Marozzo's Sword Alone

Abatimento di Spada Sola of Achille Marozzo

Instructions translated by Roland Cooper. Be Gentle.

NB. Marozzo uses "segato" and "traversato" without really defining them, to my knowledge. "Segato" means "sawing" or "slicing." "Traversato" means "crossing". I take "traversato" to mean an attack on an oblique line, i.e. across the line of attack, rather than along the line of attack. A traversato often targets the extended/extending sword arm.

Chapter 94. Which deals with the abbattimento of the sword alone.

This is an abatimento of the sword alone, which is an excellent thing for wounding someone who comes to wound you with a sharp sword in hand...

• Now, look that I want you to set yourself in coda longa e stretta, with the right foot forward and the left arranged behind the right, and your left hand behind your back, and your sword arm well extended to the right of your enemy.
• And from here you throw a false edge tondo to your enemy's face, together with a mandritto fendente which falls into porta di ferro larga, advancing your right foot as you strike.
• If your enemy then strikes at your head or leg, in that tempo throw a falso from below at your enemy's sword hand and then cut him with a redoubled fendente traversato to his face--namely that you throw two in one motion--your left leg chases the right forward and your sword falls into porta di ferro larga.
• Resting in the same porta di ferro larga, your enemy strikes a stoccata or a mandritto to the head or a roverso. I want you to beat the false edge of your sword against any of the blows and, with this beat, you should take a large step forward with your left foot, across from your enemy's right side, giving him a roverso to his head with your pass, as your foot lands.
• For your retreat you throw your left foot a long step behind the right, and in this step you deliver a mandritto traversato to his sword arm that falls into porta di ferro stretta.
• Then make a half turn of the fist and set yourself in coda longa e stretta, as I said before, with your arm well extended to the right of your enemy, and the left foot as above.

Chapter 95. Which deals with the second part.

• Now, remaining in coda longa e stretta and your enemy in the same guard, or coda longa e alta, I want you to advance your left foot and, as you advance, give a falso impuntanto, aka a tondo, to your enemy's sword, then slice his face with a roverso tondo, advancing your right foot at the same time.
• Then, for your retreat, throw your right foot behind the left, striking a roverso sgualembrato de gamba levata, ending in coda longa e alta.

Chapter 96. Which speaks of four counters against the thrust.

• Now, as you rest in coda longa e alta, your enemy throws a stoccata at your face, against which I give you four counters that are very safe and secure.
• First, advance your right foot strongly to your enemy's left, sending your true edge against his stoccata, then:
  • Push a punta roversa to his face, OR
  • Cut a roverso to the same target, OR
  • Beat your false edge against the thrust, rising from below, OR
  • While you make the step to the enemy's left you can throw a roverso traversato that falls on his sword arm.
• When you parry the stoccata and have pushed a punta roversa, don't move your sword from guardia di faccia, because if he throws a mandritto tondo or a fendente or a stoccata or a thrust I want you to parry this blow on the edge of your sword in the manner of guardia d'intrare.
  • In the tempo of that parry, pass your left foot to your enemy's right and give him a roverso to the right temple.
  • Your right foot goes behind the left foot and your sword does not pass coda longa & alta. In this way you return to the perfect guard to defend against a stoccata.
• Again, when you have parried the stoccata and cut a roverso to his face I want you to hurl your right foot behind the left and, as you step, throw another roverso traversato de gamba levata. Your sword comes back to coda longa & alta, as I said above, namely with the left foot forward.
• And again, having parried the stoccata with your sword's false edge from below, throw then a slicing roverso to the leg.
  • Then, for your retreat, hurl your right foot behind the left and, as you step, give a rising falso traversato to his sword arm, and a slicing fendente to his face, and your sword returns to the same guard mentioned above.

Chapter 97. Which deals with the aforementioned thrust.

• If you remain as advised above, still in the guard of coda longa e alta, and your enemy throws a thrust at you, you know that I told you above to pass your right foot forward, across from the left side of your enemy, throwing a roverso traversato as you step.
• With this done, for your retreat, throw your right foot behind the left and then throw a mandritto to his sword arm. The mandritto ends in porta di ferro cinghiara. Then make a half turn of the fist and thus return as advised above, namely into coda longa e alta.

Chapter 98. Which deals again against the same thrust.

• If you are in coda longa e alta again, and he delivers a stoccata, in the same tempo as his attack I want you to pass your right foot strongly to his left and, as you pass, thrust your point into his flank.
• That done, make a half turn of your fist and set yourself in coda longa e stretta with your right foot forward and well arranged, and your sword arm well extended to the right of the enemy, and your left foot arranged behind the right.

Chapter 99. Which covers attacking with a mandritto.

• You are in coda longa e stretta, and your enemy in coda longa e alta, or coda longa e stretta like you.
• From here I want you to throw your left foot to his right side and, as you step, throw a strong mandritto across his sword hand, so that your sword falls into cinghiara porta di ferro stretta.
• Immediately step forward with your right foot and give his leg a roverso.
• For your retreat, hurl your right foot behind the left and, as you step, throw another roverso sgualembrato de gamba levata. Your sword will fall into coda longa e alta.
• From there throw the right foot forward and set yourself in porta di ferro stretta with the left leg arranged behind the right.

Chapter 100. On the final part of the abbattimento of the swords alone.

• You have arrived in porta di ferro stretta with your enemy in the same guard as you.
• I want you to send your right foot forward and to beat a falso rising from below into your enemy's sword, so that your joins together with his, false edge to false edge.
• Then I want you to step strongly with your left foot across from his right side, sending your leg outside his right leg, so that he cannot do a gambata. As you step left with your left foot, make a half turn of your fist and push a punta dritta at his face with your hand high, so that he has to trop his arm to the outside to parry the thrust.
• Then you can hurl your left hand to his sword or to his sword arm and do a presa.
• If you don't want to do a presa, pass your right foot to his left side as he parries and give a mandritto traversato to his sword arm as your step, or a doubled mandritto to his head, such that you strike twice in one tempo, and the last blow falls into porta di ferro larga.
• From there, if your enemy strikes any blow, beat his sword with a rising falso and give his head a roverso, passing your left foot to his right side.
• For your retreat, hurl your right foot behind the left and, as you step, strike an overhand thrust to his face, your sword falling into porta di ferro. Then make a half turn of the fist and set yourself in coda longa e stretta with your right foot forward, well arranged.