Ever been in class drilling a new play, and can't figure out why it won't work? Ever been an instructor watching your charges doing a thrusting drill standing a foot too close to each other? Ever fought some one who seems to slip in and out of the range of your attacks at will? It is all about measure. Often times in HEMA students and instructors get so caught up in the plays, and mechanics we don't discuss some of the most basic and universal elements of fighting. Or worse yet we don't know how to teach it yet, so we let new people figure it out only with trial and error. That is not to say that we can totally eliminate the trial and error part of learning measure but more of if we better understand the different measures, what we can do, and what are the advantages and disadvantages of them we can point students into a much better direction for their experimentation.
Author's Note: I reference the mechanical advantages of the sword several times. Will write a blog post detailing those in the future and linked here. Movement and Tempo, one in the sameIn Viggiani's book Lo Schermo he has a great discussion about what tempo actually is, and how it relates to fencing. What is important to keep in mind is that this idea is based on Aristotelian Physics. In fact that was the only physics at the time and possibly the reason we see the same ideas from different parts of Europe. According to Aristotle time and movement are the same thing and you can not have one without the other. A big movement is a large time. A small movement is a small time. What is important to remember is that at this point in history, The second hand wasn't a popular addition to clocks yet. No one was timing things with precision, they just looked at what took longer or shorter. Our friend Silver spoke of the True Times. i.e. Time of the Hand, Time of the Hand and Body, Time of the Hand, Body, and Foot, and finally Time of the Hand, Body, and Feet. While there are plenty of interpretations of what this means, when looking at it in the light of Aristotelian Physics it makes much more sense. The tempo that it takes for me to just move my hand is much smaller (in both movement and in time) than the tempo it takes to do a passing cut. Take away from this? Tempo is both time and movement. At longer measures, the tempos are larger. The MeasuresApproaching MeasureThis is where I'm going to get myself in trouble trying to discuss ideas from rapier. But approaching measure or out of measure both combatants are safely out of range, and it would take multiple steps to harm each other. However fencing has already started. Fabris speaks about forcing your opponent into obedience as we approach measure. This is done with movement, threatening the point as we walk in, and setting up a position where if the opponent walks in and does nothing we will have the mechanical advantages over his sword and easily kill him. While this is an important stage of the fight, a Fabris scholar would be able to speak much more eloquently to the concepts than I can. While the Bolognese don't explicitly teach approaching measure as they do wide and narrow measure, they tell us how to approach to the wide plays in their various assaults. Typically it is with a strike, and in the sword and small buckler they like to step in and out of measure testing the opponent.
Wide Measure (Larga):
The Mezza Spada (Middle of the Sword):
mechanical advantages of the sword, this is what Silver would refer to as "The Place" where you can attack with time of the hand. In Bolognese you typically are only in this position for an instant. Parry, counter attack, and back out into guard or with a stram. Or enter range with advantage, attack, and back out. Meyer even tells us that we need to exit from Krieg safely. Important! DO NOT ENTER MEZZA SPADA RANGE WITHOUT ADVANTAGE! You either have the mechanical advantages, or you are working a provocation to set the opponent up. Stepping into this range without having advantage gives your opponent a free tempo, to extend his hand and stab or cut you. A much smaller and faster tempo than your step. Narrow Play (Stretta, i.e. some one messed up measure)This is what Fiore is known for. While it is possible to still cut and thrust with the sword sans grappling it is it is far more prudent to include a grapple (Presse for the Bolo crowd) in what you are doing to control the opponent and his weapon. That is, you are so close grappling is pretty much the only thing that makes sense. From personal experience, this is not the range you want to be in against secondary weapons such as daggers and bucklers. Typically I see people accidentally enter stretta. Or I should say, at least one person accidentally entered this measure. At that point though either person can go for a throw or grapple and it becomes a different game. ConclusionsManipulating measure and learning how to maintain it is an essential skill. Developing a sense of measure involves experimentation, finding your max range with passing, lunging, leaning, and standing upright. Keep in mind, your measure will differ from your training partners. Your partner may be able to reach you and you have to take multiple steps. Your height, ability to lean into attacks and length of weapon are all going to effect your measures. While I can't give you that experience online, perhaps by helping give you some vocabulary to talk conceptualize the different measures I can give you a jumping off point to build drills, and tactics on how to learn and use measure.
