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.
Parries will be practised with right, as well as with the left, foot forward, preparatory to the practice of parrying when advancing.
First Practice:
Men learning the parries should be made to observe the movements of the rifle carefully, and should not be kept longer at this practice than is necessary for them to understand what is required—that is, vigorous yet controlled action.
Second Practice:
The class works in pairs with scabbards on the bayonets, one man thrusting with a stick and the other parrying; the guard is resumed after each parry. At first, this practice must be slow and deliberate, without being allowed to become mechanical, and will be progressively increased in rapidity and vigor. Later a thrust at that part of the body indicated by the opposite man’s hand should immediately follow the parry, and, finally, sticks long enough to represent the opponent’s weapon in the position of guard should be attached to the dummies and parried before delivering the thrust.
The men must be taught also to parry thrusts made at them: (1) by an opponent in a trench, when they are themselves on the parapet; (2) by an opponent on the parapet, when they are in the trench; and (3) when both are on the same level fighting at close quarters in a deep trench.