A question of proper sword "cutting"

[coryzamparelli]

So I have been looking through all my PDF documents and all my sources I have so far and many of them, mainly with a sword and shield, have you throwing an attack or "cut" by either putting your hip into it and not stepping into it. Now I read somewhere that a proper cut with the sword, you step into the attack, bringing your rear foot and making it your lead foot. I was just wondering if this information is true, and it is best to "step into your cut" or if that is false. I would appreciate any help!!

[Randall Pleasant]

...bringing your rear foot and making it your lead foot.

True, it is called a "passing step". For instance if I'm holding my sword with the hilt in front of my right shoulder and the blade pointing up and back, known as the Vom Tag guard, I will start with my left foot forward. To make a right to left diagonal cut (right Zornhau) I will step forward with my right foot, moving it pass my left foot, while pushing out the hilt, just as my right foot is about to land I will torque the hilt hard so as to give then end of the blade great speed.

[J. Scott Steflik]

There are few absolute rules.

Stepping with your cut with passing steps is the typical "canon" when talking about longsword. Or a more general rule, if you're cutting from your right side, you step with your right foot (either passing or a shuffle depending on which forward at the time).

When considering other weapons, especially single-hand swords, that is not necessarily the case. Some sources show/describe cuts coming from both sides with either foot forward. This is especially evident in later styles (Meyer's rappier, saber etc) that predominately keep the same foot forward throughout an encounter. Most sources still include a step or lunge to bring the opponent into proper distance, to alter the line of attack or to close off a line for defense, but the power generation in the "goofy-footed attacks" (ie cut from the left while stepping right), all cuts really, comes from the hips.

[Stacy Clifford]

You don't have to do a passing step as Randall described with every cut, however, you can also move your front foot forward in what we call a simple step (the same step you see in sport fencing, essentially). The important thing is to move your feet when you cut for optimum power, balance, and fluid transition to your next move. There are a few instances where you can use solely your hips to power a cut without moving your feet, but only if your feet and everything else are in the right place at the right time. In the vast majority of situations though, that is not the case, so practice always moving your feet when you move your sword and you'll be much better prepared.

[Jonathan Hill]

Before you over complicate things, or I guess let me over complicate it for you: first understand what are you doing cutting practice or are you training for a fight? In cutting practice go ahead and be concerned about if/when you step. In a fight stepping is more an aspect of managing your distance than powering a cut and frankly that aspect is more important than ‘cutting correctly’ with or without a step. Maybe you need to cut from your hips because you are already in distance, maybe you only need a small advance and you don’t want to change your forward foot, thus you advance rather than passing step with your cut.

Now that I have written this up I started considering if you are asking the question from the standpoint of a beginner just practicing cuts to get the cut down correctly. Then yes passing step with the cut and do it clean and correct to how your instructor dictates. When you have that down you can now break that rule and act for your situation rather than the drill.

doh, I see Stacy essentually said the same thing

[Jorge Cortines]

When fighting (and you fight like you train) you almost all the time you need to move your feet when cutting, because you are either closing in, or trying to achieve a better leverage while cutting, counter cutting, counter thrusting or just thrusting, from the top of my head, the Masters say:
-Constant motion
-Cut when he cuts, move when he moves, thrust when he thrusts
-Most of them say to step with the cut

There are many ways to move your feet so you can achieve either distance, leverage, power, stability. There is an article on this website about footwork:
"http://www.thearma.org/VoltaKeyandScale.htm"

[coryzamparelli]

Ahhh okay, thank you all for the help, and explained it well. I appreciate the help!