Straight Third against a fallen Third

This is a wound in Third in a straight line against a Third that has fallen. Both are in Third on the outside. The striker goes to find the enemy blade while standing in wide measure (misura larga), and the other, taking that time, turns a mandritto to wound him over the head. But the first, with only a slight withdrawal of the body (un poco di ritirata di corpo) and by letting the enemy blade pass empty (lasciare passare la nimica a vuoto), lowering the point only a little when that blade has passed, immediately goes to wound with that same Third. His point reaches the body in the very instant that the other blade comes down below, so that the wounded man cannot raise his sword to parry, nor retreat, nor save himself, because his motion is not yet finished.

From this Fabris draws a rule: it is always better, when it can be done, to let cuts pass without parrying them, so that one does not place oneself in that servitude (servitù) and danger of being deceived while parrying, nor need one make so much effort. The point here is not cowardly evasion, but superior timing: the cut is allowed to spend itself while the thrust preserves initiative.