parry 4, riposte

Interestingly I drilled in the same move in both modern foil and historic rapier this week.

The similarities:

• Four (quarte) is the same line for both weapons - roughly, the high inside line.
  
• Parry is followed instantly by riposte
  
• Strong against weak is a good idea for both weapons.
  

The differences:

• The entire phrase is a LOT faster in foil
  
• In rapier it's much more important to take your opponent's point off-line than it is in foil (when all you're trying to achieve with the parry is right-of-way).
  
  • As such, parrying with opposition (or depending on the rapier master, "finding" your opponents blade) or using a hand parry is very helpful.
  
  

Tonight was my first practice after start of physical therapy and also the first night my feet really hurt instead of merely spasmed - the tightness feels like there are little rocks pressing into my arches and it's not agonizing but it's annoying. I'm trying to be philosophical because it sounds like if the exercises do what they're supposed to (increase strength in ankles and flexibility of calf) it might improve my game as well as eliminate the weirdness.

Small steps, small steps.