A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry — John Shaqi
A New System of Sword Exercise for InfantryBurton, Richard Francis, Sir
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A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry
Burton, Richard Francis, Sir
Infantry drill and tactics; Swords
There is no objection, I have said, to teaching squads of recruits all
the simpler preparatory matter: the Three Positions; the Moulinet;
the Engaging Guard, and the Guards or Parries. At a certain stage of
progress, however, especially when beginning Manchette, the quick and
intelligent soldier, who is likely to qualify himself as a master, must
be instructed singly.
§ 2. _The Direct Cuts in Manchette._
The following are the direct attacks in Manchette, simple and
compound; all are done from the “Engaging Guard,” the Lunge being here
inadmissible.
I. _Carte de Manchette._--Extend the sword-arm to the full length and
deliver the cut, with a flip as it were, at the opponent’s fore-arm,
between the elbow and the wrist. This can be done with the back of the
blade (Reverse Cut) under circumstances presently to be described. No.
I. is useful if the adversary unwisely engages you in Carte otherwise
(from Tierce) it must be avoided, as he easily parries by withdrawing
the arm and replies with a Tierce Cut.
II. _Carte de Manchette and Cut Tierce._--This movement is No. I.
followed by a close rotation of the point (“Tierce Moulinet”); if,
however, the circle be too small, it will not clear the sword-guard.
III. _Double Carte de Manchette and Cut Carte._--No. III. is to be done
when the opponent, as he generally will after an attack of No. II.,
successively parries Carte and Tierce. It is simply the double of No.
I., and thus the “Tierce Moulinet” cuts, of course, inside the arm.
IV. _Double Carte de Manchette and Cut Tierce._--Useful when the
adversary parries Carte, Tierce and Carte; it is the double of No. II.
and thus cuts outside the arm.
No. II. guards the arm and is therefore unexceptionable. Nos. III. and
IV. are dangerous, because, like No. I., when opposed to an agile hand,
they may lay the wrist open to a Time Cut.
The two first and all four against a slow unready swordsman may be
varied by combinations with _coupés_, or passing the blade sharply over
the adversary’s point. For instance, if the adversary come too wildly
to the Tierce parade of your double Carte and Tierce (No. III.), _a
coupé_ will reach his arm in Carte.
A golden rule which cannot be repeated too often is that all the
Manchette-Cuts in Tierce (outside), either from above or from below,
must be as nearly vertical as possible, whilst all the Cuts in Carte
(inside) should be as horizontal as they can be made. The reason is
simply that these positions cover the arm and render the attack less
dangerous.
§ 3. _The Guards (Parries) and Feints in Manchette._
The Guards of the Target will be found sufficient for parrying all
attacks in Manchette. The soldier, however, should especially practise
the retrograde parades, that is withdrawing the right fore-arm with and
without the right leg.
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