The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12 · Fighting move 4 – Fighting move 7
Three manner of waies for the holding of a Rapier.
THere are three waies for the holding of a Rapier, the one with the thumb forward or vponupon the Rapier blade, and that I call the naturall faſhion, there is another way, and that is with the whole hand within the pummell of thy Rapier, and the thumbe locking in of the fore-finger, or elſe they muſt both ioyne at the leaſt: this is a good holding at ſingle Rapier.
Then the third is but to hauehave onelie the fore-finger and thy thumbe within the pummell of thy Rapier, and thy other three fingers about thy pummell, and beare the button of thy pummell againſt the in-ſide of thy little finger; this is called the Stokata faſhion, and theſe two laſt are the ſureſt and ſtrongeſt waies: after a little practiſe thou maieſt vſe them all three in thy practiſe, and then repoſe thy ſelfe vponupon that which thou findeſt beſt, but at ſome times, and for ſome purpoſe all theſe kindes of holding thy Rapier may ſtead thee, for a man may performe ſome manner of ſlips and thruſts, with one of theſe three ſortes of holding thy weapon; and thou canſt not doe the ſame with neither of the other: as thus, thou maieſt put in a thruſt with more celeritie, holding him by the pummell, and reach further then thou canſt doe, if thou holde him on either of the two other faſhions.
Againe, thou maieſt turne in a ſlippe, or an ouerhand thruſt, if thou put thy thumbe vponupon thy Rapier according as I hauehave ſet it downe, calling it the naturall faſhion, and is the firſt of the three waies for holding of thy Rapier; and this faſhion will bee a great ſtrength to thee, to giuegive a wriſt blowe, the which blow a man may ſtrike with his Rapier, becauſe it is of ſmall force, and conſumes little time, and neither of the other two faſhions of holding wil not perform neither of thoſe three things; for if thou holde thy rapier either of the two ſecond waies, thou canſt not turne in a ſlippe, nor an ouer-hand thruſt, nor giuegive a wriſt blow ſo ſpeedily, nor ſo ſtrong: wherefore it is good to make a change of the holding of thy weapon for thine owne benefite, as thou ſhalt ſee occaſion: and likewiſe to make a change of thy guard, according as thou ſeeſt thy beſt aduantage; I meane if thou be hardly matched, then betake thee vntounto thy ſureſt guard, but if thou be matched with an vnskilful man, then with skill thou maieſt defend thy ſelfe, although thou lie at randome.
The reaſon that your points ſhould be ſo high, as you may ſee your enemie plainely and cleerely vnderunder them, is for a ſure defence of a blowe, if your enemie ſhould charge you therewith to either ſide the head, then beare them both double together, and hauing defended the blowe, preſently turne downe the point of your Rapier toward your enemies thigh, and with turning your knuckles inward, ſteppe forth with foote and hand together, whether you hitte or miſſe, retreit nimbly into your guard and diſtance againe.
And although I doe aduiſe you to keepe the point of your Rapier ſo high, yet withall I doe warne you, that you maie hauehave a ſpeciall care to fall your point, and with all thruſt him out, if your enemie doe ouerreach or preſſe in vponupon you, whether it bee vponupon choller, or vponupon ſtomake, or vponupon a kinde of fooliſh bold hardineſſe, or if hee make a paſſage vponupon you, or if hee doe breake diſtance by anie of thoſe waies, although hee doe it neuer ſo actiuelie, yet may you defend your ſelfe with your Dagger and either offend your enemie by a ſuddaine falling the point, and with the ſame motion chop in with a thruſt to that part which lieth moſt diſcouered as you may quickly perceiue when you ſee his lying.
The cunningeſt man that is, and if hee meete with one skilfull, with whom hee is to encounter withall, cannot before hand ſay in ſuch a place I will ſure hit thee; no more, then a gameſter when he goeth to play can ſay before he beginne, that hee will ſure win, for if he doe, he may be prooued a lier if his cunning were neuer ſo good.
So that before hand you cannot determin where to hit your enemy, but when you ſee your enemies gard, then it is eaſie to iudge where it is open, if thou knoweſt a cloſe gard thy ſelfe, for hee which cannot write himſelfe, can giuegive but ſmall Iudgement whether another write well or ill, and if thine enemie doe incroach within thy diſtance, then bee doing with him betimes in the verie inſtant of his motion whether it be motion of his body, or the motion of his weapon, or in the motion of both together: put out thy point, but not to farre, but as thou maieſt hauehave thy rapier vnderunder command for thy owne defence, and alſo to prouide him ready againe to make a full thruſt home vponupon a greater aduantage, for if thou anſwere a ful thruſt home, in the inſtant of thy enemies aſſault, thou maieſt endanger thy ſelfe if thy enemie doe falſifie his thruſt, and therefore make your thruſt ſhort at the firſt, or if your enemie doe beare his points anie thing abroad, then you may fall in betwixt them, either to his face or breaſt, or if his fore foote ſtand two foote diſtant or leſſe from the other if hee ſtand not cloſe, then you may hurt him in the knee or legge, either with thruſt or blow as hee ſtandeth in his guard without anie danger to your ſelfe, and that is no killing place.
