Challenge 1 of 0
Parries – Practice
Immediate Practice
Solo or Partner Practice
- 10 minutes – Single Parries
- Starting from coda longa stretta, practice making each of the 6 parries one at a time and returning to your starting position.
- Guardia di facia (defending against a high attack to your offside)
- Guardia di testa (defending against a high attack to your sword side)
- Cinghiara stretta (defending against a mid-line or rising attack to your mid-body on your offside)
- Coda longa stretta (defending against a mid-line or rising attack to your mid-body on your sword side)
- Cinghiara larga (defending point down against an attack to your leg on your offside)
- Coda longa larga (defending point down against an attack to your leg on your sword side)
- In solo practice:
- Visualize an attack coming on each line. Practice making a single parry 10 times, then move to the next parry. Alternate between hands until you have performed 3 sets with each hand.
- Practice gathering back as you make the parry and orienting the body to face the crossing of swords.
- In partner practice:
- Have your partner attack a single line 10 times, then move on to the next line. Alternate hands for each line. Practice 3 sets of 10 for each parry and hand.
- Remember to
- Parry with the forte when making a static parry.
- Turn your centerline toward where the swords are crossing.
- Make your sword arm straight when meeting in the parry.
- Bring your point over the weapon of a rising or mid-line attack.
- Starting from coda longa stretta, practice making each of the 6 parries one at a time and returning to your starting position.
- 10 minutes – Parry Sequence
- In solo practice:
- Move through the sequence from high to low, alternating sides.
- Practice in place, and then with retreating footwork.
- Practice 10 reps per side.
- Move through 10 random parries, focusing on moving efficiently between different parry positions.
- Repeat transitions that feel awkward.
- Practice with both hands.
- Move through the sequence from high to low, alternating sides.
- In partner practice:
- Have your partner cue you through the sequence by cutting through all 6 attacks as shown in the lesson.
- The goal here is to learn to identify the blows and practice the mechanics of the parries.
- Practice 10 reps of the sequence then switch hands.
- Have your partner then attack at random for 10 blows in 3 sets.
- Have your partner repeat attacks where you parry incorrectly.
- Manage your measure by gathering backward or retreating while you parry.
- Ensure your arms stay extended and that you do not withdraw your arms to parry at the right place. Keeping proper distance should be accomplished through footwork.
- Have your partner cue you through the sequence by cutting through all 6 attacks as shown in the lesson.
- In solo practice:
- Optional – Parries with Buckler
- Repeat the above two exercises incorporating the buckler and its accompanying positions.
- Remember to
- Join the buckler edge to the sword to reinforce its strength.
- Keep the buckler arm extended.
- Turn to face the blow so that you do not chase with the sword or move the buckler too far to the right or left.
- Parry the leg attacks using the false edge connected to the rim of the buckler (as shown in the lesson).
Ongoing Practice
- Work through these exercises in a variety of ways to build your proficiency:
- Using different guards as your starting point, so you learn to make all parries from all guards.
- Against different pairs of blows so you become adept at moving from one parry to the next.
- Against sequences of attacks that come on the same side.
- While moving.
- In solo practice, visualize and work on moving in sequences between parries.
- Use a mirror or a video recording of your practice to help you focus on efficient mechanics in your parries.
- Ensure that the whole blade moves as one and that neither the hand or point move ahead or behind the other.