First assalto of Marozzo old translation

The translation that follows is an older translation. We are including it in WMAWiki for legacy reasons.

Translation

The first assault of the wide play of sword and buckler.
Now here begins the first assault of the sword and small buckler, that is beautiful and useful in sparring and teaching. Note: the first need of fencing is to find your partner.

I want you to place yourself in a corner of the hall with your buckler at your lower left side, that is on the thigh, and your right foot close to your left, withdrawn neatly, and with the sword in Coda Lunga et Larga, your arm extended, and your body right and galant as much as possible.

I want you now to step forward with your right foot, and in this step I want you to strike the falso of your sword to the dome of your buckler, and in this striking, turn the dome away from your face, then step with your left leg in a grand-pass in front of your right, and in this step beat the buckler and place your sword into Guarda di Testa with the arm well extended. Then turn the point of the sword towards the ground with the false-edge towards your buckler and there you throw a falso of the buckler in this way:

cut upwards with your right hand, and in the cut make a molinello while passing forward with your right foot. Then perform another bringing your left foot in front. You will end above the buckler arm and you will beat the buckler with your pommel to the inside of the rim and there throw your sword fist ahead of your buckler, turning the point towards the ground, and in this turn cut a rising falso of the buckler. In this cut throw your right foot forward and make a rising montante, immediately withdrawing your right foot close to your left, the sword ending in Guardia Alta with your buckler extended.

Then you cut a fendente along the rim of the buckler stepping your right foot behind and that being done you pull the left foot alongside the right, and your sword will rest in Coda Lunga et Distesa. Then you make a grand pass with the left foot ahead of the right, and in this step make a beat to the buckler and bring the sword to Guardia di Testa. Cut again upwards a falso to the dome of the buckler, and in this cut make a grand pass with the right foot ahead of the left, and make a rising montante along the buckler, immediately withdrawing the right foot close to the left. Your sword will be in Guardia Alta with your arms well extended, and your left thigh away from the opponent, and your right foot well extended, and withdrawn galantly. You, the agente, are now close to your opponent, as is the need whether you are the agente or the patiente.

First part

Translation

But being that you are the Agente, that is the first to wound; I want you to be in Guardia Alta and to step forward with your right foot and cut a Mandritto Squalembrato that goes over the arm, with the buckler well extended toward the right side of your opponent.

Quickly recover your right foot close to your left and if in that tempo your opponent cuts at your head or leg with a mandritto or a roverso, or a thrust or a tramazzon, I want you, in that tempo, to make a pass forward with your right foot and cut a roverso squalembrato along the rim of your buckler, arriving in Coda Longa e Stretta.

And if your opponent cuts to your head, I want you to make a thrust under your buckler to your opponent's face. Accompany your firm thrust with two tramazzoni with your sword coming to rest in Porta di Ferro Stretta.

If while resting in Porta di Ferro Stretta your opponent cuts at your head, I want you accompany your sword with your buckler together in Guardia di Testa, and there parry his blow. Having parried him, immediately cut a Mandritto Tondo to his leg while pulling your right close to your left, then step forward again with your right and cut a roverso squalembrato. Immediately follow with a rising Montante along the buckler, with your sword coming to rest in Guardia Alta, drawing your right foot close to your left, gallantly arranged with your arms well extended.

From there I want you to embellish the play, that is, pass your right foot behind your left while cutting a Fendente along the rim of the buckler, and in that cut draw the left foot close to the right. I want you to then immediately re-advance your left leg ahead of your right and beat your buckler, and in that beating make a half turn of your hand, directing the point of the sword toward the ground and there beat the dome of the buckler with your false edge, with everything rising, bring your right foot ahead of your left and cut a montante to the buckler. That done, draw the right foot close to the left and the sword arriving in Guardia Alta, with the buckler extended as much as possible.

Second part

Translation

Remaining in Guardia Alta, I want you to step forward with your right foot while cutting a Mandritto over the arm. Immediately pull your right foot close to your left and then pass with your left foot toward the right side of your opponent, and in that pass make a roverso toward his right temple, your sword does not pass into Guardia di Testa.

In one tempo step with your right foot toward your opponent's left side and make a fendente with a tramazon to his head, with your left foot following in-behind your right and the sword will not pass into Porta di Ferro Alta. And if your opponent cuts at your head as he is likely to do, I want you to tightly bring your sword and shield together and forward, that is to say in Guardia di Testa, with your arms well extended and thus parry the blow of your opponent. Immediately give a mandritto tondo to the leg, going beneath the buckler, and in the next tempo make a roverso squalembrato, and having made this cut make a montante upward and in this cut draw your right foot close to your left.

Now to embellish the play, pass backward with your right foot behind your left, making a fendente along the rim of the buckler with your arm well extended and in one tempo draw the left foot close to the right and immediately pass the same foot ahead and make a beat of the buckler, that is with the pommel of the sword to the buckler and your sword entering into Guardia di Testa with the arm well extended in front of you. And then turn the point of your sword toward the ground and beat the falso of your sword to the outside of your buckler moving upwards. Pass forward during the beat, with your right foot ahead of the left, and in this pass make a Montante cut along the rim of the buckler and your sword will arrive in Guardia Alta with your right foot pulled close to your left and the buckler arm well extended to the right and the wrist oriented upward, and your sword arm well arranged and extended in Guardia Alta, that is with the pommel of the sword turned away from the face of your opponent and your right foot withdrawn.