Rapier Secondaries: Offhand & Dagger

Lessons 1 & 2: Whether you are using a bare offhand or are carrying a dagger, the sword and offhand work most effectively when they work together. In our opening lessons for this topic on use of the offhand (with and without dagger), we are looking at how to form shapes that unify the sword and the offhand to defend both high and low on the same line. This joined defence is easier to manage and harder to defeat by the opponent.

Lessons 3 & 4: We look at how the dagger and offhand can be used to create covers after forcing our opponent into a disengage, and heighten how we can use the offhand or dagger itself to constrain the opponent and force a disengage in the same manner as we would with the sword.

Lessons 5 & 6: We have two exciting topics: 1. The two additional rapier and dagger guards quinta and sesta, and 2. disarms of the rapier. Both of these topics add an exciting level of depth to your combative options.

Lessons 7 & 8: How to get around the fundamental defenses of the offhand while maintaining control of the opponent’s sword. In the lessons we explore disengages around the offhand, striking the offhand directly, and using offline attacks to angulate behind the offhand.

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