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For years now when someone new to the Bolognese tradition ask me where to start I’ve recommended Dall’Agocchie. After you get past the concept of his writing being in a dialogue, Dally has an expansive system, well laid out thoughts on tempo and provocation, and clearly tells you how to step, how to hold his guards ect. And I will still maintain that he is a great starting point for beginners. But in terms of trainability I am beginning to lean towards Manciolino’s Opera Nova. His single sword section (Page 128 in The Complete Renaissance Swordsman) is incredibly short, less than a page of printed material. It focuses on one guard, one provocation, and a limited number of parries. But in seven plays he touches on every aspect of the Bolognese Tradition. Here I am going to attempt to give a basic framework for a curriculum with Mani as its base with small supplements from the Anonimo and Dall’Agocchie. Manciolino Vs Dall’Agochhie’s 30 Days to Duel: Everyone who starts with Dally seems drawn immediately to 30 Days to duel. And it isn’t necessarily a bad place to start. Dall’Agocchie says this is what he would teach someone with no experience how to fight a duel in 30 days. Pros:
Cons:
The second intention attacks are really the crux of why you should start with Mani. It will teach students how to think beyond just trying to hit the opponent. This leads easier into the concept of provocation, or even provocations from both sides in a play. To be more precise, Dally’s goal is not to teach you to fence well. It is teaching a complete newbie one good trick for them to commit to feverishly to save their life. And he even says that he doesn’t think it will work unless you have multiple training partners. The con to Mani’s system is the plays are more complicated and will have a steep learning curve if you just jump right into them. SOOOOO…... What should we know before jumping into Manciolino’s Plays? Mani’s canonical Plays are dense and become complicated. Before throwing your newbie students to the Wolf of Manciolino they should be passingly aware of the following actions: Foot Work
Guards:
Attacks:
Defenses:
Three Advantages of the Sword:
Mani Teaches Tempo/Provocation: So a note: Manciolino starts every play practically the same way. In Porta Di Ferro Stretta you take a gathering step into range threatening the point until your opponent retreats or attacks. This is a provocation. And if we look at Dall’Agocchie’s 5 Tempi to attack we find that the this is one of the tempi. Your opponent SHOULD attack you when you lift your front foot to move forward. But we are ready for him. Moving into Range: So when the provocation happens, the agent attempts to seize the tempo and attack with a thrust, strike to the legs, or fendente. For absolute beginners let us leave it at that. Have them figure out their range for each of these attacks and move attack in the proper tempo. FOR THE ADVANCED MOVEMENT INTO MEASURE! There are 3 measures that I will deal with here. Approaching, Larga (wide), and Stretta (Narrow). And this is an injustice to make the talk of measure into a subsection of a larger article. Approaching Measure is when you are unable to attack each other. Larga is when you can attack with a single step. Stretta you can attack with a half step or less. The patient approaches as Manciolino recommends with gathering steps. The Agent provokes by thrusting over the patient’s sword moving into larga range gaining all three advantages of the sword. This is not an earnest attack, but a provocation that threatens the tip while gaining a huge advantage. If the patient does nothing the agent will take a second step and stab him, so the patient must parry with the false edge (This is DA’s Tempo to attack, The opponent changes his guard injudiciously). The agent then steps in with his second intention attack (Mandritto, riverso, cut to the leg) ending in the stretta range. What if they don’t react? A small supplement from the Anonimo: Mani tells us that when we press them with the gathering step that they must either attack, or retreat in great shame. The one thing he doesn’t tell us how to deal with is what happens when they stand there with their thumb up their butt not moving. Now we could attack straight away with a thrust overtop their sword. But we do not have one of the 5 tempos to attack and could be falling into a trap. As Dall’Agochhie tells us, “if you proceed to attack determinedly and without judgment when your enemy is fixed in guard, you’ll proceed with significant disadvantage, since he’ll be able to perform many counters.” Instead we shall borrow from the Anonimo (As Rob Rutherfoord constantly is telling me to do) to fill in this small blind spot. So having pressed your opponent and they do nothing: “... If he should retreat and not attack, in the case that he is also in porta di ferro stretta with the right foot forward, you will, drive the false edge of your sword over that of the enemy pushing it towards his left side and setting it aside, and this tempo you will pass with your left foot in a great towards his right side throwing at him a mandritto to the face or to the sword arm that does not pass cinghiara porta di ferro stretta, your right foot following behind the left; and if here your enemy should respond with some attack you will be able to strike his sword hand with a mezzo roverso with a turn of the sword hand that does not pass coda lunga stretta.” (Stephen Fratus Translation) TLDR: Strike a Falso to move his sword to his left, take a passing step to his right throwing a mandritto to his face ending in Porta Di Ferro with the left foot forward. If he throws a cut turn your true edge into his hand in a counter cut. Bring it together: So because I’m an engineer, and I like pictures, here is a flow chart detailing what the fight of Mani’s single sword would look like. Again, I’m not going into the nitty gritty details of each technique. This is a road map to how it flows. Also do not forget that when setting up drills to sometimes have the Agent win the engagement. This will teach how to set up second intention attacks. So why is this small system so good?
