Corpus of basic exercises (training building blocks)

Basic building blocks focus on building feeling for tempo, control in short and long measure and biomechanics.

Change partners / Rotate: Wheel, or combine wheel with change inside fours so everybody gets experience with all others.

• Change frequency: Ideally 2-4 minutes due to focus attention span limit.

• Steps
  • Advance.
  • Pass.
  • Lunge forward, backward, left, right.
  • Girata left, right.
• Long measure:
  • Joining attacks and Retaliations (2x attack/2x defense) using advance on 1 time (only the first leg has attack), pass (each leg attack), advance on 2 times (each leg has an attack tempo).
  • Counter attacks in tempo: Counter cut during defense tempo, using cut to start an attack, counter-counter cut.
  • Guards and counter guards, cavazioni (trading sides), thrust with opposition.
• Change into short measure:
  • Feints:
    • Feint attack with max speed.
    • Feint provokes creating a block, feint changes target while missing the block.
    • Feint falls onto active block (cultivate feeling in the block).
      Active block waits for feint to weaken to stop contact and block gains initiative and turns into counter attack.
    • Feint falls onto active block and continues with work of left hand - block, pull, disarm.
    • Feint above and under weapon.
  • Press/cavazioni during defense and shortening measure.
• Work in short measure:
  • Increasing distance safely.
  • The Half: Going around the opponents' weapon without losing contact.
  • Disarm using leverage.
  • Leverage, disbalancing, throws to ground.
• Tempo and Measure exercises according to Salvator Fabris.
• Game/Gioco movements inspired by Fabris assalto #1:
  • Part 1
    • Attack x Defense using block → Attacker makes cavazioni around block and hits.
  • Part 2
    • Attack x Defender uses Thrust with opposition, or counter cut.
    • Defender takes initiative and broadens the measure.
    • Attacker tries one more attacks into the time of defenders' retreat.
    • Defender tries thrust with opposition or counter cut again.

• Rings of honor (duels) one on one (1×2), pair together against pair (2×2). Last man/pair standing wins.
• Rings of betrayal (deathmatch) one against everybody, pair against every other pairs, wolf packs 3×3. Hits from behind allowed! Last man/group standing wins.
• Capture the flag: 3+ groups against 1 group with an item (banner/plush toy/treasure trove). Last group standing that holds the item wins.
• Zombie army: The one I kill starts helping me.
• Return game: I return back to the game at the time of death of the one, who killed me.
• Bodyguards: At least 2 bodyguards are escorting unarmed person to selected place (doors across the salle). Bodyguards win, when the escorted person touches the target. Only the one assassin, who kills the protected person, wins the reward. Assassins work in singles or max in pairs and they work against each other too.
• Cooperation formation against individual raiders (single hero against battle formation).
• Asymmetric formations. Two against one, 2×5, 3×6, …
• Dense line (shoulder to shoulder) against loose line (arm-length spaces).
• Encirclement around one flank or both.
• Wedge to isolate and kill several people off opponents' flank.
• Hidden backup troop - run around one flank and start hitting the backs. Opponents can use their backup troop to execute their own flanking action or to defend against flanking.
• Both battle lines are equipped with Sword and Shield, everybody has 2-3 throwing weapons (gloves/plush toys/rubber calthrops/rubber javelins).
• Full contact sparring (mask+coat+gloves+semi soft weapons or HEMA weapons).
• Fight on narrow bridge/plank over moat/plan laid on the ground, 1×1, max 2×2.
• Monkey track - Similar to first level of Prince of Persia - Unarmed climbing, jumping, crawling, avoiding obstacles, calthrop fields, lava fields and crocodile ponds on the ground, well timed run through guillotines (man with sword cutting down, 2-4 seconds pause, then cutting up), finding hidden sword and fight with final boss - keeper of the key to the next level. Next level can be the same, with focus on not losing the sword.
• Wheel - running around the salle, I attack only against the one who runs before me and defend attacks from behind (sword and shield/dagger/two swords/voids during run).
• Mixed weapons:
  • Group: 4-6 people armed only with single sword are set against 2-3 armed with sword and shield.
  • Everybody has mixed weapons - single sword, sword and shield, sword and dagger, 2 swords, 2 shields, 2 daggers, single spear, spear and shield, spear and net, sword and cloak, halberd, rapier, fun :)
    • Ring of honor singles, pairs
    • Battle formations using mixed weapons

• Drawing shapes, writing with weapon tip using wrist only, shoulder only, legs only.
• Joining attacks in pairs: thrust - cut (voids, blocks, counter cuts, counter thrusts).
• Joining attacks solo.
• Solo defenses.
• Two basic sword circles using 3 steps.
• Solo free attack and defense against mirror/invisible partner.
• Solo free attack and defense, weapon has a ribbon tied up just behind tip. Ribbon must always flow, never start hanging down.
• Sticking weapons in pairs 2 basic circles - 3 blade movements using 2 steps.

• Measure game (catch me if you can with swords) in pairs, emphasis on flowing movements without stopping.
• Infinite ring of honor - choose partner for several exchanges (can be hit points), then choose another from all around the salle. (Similar to dancing ladies' privilege.)
  • Hits are accepted but considered non-fatal.
  • I reduce my hit points and can return attack in the same tempo or even later.
  • The attacker has to think about safely entering my space, hitting me and returning back into safety while I can hit him all the time as well.