Dealing with the Cross
This section deals with what happens at wide play, when you and your opponents blades cross.
Crossed at the Tip
This play teaches that when you are crossed at the tips in wide measure, you must immediately do 1 of two things, you either slip the blade and cut, or thrust to the face. If you feel pressure, you slip and cut, otherwise thrust. If you hesitate, even to make the decision, you'll end up with the thrust to the face. This play can be symmetrical, depending on wards, blade position and measure. How you got crossed at the tips, also doesn't matter, merely that you are crossed at the tips.
| Tempo | Performer | Starting Ward | Cut/Action | Footwork | Ending Ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Player | Posta Di Donna | Fendente | Right Pass Traverse | Posta Longa1 |
| 1.5 | Scholar | Porta Ferro | Fendente | Left Advance Traverse | Posta Breve2 |
| 2 | Player | Posta Longa | After going into Posta Breve, presses the Scholars blade to regain the line | Posta Breve |
| Tempo | Performer | Starting Ward | Cut/Action | Footwork | Ending Ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Player | Posta Breve | Presses Scholars blade to regain the line | Posta Breve | |
| 2.5 | Scholar | Posta Breve | Slips around Players blade, and makes a falling cut | Advance (optional) | Posta Breve |
| Tempo | Performer | Starting Ward | Cut/Action | Footwork | Ending Ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Player | Posta Breve | Hesitates or drops his blade under the Scholars | Posta Breve | |
| 2.5 | Scholar | Posta Breve | Punte | Advance (optional) | Posta Longa |
Explanation
The Player (left), and the Scholar (right) square off in Posta di Donna vs Posta di Ferro. As Fiore states when attacking from Posta di Donna, that if the attack steps off the line they'll find their opponent open. So, the Player pass traverses and begins his fendente. The Scholar, not liking this at all, does her own advance traverse and fendente.
Both the Player and Scholar are crossed at the tips. However the Player is in Posta Longa, while the Scholar is in Posta Breve. The Scholars left advance traverse has caused the tip of his blade to be pointing at the Players shoulder. While the Scholar does not have a mechanical advantage, he does have a tactical one.
The Player has lost a tempo, and her point is offline. If she moves into any other ward, the Scholar will attack, and with his blade inside hers, and her spent in Breve, she has few options to defend. If she attempts to fall back into Posta Coda Longa, she may not be able to move back fast enough to void the Scholars thrust. If she attempts to move into Posta Porta di Ferro, again she will get a thrust in the face. She can move into Posta Breve, or through Posta Breve to Posta Cenghiaro. Moving into Posta Breve, still leaves her sword offline, and his sword inside hers however. So, she presses his blade in attempt to regain the line. If she attempts the move through Posta Breve to Posta de Cenghiaro, she still has to press his blade, and so the result is the same.
As soon as the Scholar feels the pressure on his blade, he slips his blade over hers, and cuts fendente into the arms, or head depending on whats available. The Scholar needs to take care the he stays as close to the Players blade as possible, without touching it. Any pressure on the Players blade, and the Player can turn the tables on him. If the Scholar winds up with a cut to the arms, then he should immediately turn that into a thrust.
It's possible that the player could hesitate, or drop his blade in attempt to get under the Scholars blade. Either of these gets the same response, a quick thrust to the face. Depending on range, and exactly what the Player moves, some footwork might be necessary to increase the safety of the Scholar. In addition the thrust is with the blade horizontal, so the quillons provide protection for the hand.
If you take Fiore's statement to "Turn the blade and cut to the other side" literally, you are not safe. Your opponent can drop his blade and cut into you at the same time your cutting him. You also don't really end up on the other side, even though you've gone from a right fendente to a left fendente. The solution is to have the Scholar slip around the Players blade into a fendente. This is a tear drop shaped motion of the blade, that should make as little contact as possible with the players blade, and is not a move into Posta Frontale.
Notes
- The player should be cutting through Posta Longa into Porta di Ferro Mezana, but gets interrupted by the Scholar. When practicing for the first time, go ahead and stop in Posta Long to give the Scholar time to do his action. You eventually want to do everything at full speed.
- The Scholars tip should pointed toward the Players outside shoulder, and clearly have a line of attack
Crossed in the middle
This play teaches what happens when you're crossed at the middle of the blade. You have 2 options again, either traverse and cut to the arms, or if your opponents blade is close enough, grab his blade, and attack.
| Tempo | Performer | Starting Ward | Cut/Action | Footwork | Ending Ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scholar | Short Ward | Falling Cut to Players Arms | Advance Traverse1 | Short Ward |
| 2 | Scholar | Short Ward | Thrust | Pass or Advance2 | Long Ward |
| Tempo | Performer | Starting Ward | Cut/Action | Footwork | Ending Ward |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Scholar | Short Ward | Left hand grabs opponents blade, gripping it above his own. | Short Ward | |
| 2 | Scholar | Short Ward | Falling cut or Thrust, Kick if close enough after3 | Pass | Long Ward |
Explanation
First Solution
The player and scholar have started as they did in the first play, only they are crossed at the middle of their blades. Their hands and arms are closer then in the first play.
The scholar takes a traversing step and gets a very nice line at both arms of the Player. The scholar cuts fendente into the arms. The scholar is prevented from the thrust by the closeness of the hands, and the angle of the blades themselves. The scholar has to only grab the Scholars blade and counter attack herself.
The traversing step can be either a passing, or advancing traverse, depending on range, and other circumstances. The farther along your opponents circle you go, the better a line you get at the arms and hands. However, the longer it takes as well. You need to move far enough that the Players quillons are out of the way, but not so far that the Player has time to do something else.
As always a cut to the hands or arms leads to a thrust to the body or face.
Second Solution
The second solution is to simply grab the blade, cut or thrust, and kick your opponents leg. When you grab the opponents blade, you do so with the palm out, and thumb down. If you grab it any other way, you risk getting your hand cut. After you grab it, you can rotate the grabbing hand palm in, while bringing it to your hip. You can also leave it in place, as shown.
Now you can immediately launch an attack of your own.
Or, if you like, kick your opponent.
Notes
- If you take a wider step, this gives you a better line to the players arms, and you're able to cut both.
- Whether the Scholar advances, or passes will depend on the measure between the Scholar and the Player.
- Once you have grabbed the blade immediately make your thrust or cut, then if you're close enough, you can kick into the Players knee/shin area.