8.1 Lunge

Introduction

The lunge derives it name from the original Italian term for this action, the stocatta lunga.

Tactically, the lunge is used to deliver a quick attack that also allows us to quickly recover back to a safe distance.

Mechanics of the Lunge

The lunge consists of a sequence of body movements that together provide a smooth transition, allowing us to deliver the edge or point to hit our opponent.

The lunge begins with the extension of the hand, which then "pulls" the body forward, allowing the front foot to make the attacking step, which in turn drives the body weight behind the sword blade. The driving force forward comes from the straightening rear leg, not the stepping front foot. The offhand moves from its extended position, to a position at the side of the head, as a counter-balance to the forward motion. (This offhand movement is based on Giganti's text not Capo Ferro's text.)

The attacking step with the front foot is not performed like the regular advancing step. The step starts with the toes curling up, and then the lower leg kicking out from the knee to land on the heel. This kick forward should initially be no more than the length of one's foot, and the sole of the foot skims just above the ground surface. The movement forward is continued by the back leg rapidly straightening to drive the body forward. As the rear leg drives the body forward, the weight rolls forward with the knee moving straight forward, until the knee is over the instep. The offhand snaps up beside the head at the same time the back leg straightens. The offhand action is made by bending only at the elbow.

If the fencer is starting from the withdrawn vita stance shown in Giganti and Capo Ferro, there is an additional movement between the extension of the arm, and the kick of the advancing step. As the straightening arm reaches full extension, the front leg bends at the knee allowing the hips to translate forward. This translation continues up to the point the front knee comes over the front instep, and then the kick action initiating the attacking step occurs.

The recovery from the lunge begins with the rear leg bending at the knee and then pulling the body backwards. The feet come back to the basic stance position and the arm returns from the extended position last. At all times the hips should remain level and parallel to the ground. Failure to do so is a frequent cuse of knee injury.

How to Teach the Lunge

The lunge is a complex action that must be broken into its component elements so that the student understands the correct action. The following teaching sequence has been found to rapidly instill an understanding of the correct actions in fencing students. The instructors call is shown in brackets.

1. Come on guard without the sword in hand, in the basic stance with the front knee over the front instep. {Come on guard!}
2. Curl the front toes, then kick out to the point where the front foot lands on its heel. The body should not move forward, and the front thigh should stay close to parallel to the ground. {Curl the toes and kick!} Recover the front foot back to guard. {Recover!} Repeat this action 10 times.
   should note how far the foot moves. Perhaps pic of that on the vinyl
3. Curl the toes, kick and then drive the body forward forward by straightening the back leg. The front knee comes back over the front instep. {Curl the toes, kick and drive the body forward.} Again recover back to guard and repeat this action 10 times.
4. Start by extending the arm, then curl the toes, kick out the front foot and drive the body forward. {Extend the arm, curl kick and drive!} Recover back to guard, and repeat the sequence 10 times.
5. Extend the arm, curl the toes, kick, drive and as the back leg drives the body forward, snap the offhand up beside the side of the head. {Extend, curl, kick, drive and snap!} Recover back to guard and repeat 10 times.
6. Repeat the last sequence, but this time with the sword in hand. {Lunge!}
7. Repeat the last sequence, but this time perform the lunge, then immediately recover back to guard. {Lunge and Recover!}

Common Problems With The Lunge

1. The lunge not commencing with the extended arm, or the arm not fully extended. It is vital that the arm extends fully before the feet move as this significantly improves the point control, and creates the initial threat to which the opponent must react. With an extended arm the point control comes from manipulation of the fingers. With an extending arm the point is manipulated by the fingers, wrist, elbow andd shouldder movements, which amplifies any inconsistency in the point control. Jabbing is a major indicator of the arm not being fully extended, usually due to the students mistaken belief that they need to ram the point home. One of the critical things they need to learn is that the lunge itself will put the body weight behind the tip of the sword, easily driving the point into the opponent. Jabbing is also one of the common ways a fencer will inadvertently injure their opponent, since they don't receive as much feedback through the hand, and should also be discouraged from a safety perspective.
2. Leaning forward with the torso, especially as a means to increase distance. This is dangerous to the fencer for several reasons, primarily it brings the head forward into danger, and secondly it throws all the weight forward, dramatically reducing the ability to quickly recover back to guard. Another technical problem that results from leaning forward is that the fencer will not correctly perform the lunge, and will instead rely on gravity to pull the fencer forward. A gravity lunge is always slower than a proper lunge, as gravity is a finite accelration, which is easily exceeded by the leg muscles. From a safety perspective, it should be discouraged as well due to the higher weight loading on the leading knee and ankle, which can cause damage to cartilage and tendons.
3. Not driving the body forward with the back leg. The catch phrase here is "Push with the back leg!" The back leg is the main accelerating and driving force for the lunge. Common inddicators of the fencer not pushing with the back leg are the front foot thumping on landing (gravity unge), the back foot rolling or dragging itself forward, or the lunge not being completed with a straight leg. A useful technique for teaching someone to push with the back leg is to stand just behindd them, with your foot pressing on the outersole of their rear shoe. This gives them the feedback they need to remember to push with the back leg. Another technique is to stand behind them holding onto a pair of bicycle tubes (26" or greater) around their hips held parallel to the ground. The tubes should be held firmly to ensure they don't move, and your own body weight acts as the anchor from which they wiil expand. The fencer will them have to push with the back leg to drive themselves forward, otherwise the retarding force you are applying will pull them back onto their rear foot.
4. The front foot turning across the line of engagement, usually inwards. This is usually caused by the hips or shoulders turning during the lunge, and is one of the major causes of off target hits and poor point control. As well as causing point control problems, the turning leading foot can cause cartilage and tendon damage to the knee and ankles due to excessive strain.
5. Pulling back the sword hand during the lunge. This is a fairly common problem for people learning the lunge, and is a natural action that must be overcome. It is one of the common causes of a short attack, and a sometime contributer to jabbing attacks. This problem becomes more noticeable during compound actions on the lunge.
6. Lifting the shoulder during the lunge. This another action which shortens the arm extension, and causes unnecessary tension.
7. Lifting the hand above the shoulder. By keeping the sword hand below the shoulder, it allows the fencer to see down the blade, greatly improving point control through visual feedback. When the hand is lifted above the shoulder, it obscures the point, leading to a subsequent loss of point control. If the fencer needds to lift the handd above the shoulder they should be turning the hand into prima, as this will them allow them to see down the underneath of the blade, maintaining the visual feedback.

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