Translation
I have not abandoned the grip of my master. Also I entered immediately under his right arm to dislocate it with this grip. I can do this armoured or unarmoured. And when I hold him from behind like this, I will do bad things to him and he will not have a chance.
Interpretation
There are two slightly different methods of entering this play. Which method you choose is more likely to depend on how both combatants are moving. They both begin with your opponent making a sottano stab against you. Using the cover of the 9th master, grab your opponents wrist using a sword grip.
Your first option is to drop your weight, pivot your hips anticlockwise and direct the dagger past your left side. This is simply brushing it past yourself. There is no need to either push the attack out wide or attempt to pull your opponent off balance. All they have to do is miss. As they withdraw their hand, follow the momentum. Swing the hand up and to the right, stepping with your left foot to the centreline as you do so.
More directly, as your opponent stabs, you can catch their arm as the 9th master and pivot your hips clockwise instead. Both lift and deflect the momentum of the stab up and to the right. Use the pivoting of your hips to step your left foot across to the centre.
Regardless of which option you have taken, you will now have arrived at the same place. The direct approach is faster, but if the flow of movement is not going that way initially, it is best not to force it.
As you swing the arm to your right, keep your knees bent and your weight low. Pivot on your left foot and arc your right foot around behind you in a clockwise direction. Place your opponents arm so that your shoulder is immediately above their elbow. Your arms should be comfortable extended, and your opponents elbow pointing down. Lift your weight, pushing straight up. As you push up with your body, pull down with your hands. This creates a 1st class lever, breaking the elbow, as shown in the picture.
You can also see the same principles being used in the following plays.
- Dagger – 7th scholar of the 1st master
- Dagger – 5th scholar of the 5th master