becoming less binary

One of the things I've found it hard to do is alter the difficulty of a fencing lesson; in a very controlled lesson, with set cues, it's far simpler. Currently, I find it's easier to give an extremely concentrated lesson (with beginners, everything is structured around getting repetitions of the correct motor habit) or a lesson to a highly-skilled athlete, where I might have a limited range of responses, but movement is generally antagonistic.

Student: Starts preparation w/ absence of blade, fast step. Emphasis on hitting the first action (although if parried, they should counter-riposte)
Coach options:
- Counterattack. Student must finish.
- False counterattack, Parry-riposte. Student should hit open line (either by disengage, cutover or holding absence until parry has opened line)
- False counterattack, Counterattack. Student should finish.
- Searching parry. Student should compound the attack by making a feint into the open line, and then a second change of line.

Factors influencing the difficulty of the action:
- Action Timing: Actually attempt to steal tempo with the counterattack vs reacting to the incoming attack.
- Action Speed: Self-explanatory.
- Distance at which action is initiated: Executed immediately with a single retreat is easiest. Take multiple retreats to make it harder. Use check steps and change of tempo to make it more difficult.
- Noise: Multiple false counterattacks or false parries.

Things to work on:
- If altering difficulty via speed, it has to be modulated throughout the action; an explosive false counterattack followed by a slow parry is unrealistic.
- Don't facilitate the hit; even if the student gets the correct response they might not be accelerating to hit, so make a second parry.