If possible, the point of the bayonet should be directed against an opponent’s throat, especially in hand-to-hand fighting. Other vulnerable and usually exposed parts are on the face, chest, lower abdomen, and thighs, and the region of the kidneys when the back is turned. Four or six inches penetration is sufficient to incapacitate and allow for a quick withdrawal, whereas if a bayonet is driven home too far, it is often impossible to withdraw it. In such cases, a round should be fired to break the obstruction. Second Practice: The class working in pairs, with the instructor supervising, should be practised in thrusting in various directions: (1) at the opposite man’s hand, which he places in various positions on and off his body; (2) at thrusting rings, or balls of paper, tied to the end of sticks (see Plates VI, VII, VIII). This practice should be done without the word of command, so that the eye and brain may be trained. Third Practice: The men will be taught to transfix a disc or number painted on a dummy; first at a distance of about five feet from the dummy, _i.e._, the extreme range of the bayonet; then, after advancing three or more paces. The advance must be made in the most practical and natural way, and should be practised with either foot to the front when the thrust is delivered. The rifle must never be drawn back when making a long thrust in a forward movement. The impetus of the body and the forward stretching of the arms supply sufficient force. The bayonet must be withdrawn immediately after the thrust has been delivered, and a forward threatening attitude be assumed to the side or beyond the dummy. Unless the rifle is firmly gripped, it is liable to injure the hand. To guard against accidents, the men must be at least five feet apart when the practice is carried out collectively. The principles of this practice will be observed when thrusting at dummies in trenches, standing upright on the ground or suspended on gallows. They should be applied at first slowly and deliberately, for _no attempt must be made to carry out the final assault practice before the men have been carefully instructed in, and have thoroughly mastered, the preliminary lessons_. LESSON II. THE RIGHT AND LEFT PARRY. From the position of guard, vigorously straighten the left arm, without bending the wrist or twisting the rifle in the hand, and force the rifle forward far enough to the right (left) to ward off the adversary’s weapon. The eyes must be kept on the weapon which is being parried. COMMON FAULTS. 1. Wide sweeping parry with no forward movement in it. 2. Eyes taken off the weapon to be parried. Men must be taught to regard the parry as part of an offensive movement; namely, of the thrust which would immediately follow it in actual combat. For this reason, as soon as the movements of the parries have been learned, they should always be accompanied with a slight forward movement of the body.