Desciption of the rotational attacks

To learn the rotational attacks on the dominant side*, one can start by learning how to position the staff for each attack.

*we'll use images simulating a right handed executor. However, for left handed people the principles are the same but on the opposite side. Starting from a waiting guard position with the staff on the dominant side, pointing forward at the waist's height and with the hands at shoulder distance, the strikes are initiated by lifting the arms and letting the forward hand approach the dominant hand slightly (leaving a distance of one to two fists between them).

At the same time, the staff should be positioned in a manner that allows for the execution of the rotational attack one desires (vertical descending - rebate, horizontal - redondo, diagonal descending - enviesado, diagonal ascending - arrepiado).

This means that for the oblique ascending (arrepiado) the hands are risen near the jaw with the staff pointing upwards and inward (like a roof of a house).

For the horizontal (redondo) the hands are risen just above the head with the staff parallel to the ground.

For the vertical descending (rebate), the forward extremity of the staff is dropped (almost pointing towards the ground) at the same time that the hands rise just above the head.

Finally, for the oblique descending strikes, the previous two strikes are conjugated, having the staff pointing just a bit downward (with the forward extremity at shoulder height).

From these positions, the front hand should put the staff in rotational motion, by giving it a slight pull (and relax afterwards as the staff rotates using the dominant hand, which is placed at the back, as the center of the rotation).

The same principles (limbs and weapon positioning are applied for the strikes on the non dominant side.

On the next article we'll cover strategies for developing these actions together with space management skills.

LFP