Gran Simulacro plate 7

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Facsimile
Plate 7 illustration and description. Click images to enlarge.

The present and subsequent figures demonstrate diverse manners of wounding on the outside, always presupposing a stringering on the inside and a disengage by the adversary in a thrust for the attack.

Contents 1 Translation 2 Interpretation 2.1 Simple reaction 2.2 Basic Play 2.2.1 Sequence 2.2.2 Videos 2.2.3 Key Points 2.2.4 Patient's Error 2.2.5 Demonstrated Principles 2.3 Intelligent Play 2.3.1 Sequence 2.3.2 Videos 2.3.3 Key Points 2.3.4 Agent's Error 2.3.5 Demonstrated Principles 3 See also 4 References

Translation

The present and subsequent figures demonstrate diverse manners of wounding on the outside, always presupposing a constraining on the inside and a disengage by the adversary in a thrust for the attack.

For an explanation of the following figure I say that D having the sword constrained to the inside of the figure marked C, the same C disengages to attack with a thrust to the chest of D. D then attacks with a thrust to the left eye with a firm foot or an increase of a step as seen in the figure. But still I say that if C had been clever, when disengaging he would have disengaged by way of a feint, with his body held back, and D, in approaching, would have been confident in attacking C. Then C would have parried the enemy's sword with the false or the true edge to the outside, giving him a mandritto to the face or an imbroccata to the chest and then he would return to a low fourth.

Interpretation

Simple reaction

One fencer has discovered that his sword is constrained: he cannot attack on the inside line, because his opponent's sword is in a position of superior strength. However, in doing so, the opponent has uncovered his outside line, so the fencer disengages to that line, and lunges.

Basic Play

Sequence

1. The agent is standing in fourth the patient in third.
2. The agent constrains the blade of the patient on the inside.

   

3. The patient performs a disengage to deliver a thrust to the chest of the agent.
4. The agent strikes in countertempo in second on the outside with a lunge if required.

   

Videos

Key Points

• Place the body well behind the sword when striking in second as seen in the figure.

Why? This motion causes the body to move from the right side of the sword to the left while the sword moves in the opposite direction, placing you behind the cover of your weapon faster. It also places the strength of your body behind the strong of the blade giving you greater leverage while increasing your ability to cross the line from left to right by virtue of your body and sword guard being more to the left of the intended target during the strike.

Patient's Error

• The patient allowed themselves to be constrained.
• From the constrained position the patient moved immediately to attack. They should have performed a feint (see the intelligent play of this plate) or attempted to recover to a stronger position by stepping back and freeing the blade from constraint before coming again to strike in a more dominant position^[1].

Demonstrated Principles

• The use of Countertempo.

Intelligent Play

Sequence

1. The agent is standing in fourth, the patient in third.
2. The agent constrains the blade of the patient on the inside.

   

3. The patient performs a disengage making a feint to the outside by leaning only the upper-body, leaving the hips and weight unshifted.
4. The agent comes to strike in second on the outside.

   

5. The patient has one of two options:
   1. Expel the blade of the agent with a false-edge cut, followed by a direct cut to the face of the agent.

      

   2. Or, parry the blade with the true edge in second, and then as the agent recovers, strike in first with an over-arm thrust to the chest.

      

Videos

Video of direct cut follow-up.	Video of over-arm thrust follow-up.

Key Points

• This play occurs after the patient has been constrained, not during the tempo of constraining.
• Make the false-edge cut short and sharp so that it allows you to make the true edge cut before your opponent begins their recovery.
  • The true-edge cut should be made along whichever line allows you access to their face. Generally this is a falling or horizontal cut.
• When parrying in second, make your parry by withdrawing your arm in a second position, which allows you to apply your strong and keep your point on-line with your opponent.

Agent's Error

• The agent misread the play and believed the feint of the patient.

This type of error can be aggravated by moving out of order, i.e. when lunging, the sword arm begins the motion, followed by the shoulders, the hips and then the feet. If you move the body too early, your ability to change your action is limited.

• The agent moved in greater proportion to the patient.

A tempo is still expended by the patient when making the feint, the error in one perspective is that the length of the agent's tempo in their response was too long, giving the patient opportunity to conduct another action (in this case a counter) before the agent was able to respond.

Demonstrated Principles

• How to recover from a constrained position through a feint and the withdrawal of the sword by means of a cut or parry.

See also

• The first alternate sequence in plate 22 of Fabris's Scienza d'Arme is nearly identical to the basic play here: a fencer is wounded because his attack by disengage is of a longer tempo than his opponent's straight-line thrust.

References

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