Tutta Volta at the Forte – Practice

Immediate Practice

10 minutes – Practice 10 tutta volta on the inside, 10 tutta volta on the outside.

• Make sure to lift your hands high and keep them extended when beginning the tutta volta.
• Let your sword swing over your head as you come back to the blade.
• When doing a tutta volta that pushes the opponent’s sword to your left you will make a mandritto fendente.
• When doing a tutta volta that pushes the opponent’s sword to your right you will make a roverso fendente.

Ongoing Practice

• Tutta volta like this are an excellent solo practice. Two simple ways to practice:
  • Making 10 tutta volta per side.
  • Alternating 1 tutta volta inside, then 1 outside for 10 reps.
• Focus first on a two part motion:
  • First: Drop the point and lift the arms. Ensure your hands are high and your arms are extended. It is in this position where you really see why the guard is called “the window”.
  • Second: Send the sword in a circle over your head. Focus on using the pommel to make the turn to maximize leverage and thus velocity.
• Make your motions crisp and fluid.
  • Crisp: Be sure to have a defined beginning and end motion. Ensure that you always return to the same posta longa or breve position. Don’t let the sword point drop excessively or flop around at the end of the motion.
  • Fluid: After you have lifted your hands and dropped your point, the circle that you draw is uniform, don’t let the blade wobble or move onto a different plane.