Compound Attacks

This is a CLA-style exploratory session designed to investigate and develop skills around compund attacks, as well as developing a sparring flow (as opposed to static drilling of isolated techniques).

It may take some time to a) get comfortable flowing from one action to another, and b) notice patterns in the defender to exploit.

Objectives:

1. Drawing the opponent out of their secure guard position,
2. Seeing and taking advantage of openings created in this way.

Observations:

• Changing the height of the strikes (ie: feint low to strike high, and vice versa),
• Changing the line of the strikes (ie: feint on the inside to strike on the outside, etc),
• Changing the angle of the strikes (ie: feint a vertical strike to make an horizontal strike, etc)

Source Text Notes: The source texts agree that the first one or two actions of a compound attack are feints. They define a feint as a simulated attack in which the arm is developed but no lunge is made. An attack out of measure?

Aim: To flow from one attack to another without stopping or halting. To flow from one parry to another without stopping or halting.

Rules:

1. Starting in pairs at one end of a line, one fencer is designated the attack. The other fencer is the defender.
2. The attacker makes strike after strike advancing forward along the line until the end (signalled by 6-12 strikes or the end of the space available). The defender parries each strike as appropriate.
3. The pair reverse roles and work in the same manner back along the line to the starting position. Repeat until bored.

Note in what cirumstances the defender fails to successfully parry. Is it because they try parry awkwardly? Is it because they cannot cover the distance and change of sword attitude required to make the parry? These observations become use in developing your preferred compound attacks.

Aim: For the attacker, to set up sotuations in which they can make a touch. For the defender, simply, to avoid this.

Rules: As above in Game 1, except:

1. The attack looks for the opening created by the defender's parry and intentionally strikes into these openings.

If the attacker has observed any attacking patterns in Game 1 which cause the defender difficulties, they should try to set these up here. For example, if have noticed that my partner has difficulty parrying a head strike after I feint with a flank strike, I should look to make a touch with this combo.

Aim: To develop a sense of attacking safely in the attacker.

Rules: As per Game 2, except:

1. When the defender sees an opportunity, they riposte to stop and counter the attackers compound attacks.

Note that the emphasis here is developing in the attacker a sense of how to attack securely, rather than training the defender to change up the initiative (that's next week).

This is what we did on this topic in Term 4 2025.

1. Flow Drill: Fencer A moves continually forward throwing attack after attack with the aim of flowing from one attack to the next as smoothly as possible. Fencer B defends while withdrawing to maintain distance. Once they reach the far end of the hall, they swap roles and start back to the other end of the hall.
2. Feint High Drill and Exploration:
   1. Drill: In pairs, Fencer A makes a feint of the Head cut to force Fencer B to parry this. Then Fencer A makes a Stomach cut, Flank cut or Forearm cut as appropriate.
   2. Exploration: In small groups, workshop different feints using the Head cut and the Face cuts to the Left and Right in order to find strikes which work and flow easily and simply from the feint. The sequence of actions from the attacker should follow the pattern: feint, strike, withdraw safely.
3. Feint Low Drill and Exploration:
   1. Drill: In pairs, Fencer A makes a feint of the Stomach cut to force Fencer B to parry this. Then Fencer A makes a Head cut, Face cut or Forearm cut as appropriate.
   2. Exploration: In small groups, workshop different feints using the Stomach cut and Flank cut in order to find strikes which work and flow easily and simply from the feint. The sequence of actions from the attacker should follow the pattern: feint, strike, withdraw safely.