Mair's Sickle, Plate Two (and more followup thoughts on Plate One)

It's time for Plate Two! We're doing this! Once again, the translation I'm using is found here. I'm going to talk a bit about it, present my initial attempt at a modern interpretation of it, and there'll be testing at practice next week! After that, I'll mention a couple other followups to my Plate One interpretation that Doroga and I came up with last Thursday at practice while we were working through it again.

Plate Two is titled, "A low and a high cut." Here we go! First, take a quick glance at the illustration that Wiktenaur has for this plate.

The action starts with the fighter on the left initiating, which was how Plate One began. A quick skim of the next few plates bears out this trend as well, so I feel safe assuming this until the text says otherwise.

Therefore, Fencer A begins in the position shown by the left-hand fighter in the plate: Right foot leading, with the sickle in the right hand in a thumb down position, tucking the left hand underneath the right elbow. Fencer B also stands with the right foot forward, the sickle held outward in the right hand, and the left hand tucked under the right elbow.

First Variation

• Fencer A passes the left foot forward and cuts upward into Fencer B's right arm.

Again, a very straightforward opening attack.

Second Variation

• Fencer A passes the left foot forward and cuts upward toward Fencer B's right arm.
• Fencer B parries A's sickle down and to B's left. B grabs A's right hand and cuts into A's neck from his left side.

Third Variation

• Fencer A passes the left foot forward and cuts upward toward Fencer B's right arm.
• Fencer B parries A's sickle down and to B's left. B grabs A's right hand and prepares to cut toward A's neck from his left side. 
• A grab's B's right hand with their left.
• If B presses the engagement, A pushes B's arm off to his left and strikes B's left arm with his sickle and pulls back.
• If B pulls away, A follows to cut B's head.

While a step shorter than the first plate, this already looks more complicated at the third step. There's a branching option, but that's not too hard to work out. What I'm really looking forward to figuring out with Doroga will be how the mechanics of the cut will work when both fighter's weapon hands are grabbed, and the play doesn't note that any hands are pulled free. It might be that it'll make itself very clear once we start working through it with some intent, but that's really the fun part of all this!

Which reminds me, the major followup we had to the first plate was that you really need some weight shifts for the final step of the play. Dropping your weight through the back hip and twisting your torso absolutely lets you both push your opponent's weapon arm into their body as instructed, as well as pulls your hand free of your opponent's pretty readily. As an added bonus, it loads your whole body to throw the final shot in a very definitive way. It's like body mechanics work!

I'm hoping that I'll have the time on Friday to post a quick followup for Plate Two, based on what the initial run-throughs show us. If I don't, it'll show up on Sunday after Birka.