Young players will do well not to attempt them.
In an assault, should you find yourself timed and not know how to draw and stop a time thrust, your safest plan will be to make direct attacks only, that is, attacks not preceded by a feint.
DRAWING.
Is to induce your adversary to deliver a certain cut or thrust for which you are prepared. To do this, make a false attack, that is, attack with a half longe so that you can the more readily recover and guard; thus, having drawn out and guarded his cut, instantly deliver a genuine one.
To prevent this being done upon you, draw back your hand as your adversary makes his false attack, and thus avoiding his sword, deliver a cut on his head with a longe (vide Plate [XVII].).
OBSERVATIONS ON FEINTING.
When a man makes a feint on you and you foresee his intention, do not answer it, but wait and parry his last movement. When acting on this principle, take care he does not make a direct attack, for should he do so, you will be too late, as his arm would be straight before you have moved.
If you answer a feint, form your first guard as lightly and as correctly as possible, so that you have time to make a second one.
By not forming the first correctly, your adversary, taking advantage of your fault, would be able to hit you when otherwise he could not. The hits shown in Plates V., VI., and VII. are got through this cause.
When you are in doubt about his intentions, step back out of distance on his first movement.