Two on one tactics is a great way to defeat an opponent, even an opponent that you alone can not normally beat. It significantly increases your odds of beating an opponent. This is something that you need at least one other person with you to work on though. How proficient you are at utilizing two on one tactics will be directly related to how well you and your partner work together and communicate.
Points of safety
As a team you control the fight. You and your partner need to be calm and controlled to defeat your opponent. Be aware of your surroundings, especially for the opponent. Your opponent will feel the increased pressure of having multiple opponents, and will probably move a lot to try to not die.
- Don’t Over Do It: In a team of two, you should be able to kill the one in a controlled manner. Don’t destroy them.
- Be Aware of Your Surroundings: You are responsible for each other’s safety during this maneuver. Don’t push anyone into an unsafe situation.
General Points
No matter how new of fighters the two people are, if they communicate, and keep together; the two should win. By having two people the single person will have to split their attention and try to fight both at once. You want to maintain that, and not allow the single person to change the fight to a duel, even for a split second. If the single person can change it to a duel, they can win by having consecutive duels.
The best way to fight is to fight together as one. Support each other and either both stay in range, or out of range to your opponent. Communication on what is happening and what is going to happen is something that is an absolute necessity when fighting together. Yes, your opponent can hear you, but it will keep you and your partner on the same page making it significantly harder for the single person. There is different maneuvers, and strategies you can use to fight the single opponent. Try multiple strategies, every person you fight with and against will change how the fight works.
- Keep Together: Stay with your partner. When the other initiates the maneuver, don’t hesitate. Support each other’s actions.
- Numbers Win: A general principle of fencing is that numbers win. When you work together, even against more experienced fencers, the odds are always in your favor.
- Communicate: It doesn’t matter if your opponent can hear you. Keep talking with each other.
- “45” Maneuver: The “45” maneuver is a unified attack. The idea is to split your opponent’s defense and kill them at an angle. At the same moment, step at a 45 degree angle to the outside of your opponent and attack at a 45 degree angle into your opponent.
Training Ideas
- Pivot Practice: Find a partner and practice pivoting around a central point in sync. Avoid putting your partner in a “cowboy” position.
- Align the 45: Find a partner and practice performing the “45” maneuver properly on a stationary target. Focus on synchronized movement.
- Play Tag: With a group of 3, practice two-on-one tactics. The person who lands a killing shot on the one becomes the one.
Assessment
- Two on One Tactics Safety: The pair is fighting the correct distance from each other (not quillion punching each other or tripping over each other).The fencers are communicating effectively in regards to: each other, what is going on in the fight, The opponent if they are going into an unsafe area or out of bounds.
- Two on One Tactics Basics: The pair is moving together, rotating together, and using maneuvers together. They should also constantly be communicating.
- Two on One Tactics Training: Work with different partners to see how it changes the fight. Even against the same opponent, who you have with you will drastically change the fight. In melees try to always get the numbers advantage to take out and pick off enemies to give your team the advantage in the fight.
