S CG1 the Spada Dun Mano2

The Chicago Swordplay Guild

Scholar Curriculum Curriculum Guide I:

Spada d’un Mano: The Medieval Arming Sword

Gregory D. Mele ©2010 - 2013 Revisions and Additions by Douglas R. Wagner, 2013

Introduction

The “arming sword”1 was the classic sidearm of the trained man-at-arms or courtier, and refers to almost all medieval weapons called a “sword” prior to the development of the longsword in the 13th century. It could be fitted with either a simple cross or a complex hilt, and by the end of the 16th century it was commonly fitted with a basket-hilt, in which form it survived as the “broadsword” until the modern era. Usually accompanied by the buckler, shield, dagger or cloak, it was only as secondary arms and protective armour became less common during the waning years of the 16th century that fencing masters such as Angelo Viggiani, Giovanni dall’Aggochie or George Silver began to focus on the sword alone. By the time of the first surviving fencing text (c.1295), the sword and its use had undergone nearly a millennium of development and refinement, and its art appears fully-formed in the masters’ treatises as an “ancient weapon”. Consequently, no other weapon of the medieval and early Renaissance shows such a commonality of technique and tactics across the known European traditions, particularly when wielded alone. The basic guards, techniques and grapples depicted by Fiore dei Liberi in 1409 are closely mirrored by his German counterparts of the mid15th century, and are closely related to the guards of the Bolognese masters of the 16th century. 1

The Italian maestri d’arme called it the spada or spada d’un mano (one-handed sword), and it became known as the “short sword” amongst the English.

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Even Angelo Viggiani’s (1517-c.1555) “innovative” universal parry was clearly and concisely described a century and a half earlier by dei Liberi.2 Rather than create a truly “generic” system of Italian swordplay, however, the arming sword curriculum has been split into two parts. The first, contained in this monograph, covers the short arming sword section of Il Fior di Battaglia. The second (in a separate monograph) is a standardized distillation of the Bolognese school, based principally on the work of Angelo Viggiani, with additional information taken from Antonio Manciolino (1531), the Anonymous Bolognese (c.1550) and Giovanni Dall’Aggochie (1570). At the end of Part Two, I’ve included some notes and ideas regarding elements of the curriculum that are best-suited to students who favor the Guild’s medieval curriculum over the Renaissance curriculum or vice-versa. My intention is to give students a better idea of how fencing with this weapon seems to have evolved over its two-hundred year life-span, so that they can each develop their fencing in a way that fits with their overall period of focus. This curriculum guide is written with the supposition that the reader is a Guild Armizare Scholar, and thus familiar with the basic concepts, footwork, body mechanics, terminology, etc., of the CSG novice longsword curriculum, so that there is no need to repeat that information here. A special thanks goes out to my student and Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild head instructor, Douglas Wagner, for critical feedback - and pushback - on several interpretations, informative discussion on the mounted plays and a suggestion on how to better reorder the "Additional Plays". Finally, my thanks to Tom Leoni, to whom all Italian translations are credited unless otherwise noted, and to Christian Tobler, for the translations of the Glasgow manuscript. Ferrum ab Calamus Gregory D. Mele, Co-Founder and Curriculum Director Chicago Swordplay Guild

2

A further comparison of the different systems can be found in Appendix B of Scholar Knowledge Lecture 5: Understanding Viggiani’s Lo Schermo.

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I.

The Sword

The arming sword went through a great number of innovations during the 14 th – 16th centuries, including one evolutionary path that led to what we today call a “rapier”. At the start of the 14th century, the arming sword had roughly the same form it had possessed for many centuries prior – a relatively long (approximately 30 – 34”) double-edged blade, with slightly tapered edges and a sharp, but not particularly acute point, corresponding to types X – XII in Oakeshott’s typology.4 There were a variety of pommel types (round, disc, “brazil nut”, etc.), all rather substantial in order to counter -balance the sword. The sword weighed approximately 2 – 3 lbs. and had a balance-point about 5 - 6” in front of the cross. During the 14th century, the same factors that led to the development and evolution of the longsword caused similar alterations to the arming sword.3 Although the old blade-form remained in use throughout the period, and when fitted with a basket-hilt would see use until the 1800s, blades generally grew

Type XIV Arming Sword, c. 1280 - 1400

stiffer and more acutely pointed in order to pierce the gaps in armour. The balance point also shifted back, usually to about 4 - 5” in front of the guard. The sword shown by Fiore dei Liberi in Il Fior di Battaglia is such a weapon, analogous to types XIV or XV of the typology.

Type V Arming Sword, c. 1380 – 1480

Although taught to be wielded alone, the sword in this period would usually be accompanied by a buckler or shield. There are references to ad hoc use of the cloak going as far back as antiquity, but use of the sword in conjunction with the common Renaissance defensive arms such as the cloak or dagger seems to have been little practiced.

3

The general form and nomenclature of the sword and its parts is identical to those of the longsword. For more on this and blade evolution, see the Novice Curriculum Guide: Introduction to Medieval Swordsmanship for details. 4 See Scholar Supplemental Lecture 3: The Oakeshott Medieval Sword Typology for details on the various types.

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II.Poste Since the plays of the sword in one hand are pedagogically presented as a bridge from close quarter combat to playing with long weapons, dei Liberi is principally concerned with showing the application of his “universal technique”, the set-aside from below, as it is applied to the sword. He does this by presenting a single posta, coda lunga (the long tail). At this point in the manuscript, however, the guard is unnamed, it’s full description and details of its use do not appear until the equestrian section: This position of the sword is called Coda Lunga; it is very good against the lance and any other handheld weapon... Bear in mind that this guard counters all the blows both on the mandritto and the riverso side, and is usable against right- or left-handed opponents. We will now see the plays of Coda Lunga, from which you always parry as I have described in the first illustration of the guard.

Coda Lunga The equestrian section is also significant, because it is here that dei Liberi shows his scholars using other poste with the sword in one hand, each related to corresponding guards for the sword in two-hands: posta di donna la sinestra and posta dente di zenghiaro. By looking at the description of the poste in both the equestrian section, and in that of the sword in two-hands, we can easily develop a basic understanding of its play with the arming sword: (Sword in Two Hands) This is the left Posta di Donna, always quick to the defense and offense. She can deliver great strikes, break thrusts and beat them to the ground. Thanks to her knowledge of traversing, she enters the close play. This guard knows all these plays well. (Sword on Horseback) This position of the sword against a lance is very good to parry the lance as you ride to the opponent’s right side. This guard is also good against all other handheld weapons—that is, axe, staff, sword, and so on. Posta di Donna la Sinestra

