7.1 Cavazione
Explanation
The cavazione is the basic method for regaining measure once your opponent has gained your sword. This is analogous to the modern disengage.
The simple cavazione
A simple disengage is one in which the sword point moves in a half circle to detach from the opponent's sword. The most common form is moving the from point up to point down, or vice versa. This then allows you to reestablish the line.
Exercise:
| Instructor | Student |
| Stringere to the high inside | Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to low quarte, whilst stepping back. |
| Stringere to the low inside | Simple cavazione in a clockwise direction to high quarte, whilst stepping back. |
| Stringere to the high outside | Simple cavazione in a clockwise direction to low seconde, whilst stepping back. |
| Stringere to the low outside | Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to high seconde, whilst stepping back. |
The above exercise teaches how to remove yourself from measure once your opponent has gained your sword. The same action can also be used to regain the sword once you opponent has performed this action.
Exercise:
| Instructor | Student |
| Present to the high inside | Stringere to the high outside |
| Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to low quarte, whilst stepping back. | Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to low seconde, whilst stepping forward. |
| Present to the high outside | Stringere to the high inside |
| Simple cavazione in a clockwise direction to low seconde, whilst stepping back. | Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to low quarte, whilst stepping forward. |
| Present to the low outside | Stringere to the low inside |
| Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to high seconde, whilst stepping back. | Simple cavazione in a clockwise direction to high quarte, whilst stepping forward. |
| Present to the low inside | Stringere to the low outside |
| Simple cavazione in a clockwise direction to high quarte, whilst stepping back. | Simple cavazione in an anticlockwise direction to high seconde, whilst stepping forward. |
The circular cavazione
A circular cavazione is one in which the sword point moves in a complete circle to regain control of the opponent's sword. The most common form is one in which your sword point moves from the outside to the inside of your opponent's blade, or vice versa. The purpose of the cavazione is to deceive an attempted pressure from your opponent, or to regain the line following a stringere or pressure action from your opponent.
Exercises:
Drill to teach the Circular Cavazione
Note: Both start from the guard of third for each exercise.
| Instructor | Student |
| Take pressure to close the high inside line | Circular cavazione clockwise to take pressure in high seconde |
| Take pressure to close the high outside line | Circular cavazione anticlockwise to take pressure in high quarte |
| Take pressure to close the low inside line | Circular cavazione anticlockwise to take pressure in low seconde |
| Take pressure to close the low outside line | Circular cavazione clockwise to take pressure in low quarte |
Teaching Note:
This is a foundation exercise that can be built up into several variations with the introduction on footwork. The first variant is to have the instructor step in to make the pressure, and the student then steps back to make the circular cavazione. The second variant is that the student uses either the left or right step instead of the back step. The third variant is that the instructor makes stringere, and the student responds with and inside or outside step whilst making the circular cavazione. Other variants can also incorporate elements of the distance drills etc. It's important that the student learn this action with the basic footwork before they move onto the next set of exercises that include the glide.
It is important that the student understands that the cavazione should be small and tight, with the point moving around the opposing sword blade, not the sword hilt. They should also understand that the cavazione is a helical action where their point moves around the opposing blade and then the arm extends to make the pressure, turning the true edge towards the opposing blade. The same common errors noted for pressures also occur here. Another common error is that the student will try to perform this action from the elbow or shoulder, instead of from the fingers and wrist. They may also try to pull the hand back to make the cavazione. Large cavazione actions are frequently caused by overly tense grips, which must be corrected by reminding the student to relax their hand.
Drill to teach the Circular Cavazione with a glide
Note: Both start from the guard of third for each exercise.
| Instructor | Student |
| Take pressure to close the high inside line. | Circular cavazione clockwise to take pressure in high seconde. Perform the glide stepping in to hit the chest. |
| Receives the hit. | Steps back onto guard in third. |
| Take pressure to close the high outside line. | Circular cavazione anticlockwise to take pressure in high quarte. Perform the glide stepping in to hit the chest. |
| Receives the hit. | Steps back onto guard in third. |
| Take pressure to close the low inside line. | Circular cavazione anticlockwise to take pressure in low seconde. Perform the glide stepping in to hit the belly. |
| Receives the hit. | Steps back onto guard in third. |
| Take pressure to close the low outside line. | Circular cavazione clockwise to take pressure in low quarte. Perform the glide stepping in to hit the belly. |
| Receives the hit. | Steps back onto guard in third. |
notes:
* deceiving pressure
* replacing pressure
* pull body back & as step back
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