Review of Week 2

1. Terminology refresh
2. 8 cuts drill
3. Pass and turn drill
4. Thrust and recover to Hanging Guard

Redoubled Actions

This week we started on developing redoubled actions with the spadone. This is actually one of the strengths of the weapon due to the momentum it generates, allowing us to continue cutting smoothly.

The key redoubled cuts practised were double descending cuts, and the tondo cuts that turn over the head.

Redoubled Descending Cuts

Mandritti

1. From Right Guard, Point Behind throw a mandritto to the head on a right step forward.
2. Without moving the feet, allow the sword to continue in a descending circular path, returning for a 2nd mandritto to the head.

Note:
The 2nd cut is made with extended arms and allowing the wrists to turn, which conserves the momentum of the sword.

Riversi

1. From Left Guard, Point Behind throw a riverso to the head on a left step forward.
2. Without moving the feet, allow the sword to continue in a descending circular path returning for a 2nd riverso to the head.

Redouble With Tondi

The redoubled cut can also easily be thrown as a tondo cut in the high line at the head, and are also called helicopter cuts because they resemble helicopter blades in the way they turn overhead. One of the chief advantages of the tondi is that they can be made either with the true edge or false edge, and you can pick the easiest variant depending on circumstance. The rapid change of line that this redoubled cut provides is also very difficult for the opponent to parry.

Mandritto tondo = horizontal cut from H to G
Riverso tondo = horizontal cut from left to right G to H

Mandritto with Redoubled Tondo

1. From Right Guard, Point Behind throw a mandritto to the head whilst stepping forward with the right foot.
2. Continue the cut as a circular cut and as the sword begins to travel upwards, lift up your hands and turn them such that the sword travels over your head finishing as a mandritto tondo to the left temple of the opponent.
3. The tondo cut should have a slight downwards angle to provide some cover to the head.
4. After the tondo cut is complete, recover back into Left Hanging Guard with a volta stabile.

Riverso with Redoubled Tondo

1. From Left Guard, Point Behind throw a riverso to the head whilst stepping forward with the left foot.
2. Continue the cut as a circular cut and as the sword begins to travel upwards, lift up your hands and turn them such that the sword travels over your head finishing as a riverso tondo to the right temple of the opponent. (Some people found this easier as the false edge cut.
3. The tondo cut should have a slight downwards angle to provide some cover to the head.
4. After the tondo cut is complete, recover back into Right Hanging Guard.

Rising Mandritto with Redoubled Tondo

1. From Right Guard, Point Forward throw a rising mandritto to the flank whilst stepping forward with the right foot.
2. Lift the hands up to head height and allow the cut to continue as a circular cut, turning the hands so that the sword travels over your head finishing as a mandritto tondo to the left temple of the opponent.
3. After the tondo is complete, recover back into Left Hanging Guard.

Rising Riverso with Redoubled Tondo

1. From Left Guard, Point Forward throw a rising riverso to the flank whilst stepping forward with the left foot.
2. Lift the hands up to head height and allow the cut to continue as a circular cut, turning the hands so that travels over your head finishing as a riverso tondo to the right temple of the opponent.
3. After the tondo is complete, recover back into Right Hanging Guard.

Thrust & Cut

The imbrocatta thrust from either the point forward or hanging guards can be readily turned into a redoubled cut.

Thrust & Riverso

1. From Left Hanging Guard, lean forwards and deliver imbrocatta to the chest.
2. Drop the tip and using the momentum to turn the sword through a circular cut deliver a riverso to the head.

Thrust and Mandritto

1. From Right Hanging Guard, lean forwards and deliver imbroccata to the chest.
2. Drop the tip and using the momentum to turn the the sword through a circular cut to deliver a mandritto to the head.

Note:
These two static footwork drills allowed the students to learn how to turn the thrust into a cut.

Thrust and Redouble

1. From Right Hanging Guard, make a volta stabile forwards and deliver imbrocatta to the chest.
2. Drop the tip and using the momentum to turn a circular mandritto to the head on a right step forward. Make sure the step forward is performed in a true time with the forward motion of the mandritto.
3. Redouble with mandritto tondo without moving the feet.
4. Recover back with volta stabile to Left Hanging Guard.
5. Make a volta stabile forwards and deliver imbrocatta to the chest.
6. Drop the tip and using the momentum to turn a circular riverso to the head on the left step foward. Make sure the step forward is made in a true time with the forward motion of the riverso.
7. Redouble with riverso tondo without moving the feet.
8. Recover back to Right Hanging Guard.
9. Repeat from 1. If space is limited turn to face the opposite direction in Left Guard, Point Forward and instead throw a riverso combination followed by a mandritto combination.

Note:
This drill teaches the student how to combine thrusts, cuts and footwork. Many different combinations can be developed with various varieties of footwork.

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