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(Sword in Two Hands) This is Dente di Zenghiaro, since it learned its offenses from the boar. It can deliver strong underhand thrusts all the way to the opponent’s face without stepping; it then comes back down with a fendente to the arms. Sometimes, it can deliver a thrust to the opponent’s face, point up, while quickly extending the front foot, and recover with a fendente to the head and arms; then it immediately delivers another thrust with the extension of the front foot. It defends well against the close play. (On Horseback) This swordsman waits for the lance in Dente Posta di Dente de Zenghiaro di Zenghiaro. As the man with the lance approaches him, the Master beats the lance aside to the right. The Master can easily do this action with his sword—that is, parrying and striking in a single turn of the sword. While the descriptions of mechanics and poste in the mounted section are critical for understanding their use on foot, there are cases where they differ. For instance, it is possible to produce a false edge rising cut from dente di zenghiaro on foot, but this is not ideal on horseback. The differences in application will be discussed in the Additional Parries section, below. Note also that with the sword in one hand, there is no corresponding posta di finestra la sinestra, as this is a mechanically weak position when held one-handed. Further, each of the principle poste that Maestro Fiore shows his scholars playing out of are formed on the left side of the body, and each begins my making cover, that is, defending. In this, Fiore prefigures the masters of the later Bolognese tradition (and in particular Angelo Viggiani) who classified guards on the left side of the body as defensive, and guards on the right as offensive.

Additional Guards: Offense This, of course, raises the obvious question of how does on initiate an attack? Dei Liberi is overtly silent on this, but gives us a number of clues. The first is by looking at the poste that the zugadore, or player, attacks with in each section. We find three poste: posta di donna la destraza, posta di finestra la destraza and posta breve, obviously corresponding to a cut from above, a thrust from above and a thrust from below. Coda lunga is shown opposed to posta di donna and posta breve in the section on the sword in one hand, while in the equestrian section coda lunga, posta di donna la sinestra and posta dente di zenghiaro are shown opposing posta di finestra la destraza. Since we know that Italian swordsmanship was taught by transitioning from guard to guard, we can also determine which poste frame an integral part of arming sword fencing in the dei Liberi tradition by looking at where the plays end. For example, posta di finestra is not only the guard that opposes the scholar in the equestrian section, it is also the posta that forms the completion of Maestro Fiore’s basic defense, whether on horseback or on foot (see “The Universal Parry”, below). Based on this model we get a total of four, “offensive” guards on the right side of the

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body: posta di donna la destraza, posta di finestra la destraza, posta breve, plus the addition of porta di ferro mezzana. (Sword in Two Hands) This is the Posta di Finestra, always quick to enact its tricks and deceptions. She has mastery of defenses and offenses. She can pick a good fight with all the guards, both the high and the low. She often goes from one guard to the other to deceive the opponent. She can deliver strong thrusts, and knows how to break and exchange them.

Posta di Finestra la Destraza (Sword in Two Hands) This is Porta di Ferro Mezzana, since it holds the sword in the middle. It is a good guard, but calls for a long blade. It delivers strong thrusts, beats away attacks low-to-high, then comes back down with a fendente to the head or arms, returning in this guard. It is called porta (door) because it’s strong; it is a strong guard that is difficult to break without danger and without coming to the close.

Porta di Ferro Mezzana (Sword in Two Hands) This is Posta di Donna, which can execute all seven strikes of the sword and defend against all of them. It can break all other guards with its great strikes. It is also quick to exchange thrusts. Extend your front foot off the center-line and pass at an angle with the back foot. This leaves the opponent uncovered, enabling you to hit him. (Sword in Two Hands) This is the Posta Breve, which calls for a long blade. It is a deceitful guard, which has no stability. It too remains in motion and probes the opponent for an opportunity to thrust and pass forward. This guard is better in armor. Posta di Donna (l) and Posta Breve (r)

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Note that the two poste di donna are not symmetrical. There are two main variations of the right posta di donna, all with the left foot forward (suggesting the preference for a buckler): 



Assume posta di finestra and drop the elbow, so the point angles up and slightly to the left; a classic pose shown in images of mounted knights, or fighters with long shields. (See second player, first plate of sword in one hand, folio 20, or equestrian plates, 43v.) Vadi shows this same position with the longsword, which he names posta di vera finestra (true window guard), and in the Pissani-Dossi Ms it appears as posta di donna di vera finestra Elbow bent, hand at side of head – sword aimed up and back at a 45-degree angle; analogous to I.33’s second ward, and the same function as Bolognese guardia alta. (See sword plays of zogho stretto, Getty Ms. folio 29v, first image.)

Furthermore, posta breve and porta di ferro mezzana are carried to the right side of the body, whereas their two-handed equivalents are on the centerline. They can have either right or left foot forward, but are generally shown in the medieval period with the left foot forward, likely because of the predominance of the buckler prior to the 1550s. So, we can safely assume that Maestro Fiore’s system consists of seven guards, four “offensive” guards on the right, and three “defensive” guards on the left. Interestingly, this corresponds almost perfectly with the seven “universal” guards “used by all true fencers” described by both the Anonymous Priest in Ms. I.33 (c.1300) and Angelo Viggiani (1570), and is a clear subset of those found in German messerfechten. This should not be surprising, since these positions are those which are absolutely required to make all half and full cuts from both sides of the body, as well as to initiate and recover overhand and underhand thrusts. Furthermore, although Maestro Fiore instructions for comba on foot only focuses directly on coda lunga, by looking at other Italian and German fencing texts, as well as non-technical texts that are contemporary with il Fior di Battaglia, we can see that the positions of the players as they prepare to attack, and formed by the scholars as they defend, closely conforms with dei Liberi’s depictions (see Appendix A). A Poste Transition Drill a. Begin in coda lunga in back-weighted stance. b. Slip the right foot offline to the right and begin cutting with a rising true edge mezzano/sottano. Follow the cut with a pass of the left foot, finishing in posta di finestra. c. Drop the elbow into the vera finestra variation of posta di donna la destraza. d. Rotate the hand back into posta di donna la destraza. e. Pass forward with the right foot while cutting fendente mandritto, finishing in dente di zenghiaro. f. Make a volta stabile backwards, and lift the sword to a left posta di donna la sinestra. g. Pass forward and cut riverso fendente, finishing in porta di ferro mezzana. h. Lift the sword’s point into posta breve.

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III.

Basic Defenses

We three opponents want to kill this master—one with a thrust, one with a cut and the other by throwing his sword at the master. It will be a miracle if the master survives, God darn him. You’re all inept and know little of this art. Enough with talk, let’s see some action! Go ahead and and come on one by one if you know what you’re doing; even if there’s a hundred of you, I’ll mess you all up with this guard, which is so good and strong. I’ll step with my front foot a little off the line, and with the left foot I’ll pass at an angle; as I do so, I’ll cross and beat away your swords, find you open and strike you for sure. Go on and throw a sword or a spear at me, and I’ll beat them all away as I’ve described, passing off the line—as you’ll see from my plays just ahead. Please look at them. And even with the sword in one hand, I can practice my art, as you’ll find in this book.

