Longsword practice 7/16/2010

Working pressure responses off of zornhau bind

• Partners face off with left foot forward, vom tag hand position (hands drawn in close to chest, sword tip straight up). Attacker initiates with #1 attack to defender’s head following with passing step. Defender responds with the same and you meet in the bind. Maintain the pressure for a few beats, evaluating your pressure direction and stance stability. Coaching notes: 1) make sure you’re throwing the weapon forward before moving the body; 2) make sure your pressure direction is to complete the #1 attack, not forcing sideways or weak; 3) keep your center on the opponent (Tobler’s “sloping step” or classic Latosa/wing chun body square positioning throughout the step); 4) occasionally the defender fails to parry to double check attacker’s force direction – strike should complete on the head.
• Same drill starting from left sword position, right foot forward.
• Start from the above bind. Attacker completes by winding up into left ochs (hands high in front of your face, tip in the defender’s face, working your strong against his weak).
• Same drill on starting from left sword position (#2), left foot forward.
• Work entries applying the ochs wind. Defender responds by raising his hands to ochs as well. Attacker can then 1) release and stab if defender’s energy is up or sideways or 2) raise hands a bit, point tip down and move in with body to stab to the neck or chest.

For those owning a copy of Tobler’s Fighting with the German Longsword, this is part of an ongoing project to work through the “Zornhau Decision Tree” on p. 106, and the moves herein are explained in the preceding pages of the same book.