Mair’s Third Sickle Play
3. A cut against the posture of a willing enemy
In this clash, if you approach more closely to the enemy, put your right hand forward, and hold the sickle against him with the right hand. Indeed, you will apply the left hand to the left femur, then if you followed with the left foot, you will draw the sickle across the length of the foe’s head. But if he, putting the right foot forward, wields the same against you, and you shall have held the sickle in your right hand against the foe, with the left hand applied to the left femur in the same way, you repel his strike at your right flank. From there, however, you apply the sickle to this right arm and quickly pull in the direction of yourself. Indeed if he tries to maintain the same tactic against you, you grab his right in your left hand, and if you remove the foe’s assault to your right side, immediately cut forth at the left side of his head, and from there retreat backward. Indeed if the adversary should similarly retreat backward, then you drive sharply following the enemy in, and you cut the sickle forth at the foe’s right hand.