The Universal Parry In his introduction to the section on the sword in one hand (above), Maestro Fiore describes a single, universal parry that can be used from any guard on the left against any attack. In this initial section, his actual instructions on the mechanics of the parry are rather slim; he does not describe the blade action in detail, other than saying that he will cross, beat aside the weapon and uncover the opponent. As the actual plays are looked at, it is noted that his parry generally ends in posta di finestra, suggesting a simple, rising true edge parry. In basic form, this both the predecessor and same basic action as the “rising riverso” taught by the Bolognese masters and described in great detail by Angelo Viggiani in Lo Schermo (1570): …hold your wrist in such a fashion while you draw it forth that you do not make a turning; and do it so that your hand rises high, and to the rear on your right side, so that the point of your sword is aimed at my chest, and downwards somewhat toward the ground, and stop it there, with the true edge of the sword facing the sky, and the false toward the ground, taking care in the selfsame tempo that the rovescio travels, that you make with your body a little turn in such a way that your left shoulder is found somewhat more forward than your right, and that your left arm follows the right through the forward side, so that it is found toward the right side; and make additionally a slight turn of your left leg on the point of your foot through the draw, and the heel

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should be somewhat lifted from the ground; and together with this make your right leg lie extended, with the body somewhat erect: you see how I do it? The motion is very simple: as the attack is made, the Scholar cuts up with the sword while making a volta stabile forward and shifting his front (right) foot to the right. As the blades intersect he continues to cut into posta di finestra, with or without a pass forward of the left foot. This passes the Player’s sword across his body to his left, and puts the Scholar on the Player’s right, or outside line, ready for an immediate risposta. These general mechanics are confirmed when we move to the equestrian section, where dei Liberi discusses his universal parry in greater detail:

This position of the sword is called Coda Lunga; it is very good against the lance and any other handheld weapon, as you ride to the right side of the opponent. Bear in mind that thrusts and riversi must be beaten out to the side, and not upward; fendenti should similarly be beaten out to the side, lifting slightly the opponent’s weapon. From this guard, you can perform the plays illustrated. This same guard of Coda Lunga is good when the opponent comes comes with his sword on the riverso side, as does this one. Bear in mind that this guard counters all the blows both on the mandritto and the riverso side, and is usable against right- or left-handed opponents. We will now see the plays of Coda Lunga, from which you always parry as I have described in the first illustration of the guard. So, as with Viggiani’s instructions, this parry can be used against any blow of the sword, so that it takes six principle forms – vs. a mandritto, a riverso, or a thrust, each with or without a pass. There are several key checkpoints to execute this parry correctly: 1.

2.

The parry must be made as a cut. This means that the arm must extend in the strike and the swordsman should feel that he can just as easily cut the attacker’s upraised arm or face as parry an attack. Indeed, the rising cut is sometimes used as a counterattack to the sword arm. The blow is not a perfect horizontal cut – there is a slight rise to the blow. Roughly, if a righthanded swordsman makes the strike at an opponent, it would reach the right side of their head just above the mouth and pass the left side of their head at the height of their temple.

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3. It is imperative that the cut crosses the line of the attack and actually contacts the opponent’s blade with the edge, remaining bound to it until the enemy’s sword is out of presence.

Additional Parries However, as we closely study these short passages by Maestro Fiore, and analyze the plays that follow, we see that he actually advises three types of parry in the plays of sword vs. sword, and a fourth can be deduced from passages of the sword in two hands and mounted sword vs. lance. The first is the universal parry that we have just seen - a true edge rising riverso, which places the Scholar on the Player’s outside line. The second parry is the most subtle, but still figures prominently in many of the plays on foot. Against a fendente mandritto, the Scholar uses the same rising riverso, but slips to the right of the cut, so that he parries with a hanging parry. This brings him inside the arc of the Player’s cut, allowing him to grasp his hand, wrist or perform a a ligadura mezzana and immediately attack the center-line. This parry can also be the result of a failed universal parry, where the incoming cut has caused the Scholar’s parry to fold. In this case the parry may have begun as a defense against either a mandritto or riverso attack. Although dei Liberi only shows the actions that follow out of this action, after a grip has been taken, Talhoffer provides an excellent “snap shot” of the play as the parry is made and the Scholar passes in The Rising Riverso to the Inside, Talhoffer 1467 with his left foot to take a grip. The third parry is a descending riverso that is described in dei Liberi’s advice in the equestrian section - bear in mind that thrusts and riversi must be beaten out to the side, and not upward – but it is also specifically shown in the plays on foot, as we shall see below. The fourth parry is our old friend, the rising false-edge deflection. Beginning from dente di zenghiaro, the sword in one hand variant is extrapolated from dei Liberi’s description of the guard in the sword in two hands section and the guard as illustrated in his sword vs. lance section on horseback, included here again: (Sword in Two Hands)
 This is Dente di Zenghiaro, since it learned its offenses from the boar. It can deliver strong underhand thrusts all the way to the opponent’s face without stepping; it then comes back down with a fendente to the arms. Sometimes, it can deliver a thrust to the opponent’s face, point up, while quickly extending the front foot, and recover with a fendente to the head and arms; then it immediately delivers another thrust with the extension of the front foot. It defends well against the close play. (On Horseback)
 This swordsman waits for the lance in Dente di Zenghiaro. As the man with the lance approaches him, the Master b

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eats the lance aside to the right. The Master can easily do this action with his sword—that is, parrying and striking in a single turn of the sword. Like two of the other three parries, it is used to pass the attack to the Scholar’s right, opening the Player’s outside line to an immediate attack. As with the true edge parry, the deflection and risposta made with the falso can be accompanied with or without a pass forward of the left foot. Notice that on foot the Scholar may make both a true-edge or false-edge rising cut from dente di zenghiaro. If the true edge is chosen the cut becomes the outside rising riverso (universal) parry. If the false edge is chosen the parry becomes the rising falso deflection. Both are possible for the footman because the horse is not in the path of his cut as he crosses the line. However, this is a case where interpretations for the rider and footman differ. With the point leading, a false-edge cut tends to bring the blade into the horse’s head when made from the saddle. Therefore, the horseman should generally cut from dente di zenghiaro by turning the sword hand to make the rising outside true-edge parry rather than the falso deflection.

A Summary of the Basic Defenses with the Sword in One Hand The Rising Riverso to the Outside From coda lunga, slip the right foot offline to the right and cut a true edge blow that is midway between a sottano and a mezzano. As your true edge connects with his sword, pass in with the left foot, finishing with your sword in posta di finestra. From here, thrust if the point is in presence, cut with a fendente mandritto if it is not.   

Can be used against all cuts and thrusts. Can be used to make any prese to the outside of the Player’s sword arm in conjunction with a pass of the left foot, such as an elbow push. This parry also works from posta di donna la sinestra and dente di zenghiaro.

