Guard to guard...

Something that I should think about when trying to understand descriptions of guards:

How you would arrive in them- not the framing and changing when out of distance. Swetnam says that you should recover into your guard as soon as possible, so it makes sense that guards flow into each other. From what I understand of Fiore, that is standard procedure- the cut starts in a guard, goes through a person and ends in a guard. Thinking about that has altered my understanding of the broad ward (bringing it down to third height, rather than shoulder.. will have to re-read though), cemented my belief that cross-ward is point near the ground, and gives a bit more context to the forehand guard.

I know this is going to be clumsy for a description and that, in the traditional English fashion, I may butcher any Italian terms if I use them.

> True guard (rapier at third, dagger shoulder height and pointing a bit towards opponent) Cut down right, stopping your blade near the ground in one of the iron door-type wards (extended point). If you bring the dagger point upwards and move it down a bit (so kind-of third, but in the other hand) you arrive at Crosse Guard. From there, you defend a thrust with a passing step, bringing your rapier into their gut and you're at fore-hand guard. (although, wrong foot forwards, but Swetnam seems to consider wrong footing to be a fairly understandable thing- another reason why I think he's used to teaching longsworders)

Lazy Guard (rapier in iron door type position, dagger resting behind rapier on balance/pivot point), you use the dagger to flick your sword into 3rd and keep the dagger primed for a feint/in case you miss with the rapier. This should close the line compassed by your rapier and end in broade ward. (or 3rd in both hands)

So, next lesson: True Guard and principles- distancing, feints Introduce Crosse Guard. Modular drill: A True guard, cuts. B voids and counter thrusts. A forms into crosse guard and parries with a passing step.

Maybe some lazy guard.

Oh and I need to re-read the play involving the feints from crosse guard.