Given our recent focus on structure, and an economy of motion, I thought this quote from Angelo appropriate:

OBSERVATIONS ON THE PARADES IN GENERAL

A GOOD parade is as necessary and useful when well executed, as it is dangerous and fatal if done without judgement, and made wide and rambling.

To parry well, will prevent your being hit; therefore you should observe, when you are defending the place in which you are attacked, that you do not give an opening on the contrary side, which would give more ease to your adversary to throw in a thrust; for which reason you should not flutter, or show the least concern, by any motion he may make, either with the body, his foot, or the point of his sword.
-Angelo, 1787:35

Get a free pdf  file of Domenico Angelo’s 1787 edition published by his son, Henry Angelo,  at the SmallswordProject.com.