The Rising Riverso to the Inside From coda lunga, parry a fendente mandritto by slipping the right foot offline to the right and cutting up with a true-edge sottano, parrying with a hanging parry.   

Used only against mandritti. Can be used to make any prese to the inside of the Player’s sword arm with a pass of the left foot, such as the ligadura mezzana. This parry also works from posta di donna la sinestra and dente di zenghiaro.

The Descending Riverso From coda lunga, parry a thrust or a fendente riverso by cutting with a slip of the right foot and a volta stabile into posta breve. From here, thrust if the point is in presence, cut up with a sottano mandritto if it is not.  

Used only against thrusts and riversi. Can be used to make any prese to the outside of the Player’s sword arm with a pass of the left foot, such as an elbow push.

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

This parry also works from posta di donna la sinestra and dente di zenghiaro.

False Edge Deflection From dente di zenghiaro, slip the right foot to the right and cut falso sottano riverso to parry; risposta immediately with a fendente mandritto. (Compare to longsword set-play False-Edge Rebatter from the Left in the Novice curriculum.)  





Used only against descending cuts or thrusts. Variation One: From dente di zenghiaro, parry with a sottano riverso as before. While passing forward and left with the left foot; riposte with a fendente riverso, finishing in posta breve. Thrust. Variaton Two: From dente di zenghiaro, parry with a sottano riverso as before. While passing forward and left with the left foot; wind to posta di finestra and riposte with a punta sopramano. Variation Three: (Can also be used from porta di ferro mezzana). Slope right with the right foot and parry with a falso sottano mandritto. To riposte, compass the left foot to the right and cut fendente mandritto.

Finally, although Fiore does not address them per se, the arming sword is certainly well-suited to hanging parries to either side, as is seen in 15th century messer fencing: Hanging Parry to the Right: Source: Novice Longsword Curriculum; Glasgow Fechtbuch When he fights you extended below,5 then stand with your left foot forward and raise your messer to the leg in the Wechsel [Change]6 and when he attacks you then go up with the messer so that the hilt stands upward and the point downward and parry thusly (and this same parry is called a commendable parry), and spring out to his left side in the triangle and strike or thrust. Beginning in porta di ferro, left foot forward, the Scholar awaits the Player’s attack. As he attacks with a mandritto, the Scholar makes an oblique pass with his right foot, parrying with a hanging parry. While compassing to the right with his left foot, he strikes with a mandritto to the Player’s head, and can again follow with an immediate thrust. Hanging Parry to the Left Source: Novice Longsword Curriculum; Glasgow Fechtbuch When he strikes to you from the roof, then set your right foot forward and parry and spring outward to his right side in the triangle7 and strike to him or thrust as you wish. And when you want to spring, then lift the other foot up a bit so that you can spring away from him even better. Beginning in porta di ferro, right foot leading, the Scholar awaits the attack. As the Player attacks with a riverso, the Scholar steps to his left with an oblique pass of the left foot and a compass of the rear, parrying with a hanging parry. As he makes the second step, he ripostes with a riverso to the Player’s head, recovering into posta breve and then thrusts to his abdomen. 5

This is clearly open to interpretation. Wechsel/Wechselhut, a low guard at the termination of an Oberhau. 7 Triangle: A ‘triangle step’, one where a pass of one foot is accompanied by swinging the now trailing foot outward. 6

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Canonical Plays of the Sword in One Hand IV.

As stated earlier, the eleven plays of the “sword in one hand” are taught to transition the student from the zogho stretto (close play) of grappling and knife-fighting to the zogho largo (wide play) that only becomes possible with a longer weapon, such as the sword. Indeed, As such, there is surprisingly little “swordplay”, as we think of it, within this section. Rather, the master quickly details a universal defense, and advises to respond with a thrust or cut of one’s own (Plays One and Two), and then he focuses primarily on how to bring the left hand into play to make prese (grips). Having covered his basic defense and counter: thrust, cut or grip, Fiore now orders his plays base on whether they cover against a mandritto (Plays Three and Four), corresponding to the cover of the First Remedy of the Dagger, against any cut or thrust (Plays Five - Seven), corresponding to the cover of the Second Remedy, and then specific defenses against a riverso (Plays Eight - Ten), which correspons to the Third Remedy. The instruction ends with a single play that is a "teaser" for using the sword in armoured combat. Keeping the purpose of this section in mind, do not discount the large variations in measure from which the sword in one hand can play. Even with a shorter arming sword, cuts properly passing through what equates to posta longa offer many possibilities for attacking from greater measure. Apply what you already know from the longsword!

Universal Defenses

Play One: Wrist Turn and Thrust vs. Riverso I’ve followed to the letter what my master said. I’ve passed off the line making a good parry, finding the opponent open. Now I can place a thrust to his face without trouble, while seeing if I can also throw his sword to the ground with my left hand. Dei Liberi’s first play is executed against a riverso by parrying with the Rising Riverso to the Outside. Here we use it to illustrate the basic cover and use of the left hand. As the Scholar parries, he passes forward with his left foot and reaches out with his left hand to check or grasp the Player’s arm.

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Play Two: Riverso Sottano and Cut Mandritto Fendente I’ve found you completely open and hit you in the head with no trouble. And if I pass forward with my rear foot, I can perform some close plays against you, like binds, breaks and grapples. The second play is another application of the Rising Riverso to the Outside, made without a pass. It is shown being executed against a riverso, but in reality can be made against any attack. Although this is not what Maestro Fiore intended to show here, this play is also the conclusion of the basic defense with the falso sottano riverso. As dei Liberi notes, if the Scholar does not wish to immediately kill the Player, for whatever reason, he can pass in with the rear foot and come to grips instead.

Defenses Against the Mandritto The next two plays are both made against a mandritto fendente, and respond with an Inside Cover and presa made from inside the Player's defense, corresponding to the First Remedy of the Dagger. The two plays that Fiore shows correspond to the first and third plays from that section of the Flower of Battle. Since these plays are direct analogs to dagger plays, the counters to those plays will work here as well. Although Maestro Fiore is himself silent on the topic, those counters are illustrated in a number of Messer texts, and I have referenced them here for the sake of completion. Play Three: Wrist Turn and Thrust vs. Mandritto I can easily hit you with a cut or thrust. And if I step forward with the front foot, I’ll put you in the middle bind, shown in the third play of the first Remedy Master of dagger. Or I can do the play that’s after me, hitting you and putting you in a bind. The third play is related to the first. The Player now attacks with a mandritto and the Scholar parries with a Rising Riverso to the Inside. He then extends his left hand, palm out to the left, as he passes in with his left foot. thumb down, to grasp the inside of the Player’s sword hand. He turns the Player’s hand to the outside and winds his sword to posta di finestra to make a punta sopramano. This play is also possible if an Outside Parry is used, and fails. Counter: As this is just a variation of the first play of the First Dagger Remedy, it can be countered the same way: the Player turns his pommel to the left over the Scholar's wrist and cuts him through the face with a riverso mezzano.

