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Step 1
Draw your sword before you engage. It takes longer to draw a sword than it does to get hit. On the other hand, if your sword and scabbard are suitable for a quick draw, and you practice, this can be a great surprise attack. Note that this is mainly applicable to the Japanese sword which has styles for attacking people while drawing the blade called Iaido and Batto-jutsu.
Step 2
Relax! It is perfectly understandable to tense up in combat, but you must make every effort to stay calm, keep the muscles loose, and regulate your breathing. If you are tight, you cannot act with speed, which can be fatal.
Step 3
Balance, keep your body balanced so you can strike or parry without being hit. Always have your feet shoulder wide and when you move, move so your legs spread apart. Never have your feet close to each other. Hold your sword so you can handle it with ease. Watch your opponent's movements and learn when he moves in to attack and launch a preemptive strike (counter). Be quick. When you parry you keep the blade close to you so you don't stretch out to block and always try to counter your opponents attack. Your footing and proper foot placement is key for balance. The more of the sole of your foot touches the ground the more grounded you are giving you greater strength in your attacks. To keep your balance try to slide your feet rather then lift them up and stepping. Leaning forward lifting up your heel also reduces your grounding so be cautious with how your feet are placed and used during each strike because you give great opportunity for your opponent to knock you over. Keep your posture straight and your chest and torso forward which will keep you from losing your balance during your swings and allows you to avoid with a simple twist any blows with ease rather then having your torso turned sideways locking yourself to only be able to evade an attack in only one direction.
Step 4
Assess the situation. Crafty fighters always strive to be aware of their surroundings, their assets and liabilities, and those of their opponent. Ideally, you should take note of the terrain and environment beforehand,such as where the sun will be in your eyes and try to turn your opponent around to blind them, and if you can, try to get an idea of how your opponent fights. Is he brave, or cautious? Skilled, or a novice? Everyone has a weakness, for instance, small opponents can frequently be overpowered, tall people have longer reach but often leave their legs exposed, etc. That being said, it may be that you won't have time to come up with a plan, so try to do this as fast as possible.
Step 5
Engage with care. If you charge in recklessly, especially against a trained fighter, he may just wait and let you impale yourself on his sword. By engaging carefully, you are able to maintain control and focus at all times. This also will allow your best defense which most of the time is just sidestepping (or side sliding) your opponents attack potentially saving your life and allowing the opening for your winning blow. Dodging works extremely well in an open space or, if you're quick, an indoor room.
Step 6
Have a strong defense. Missing one block or parry can be fatal, so protect yourself well. Maintain your sword in a position that runs from the bottom of your torso to the top of your head. This is a middle position, suitable for any skill level, that will enable you to respond to an attack with reasonable speed, and also gives you many angles for your own strikes.
Step 7
Keep your weapon ready. Generally, your sword should be extended a comfortable distance away from your body, and toward your opponent's throat, or perhaps his eye. This is referred to as putting him "on point". It serves as a ward against an opponent (who must, after all, get through your sword first), and can be quite intimidating, especially to an inexperienced fighter.
Step 8
Keep your elbows bent, and close to your body. An inexperienced fighter tends to stretch out his arms in order to keep his opponent further off, but this will hurt your ability to thrust and parry quickly. Extend your sword towards your opponent, not your arms.
Step 9
Measure twice, cut once. Historically, in the vast majority of cases, a real sword fight was decided and ended with the first blow struck, and often took less than 30 seconds. Be sure of your attack, for it is likely that if you miss with your first strike, your opponent will take advantage, and end the fight himself with a fatal blow.
Step 10
Find and maintain a distance based on a balance of your sword and his. If you have a shorter sword, get in close and stay within his guard. If you are using a longer sword, keep your distance. If about the same, stay about where it would only take 1 large step forward to attack. Keep your distance, so as to be able to strike the opponent. Your distance will be very unique because your height, sword length, sword style, and fighting style all affect your proper distance.
Step 11
Remain calm and confident. Poise can decide a fight as surely as the sword, and is an effective stratagem. If you are nervous or frightened, your opponent may try to take advantage of your lack of confidence and attempt to goad you into making a fatal mistake. Cool warriors tend to make others wary, or even unsettled. You may also choose to show aggressiveness and intimidate your opponent instead, or even pretend to be scared, in the hope of lulling your enemy into making a fatal error.
Step 12
The most important thing once the fight begins is to find the flow of battle and attempt to control it. This is just a fancy way of summing everything else in this article up in one sentence but it's very important in its own right too. If you succeed in finding the flow and controlling it, you have a very good chance of influencing the entire fight almost directly through you actions. It is a difficult concept to grasp but try the next time you spar during practice. Find the patterns and flow from one move to the next and try to control your opponent. It takes many years and lots of practice to accomplish this, but if you do, then the battle is already half yours.
Step 13
Never use unnecessary flourishes simply for effect. For example, do not spin in a circle as this leaves your back open to blows. Unless you are duelling a novice, such moves serve no practical purpose. Against a novice however, flourishes can be used only from a distance for intimidation.
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