Sorry for the old pictures here.  I will reshoot these at some point, but for now, this gets the points across.

Guard positions

In Elashvili's text, he documents 9 guard positions for Parikaoba, and those are a good base on which to build our reconstruction of Lashkroba. However, coming from a classical base, he numbers these positions, and the numbering system clashes with that of classical Russian Sabre, which he uses to describe his attacks. For clarity we are accordingly abandoning Elashvili's numbering for the guards, and replacing it with a system using letters of the alphabet. We will however classify the guards into two groups, the Closed Guards, of which Elashvili talks a lot, and the Open or Profiled Guards, which he describes and tells us what they do well, then never talks of again.

Closed Guard positions

The Closed guards are the primary guards that we will be using in Lashkroba. These all share certain characteristics. Primarily that the hands are held together with the sword hand touching the buckler hand and hiding behind the buckler for protection. These are held while in the common or the kneeling stance and are the guards you will use when parrying an attack. If you are not wearing forearm and elbow protection then it is important to bring your elbows as close together as possible to take advantage of the protection offered by the buckler. If you are wearing bazubands or similar forearm protection, then you can relax them a bit more. At the same time you should keep your shoulders square and not pulled forward in your guard stance, though this is tempting. Keeping your shoulders square will help prevent shoulder stress and injury, it will also allow you to pull them forward to gain a few more inches of reach if needed.

Guard A

This is the primary guard of the system. The hands are held together with the right hand behind the buckler alongside the left (the thumbs may be linked for strength) and the blade pointed roughly straight up and slightly inclined back towards the wielder.

 

Guard B

Like Guard A only the blade is inclined to the right roughly 45 degrees.

Guard C

Here the blade is held roughly horizontal and pointing off to the right. The sword hand is palm up beneath the buckler hand which remains oriented thumb up.

    

 

Guard D

Here the blade is oriented angled downward and to the right. The tip of the sword should be at the same height as the knee. As always, the buckler hand remains thumb up.

   

Guard E

This is the left leaning guard analogous to Guard B. The blade is held tilted roughly 45 degrees with the palm above the buckler hand but still hidden by the buckler.

   

Guard F

This is the left side equivalent of Guard C. The blade is held horizontally pointing to the left. This means palm down, but the right hand is held below the buckler hand. This and Guard G are rather like Prima custodia or underarm from M.S. I.33.

 

Guard G

Here the blade is held angled down and left with the point at knee height. Right hand under the left.

    

 

Open Guard Positions

The Open guards are held in the Profiled stance and have the hands separated. Here the buckler is extended and the body heavily profiled with the sword well withdrawn to protect the sword hand.

Guard H (high)

In the profiled stance, extend the buckler arm forward with the elbow slightly bent. The sword arm is either extended backwards or held slightly back from the shoulder at shoulder height. Think of this as chambering the sword arm for a very powerful blow.

 

 Guard I (low)

The buckler here is held exactly as in Guard H, but the sword hand is held back and down, roughly waist height. This is chambering a powerful rising or low horizontal blow.