Stretch the sword-arm to its full length as quickly as possible on a
level with the shoulder, without stiffness or jerking or any preliminary
movement, and direct the edge or point of your sword to the part you
wish to hit. Raise the toes of the right foot, and step straight to the
front, until the feet are about four times the length of your foot
apart; let the heel touch the ground first.
As you raise the foot to longe[1] press in the left haunch and
straighten the left leg, keeping the left foot firmly fixed on the
ground. In longeing, let the right heel almost touch the ground.
Footnote 1:
Pressing in the left haunch when longeing adds considerable quickness
to the attack, it also causes the body to be upright on the completion
of the longe, and therefore enables a man to recover to the guard with
less effort and greater quickness.
On the completion of the longe the body and head should be erect, the
shoulders have their natural fall, and the right knee be perpendicular
to the instep, left leg straight, and foot flat and firm on the ground,
and the weight of the body equally divided between the haunches. The
whole of these movements should be performed _together_ with the
greatest rapidity.
Be careful not to give any sign of preparation, but make the attack with
great boldness and suddenness.
Do not raise the hand, or draw it or the point of the sword back when
about to deliver an attack; by so doing you expose your arm to a time
cut and the body to a time thrust.
In attacking, never let the foot touch the ground before the sword
reaches its destination.
In all attacks and returns the point of the sword should travel over no
more space than is necessary for it to arrive at its intended
destination.