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CM-C — Part 2: Choreography

Part 2 is the full CM-C movement. It opens with the six upright lines of CM-A, then breaks out of them into the completes taught in Part 1.

Do not start here. The second half of this movement is unreadable without ©.

Notation

Player s1 s2 s3 s4 s5 s6 s7 s8 s9 s10
Saberist A 1 11 3 9 5 7 2© 9 5© 12©
Saberist B 1P 11P 3P 9P 5P 7P Crouch 9PM6 Jump

Steps 1 through 6 are the CM-A attack/parry pairs. From step 7 the movement changes character:

  • 2©, 5©, and 12© are completes — the swing carries through rather than stopping.
  • A complete is not met with a parry. Saberist B answers 2© with a crouch and 5© with a jump, letting the arc pass.
  • 9PM6 is a parry with a modifier — see below.
  • Saberist B has no listed response to the closing 12©. The sequence ends on Saberist A's complete.

Telegraph

Forward Flourish.

The telegraph is the silent signal that calls CM-C before an exchange begins. See LUMINA Games for how telegraphs are used in play.

The M modifier

Part 2 adds a parameter to a defence.

When a number follows P, the M designator specifies where the tip of the saber points for that defensive pose. 9PM6 is a 9 parry, modified so the blade points down at the 6 position.

The posture guards one side of the body while appearing to answer a strike from behind — the same shape reads two ways, which is exactly the kind of thing choreography needs to be able to write down.

The modifier is what lets one parry line cover several distinct poses without inventing new symbols for each. The full symbol list, including © and M, is in the Notation Legend.

Purpose

Part 2 is designed to teach:

  • a full ten-step movement combining stopping attacks and completes
  • evasion as a legitimate answer to an attack
  • the M modifier and blade-tip position in a parry
  • switching response type mid-sequence
  • moving from the familiar CM-A opening into unfamiliar territory
  • role awareness between Saberist A and Saberist B

Training method

Phase 1: Static walkthrough

Run steps 1 through 6 first. These are CM-A and should already be clean.

Then take steps 7 through 10 one at a time. After each, pause and confirm:

  • Saberist A knows whether the swing stops or completes
  • Saberist B knows whether the answer is a parry, a crouch, or a jump
  • the arc has room to travel without reaching Saberist B
  • the movement can be repeated

Completes need more space than stopping attacks. Set the distance before adding any speed.

Phase 2: Slow continuous flow

Perform all ten steps without stopping.

The seam at step 7 is where the sequence usually breaks: Saberist B has just parried six attacks in a row and must now stop parrying and drop instead. Practice steps 6 and 7 together until the change of response is automatic.

If either Saberist loses the sequence, stop and restart from Step 1.

Phase 3: Role switch

Switch roles.

Now Saberist B performs the attack row and Saberist A performs the parry row.

Both Saberists should learn both sides of CM-C.

Teaching note

CM-C should be taught as a language drill, not as a fight.

The safety change from CM-A and CM-B is real: a complete does not stop, so the defender's evasion is the only thing that clears the blade. Neither Saberist should attempt steps 7 through 10 at speed until both can perform them slowly, in the right order, without discussion.

If a pair struggles with the second half, the problem is usually Part 1 rather than this sequence. Send them back to completes and return when 5 and 5© read as different instructions.

When CM-C is clean, continue to CM-D, where the attack starts changing hands.