "oh noes, what do I do for post 100?".

Because of this, I offer to you this article on Fabris's Fourth Rule on Proceeding With Resolution in Single Sword. I wrote it last June, then didn't post it for some reason. Once again, for my summary of Fabris's Rules on Proceeding With Resolution, see this post.

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Off-line steps are of particular interest to me recently, because I have been studying how to deal with more weapons when you have fewer weapons. Single, shorter rapier versus case of longer rapiers, for example. When you have fewer weapons than your opponent, there are precious few advantages to exploit against them - especially when you also have less reach than your opponent.

We can think of this fight in terms of shifting advantages. If we look at the initial approach into large measure (referring to my list of advantages for defense), this is the list of advantages that the shorter-single-bladed fighter can gain, before entering close measure:

• Obedience
• If your opponent has more range than you, there is a zone in which they are required to attack, in order to be able to attack before you get too close to thrust.
• "Out of Presence"
• This is why we're talking about Fabris's fourth rule - moving to the side forces your opponent to be out of your presence, if briefly.

There are several defensive advantages that they can only partially get, if their opponent is skilled. In particular:

• Tempo
• The longer-ranged opponent should wait until the correct opportunity to strike. Otherwise you are giving up a tempo.
• "Inside their Blade"
• A skilled case fighter should not be allowing you to gain opposition on both of their swords. One, perhaps, but not both.

The rest of the advantages, you by definition don't have, or you can only gain once you get close enough.

Conversely, your opponent has the following:

• Long distance
• Duh.
• Tempo
• They rely on you eventually committing your sword to a strong defense.
• Free implement
• If you only have one sword, they will have one sword free unless they allow you to get very good positioning.

In order to turn the tide, you need to neutralize as many of these advantages as possible, while maintaining your defensive advantages.

Neutralizing tempo is somewhat obvious but hard to execute effectively - don't commit your sword strongly to a defense. Adopt a counterguard, rather than pushing against their sword.

Forcing obedience is a bit trickier. This relies on your own sense of distance, and when your opponent can strike.

This leaves the final two contentious defenses - "Out of Presence" and Free Implement. Free Implement is outside of the scope of this post - it's hard to deal with someone's second sword, and relies on their specific stance.

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On first reading, I interpreted Fabris's fourth rule as follows:

• Keep your sword below your opponent's sword.
• Take an offline step, with a lean in the same direction.
• For example, step left and lean left.
• Check to see if your opponent followed your body with their tip.
• If they did
• Take their sword to the side opposite the direction of your step and step/lean in the direction opposite your original step.
• For example, take their sword to the inside and step to the right, while leaning to the right.
• This will place you in the same line as if you had stepped straight forward at the get-go.
• If they didn't
• Take their sword to the same side as the direction of your step, and step forward, maintaining your lean in the same original direction.
• For example, take their sword to the outside and step directly toward them, while maintaining your lean to the left.
• Stab them, having taken advantage of them being out of your presence.

That doesn't feel quite right though. There are about three tempi in there - one to take the first step, one to check on their direction, and one to take the second step. This gives your opponent far too much time to react.

If instead, we raise our tip during the offline step, this allows us to consider where they are during the step, rather than waiting to see afterwards.. This means we only have to burn two tempi, and makes for a much smoother action.