In it, we learn about tempo, range, and are given a defense to almost any type of attack. It also teaches how to deal with secondary attacks, and how to set them up from the point of view of the agent. It does not teach a million techniques, but a small core set of principles, that are central to the Bolognese tradition. The goal of this article was not to give a full fledged lesson, but help others build a skeleton of how to teach Manciolino as a starting place (over say Dall’Agocchies 30 days to Duel.). To make full use of the article I recommend Tom Leoni’s “Complete Renaissance Swordsman” that better details the guards, and actions that I outline. When I first started Bolognese a few years ago, one of the first treatise that was recommended to me was Mancillino’s Opera Nova translated by Tom Leoni. Knowing little to nothing about the art, I started at the beginning as Tom Leoni does a great job of writing a primer to the Bolognese system right there. Then I got to the first Sword and Buckler Form and was completely lost. After a couple of months I moved on to Dall’Agochhie, who has a much more straightforward pedagogy.
Provocation Sauce: Understanding the Bolognese Approach to the Fight
In this entry we are going to look at the tactical system of Bolognese, and how it fits together to keep you safe while fencing. The main focus will be Dall’Agocchie’s 5 tempi to attack, and how they couple with his ideas on provocation, and we will look at Viggiani’s three advantages to help us make more effective provocations. I am leaning heavily on the thoughts of Greg Mele, and Rob Rutherfoord of the Chicago Sword Guild on the actual provocations, and also Russ Mitchell for thoughts on footwork and movement. 5 Tempi to Attack: Dall’Agocchie gives us a short list of appropriate times to attack. Something that we should look for in all our fencing.
There are specific drills to train a student how to look for these 5 tempos, but that is out of the scope of this blog post. Viggiani’s Three Advantages: In the interest of saving time and work for myself here is Greg Mele’s summarization of the three advantages from his work “Understanding Viggiani’s Lo Schermo” linked at the end of this document, my asides are in red: Through his cipher, Rodomonte, Angelo Viggiani details three types of “advantage”, each of which can exist from either the agent or the patient’s point of view; therefore these three conditions are relative to what each combatant is doing in the moment.
Provocation: Why we do? At the heart of the Bolognese tactical system is the idea of provocation. That is that your opponent is not giving you any tempo to attack, to safely attack you must control your opponent’s actions and trick/force them into giving up one of these tempi. I believe Dall’Aggochie describes the reasons for this best: “Said provocations, so that you understand better, are performed for two reasons. One is in order to make the enemy depart from his guard and incite him to strike, so that one can attack him more safely (as I’ve said). The other is because from the said provocations arise attacks which one can then perform with greater advantage, because if you proceed to attack determinedly and without judgment when your enemy is fixed in guard, you’ll proceed with significant disadvantage, since he’ll be able to perform many counters.” So we are starting on the assumption that if your opponent is composed in a nicely settled guard any earnest attack that you perform will be met with counter, possibly a single time counter, that is a thrust to face that defends against your attack. Or just as common, you just double and both die. Provocation: How we do? Dall’Aggochie gives a rather large list of provocations that can be performed from various guards, Marozzo throws in a provocation with almost every play, so this can seem like a huge subject. Here is an attempt to break it down into some base concepts to allow students to better internalize how to perform them and what makes a good provocation. In general there are three types of provocation, feint, beat, and invitation.
So what Tempo’s do we force them to give up when feinting? Basically every parry in Bolognese is seen as either a guard transition or a cut (kind of the same thing….) So we are looking at the fourth tempo. Changing guard without good judgement, or the second, that their blow has passed to the outside of our body.
