PLATE XIII.
A Draw and Guard for Shifting the Leg to avoid a Cut and Counter on the Head or Arm.
Feint a cut at outside leg, then longe, and forming the head guard, receive his counter on your sword and deliver a return under his right arm.
PLATE XIV.—A DRAW AND STOP FOR SHIFTING THE LEG AND COUNTER ON THE HEAD OR ARM.
PLATE XIV.
A Draw and Stop for Shifting the Leg to avoid a Cut and Counter on the Head or Arm.
Feint at outside of leg, and as your adversary tries to counter, make a half longe, and, aiming at the inside of his wrist, make a retrograde cut by drawing your hand towards your body, and at the same time retire out of distance.
Attacks at the leg should never be made without being preceded by a feint or a beat to divert your adversary’s attention, and even when done in that manner you should be chary of their use. The man on the defensive has the advantage of either guarding and returning or shifting and countering, and should he adopt the latter method and not shift his leg quickly enough to avoid the hit, he would have considerably the better of the exchange.
I do not, however, think that attacks at the leg should be entirely ignored, neither do I think that they should always be avoided by shifting the leg. A man on horseback cannot do so. Both methods of defence should be practised. A man who relies entirely upon shifting may easily be drawn into a trap, as is shown in Plates XIII. and XIV. When mounted, the leg guards defend your horse as well as your leg.
Returns at the leg may be made without much fear of being countered.