Striking Tempos with Rapier

Primo Tempo: Primo tempo is the opportunity to strike the opponent in one tempo while they move forward or fix (pause) while in measure. Here we look at a diversity of opportunities that can arrise in prima tempo from the opponent’s initial approach into measure, into enducing the opponent to freeze, or to give you a movement forward while in measure.

Mezzo Tempo: We look not just at the simple form of mezzo tempo (striking during a preparation of the sword) but through a diverse set of actions from withdrawing, disengaging, preparations, and fixes. After we get those in hand we’ll look at how we can defend ourselves from the shortest of the tempos.

Contra Tempo: Contra tempo is one of the most idealized of the four tempos. Here we look at the diversity of ways that it may be created and taken advantage of. We then look at ways to respond to someone who is attempting to strke us in contra-tempo.

Dui Tempi: Dui-tempi is perhaps one of the most useful and commonly employed tempos of operation in fencing, though often undervalued. We’ll look at a variety of ways that actions in Dui-Tempi can be employed and defeated.