This may seem like cheating a bit, but think of the tempo as being a forceful guard change. That is you straight up forced their sword into a crappy unnamed guard so that you can stab them. A note on measure here, is that we are starting in wide measure, where the tips can just cross, and stepping into narrow measure, or meza spada range, where we are crossed at the mids with the beat. If you are beating with a falso from the right the rules change slightly because it is difficult to thrust after that cut. You are thing looking to immediately follow up with a cut while their point is still out of presence.
Without going into examples of each one, you can throw blows that appear to be in range to draw out a parry or follow up attack, you can break range while staying in guard or changing guard, you can end cuts in wide guards. There are lots of options, but it all comes back to you have to give up one or more of the 5 tempi. For another look at invitation reading up on Meyer’s Provoker, Taker, Hitter is recommended. Notes on Footwork Keeping You Safe: In Aristotelian physics, time and movement are tied together as “Tempo.” This is an important concept to keep in mind, that often what makes a tempo longer or shorter is distance. This should make intuitive sense to a fencer. I can quicker stab a man 4 feet away from me than I can a man 8 feet away from me. If I hold my sword high above my head it might take longer to attack than the person with his sword a few inches from my chest. In this post I have talked a good deal about closing the distance, and positioning yourself closer to your opponent to make the follow up attack easier. If they do something unpredictable, or even just straight up outplay you, taking a step back to widen that measure is an option. As Viggiani says retire a couple of steps and make an invitation. This will increase the length of the tempo they have to take to attack you. Making it easier to respond. You will also see these repeated in Marozzo’s Sword and Buckler where he breaks range with a cut then pulls the front foot back to create more distance and wait for a parry. This requires that when you are stepping that you are balanced, and well connected to the ground without sinking like a ton of bricks with every step. How do we develop that type of footwork? Just step forward and back a lot as you do cutting practice, and focus on doing it fluidly. Understanding Viggiani's Lo Schermo https://www.academia.edu/11614404/Understanding_Viggianis_Lo_Schermo
For purposes of my own thoughts, and to get a discussion for anyone interested, I’m going to start analyzing plays every so often on this blog. With Tom Leoni’s new translation of Marozzo’s sword and buckler material it is no wonder I’m starting off with that.
The Play:
After the approach in Marozzo’s first Assault he has this play: From Guardia Alta:
This is actually a lot to unpack, and an interesting choice for the first play that Marozzo teaches after stepping into measure. At this point the book instructs us to act as the Agent, that is initiating the action. In a very Bolognese way, Marozzo chooses to start with a provocation. Assuming that the patient took the bait we parry by cutting to the rim of our buckler, and end in CDLS, ready to thrust. For the purposes of this article we will assume that the agent follows up with either a stocatta or imbrocatta.
Blade Work:
So what do we have to do to sell this action and be successful? Let's start off with the easy part, the blade work. You must present a reasonable threat to the patient. I like going over and some one past his buckler with my sword, or maybe even knocking it slightly. Done with structure and intent this can be very motivating the a defender. Immediately retract it over your left arm in preparation for the cut. If the patient should attempt to parry with the blade disengage from him and prep for your parry. The small bit of measure gained from slipping the foot back aids in this. What you must not do is get stuck in a hard bind for this play to work, at that point you would have to move into some other action. Foot Work: Now the hard part. The foot work. Passing in with the right foot is what sells this action. And you must sell the step. The slip is what gives you time and space to react, and keeps you safe, and it must be done instantly. Breaking measure with an attack makes it difficult for the opponent to determine exactly where we are going to end at. We must pick a spot that presents us as a reasonable threat, but not so far that we lose our balance, or must sink down into the step. When we land it must be a soft landing. My initial thought was to land on the ball of the foot, to retract the foot quickly. The problem with this is that it isn’t the way that someone would attack you, it looks and screams fake. IF YOU SINK INTO THE STEP FORWARD, YOU HAVE LOST YOUR TEMPO. So while maintaining most of your weight on your left leg, step forward landing gently on the heel or flat footed then instantly pull it back to the left foot. This is way harder to do under pressure than it sounds. Or even just in practice. The second step forward is explosive, or as M puts it “Boldly” Reclose that distance, for the parry. The Parry:
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1st Transition: Viggiani starts us off with the sword girded to our left side as though we were about to draw it from a sheath. The sword’s true edge should be facing down with the point backwards. This is a similar position to Fiore’s only posta for a single handed sword, or I.33’s underarm ward. You are standing up straight right foot pointed at your opponent, and left making a 45 to a 90 degree angle to the right. The right shoulder will be pushed forward almost pointing at the opponent. | 1st Guard, Sotto Il Brachio |
2nd Guard, Guardia Alicorno | From 1st, Viggi has us raise our right hand high and slightly to the back, at the same time we push of the ball of the left foot turning the heel slightly up and stepping about a hand span out to the right with the right foot. When you end the tip of the sword should be pointed at the opponent's chest, with the left shoulder slightly more forward than the right. Curiously enough Viggiani also has us bring the left arm across the front of the body so that it is on the right side. This transition is also the cut of Riverso Riddopio. This transition ends in Viggi's 2nd guard, typically called Alicorno in the rest of the Bolgonese systems. |
I need to have the tip pointed more down towards the chest.
