Introduction
Up to this point, we’ve been concentrating on attacks made from Guardia Alta. The interesting point in Manciolino’s manual is that he doesn’t describe the riverso being thrown from Guardia Alta. So, keeping true to the instructions, I moved on to using Sopra il Braccio as the starting guardia. This actually builds on what we’ve seen before as this guardia is one of the guards that we cut to, so we’re building on teaching the students the primary action that can be made from the position they have cut to.
Revision
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From Guardia Alta, pass with your right foot throwing a tramazzone that ends in Porta di Ferro Larga. Defend the head with your buckler.
[Manciolino Libro 2, 2nd Assault] -
From Guardia Alta, pass with the right foot turning a tramazzone, ending in Porta di Ferro Larga. Immediately pass left with the left foot and thrust to the right side of the enemy's face to draw the parry. Transport the enemy's sword to your inside with the left hand (buckler or hand grab is not indicated) and hit with a mandritto to the head, or where open.
[Manciolino Libro 2, 2nd Assault] -
From Guardia Alta, cut a tramazzone, ending in Porta di Ferro. The enemy will then throw some blow to your uncovered body, which you will defend by parrying with Guardia di Testa, passing forward with the right foot. Riposte with a mandritto to the face or thigh, warding the head with the buckler. Pass back the right foot to place yourself out of distance.
[Manciolino Libro 1, Capitolo 3]
Concept 1 – Offensive Action Using Riverso On The Pass
From Sopra il Braccio, pass left throwing a riverso.
[Manciolino Libro 1, Capitolo 9]
Teaching Note
This first concept was used to cement the footwork for the left pass, as well as to introduce the concept of pulling cuts and pushing cuts.
For the pulling cut, the student extends the hand bringing the sword tip forward, pulling the body into the cut, with the impact to the right side of the opponent's head occurring around the point of the percussion. It's important to ensure that the cut comes through in the correct vertical line of ear to knee, not horizontally. The sword hand should be somewhere between the line of your sternum to you right shoulder, so that the sword is cutting into the target, not besides the target. Cutting along the target is a very common mistake, and happens when the student keeps their hand in front of the left shoulder. After the impact is made, the sword hand pulls into Coda Lunga Alta on the corrective step with the right foot.
For the pushing cut, the student extend the hand bringing the sword tip forward, pulling the body into the cut. The impact to the right side of the head occurs at the tip with the sword sliding forward to the point of percussion into Guardia di Faccia. At the time of impact the hand should be just below the height of the shoulder, moving to just above the shoulder during the slicing push. Again the sword hand cuts from in front of the right shoulder to ensure there is pressure applied during the slicing action.
Concept 2 – Offensive Combination Using Two Riversi
From Sopra il Braccio, you can throw a riverso, and redouble with the same.
[Manciolino Libro 1, Capitolo 9]
Teaching Note
The key to the redoubled riverso is the pushing cut. The first cut is delivered as a pushing cut thrown to Guardia di Faccia, followed by a pulling cut thrown to a Coda Lunga guardia. If the pushing cut is made with the sword hand above the buckler hand the redoubled cut is made to the head as well. If however it is made with the sword hand below the buckler hand, the redoubled cut is made to the body or upper thigh. The finishing guardia will be Cods Lunga Alta after a left pass ans Coda Lunga Stretta after a right pass.
Concept 3 – Offensive Combination Using Riverso, Fendente & Tramazzone
From Sopra il Braccio, throw together a riverso, a fendente, and a tramazzone.
[Manciolino Libro 1, Capitolo 9]
Teaching Note
This is a variation of Concept 2, where the first cut is actually a pulling cut, with the fendente as a pushing cut to Guardia di Faccia setting us up for the tramazzone that follows. This combination can work with either a passing step or a pass and traverse step.