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Play Four: Ligadura and Face Thrust Your sword and your arm are nicely trapped and you can’t get away without me striking you like this, because you’ve shown so little knowledge of this play. As variations, the ligadura can also be completed with either a volta stabile or tutta volta to the right. Counter: The ligadura mezzana is first introduced in the third play of the first Dagger Remedy, and is countered by the fourth: the ligadura sottana, which becomes a recurring theme throughout deiLiberi's work, whether the mezzana bind is applied against the opponent's arm (as in the dagger) or his weapon (as is seen in the sword in two hands and poleaxe). Although the master is silent in the sword in one hand section, the counter is also possible here. As the Scholar wraps the opponent's arm, the Counter Master grips his own sword blade at the mezza and makes a volta stabile to his left, throwing the opponent over his leg. A variation of this is shown in the work of Peter Falkner (see left) and other German sources. Falkner 34r

Universal Defenses The next three plays are all executed from the Outside, or "universal" parry, and can be used against any attack, much as the Second Dagger Remedy can be used against a mandritto or riverso attack. Play Five: Hilt Turn Here I’m easily striking you while disarming you without fail: if I turn your sword in your hand ’ll make you fall. The Fifth Play is a roture of the sword, and is greatly aided by a long hilt. Against a riverso, the Scholar executes the Rising Riverso to the Outside. As he passes in, he grasps the Player’s hilt or pommelwith his left hand, and winds his blade down to posta breve, simultaneously turning the Player's hand and pressing against the enemy steel. This sets up an immediate stoccata thrust. He may also pull his hands into his body and pass back with the left foot, effecting a disarm.

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Play Six: Elbow Push Here I can strike you in front, but this is not enough. I give your elbow a push, turning you to strike you in the back. I can whip my sword to your neck, and you won’t be able to help it. Play six is perhaps the simplest play. From a Rising Riverso to the Outside, the Scholar passes in with his left foot and uses his left hand to push the Player’s right elbow up and to the [Player’s] left, turning him. The Scholar can then either strike him in the back, or use the next play. Play Seven: Throat Cut In the play that came before, I spun you around and whipped my sword to your neck. If I don’t cut your throat, you can very well call me a scoundrel and a fool. From play six, the Scholar pursues the Player and throws his sword across his neck. Gripping it by the blade, he rolls the false edge up into the Player’s throat with a wave motion, compressing the windpipe. From here he can slice his throat, crush his windpipe, or throw him by the neck.

Riverso Defenses Plays Eight through Ten correspond to the Third Dagger Remedy, and use the Descending Outside Parry to defend against a riverso. All three are variations of the rompere di punta (breaking the thrust), a technique that recurs throughout the play of sword, spear and axe. The sword in one hand variant is simply the CSG Novice Curriculum’s “Rompere di Punta” performed from the opposite side. Play Eight: Rompere di Punta You attacked with a thrust and I beat it to the ground. Look: now you’re open and I can hit you. I can also turn you and do even worse, while hitting you in the back. From coda lunga the Scholar slopes off-line to the right, setting aside the thrust with a Descending Riverso parry through posta breve. Continuing the downward cut, he transports his opponent’s blade into the ground by passing forward with his left foot, simultaneously gripping or striking the opponent’s elbow and finishing in porta di ferro mezzana. From here, he passes in with his left foot

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and grips or strikes the Player’s right elbow, while immediately cutting him with a sottano mandritto. This can be either a false- or true-edge cut, or can be replaced with a riverso fendente by quickly turning the blade with a molinello once the player’s arm is controlled. Alternatively, he may execute the elbow push and use plays six or seven, above. Play Nine: Rompere di Punta and Diving Throw I have quickly come to this situation after turning you by pushing your elbow. I did this to throw you to the ground so that you can’t pick any more fights with me or anyone else. This play is a variation of plays six and eight. Having performed the rompere di punta, the Scholar uses the elbow push in play six, but only partly turns the Player. He immediately steps in with an acressimento of the left foot and performs a diving throw. Note that the throw can also be made directly from driving down the Player’s sword, but the Scholar must step in aggressively. By saying in the text for this play that the Scholar’s head was attacked, Maestro Fiore may be suggesting his intention that the rompere be used against cuts like the fendente, as well as thrusts. In this case the Scholar’s descending parry should come from posta di donna, similar to the CSG’s Novice Curriculum “Rebatter from Above” play. Note that when made from posta di donna la sinestra against a fendente mandritto, the Scholar must slope to the player’s outside, behind the incoming cut. Play Ten: Rompere di Punta and Throat Cut This one attacked my head, and I beat his sword away, arriving to this situation. Without fail, I can turn you and whip my sword to your neck--showing you just how spirited I am. Play ten is something of a “death by overkill” technique. Not only does the Scholar execute the rompere di punta, elbow push and throat cut – combining plays eight and seven, but before he executes the turn, he steps onto the punta of the Player’s sword,8 disarming him. Play Eleven: Break the Harness This is a play in which, to use this thrust, you should be in armor. If the opponent attacks you with a thrust or cut, parry and immediately do what’s shown in the illustration. The final play of the sword in one hand is not so much a play, as general instructions reminding us how the different types of combat inter-relate. In many ways it is an encapsulation of dei Liberi’s entire system of armoured swordsmanship. When playing against a man in armour, we can use the pass of the left foot to also bring our left hand forward onto the sword blade, instantly 8

This same blade stomp is one the variations of the rompere di punta shown in the plays of the sword in two-hands.

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transitioning to the “shortened point” or “spada in arme” grip. In this way, instead of finishing in posta di finestra, the rising riverso finishes in the equivalent armoured guard of posta serpentina lo soprano, and instead of finishing in posta breve, the descending riverso is completed in posta breve serpentina. In the Morgan manuscript (from which this image is taken), Maestro Fiore advises that the point be thrust into the armpit, face, throat or groin, but if the Player is too heavily armoured, to use the elbow push in play six to turn him and seek out an opening in the back.