2nd Transition: From 1st, raise your hand up high performing the same turns of the foot and body as you did in the first transition. Allow the sword to go further up till it points to the sky, then with a half turn back of the wrist you allow the sword to point back with the edge up at the sky. Remember to end with the back heel slightly off the ground, and the left shoulder forward of the right. This is Viggiani's 3rd guard, typically called Guardia Alta by the other masters. | 3rd Guard, Guardia Alta |
My front knee is collapsing inwards.
3rd Transition:
Because of the importance of this transition to Viggiani's system a rather long direct quote is needed, starting from 2nd:
"...now make a big step (Lunge), and make your right shoulder drive your arm as far forward as you can, and with your sword hand direct the aim of your point at my breast without making any turn of your hand, until it comes forward as far as it can come, and then, turn there the true edge of the sword toward the left side, and from here you descend finally to the ground, and it is necessary that you
make a half turn with your body at the same time that the blow is traveling, so that your right shoulder is somewhat lower than your left, and that it faces my chest; and the right foot trailing behind somewhat, bring yourself to rest again in good stride, and settle your feet, which are on the diagonal, and bend your knees a bit, and cause your sword hand to be located halfway between your knees, and your left arm to lower from high to low."
You will end in Viggiani's 4th Guard, Porta Di Ferro Larga.
As a bit of context Viggiani calls this the perfect offense (Imbrocata, or Punta lo Soprano), and is often used in conjunction with a rising parry as a counter attack, we will discuss this later. While you can end in a point online guard as you would in a rapier system having the point down and withdrawn is an invitation to the opponent to attack and prepares you for making a parry against an cut or thrust that can be thrown at you. This particular transition is also seen in Dall'Aggochie's paired form, but includes a stramazone in the middle.
Because of the importance of this transition to Viggiani's system a rather long direct quote is needed, starting from 2nd:
"...now make a big step (Lunge), and make your right shoulder drive your arm as far forward as you can, and with your sword hand direct the aim of your point at my breast without making any turn of your hand, until it comes forward as far as it can come, and then, turn there the true edge of the sword toward the left side, and from here you descend finally to the ground, and it is necessary that you
make a half turn with your body at the same time that the blow is traveling, so that your right shoulder is somewhat lower than your left, and that it faces my chest; and the right foot trailing behind somewhat, bring yourself to rest again in good stride, and settle your feet, which are on the diagonal, and bend your knees a bit, and cause your sword hand to be located halfway between your knees, and your left arm to lower from high to low."
You will end in Viggiani's 4th Guard, Porta Di Ferro Larga.
As a bit of context Viggiani calls this the perfect offense (Imbrocata, or Punta lo Soprano), and is often used in conjunction with a rising parry as a counter attack, we will discuss this later. While you can end in a point online guard as you would in a rapier system having the point down and withdrawn is an invitation to the opponent to attack and prepares you for making a parry against an cut or thrust that can be thrown at you. This particular transition is also seen in Dall'Aggochie's paired form, but includes a stramazone in the middle.
4th Guard, Porta Di Ferro Larga
Again I'm letting my front knee collapse inwards.
