Wrist Cuts – Practice

Immediate Practice

• 5 minutes – Maneuvering the shield around the extended arm
  • Extend your sword arm into porta di ferro alta, then join it with your buckler.
  • Practice moving the sword between different extended positions, while moving the buckler over and under the arm to protect the arm on body on both sides.
  • Use the lesson video and a mirror as guidance and feedback while you experiment.
• 5 minutes – Cutting the wrist cutting pattern
  • 10 reps.
  • If you want a challenge try to cut the pattern with the sword and shield in the opposite hands. It may feel clumsy at the start, but you’ll get it!
  • Ensure that you are
    • maximizing the cover of the shield while accommodating the sword’s path.
    • keeping the arms extended.
    • keeping the hand protected behind the buckler.
    • keeping both wrists in close proximity (you could imagine that you are in handcuffs or have your wrists loosely tied).

Ongoing Practice

• Make cutting around the shield with shoulder, elbow, and wrist cuts a part of your regular practice.
• Practice patterns where you alternate between shoulder, elbow and wrist cuts.
• Practice making wrist cuts in different directions being constantly aware of the shield position.
• Spend time without a buckler to focus on keeping the arm extended in wrist cuts and also ensuring you are turning your hand over at the appropriate time to avoid wrist strain.