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V. Additional Plays of the Sword in One Hand The basic parries in the last chapter, their riposte and their relationship to basic plays of the novice curriculum should provide students with sufficient fundamentals to wield the arming sword comfortably when combined with canonical plays Fiore dei Liberi provides. However, the great commonality of medieval one-handed swordsmanship gives us the ability to confirm those techniques and “fill in the gaps” from a multitude of sources. The following “additional techniques” come from either sections of the manuscript or outside the dei Liberi tradition. They were chosen because they a) gave a clear example of how to play out of the right side guards, which Maestro Fiore does not address, b) were follow-on actions and counters to those he shows, c) were consistent with other plays that found within the tradition and d) could be found in multiple sources, specifically Pietro Monte (1490s), Antonio Manciolino (1531), Hans Talhoffer (1467), Paulus Kal (1460s), Peter Falkner (c.1480) and an anonymous 15th c messer/arming sword treatise contained within the 16thc Glasgow Fechtbuch. When taken with the plays left to us by dei Liberi, this should provide more than ample material to play from any of the seven guards, against any sort of attack. Unless otherwise noted, all of the textual descriptions that follow are from either Fiore or the Glasgow Fechtbuch, and all illustrations from Talhoffer (1467). Additional Play One: Counterattack to the Wrist Source: Talhoffer, Viggiani, Falkner

Talhoffer 1467, f.115v and 116r

This play is included to demonstrate one of the most basic, but aggressive variations on Maestro Fiore’s fundamental technique. The Scholar begins in coda lunga. As the Player attacks with a fendente mandritto, he performs in the Inside Rising Riverso. But instead of parrying, he targets the Player’s wrist. He immediately strikes again with a fendente mandritto to the head, as he compasses his left foot to the right. The key to properly executing this variation is to make the acressimento of the right foot more strongly obliquely forward and to the right, then is normally done with the simple parry. Note that, as in Talhoffer’s illustration above, it is also possible for the Scholar to step outside the Player’s cut by sloping to the left with an acressimento, attacking the back of players arm with

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the Rising or Descending Riverso to the Outside, rather than the Player’s blade. He then strikes again with a fendente mandritto using a volta stabile. Additional Play Two: Riverso Deflection and Riverso Risposta Source: Monte, Manciolino, Glasgow Fechtbuch When he thrusts from below, then set the right foot forward and take your messer in the Mittelhau [Middle Stroke]9 and strike across to his messer. And weaken his thrust aside and turn your messer on his messer and step with the left foot forward and let the messer go around the head and strike or thrust. The Scholar should be in coda longa or dente di zenghiaro. The Player passes in and attacks with a rising thrust to the body or face. As he does so, the Scholar strikes across with the Rising Riverso to the Outside, passes in his left foot, and circles the blade around his head to cut riverso to the Player’s head. As in the two previous plays, he can then thrust to the body. Additional Play Three: Outside Rising Parry and Hip Throw Source: Dei Liberi (equestrian), Falkner

Falkner f.27r, dei Liberi [f.44v top left]

This is [a] play involving a parry that beats the opponent’s sword away. I throw my arm around his neck as I turn with my whole blade, and I throw him to the ground for sure. This play begins with the Scholar in coda lunga and performing the Rising Riverso to the Outside in response to the Player’s fendente. Rather than making an acressimento as with the canonical plays, the Scholar makes a passing step with his parry. Having cleared the center, and with his blade high, he now passes in with his right foot past the Patient’s right leg while throwing his sword arm around the Patient’s neck (or shoulder) to perform a hip throw. Additional Play Four: Scambiar di Punta Source: Novice Longsword Curriculum, “Scambiar di Punta”

9

This is a little peculiar, as the name of a blow is used here for a guard, presumably akin to Meyer’s Middlehut.

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This play is nearly identical to that found in the CSG Novice curriculum. The Player attacks with a thrust from posta breve or porta di ferro. Beginning in either posta breve or porta di ferro, the Scholar makes a sloping acressimento offline, setting aside the incoming thrust either to the left or right while assuming posta breve (on the right, or its equivalent position on the left). He then passes in with his rear foot to set his point and complete a counter thrust. Additional Play Five: Pommel Hook and Riverso Fendente Source: dei Liberi mounted combat, Talhoffer 1467, Paulus Kal, Falkner, Manciolino, Glasgow Fechtbuch Set your right foot forward and hold your messer in the way so that the point goes downward. And when he strikes you from the roof, then shoot your messer up and parry with the inverted hand, and spring to his right side in the triangle and strike to his head or thrust. The Scholar stands in posta breve or porta di ferro, right foot forward. As the Player attacks with a mandritto, the Scholar cross-steps into the attack, parrying in a frontale-like position. He winds the hilt over the outside of the Player’s wrist, tearing his arm down as he slices him through the face with a riverso. Compare this to dei Liberi’s equestrian play, 44r, lower right.

Additional Play Six: Pommel Hook and Arm-bar Source: Talhoffer 1467, Paulus Kal, Glasgow Fechtbuch When he strikes from the roof to you then go up with an inverted hand and with the parry outside and over his arm with the hilt. And grasp his elbow and take it upward while pulling the arm downward so that he falls on his face. You must let the messer go well around his arm. This play begins the same way as the play that precedes it. From the parry, the Scholar passes in with his left foot and performs a bent armbar, as seen in the Third Remedy Master of the Dagger, 13 v, lower right. Note that if the Player’s wrist is not successfully wrenched, this play may result in an elbow push similar to the sixth canonical play.

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Additional Play Seven: Ligadura Mezzana Against the Thrust Source: Variation of canonical play four, Talhoffer 1467, Glasgow Fechtbuch, Manciolino, Silver When he fights you below, then set the left foot forward and hold your messer to your right leg in the Change. And when he thrusts or strikes, then step there and parry. And let the point go downward to parry with the ‘half parry’ and catch his messer with the left arm, and let the messer go directly up and slice him through the mouth. The Scholar stands in porta di ferro, left foot forward. When the Player attacks with a thrust or a mandritto, he steps into the attack and raises his hand, parrying with a low hanging parry. His hand is at roughly shoulder height, allowing him to maintain contact with the Player's blade as he executes the grip. He Talhoffer 1467

immediately reaches under his own arm and wraps the Player’s swordarm in a ligadura mezzana.The Scholar then cuts over with a riverso and thrusts to the body. Depending on the Player's response, the arm wrap may result in more of a straight arm bar than a proper ligadura mezzana. Finally, remember the opportunity to slash the Player’s face with the descending riverso while preparing the thrust. Additional Play Eight: A Disarm Against the Rising Riverso to the Inside Source: Dei Liberi dagger plays, Talhoffer 1467, Paulus Kal, Glasgow Fechtbuch, Silver. The low hanging parry, from Falkner f.42r. Item: When you strike at him from the roof and he parries with the simple parry, then grasp him with your left hand to the messer so that the thumb is against the hand that he has the messer in, and turn his messer from the hand and throw it away. In this instance the Scholar opens with a mandritto to the Player’s head, and the Player parries with the Inside Rising Riverso. The Scholar immediately grips the wrist of the Player’s sword arm with his left hand, and tears it down to the Player's right, disarming him with a wristlock. He can then cut him in the head. Compare this with the counter to the counter to the First Remedy Master of the Dagger, 11v, upper right. Additional Play Nine: A Counter to the Above Source: Dei Liberi dagger plays, Silver. As the Scholar reaches out to grip the Player’s wrist, the Player reaches out with his own left hand. Grabbing the Player’s left wrist, the Scholar makes a compass step to the right with his left foot as he pulls down with his left hand. This causes a wrist and elbow lock, bending the Scholar

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over his waist, and exposing his arm and the back of his head and neck to the Player’s riposte. This play appears in dei Liberi’s text as a counter to the First Remedy Master of the Dagger (11v, top right and bottom left). Notice that, if performed in sequence, the four actions above – the fendente mandritto, the Inside Rising Riverso, and the two successive counters – create a four-step training sequence like those at the end of the CSG Novice Curriculum. Additional Play Ten: Half-sword Parry and Collar Throw Source: Dei Liberi, sword in armour, Glasgow Fechtbuch When he strikes from the roof to you with a heavy weapon, then parry with the armoured hand and turn the point against his face and thrust to his chest. Or, step with the left foot behind his right foot, well into the balance, and catch his neck with the messer and throw him. Much as the first additional play is just a variation of dei Liberi’s basic parry, this final play is also a variation of the final canonical play. From coda lunga, the Scholar transitions into a half-sword grip as he parries. Passing in with the left foot to the Player’s outside line, he hooks him under the chin with the tutta of the sword and throws him over his knee.