4th Transition From the 3rd Guard, you will cut down keeping your arm more or less straight and turning your body so that the right shoulder goes forward, and putting the back heel on the ground. The cut will end with the point at the opponent's chest, with the right hand above the right knee. Your body should be almost profiled to the opponent now. This teaches the mechanics of a Mandritto cut. This is Viggiani's 5th Guard, or Porta Di Ferro Stretta. He says that it is the best of the defensive guards, and to remember that it always threatens the thrust. | 5th Guard, Porta Di Ferro Stretta |
6th Guard, Coda Lunga Larga | 5th Transition From the 4th or 5th guard turn your hand so that the edge faces the right side of your body. Now move the sword back so that the blade goes to your left side and the point is facing back, lift your hand over your left shoulder and cut all the way down. Be sure to turn your left shoulder forward and push of the left ball of your foot to ensure proper core engagement. This is the Riverso. You are now in Viggiani's 6th Guard, or Coda Lunga Larga. |
I need to turn the left shoulder slightly more forward. Again with the knee.
6th Transition: Viggiani's final transition is a repeat of the 5th, with the exception that you stop the blow with the point aimed at the opponent's chest and the sword hand a hand span to the outside of the right knee. Pay attention to repeat pushing off the back heal and turning the left shoulder slightly forward. This is the 7th Guard, Coda Lunga Stretta. | 7th Guard, Coda Lunga Stretta |
Same issue with the left shoulder not being far enough forward.
Exercises
After going between this you should of noticed any time that you transition from the left to the right or vice versa that the back foot and the shoulders both turn. Repeat this action over and over again. It is the origin of power.
The following are a set of simple parried exercises that you can do in addition the prescribed transitions.
Universal Parry: Agent attacks with a mandritto, riverso, or stocatta thrust. Patient waits in 1st and parries by doing the first transition ending in Alicorno. Patient then counters with the 3rd transition thrusting an imbrocata into the Agent's chest.
Alternatively the patient can cut up into Guardia Alta beating the sword to the side and countering with a Mandrito Sgualembrato.
"Mezza Volta": Agent attacks the chest with a stocatta thrust. Patient waits in Porta Di Ferro Stretta, and parries by turning directly into Coda Lunga Stretta. Be sure to push off the back foot, turning the left hip and shoulder forward. Patient then thrust an Imbrocatta or Stocatta thrust at the Agent.
Falso Manco: Agent attacks with a stocatta or mandritto sgualembrato. Patient waits in Porta Di Ferro Larga and parries with a falso cut up (almost) to Guardia Alta, and then returns down the same line with a Mandritto Sgualembrato. This false edge cut will follow about a 45 degree path up.
There are several other exercises that can easily come from these transitions. Going through Dall'Agocchie's plays and applying these body mechanics is a great exercise, and will introduce you to more complex foot work.
The following are a set of simple parried exercises that you can do in addition the prescribed transitions.
Universal Parry: Agent attacks with a mandritto, riverso, or stocatta thrust. Patient waits in 1st and parries by doing the first transition ending in Alicorno. Patient then counters with the 3rd transition thrusting an imbrocata into the Agent's chest.
Alternatively the patient can cut up into Guardia Alta beating the sword to the side and countering with a Mandrito Sgualembrato.
"Mezza Volta": Agent attacks the chest with a stocatta thrust. Patient waits in Porta Di Ferro Stretta, and parries by turning directly into Coda Lunga Stretta. Be sure to push off the back foot, turning the left hip and shoulder forward. Patient then thrust an Imbrocatta or Stocatta thrust at the Agent.
Falso Manco: Agent attacks with a stocatta or mandritto sgualembrato. Patient waits in Porta Di Ferro Larga and parries with a falso cut up (almost) to Guardia Alta, and then returns down the same line with a Mandritto Sgualembrato. This false edge cut will follow about a 45 degree path up.
There are several other exercises that can easily come from these transitions. Going through Dall'Agocchie's plays and applying these body mechanics is a great exercise, and will introduce you to more complex foot work.
If you are interested in learning more about Viggiani I would recommend reading Greg Mele's paper "Understanding Viggiani's Lo Schermo" and taking a look at Jherek Swanger's Translation of Viggiani. Links to both found below.
Understanding Viggiani's Lo Schero
https://www.academia.edu/11614404/Understanding_Viggianis_Lo_Schermo
Translation:
http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Angelo_Viggiani_dal_Montone
Jherek Swanger
Understanding Viggiani's Lo Schero
https://www.academia.edu/11614404/Understanding_Viggianis_Lo_Schermo
Translation:
http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Angelo_Viggiani_dal_Montone
Jherek Swanger
Foot work is the foundation for everything we do as martial artist. If you don't have a stable connection to the ground, you can't move. If you can't move, you can't fight. That simple. We are going to take a look at some of the basics of footwork starting with posture, and try to make people more aware of what their bodies are doing.
