Wow thanks for writing that much it is great to have someone this interested. Sorry I cannot write to the lengths that you can, I am considerably less knowledgable that you are. My impression of the posta de donna to fendente was that it was more focused on covering the line directly to the opponent and is more prodding than any thing else. Rather than a focused blow it sets up a foundation for a secondary strike. We do not exclusively use that stance and swing, we try to cover everything Fiore writes in his manual. That picture is not reflective of everything we do in the entire class. It sounds like you know your stuff and it would b awesome if you would come down and check us out. Now, the point about the armor of the opponent is easily explained in that these positions are supposed to be against an unarmed opponent, perhaps in a duel or in self defense. In the armored sections of the manual a swing like that would be exchanges in favor of two handing the sword and trying to stab in the gaps in the armor at the armpits, groin, etc. You are absolutely right about the lack of flashiness, almost all of our sparring (with plastic wasters) does not end in a movie like bisecting but instead I reduced to grappling with the opponent an trying to open the belly or the neck. Sometimes there is a good solid strike but it is almost always is not from a direct swing but moving the opponents sword off your line and then moving in. Also, I think you might be mistaken in how we swing a fendente from posta de Donna. It is not a hands high wide upward strike, as that will usually reward you with a sword in the belly from your opponent, but a quick hands low strike ending at where the neck meets the shoulder. If you came I could show you what I am talking about.