LSW-120 Exchanging the Thrust – Practice

Solo Practice

Practicing counter-thrust with away footwork – 10 minutes

• Starting in posta breve, find the sword of your sword dummy on your inside as you approach.
• Gain and step away from the dummy sword. Strike with an offline pass.
  • Ensure that you maintain advantage over the dummy throughout the attack.
• Retreat with cover.
• Practice the same exercise finding and gaining on the outside.
• Remember that you don’t need to be pressing onto the opponent’s sword to have control of it.

Practice counter-thrust with into the sword footwork – 10 minutes

• Starting in posta breve, find the sword your sword dummy on the inside as you approach.
• Gain and step across the line of direction (look to the lesson for the footwork options).
  • Focus on keeping the opponent’s sword under your own while maintaining all three advantages.
• Retreat with cover.
• Practice the same exercise finding and gaining on the outside.

Counter-thrusting from the four quadrants – 10 minutes

• Starting in porta di ferro, approach and conduct a counter-thrust to the sword dummy with offline movement.
• Ensure that you maintain all three advantages while you strike.
• Conduct the same approach but use crossline movement into the weapon.
• Perform the same approach starting in posta di donna or right finestra.
• Work your way through each quadrant, practicing at least 10 approaches from each with offline and crossline footwork.

Partner Practice

Finding and gaining against a forward motivated opponent who is presenting their point – 10 minutes

• Have your partner form posta longa and walk toward you. As they approach, without moving your feet, raise your sword and acquire the three advantages (this is most easily practiced from porta di ferro).
  • Have your partner proceed forward. As they continue, increase your advantages and extend your arms (in the same way you would if you were approaching them).
  • Ensure you maintain crossing by striking a target that is over their sword (this may often be the right or left side of their chest).
• After your partner has crossed into the middle of your sword you should be able to resist any reasonable pressure they present.
  • Have your partner attempt to push your sword aside by directing their sword with more strength.
  • The goal here is not for your partner to withdraw their sword (this type of challenge is countered in a different way). Your partner’s job is to test if they’re able to strike directly through your defence (if you’re doing your job correctly, they cannot).

Finding and gaining from Porta di Ferro – 10 minutes

• Both you and your partner begin in Porta di Ferro. Your partner begins the thrust and you make the exchange.
  • Respond early and step into the weapon. You can experiment with both offline advance and crossline pass in the early response.
  • Respond late and step away from the weapon.

Finding and gaining from Dente al Cinghiara – 10 minutes

• Both you and your partner begin in Dente al Cinghiara. Your partner begins the thrust and you make the exchange.
  • Respond early and step into the weapon. You can experiment with both offline advance and crossline pass in the early response.
  • Respond late and step away from the weapon.

Finding and gaining from posta di dona on the right and left – 10 minutes

• Your opponent begins in porta di ferro with you in posta di donna on the right. Your partner makes a direct thrust and you exchange it by cutting a tight circle into posta breve.
  • Respond early and step into the weapon. You can experiment with both offline advance and crossline pass in the early response.
  • Respond late and step away from the weapon.
• Practice the same exchange against a thrust from dente al cinghiara by starting in posta di donna on the left.