Posture
Briefly let us look at posture. I am going to be borrowing from Steven Pearlman's "The Book of Martial Power" on this one.
Generally in martial arts when we stand, we want to keep our backs up straight. Imagine if your spinal column was a bunch of toilet paper rolls stacked on top of each other. What happens when we lean this forward or back? We get rolls all over the floor. Your body is much like this but we have a muscular system in place to keep from falling apart. So if you are leaning at an odd angel while moving, your muscles are exerting a force to keep you upright. This is low efficiency, and waste your energy. We wan't to use our skeleton to support its self.
Another thing we will see when leaning forward is the toddler walk. That is some one who is leaning so far forward that they are falling into each step like a toddler. A large part of martial arts is about being able to control your movement. This is mode of movement has no control. Maintaining your back up straight and lowering your stance makes it so you should be able to stop anywhere mid step and change directions. A great tell-tell of this is if your head is bobbing up and down. If you are stable and using your legs to propel you forward you should be able to walk with out your head bobbing up and down. Mirrors are a great tool for this!
Generally in martial arts when we stand, we want to keep our backs up straight. Imagine if your spinal column was a bunch of toilet paper rolls stacked on top of each other. What happens when we lean this forward or back? We get rolls all over the floor. Your body is much like this but we have a muscular system in place to keep from falling apart. So if you are leaning at an odd angel while moving, your muscles are exerting a force to keep you upright. This is low efficiency, and waste your energy. We wan't to use our skeleton to support its self.
Another thing we will see when leaning forward is the toddler walk. That is some one who is leaning so far forward that they are falling into each step like a toddler. A large part of martial arts is about being able to control your movement. This is mode of movement has no control. Maintaining your back up straight and lowering your stance makes it so you should be able to stop anywhere mid step and change directions. A great tell-tell of this is if your head is bobbing up and down. If you are stable and using your legs to propel you forward you should be able to walk with out your head bobbing up and down. Mirrors are a great tool for this!
P1. Book of Martial Power: The Toddler Walk. Notice the subject is straight limbed and leaning forward, falling into each step.
P2. Book of Martial Power: Proper Walk. Notice the subject's back is straight and his legs are bent so he can use his muscles rather than gravity to propel himself forward.
Knee Alignment
As a beginner the general rule is that you point your front toe at your opponent, or more properly in the direction that your weight is going. Your knee is a joint with a one degree of freedom. If your momentum is going forward and your knee is caving in to the left or right, you are torquing that joint and going to do long term damage to your knee. Guy Windsor has an excellent free course on Knee Health that I recommend everyone go through: https://swordschool.teachable.com/p/free-course-knee-maintenance
As can be seen in the figure on the side on the side in both images my front foot is pointed at my target. On the left however my knee is caving inward. This is that bad knee destroying habit that will also sap your mobility and stability. For years I yelled at myself and my students to check their knee alignment, typically believing that it was just point your toe and go. Recently, Russ, a friend of mine showed me a pretty easy way to fix this. When you tell people to put the weight on the ball of their foot most put it on the ball of the big toe, the first metatarsal. This will naturally cause your knee to cave inwards. By focusing your weight on your fourth metatarsal, that is the "ring finger toe" it causes your knee to pull into proper alignment.
As can be seen in the figure on the side on the side in both images my front foot is pointed at my target. On the left however my knee is caving inward. This is that bad knee destroying habit that will also sap your mobility and stability. For years I yelled at myself and my students to check their knee alignment, typically believing that it was just point your toe and go. Recently, Russ, a friend of mine showed me a pretty easy way to fix this. When you tell people to put the weight on the ball of their foot most put it on the ball of the big toe, the first metatarsal. This will naturally cause your knee to cave inwards. By focusing your weight on your fourth metatarsal, that is the "ring finger toe" it causes your knee to pull into proper alignment.
Foot Work Found in Bolgonesse
Passing Step
Lets start off with possibly the simplest and most natural foot work, the passing step. You start in a guard left or right foot forward, keeping your head stable, back upright, knees aligned and lowered and all that other good stuff step forward with your back foot. If you are new to martial arts do it slowly and really focus on staying stable. Good, just like walking, now go backwards. Awesome. This is basic linear stepping. Next you should work on going off on 45 degree angles to the outside, forwards and backwards.
