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Tuesday: Giganti

Submitted by Ludwig von Rege... on April 29, 2014 - 12:00am

Update from last week: A better version of the pictures (mac9.ucc.nau.edu/manuscripts/giganti.pdf‎) reveals that Lesson 9 hits on the outside and 10 on the inside.  So the notes from last week should read:

Lesson 9: A takes the outside line, B disengages, A disengages and hits on the outside line.

Lesson 10 hits on the inside line.

This week we welcomed some new fencers to the group and revised some old material.  We also tried two new plays.  The first was rather tricky.

Lesson 13: A feints to the inside line, B parries, A disengages to the outside line and feints -- being sure to get forte on B's debole and aiming for the head, B parries -- which requires lifting the sword quite high, A disengages and thrusts under B's hilt, passing forwards and grabbing B's hilt with the left hand.

Giganti's set-up for this is quite lengthy, having A essentially attempt Lesson 12, fail and retreat out of distance to try this more complicated variant.  It relies on A gaining debole after the first disengage, forcing B's sword up to ward the lunge.

The next play was far more straight forward.

Lesson 18: B cuts at A's leading leg with either a mandritto or riverso, A draws back the leg and stabs B in the face.

This is found in pretty much every manual on rapier combat.  Cutting to B's head or forearm are acceptable alternatives.

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