Lesson 2
After learning the stance and the initial on-guard position, the next
topic
is the extension and the lunge.
The Extension
All attacks are precipitated with an extension of the arm. The
extension
moves our weapon closer to our opponent and threatens them in such a
fashion
that to be safe they must go on the defensive. During the
extension
the hand is moved forward and it is raised to shoulder height.
The
arm is straightened but not locked. If you are close enough to
your
opponent an extension of the arm may be sufficient to score a touch
(i.e.
thrust the opponent).
The Lunge
The lunge is a body movement that forcefully
and quickly takes the attack to the opponent. To execute the
lunge
the extension should already have been made or at least started.
The
lunge is made by lifting the front toe and at the same time starting to
lean
the torso slightly forward and pushing the body forward with the back
leg.
During the push forward the front leg is kicked out forward and
the
front foot comes down on the heel and the front foot rolls flat, the
forward
knee ending up over the instep. The back arm is thrown back
during
the final motion of the lunge. The back leg will end up completely
straight
and locked. The picture to the right shows a full lunge.
The recovery from the lunge
The recovery is made by relaxing the back leg (bending the knee) and
pushing
the torso back with the front leg. Once the body is upright the
weapon
arm will be brought back into the on-guard position.
Conclusion
You must practice the extension and lunge until it seems second
nature.
The lunge should be a quick and explosive movement that will
forcefully
deliver an attack to your opponent.
To see a lunge in motion click on the image above.