Compass Step
Building on the passing step, we step 45 degrees to the outside with a pass, the like a cartographer's compass we bring our back foot around to create a new center line. This is the start of circular movement, and is good for changing angles.
Lets start off with possibly the simplest and most natural foot work, the passing step. You start in a guard left or right foot forward, keeping your head stable, back upright, knees aligned and lowered and all that other good stuff step forward with your back foot. If you are new to martial arts do it slowly and really focus on staying stable. Good, just like walking, now go backwards. Awesome. This is basic linear stepping. Next you should work on going off on 45 degree angles to the outside, forwards and backwards.
Compass Step
Building on the passing step, we step 45 degrees to the outside with a pass, the like a cartographer's compass we bring our back foot around to create a new center line. This is the start of circular movement, and is good for changing angles.
Shuffle Step
On of Dall'Agocchie's favorites, and he uses it in two tempo defenses. From your guard, bring your back foot up to the front one, then step out with it as though you had done a passing step, OR push the other foot forward. Experiment with doing this straight, and to both the left and right with each foot.
On of Dall'Agocchie's favorites, and he uses it in two tempo defenses. From your guard, bring your back foot up to the front one, then step out with it as though you had done a passing step, OR push the other foot forward. Experiment with doing this straight, and to both the left and right with each foot.
The Lunge
While not as stretched out as later rapier masters the early Bolognese masters have a some what shorter lunge. Dall'Agocchie prescribes this for single time or mezza tempo defenses. That is some one attacks and you stab them while intercepting their blade. To perform this from your stance push of your back foot lifting your front foot slightly off the ground. You will land slightly on your heel, this should not be a hard landing at all. Typically you will pass backwards to recover from this. Think of this more as a lunge from older military saber manuals than as a rapier lunge.
While not as stretched out as later rapier masters the early Bolognese masters have a some what shorter lunge. Dall'Agocchie prescribes this for single time or mezza tempo defenses. That is some one attacks and you stab them while intercepting their blade. To perform this from your stance push of your back foot lifting your front foot slightly off the ground. You will land slightly on your heel, this should not be a hard landing at all. Typically you will pass backwards to recover from this. Think of this more as a lunge from older military saber manuals than as a rapier lunge.
Boar's Tooth Cinghaira Porta di Ferro is a guard that has the left foot forward and the sword to the left of the center line of the body. Dall'Agocchie states that you step well out to the left in this position. The left foot is turned to the left, breaking our beginner's rule of point the foot at the opponent. Actually Marozzo does this all the time. This is a position similar to Kung Fu's Scissor stance and forgive the corniness of the video but it is a good explanation of how to practice it. Practice doing squats just as they show in the video, then work on passing into Boar's tooth with your left foot turned out and the sword on the left side of your body, then pass with the right still keeping the sword to the left of your body. It basically shouldn't move. This type of passing foot work is also found in rapier, it keeps the body profiled the whole time. |
Cross Line Step This is the cousin to the compass step. But rather than step to the outside you step to the inside across the center line of your body. Oh look! I'm in another Scissor Stance like position. As you do this you will turn your passing foot so that the toe is facing the new center line and then bring the back foot around and you will end in a stable stance. This changes the angles and gives you lots of extra options. DrillsSo I have hit some of the positions that you find in Bolgonese Fencing. This is martial arts basics 101, and should be drilled every time you practice. Drill it till it's smooth and when it's smooth its fast. Here is a quick set of exercises to build up your legs and strengthen your foot work. I'm not going into detail about this but just giving a good place to start. |
Air Squats: Google these, if they are too easy for you try Goblet Squats or move on to lunges.
Walking Lunges: Step Forward and squat down till your back knee almost hits the ground, back up take a passing step and go up and down the Salle like this.
Scissor Squats: Remember the Scissor Stance? Make an exercise of going down into it and back up.
As far as solo drilling goes it is hard to beat Ilkka Hartikainen's video from a few years back. But if I put this first no one would of read all my ramblings :D
Walking Lunges: Step Forward and squat down till your back knee almost hits the ground, back up take a passing step and go up and down the Salle like this.
Scissor Squats: Remember the Scissor Stance? Make an exercise of going down into it and back up.
As far as solo drilling goes it is hard to beat Ilkka Hartikainen's video from a few years back. But if I put this first no one would of read all my ramblings :D
Will Phillips
Instructor at Dallas Renaissance Sword Guild, and co-founder of East Texas Historical Fencing.
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