Sword Disarm

This is a sword disarm technique performed when crossed at close range. Place your right hand under your own sword and grasp your opponent's blade near the middle or above, keeping it upright. Immediately release your own sword and let it drop to the ground. With your left hand, reach under the pommel of the opponent's sword and execute a full clockwise rotation to your right (which is to the opponent's left). This forces the opponent to lose their sword. After taking the sword, execute a half turn to reorient it properly, then you can strike your opponent with their own weapon.

I take this sword as mine: With rotation and seizure, I bring you shame. When we're crossed close, I reach beneath my steel, Grasp yours at mid, blade, keep it standing real. My sword falls to earth. No longer do I need it. My left hand claims your pommel; with a full turn, I speed it clockwise round to your left, forcing your release. With half a turn, I right it, and your defeat's complete.

This technique is executed when you find yourself crossed with swords at close range in the narrow play. The proximity allows you to safely reach across to manipulate your opponent's weapon while accepting the temporary vulnerability of releasing your own sword. The rotation exploits the wrist joint's weakness when torqued in a circular motion, forcing the opponent to release their weapon to avoid injury. Successfully executed, this transforms a neutral crossing into a complete reversal where you hold the opponent's sword and can immediately strike them with it.

• ✦ When grasping the opponent's blade, maintain an upright orientation ('ben erto') to control the point and prevent it from threatening you during the manipulation.
• ✦ The drop of your own sword must be immediate, and hesitation leaves you vulnerable with both hands occupied.
• ✦ The pommel grip with your left hand should be under the pommel (between pommel and opponent's hand) to maximise leverage for the rotation.
• ✦ The clockwise rotation should be vigorous and complete a 'volta tonda' (full turn), to effectively break the opponent's grip through a wrist torque.
• ✦ The half turn after taking the sword reorients the weapon from the opponent's grip alignment to your own striking alignment.
• ✦ Practice the entire sequence fluidly: right hand grasps the blade, left hand takes the pommel, drop your sword, rotate, half-turn to reorient, strike all as one continuous motion.
• ✦ The technique requires close range ('ale strette') where you can safely reach both the opponent's blade and pommel without overextending.