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Cutting Patterns for the Sword in One Hand

VI.

The principle advantage of the one-handed sword is its ability to continuously flow from cut to thrust in a way that is not possible with a short-hilted, two-handed weapon like the longsword. The following cutting patterns will help you develop this sort of flow, as well as linking a number of the basic covers and defenses that are the foundations of both the canonical and noncanonical plays in the curriculum. These cutting patterns are themselves non-canonical, being adapted from a series of similar dussack exercises presented in Joachim Meyer's 1560 manuscript. Practice these exercises for fluidity and speed, then play with using variant footwork, prese and other components of arming sword fencing.

First Pattern 1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Beginning in Coda Lunga, strike from below with the true edge to right Posta di Finestra with a slip of the front foot offline to your right. Change to a hanging guard over the left arm to prepare a riverso fendente as you pass forward with the left foot, finishing in Posta Breve; Thrust stoccata into Posta Frontale as you cross-step with a pass of the right foot; Make a mezza volta of the left foot as you make another riverso fendente, finishing in Porta di Ferro Mezzana. Let the weapon run smoothly on your right side and make a mandritto fendente back to Coda Lunga, so you can start again (return at line 1).

EXPLANATION This drill presents a number of basic covers and attacks. Beginning in Coda Lunga, the swordsman executes an Outside Universal Parry (1), but as the blades meet, his own weapon yields, so he passes straight forward, transitioning to an Inside Cover, as is used in Canonical Plays 3 and 4, from where he makes a riverso (2). From here he can thrust or thrust with a crossstep into a parry(3), from where he hooks with the pommel and cuts riverso while making a forward mezza volta of the left foot, as seen in the fifth Additional Play (4). From here, the swordman lets the sword circle behind him and throws a full mandritto to cover his retreat with a pass back of the left foot (5).

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Second Pattern 1.

2. 3.

4.

Begin in Coda Longa. Strike riverso sottano with the true edge (drawing the weapon) into Posta di Finestra as the front foot slips to the right; Strike a mandritto mezzano; Cut around with a riverso fendente to Posta Breve or into the bind while making a forward mezza volta of the left foot; Thrust stoccata from the other side of the bound blade or into Posta Longa.

EXPLANATION This is a much simpler exercise, that uses the basic Universal Parry without a step, as seen in the second Canonical Play (1), but substitutes a mezzano for the fendente in the risposta (2). From here the swordman uses a mezza volta to move in (where he could take a grip if necessary), and strikes a riverso to cover against the opponent's steel (3). Finishing with his point in presence, he thrusts from below to finish the pattern.

Third Pattern 1.

2. 3.

4. 5.

6.

Beginning in Coda Lunga, make a riverso mezzano (true edge) with a slip of the right offline and a forward mezza volta of the left foot. Recover to Posta Breve; Strike falso sottano from Posta Breve up to the left Posta di Donna; Circle around the head and cut mandritto fendente to Dente di Zenghiaro with a pass of the right foot.. Thrust punta sopramano (a left Finestra) with an acresscimento; Wind to your right (out)side and thrust punta sopramano from there (right Finestra) with a pass of the left. From the thrust cut around to your left side to strike riverso fendente to Porta di Ferro Mezzana.

EXPLANATION The third pattern is a bit more esoteric and is designed to train constant flow, including moving from posta di finestra to another. The footwork I have included can easily be changed to allow for incongruous stepping (cutting from the right while stepping with the left), multiple strikes on

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one step and so forth. Think of the given steps as the most "natural" pattern, and once you've learned it, explore the variations.

Fourth Pattern 1.

2.

3.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Beginning in Coda Lunga, make a Descending Outside Parry striking riverso fendente to finish in Porta di Ferro Mezzana; Strike a mezzano from your right side to your left while passing forward with the right foot, finishing in left Posta di Donna; From left Posta di Donna, strike a rising, true edge sottano into right Posta di Finestra with a forward mezza volta of the left foot; Thrust punta sopramano with a pass of the right foot;

Strike riverso fendente to Porta di Ferro Mezzana; Strike up with a falso mandritto sottano, rotate your wrist and strike mandritto fendente to Dente di Zenghiaro; Cut falso riverso sottano with a forward pass of the left foot; Transition through right Posta di Donna and thrust stoccata while passing forward with the right foot.

EXPLANATION This final cutting pattern is again really little more than a flow exercise, combing a series of parries and risposte, beginning with the Descending Parry (1), the Universal Outside Parry (3) and the rising Falso Parry (6 and 7) to a link a swift series of attacks. Practice it with a sense of constant motion, but changes in rhythm for actively attacking to receiving a blow in defense. There is no value in learning these patterns "for historical purposes" - they are neither part of our tradition, nor identical to how Meyer himself wrote them. Their only purpose is to improve your ability to dynamically move with the sword. Once you have them memorized and can perform the actions fluidly, try the following variations: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Begin in left Posta di Donna rather than Coda Lunga; Make the opening true edge parry a falso deflection; Change the footwork; "Shadow box" by inserting grips and prese.

