This is a ‘make them pay’ countermarch drill.
The cave man stroke is the heavy full commitment #1, the diagonal forehand aimed at any target from head to knee, and is the one thing that people tend to have naturally, so should be accommodated within reason so that your new fighter at least has a power stroke. Indeed, variations of the #1 account for most scoring stick strokes in competition and virtually all law-enforcement and criminal baton and club use.
You may step forward with your stroke or just stand as you stroke. In either case you have ripped the stick through the target zone, whether scoring or not—probably not—and now stand in the posture of the fully-committed, douchebag novice, ready to eat a counter.
What to do?
Keeping your hand close to your body, rip the stick upward, along the same diagonal path you ripped it, with your hand headed back up to your shoulder, pinkie first, not thumb first. This is a backhand, not a pen-parry. At the very same time you shift your lead foot into the back-foot position stepping back flat-footed as the stick arcs over your shoulder and chambers you for another power #1.
This is intended as a beat, not a hit, though you might score on his hand or arm. To drill this and develop a functional countermarch that could be used against a swarm of attackers, continue by throwing another power diagonal forehand from
this shoulder-load position as your other foot shifts back and repeat:
Shift with a beat
Stroke with a beat
Shift with a beat
Stroke with a beat
Make your counter steps or shifts as long as you can, taking care to do this flat footed.
Do this in the gym mirror.
Once you have backed against the far wall, do your beat march.
Step forward with the rear foot as you bring your stick in to beat block an imaginary attack, keeping your stick hand down around your hip and belly and the stick tip level with your temple or crown.
Now, as you shift the stick-foot forward do a backhand beat, and so on, as you crowd your imaginary opponent.
Marching behind a vertical beat and countermarching behind a rising diagonal beat and a power forehand are crude but effective methods of giving ground while delivering punishment and of taking ground while guarding.
