The second class of this course (on March 12th) began with the warm-up, to which I added kicking squats, and basic falling. We then swiftly reviewed the four steps and four guards, which they then practiced on their own.
From there we tested where your weight should be on your feet for maximum stability, using our standard testing process. Once everyone had sorted out for themselves how their weight should be distributed on their feet, they practiced the steps again.
Then new material: the three turns, using Fiore’s definitions. We started with the meza volta, as the easiest, then the tutta volta. I then taught them the stick exercise, and they saw and did those turns naturally. This reinforced the idea of the Art as the ordering of natural actions into a system in order for them to be studied and taught.
Then starting with the swinging exercise that begins every warm-up, I taught them the volta stabile, which we then used to determine the ideal length of the guard position.
From thence to review of the first and second plays of the first master of dagger, before I taught them the third play, the ligadura mezana.
After that we took up swords (it was 7pm) and practiced swingnig it while paying attention to leading with the blade, then the lines of the blows. We noted that the blows create the guards, and looked at the guards we had created (donna, longa, zenghiaro and tutta porta di ferro) in the book, before repeating the drill, this time to work on the guards.
At the very end I demonstrated the first three steps of first drill, and promised to start them on that next week. Tune in again to see if I am a man of my word!