BRISBANE SWORDPLAY CONVENTION CLASS NOTES

Here's the teaching notes from the recent classes I gave at Brisbane Swordplay 2009 convention.

Enjoy!

MORNING LESSON

Introductory Material

1 How to hold the sword
Forefinger over quillon, allowing pommel to move from thrusting grip to cutting grip.

2 Distance
Gioco stretta
Gioco larga
Out of distance
Circle of Engagement

3 Times
Before
Middle
Just As
After

4 Movement
forward
back
left
right
passing steps (change stance)
triangle steps (the sideways pass which is the predominant footwork)

5 Basic Guards
Porta di Ferro Stretta
Cingiaria Porta di Ferro Stretta
Coda Lunga Stretta
Coda Lunga Alta

6 Attacks
mandritto
roverso
fendente
tramazzone (look at the watch – time to die)
falso
stoccata (rising thrust)
imbroccata (descending thrust)

Have the students practice each cut as a push cut or a pull cut.
Introduce concept of the second step is recovery with drawing of blade.

"THE CUT IS NOT COMPLETED UNTIL YOU ARE BACK ON GUARD!"

The diagonal cutting line is from ear to knee, which uses the lifting muscles in the shoulder, not the supporting muscles.

Offence, Bolognese Style
Lets enter a world where the same action has multiple tactical applications.

1 Descending Redoubled attacks
mandritto & roverso
roverso & mandritto
fendente & tramazzone
descending & ascending - mandritto & roverso squalembrato montante OR roverso & falso dritto

Introduce concept of one step = one cut.
Push then pull
Pull then push
Double punch (to turn around opponent's blade)

2 Ascending Reboubled Attacks
montante & fendente (charity ribbon)
elsa e tira (ward and strike) from larga (passing through Porta di Ferro Alta)
elsa e tira from stretta (passing through Sopra Braccio)
- includes intro to invitation from larga which moves into next topic

elsa e tira = rising false edge cut and a descending true edge cut

3 Draw the response (tactical application of above)
Overall principle = Know Where Your Opponent's Sword IS!
Invitation
Retain the initiative (cut through response or chase those who slip)
Set up for immediate parry (esp descending ascending combo)
2nd intention

Use mandritto / roverso to explain the progression through the concepts.

4 Attack with feint (cuts turn through centre of balance)
Feints with a cut
Feints with a thrust
Note: This was not covered on the day

5 Attack the hand (force them to move / control the sword)
Tactical applications of 1 & 2

6 Control the point
beat (mezzo cut to blade) and cut
thrust & cut
deflect the point (falso impartato inside or outside) & thrust or cut

7 Revision

AFTERNOON LESSON

Defence, Bolognese Style

1 Parry with the true edge
Parry riposte with true edge against fendete from Coda Lunga Alta:
Pass back and parry with Guardia di Testa, riposte with mandritto to the leg or face.
[Source: Maniciolino Capitolo 20]

Parry riposte with true edge against mandritto from Coda Lunga Alta
Pass forward and put aside the blow to head or leg with the sword and buckler together. Riposte with a mandritto to the legs, bringing back the right foot and redoubling with a roverso squalembrato montante, ending in Guardia Alta.
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 10 part 4]

Note: Parry can be either static or dynamic.

2 Parry with the false edge (else e fugie)

Else e fugie = ward and defeat / give flight

Parry riposte with false edge from Porta di Ferro Stretta:
Step right and parry falso by cutting to overarm. (Universal parry for head and leg attacks)
Riposte with roverso to leg and redouble with mandritto sword arm whilst stepping back with right foot. End in Cingiara Porta di Ferro Stretta.
Alternatively riposte with mandritto and redouble with roverso squalebrato montanto ending in Guardia Alta.
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 11 part 2 and Manciolino Capitolo 20]

Parry riposte with else e fugie from Porta di Ferro Larga
Beat the incoming blow away with a strong rising falso (cut to Porta di Ferro Alta) the riposte with a mandritto fendente, pulling the right leg behind the left.
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 14 part 1]

3 Parry with the offhand
Point extended buckler at opponents sword hand – closes the cutting lines, esp close to middle and forte of sword.

Basic Defence in Guardia Alta
Move up a little and down a little (rotate the thumb) in Guardia Alta (Beat up and down)
[Source: Manciolino Capitolo 4]

Defence of Montante Thrust in Guardia Alta
“Cover the blow”
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 11 part 6]

NOTE: Show how this works with the dagger!

Defence of the Descending Blow in Guardia Faccia
(left foot forward) Then you will make a half turn of your hand so that your sword lies in coda lunga alta, making your buckler a good defender of your head.
[Source: Manciolino Libro 2, 1st Assault]

4 Slip the blow
Slip the roverso in Coda Lunga Alta
Slip the roverso by pulling back the left foot. Riposte by passing forward with right foot and cut roverso to leg or thrust to chest. Redouble with rising falso, reverse tramazzone and step back with right foot and throw mandritto traversato to end in Cingiara Porta di Ferro
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 88]

NOTE: Demonstrate slip both back to cat stance and with reverse triangle. Geometry is your friend!

5 Counter attack
Defence of mandritto or roverso from Porta di Ferro Stretta (Counterattack with slip)
Throw a roverso to his sword hand, casting your right foot behind your left into large pace; and this is the parry of the two blows.
[Source: Manciolino Capitolo 13]

Counter in single time against mandritto to head
Step right and mandritto to head or sword arm, while the buckler parries the cut to the head. Left foot passes behind to end in Porta di Ferro Larga.
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 87]

NOTE: Head attack is made cutting in front of left shoulder, closing line on way in.
In another similar defence we are told to "ruin his hand with a mezzo mandritto"

Counter in single time against roverso from Coda Lunga Alta
Pass back and left and roverso to sword arm or head, while the buckler parries the cut to the head. End in Coda Lunga Stretta or Larga.
[Source: Manciolino Capitolo 20]

Note: Head attack is made cutting in front of left shoulder, closing line on way in.

NOTE: "MOVE AWAY FROM THE SWORD

6 Attack into preparation (Guardia Faccia)
Attack into the preparation:
Pass with right foot and thrust to face with Guardia di Faccia. Redouble with roverso to leg and fendente behind the buckler, whilst passing back. End in Guardia Alta.
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 11 part 3]

7 Retreats
Retreat with 3 or 4 paces
"Know that in this place you should take three or four steps back. This I would do for reason that when you attack with a cut your enemy may very well want to withstand a second blow so he can, in his fury, deliver one to you. But if you pull back by the said number of steps, in that time his anger will diminish and he will not assault you with the same fury. Therefore do not forget."
[Source: Marozzo Capitolo 51]

Retreat behind the extended thrust
This comes from Marozzo's section on spada e targa, Capitolo 113 - 120 especially.

General Principle
Throw 2 blows, then thrust as you step back (BACK OFF!) and come to guard.

Explanation
Extended point will force opponent into the big step around, hence any response will have a longer fencing time for it's execution. It's a great way to stifle the opponent as well, and is specifically used as a tactic in dagger, with the thrust to the hand.

8 Revision