Concept review: the term “centerline” here refers to an imaginary line extending from the center of your trunk to the center of the opponent’s trunk. You want the base of the centerline to be perpendicular to your chest. The end of the centerline can be anywhere on the opponent’s trunk. Your opponent has a positional disadvantage when you are facing him square but he is not facing you square. These stabbing attacks that drop from a high position into the enemy’s face or throat area work best when you are positioned offline — the centerline is pointed diagonally through the enemy’s trunk. See following illustration for reference.
Review of the stabbing attacks with short stick, from hip position and from high (temple/roof) position:
– Fist at temple level and slightly in front of shoulder – Tip of the weapon pointed straight at the opponent – This position is a slight adjustment from the stick positioning in a roof block.
First, play around with the potential strikes from this position: – Stab to face – Downward cut as if to opponent’s hand – Inside or outside hit – Inside abanico
Work this stab and the hip-originating upward stab with a partner / pushups: – Partner holds sticks and stabilizes as you lean in and do standing pushups – 10 pushups from the high position – 10 pushups from the low position – Alternating 20 single hand pushups from both positions
Mitt work originating from high stab position. – Feeder double mitts. Hitter working the stabs to both sides. – Feeder double mitts. Hitter works a short outside hit, followed by a stab to the cross mitt.
Both partner single mitt, one stick. Set up in mirrored position. – Feeder gives a light #1 attack. Hitter works the roof block, then follow up with abanico to pad. – Same working the stab off the roof attack.
Applications / Club time
Short stick applications to the above
– Feeder gives #1 attack. Defender works roof attack, ends up in front of feeder. Feeder is strong and not moving his hand. Defender attempts check to dislodge feeder’s weapon, feeder is still strong. Defender follows with abanico and then disarm. – Feeder gives #1 attack. Defender works roof attack, and either slope-steps left for his offline or slope-steps left after the interrupt. Defender counters with the stab to the face that we’ve been practicing
Longsword applications – Defender holding sword single hand across body, as if it is scabbared on the left. Feeder attacks with forward step and #1 attack. – Defender strikes upward with sweeping strike to deflect the attack. – If defender ends up with his blade on the outside of opponent’s blade, then move in, check the attacker’s weapon hand at the elbow or shoulder, and work the high stab – If defender ends up with his blade on the inside, either grab the feeder’s blade and #2 strike or, if the feeder is way off line, just reverse the hit and attack #1
Padded stick sparring — either hand hunting or free sparring, 1 stick or 2
Hand hunting with live sticks — hockey gloves – Feeder attacks with random hits – Defender hand-hunts, working the high position