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Appendix A: Curriculum Summary I. Covers of the Sword in One hand

1. Universal Parry - Outside

2. Universal Parry – Inside (Hanging Parry)

3. Descending Parry

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II. Canonical Plays of the Sword in One Hand 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Wrist Turn & Thrust vs. Riverso Universal Parry followed by Mandritto Fendente Wrist Turn from Hanging cover vs Mandritto Fendente Ligadura Mezzana and Face Thrust from Hanging cover Clockwork Disarm from Universal Parry Elbow Push from Universal Parry Throat cut from Elbow Push Rompere di Punta Rompere di Punta and Diving Throw Rompere di Punta and Throat Cut Breaking the Harness

III. Additional Plays of the Sword in One Hand 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Counter Cut to hand during Hanging Cover, follow up cut to head False Edge Expulsion & Riverso vs Punta Universal Parry & Hip Throw Scambiar di Punta Pommel Hook & Riverso vs Mandritto Pommel Hook & Armbar Hanging Parry & Ligadura Mezzana vs punta 1st counter to 1st Master of Daga vs Hanging Parry Counter grip to previous Half-Sword Parry and collar throw with sword

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Appendix B: Poste Concordance Posta Coda Lunga

I.33, c.1300

Talhoffer, 1467

Durer, 1512

Viggiani, 1570

Posta di Dente di Zenghiaro

I.33, c.1300

Meyer, 1570

Viggiani, 1570

Posta di Donna la Sinestra

I.33, c.1300

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Durer, 1512

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Italian, mid-15th c

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Posta di Donna la Destraza

I.33, c.1300

Talhoffer, 1467

Viggiani, 1570

Milanese, 1402

Albrecht Durer, 1512

Marozzo, 1536

French, c.1410

Porta di Ferro Mezzana

I.33, c. 1300

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Marozzo, 1536

Meyer, 1570

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Viggiani, 1570

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Posta di Finestra

Durer, 1512

Meyer, 1570

North Italian, 1397

Viggiani, 1570

Sienese, 1390

Posta Breve

Durer, 1512

Marozzo, 1536

French, 1370s

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Appendix C: Using the Buckler Where’s the Shield Work? Considering the early date of il Fior di Battaglia, we would expect it to contain at least some discussion of using the arming sword in conjunction with the shield or buckler, since these weapons were commonly paired with the sword until the mid-16th century. But while his is the currently oldest known source for using the sword in one-hand alone, Maestro Fiore is completely silent on the use of the shield. The most likely reason for this is that the master is not so much showing the use of “one-handed swords” as he is “the sword in one hand” – that is, the same longsword he uses throughout his text, just wielded in a different fashion. While this may seem an issue of semantics, the end result is that the manuscript shows techniques that will work with the sword in one hand in any circumstances – with an arming sword or longsword, on foot or on horse. The buckler doesn’t fit into this schema pedagogically. Fortunately, there is no dearth of knowledge on Italian sword and buckler fencing, as the weapon system was the core of the Bolognese, or “Dardi” tradition, which has left us an entire system of guards, basic actions, solo forms and hundreds of plays.

A Thought Exercise – If it Really is a System… While there is therefore really no need to attempt the creation of a “dei Liberi-inspired” sword and buckler school, it makes for an interesting thought-exercise of how to apply the system of armizare to a contemporary, but undocumented pairing of weapons. Sword and Buckler Poste All seven of Maestro Fiore’s guards for the sword in one hand are also found with the sword and buckler in the Bolognese school, and therefore can easily be maintained here. The question is what to do with the buckler? The first illustration in this monograph is contemporary to Fiore and shows the fencers holding the buckler straight-out from the shoulder. This position is shown repeatedly in medieval Italian artwork; it is the same position primarily shown by the Bolognese master Marozzo, and was recommended even in the late 16th century by masters such as Giacomo di Grassi. This allows the buckler to create a “cone of defense”, using line and distance to cover far more as a passive defense than it can do by actively moving to intercept blows. As a rule, simply carry the buckler extended or to cover the sword hand while attacking, except when using the shield to strike or grapple. Sword and Buckler Techniques Obviously, Fiore dei Liberi has not left us a technical repertoire for sword and buckler…or has he? The English swordsman George Silver advised that the sword and buckler fight was the same as that of the sword and dagger, except that the buckler could parry a blow directly, whereas the dagger must be used to either reinforce the sword, or to transfer control of the opposing weapon after the sword parried. Likewise, the sword and dagger fight was related to the sword– substituting dagger thrusts or parries for the corresponding actions with the bare hand. So in

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essence, the defining difference between fighting “double” and “single” was the shield’s passive defense as an obstacle that had to be struck around, and its ability to directly oppose an attack. Even the most casual look through Talhoffer’s 1467 manuscript shows that Silver was not alone in this approach:

Sword Alone

Sword and Buckler

Inside Rising Riverso

Arm Wrap

Arm-Bar Following this same logic, we find that dei Liberi has already left us a basic repertoire for the sword and buckler – simply repeat all of the same plays, while holding the buckler, learning to

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cut around it with the sword. Ligadure remain unchanged, so long as the buckler is not too large. Wherever there is a grip or push with the left hand, strike with the buckler instead. This can be done with every play in this curriculum.

Taking it from Here Although, absent any direct instruction from Fiore dei Liberi himself, we can’t be certain this is how he would have advised using the buckler, it is at least a reasonable assumption that his approach would not have differed dramatically from his contemporaries. So in learning the material for the sword in one hand, we have already done the bulk of the work to learn how to use it with the buckler. Certainly, this is not a large curriculum; but it is easily as extensive as that found in any historical source outside of Ms. I.33 and the Bolognese tradition, and should at least provide a solid framework for any student how wanted to see how far he could develop it for himself.

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Appendix D: Bibliography Primary Sources Dei Liberi, Fiore: Fior di Battaglia; Italy, 1410; J. Paul Getty Museum (Ms. Ludwig XV 13) 83.MR.183 ____________: Fior di Battaglia; Italy, 14??; Pierpont Morgan Library ____________: Flos Duellatorum; Italy, 1410; reprinted by Novati, Francesco, Fior di Battaglia di Fiore dei Liberi; Padova, 1902 Falkner, Peter, Fechtbuch; Frankfort, 1495; Ms. KK5012; translation and facsimile in Tobler, Christian

Henry. Captain of the Guild: Master Peter Falkner's Art of Knightly Defense. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press, 2011. Manciolino, Antonio: Opera Nova; 1531 Marozzo, Achille: Opera Nova; Venice, 1536 Silver, George: Brief Instructions on My Paradoxes of Defense; London, 1602 unpublished until Cyril Mathey’s edition of 1896 (An electronic edition may be found at www.aemma.org) Talhoffer, Hans: Fechtbuch Aus dem Jahre 1467; translated by Mark Rector in Medieval Combat, Greenhill Press, London 2000. Vadi, Fillipo: De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi; c.1482 – 87; translated by Luca Porzio and Gregory Mele in Arte Gladiatoria: 15th Century Swordsmanship of the Italian Master Filippo Vadi; Chivalry Bookshelf, Union City, CA 2002

Viggiani, Angelo, Lo Schermo (Venice, 1575).

Secondary Sources Mele, Gregory, CSG Scholar Knowledge Lecture 5: Understanding Viggiani’s Lo Schermo (Unpublished, 2006). Oakeshott, R. Ewart: The Archaeology of Weapons; Boydell Press, 1994 (reprint) ________________ Records of the Medieval Sword; Boydell Press, 1991 ________________ The Sword in the Age of Chivalry; Boydell Press, 1994 (reprint)

Swanger, Jherek, The Practical Viggiani. (Unpublished, 2004).

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