Disengaging the Cut – Practice

Immediate Practice

5 minutes – Practice disengaging descending cuts.

• Your partner will target your sword with a cut from above designed to beat your sword downward and off the line.
  • As their cut comes, disengage and then either find their sword on the opposite side or find and strike.
• Your partner can alternate between mandritto and roverso or go at random.
• For a higher level of difficulty your partner can attempt to thrust at you immediately following their attempt at clearing. This will test your ability to keep their sword covered after your disengage.

5 minutes – Practice using volta stabile to protect from rising cuts.

• Your partner will attempt to beat your sword up and the right or left from the both Dente al Cinghiara and Porta di Ferro.
  • Practice avoiding their clearing by using the volta stabile or a disengage.
• You can follow up by finding and striking with a thrust or by cutting upward into the arms.
• For a higher level of difficulty your partner can alternate between which clearing action they attempt. You could also combine this exercise with the one above and practice disengaging cuts from all directions.