PASSATA SOTTO

Another means of getting your blade into your opponent, other than the direct manner from the guard position, is to perform a passata sotto in which you merely BEND THE TORSO VERY LOW and to the LEFT from the guard position. Thrust directly into the LOWER RIGHT CHEST or ABDOMINAL AREA of your opponent. This is a fine attack against an opponent who raises his right arm high in his attack, or otherwise exposes his lower right side. In some instances a left step may accompany the attack.
This movement is also excellent for FAKING a low cut, drawing your opponent's blade low, whereupon you strike for his HAND, FOREARM or HEAD. If he refuses to be drawn low, you may safely risk an attack on his KNEE CAP.



A feint, made to look like an actual attack, should affect your opponent's reflexes, causing him to lower an offending guard


A full thrust or cutting attack may be made on your enemy's momentarily open target. Low crouch puts his head in range


Keep your free hand in constant readiness to block enemy's blade arm. When it comes in range grab his wrist and thrust