O’Donnel was now oblivious to the audience as he studied Jester’s guard stance .
… weapon arm ramrod straight at shoulder level, hiding the entire arm and hand behind the oversized bell guard … never a waiver in the coverage as he advanced and retreated in small, coiled spring steps … Classic! … No cheap, easy touches here! … Maybe if he invited an attack to …
In a flicker of movement, the Legionnaire attacked … not with an explosive burst of energy, but seeming to almost collapse as his sword dropped and …
BZZZ!
“Halt! One light! Touch is right! Score, one to zero! Fencers ready?”
The major barely heard the director’s call, much less the applause from the stands as he mentally raged at himself.
The foot! He had been hit on his leading foot! Of all the …
While foot hits were, of course, permitted, they were rarely tried in actual bouts. If the defender simply withdrew his lead foot, the attacker would be left with no target, and his entire arm exposed for the counter hit! Still, occasionally a low attack would catch the defender flat-footed, but your opponent had to be …
O’Donnel pushed his self-criticism from his mind, focusing instead on the next touch as the director placed them on guard again.
Okay, wise guy. You know I’m ticked at having gotten caught that easy. If you’ve got any smarts at all, you’ll fake your next attack to that same foot, counting on me to overreact in defense. When I do, you’ll be back on the high attack before I can cover. Well, I’m waiting for you, buster, so just