Atajo 1 is a bind over the opponent's sword with your sword in the Obtuse angle (hilt low, tip high), made from the inside, and with a step to the left. To gain the Atajo, at middle distance you angle your blade over theirs while simultaneously dropping your hilt a little but raising your tip. You get the 3rd of your blade over their 2nd (i.e. your mid-strong over their mid-weak). Rada says we should shift the weight onto our right foot, then drop the hilt even lower to loc

The Atajo (shortcut, or bind/gain) is one of the core techniques of Destreza, similar to the gain/find/stringer in Italian rapier. At its most basic is a bind of the opponent's sword, but it could also be a potential bind (a virtual Atajos). It is also your parry against both cuts and thrusts. Defense Actually, let's briefly start with how to defend against the opponent's attacks (thrust or cuts). It is commonly said that there are three ways to defend: With the right angle

Basic footwork Footwork in Destreza is fairly intuitive. There are: Advancing steps: fight foot goes forwards, left foot follows. Retreating steps: left goes backwards, right foot follows. Traversing steps: if going right, the right foot moves to the right and the left foot follows. If going to the left, either foot can go left and the other foot follows. Compass steps: like traversing steps but you pivot on your right foot a little to face the opponent. Diagonal steps forw

Introduction This is a practical guide to Destreza, the Spanish art of fencing. There are a lot of articles online about the history of Destreza so I won't go into any detail here, other than to say that the La Verdadera Destreza (the true skill) dates back to around 1569 with two primary authors Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza and his student Luis Pacheco de Narváez. There were several other authors over the next 150-200 years. I am primarily working from the work of Francis