Likewiſe it is ſaid before looke vnderunder both your weapons, if with on eye you looke ouer either of weapons, you may bee hit one the ſame ſide, either face, head, or ſhoulder, either with thruſt or blow before you can put vp either of your weapons in his place to defend it, and this know and remember it well, it is the nature of an Engliſhman to ſtrike with what weapon ſoeuer hee fighteth with all, and not one in twenty but in furie and anger will ſtrike vntounto no other place but onelyonly to the head, therefore alwaies if you fight with rapier and dagger, yet expect a blow ſo well as a thruſt, and alwaies defend the blow double as aforeſaid, but if your rapier point be downe vnderunder your dagger, you cannot put him vp time enough to defend a blow, but muſt take it ſingle on the dagger, or on the pate, for if your skill were neuer ſo good truſting to the dagger onelie you may bee deceiued by reaſon of the ſharpeneſſe of your dagger, if the blow light neere the point it may glance ouer, and ſo hit you on the head, and alſo by reaſon of the ſhortneſſe of your dagger which are now moſt commonly worne of all men, for I hauehave knowne men of good skill deceiued by truſting to the point, or dagger onelyonly for the defence of a blow, the dagger is not ſure to defend it.
For looke how much you ſtep wide you looſe ſo much ground forwards.But when you make anie plaie to your enemie whether it be offer, or an anſwer, ſtop, right as a line forwards from your left foote, for if you ſtop halfe a foote wide with the forefoote of the ſtreight arme as it were by rule, then you looſe halfe a foote of your ſpace betwixt you and your enemie, and if you ſtep likewiſe a foote wide, then you looſe likewiſe a foote of aduantage. For your inſtruction herein, when you practiſe in a chamber, looke what boord you ſtand vponupon, you ſhould in deliuering either of blow or thruſt, alwaies ſteps foorth with your right foote vponupon the ſame boord which the left foote ſtandeth on, for looke how much you left your fore foote wide of the ſtraight line towards your enemie, you looſe ſo much in your reach forward, as in your practiſe you maie ſee the triall and vſed often in practiſe in ſome Chambers with your friend vntill you are perfect, and in your practiſe, keepe your left foote faſt moared, that as an Anchor pulleth home the ſhip, ſo the left foote muſt pluck home the right foote and bodie into the right place of diſtance againe, or as the helme guideth the ſhip, euen ſo the left foote muſt guide the bodie, alwaies bearing thy full belly towards thy enemie, I meane the one ſhoulder ſo neere as the other, for if thou wreathe thy bodie in turning the one ſide neare to thy enemie then the other, thou doſt not ſtand in thy ſtrength, nor ſo readie to performe an anſwere, as when thy whole bodie lieth towards thy enemie.
The manners of a paſſage.
A Paſſage is to bee made aduiſedlie with a nimble actiuitie and celerity of the bodie, for hee which wil goe in with a paſſage & eſcape, or go cleere awaie with all, the which is verie hardly to bee done if thy enemie be skilfull, and therefore in the performance thereof, thou muſt hauehave great skill, much practiſe and good iudgement, eſpecially in obſeruing the point of thy enemies weapon, and likewiſe thou muſt not conſume one iote of time in thy performance, for ſo ſoone as thou ſeeſt thy enemie beare his point ſteadie in anie guarde, whether it bee high or low, as if hee doe beare his point a loft, then ſtep in with thy left foote with a ſudden iumpe, and clap thy Dagger vnderunder his Rapier croſſe-waies, and ſo bearing vp his point ouer thy head, and at the verie ſame inſtant that thou ioyneſt with his Rapier, then chop in with thy Rapier point withall to offend him, but thou muſt conſume no time in ſtaying anie ſpace betwixt thy Defence and Offence, for thou muſt not make two times of that which may be done at one time, and againe, it is thy greater aduantage to doe it quickly, if thy enemie doe lie in a ſteadie guard, but if hee keepe the point of his Rapier variable, then it is not to bee done but with the greateſt danger of all.
The ſecond opportunitie to paſſe vponupon your enemie you hauehave, if your enemie doe carrie the point of his Rapier ſo low as your girdle ſtead, or there-abouts, then you muſt ſtep in with your left foote, and with your dagger ſtrike awaie the point of his Rapier, and with the ſame let your Rapier paſſe vntounto his bodie, as beforeſaid, I meane both at one time.
The third aduantage is if your enemie doe laie the point of his Rapier neere, or vponupon the ground, then ſtep in with thy hindermoſt foote and croſſe your Dagger ouerthwart his Rapier, keeping his Rapier downe, ſo that hee cannot raiſe his point before that you hauehave hit him, and are recouered to your diſtance againe.
The fourth waie is you being both in your guard according to the firſt picture, or anie other guard according to your practiſe, and then faine a thruſt downe to his knee, but preſentlie raiſe your point againe with a iumpe foure foote ſide-waies towards the left ſide of your enemie, and mount vp your Rapier hand withall, and put in your thruſt ouer your enemies Dagger, into his Dagger ſhoulder, and ſo with all poſſible ſpeede recouer your guard and diſtance againe, by ſpringing or iumping towards the left hand of your enemie, and ſo you fall away from danger of his point: but in falling backe againe, your Dagger muſt be prepared to defend a ſecond, or a parting thruſt, if your enemy ſhould charge you therwithall immediatly.
Yet there is another kinde of paſſage, and that is an anſwer vponupon your enemies proffer, if your enemie do offer a thruſt at you, defend it with turning downward the point of your Dagger, and at the very ſame inſtant ſlippe in with your left foote, and put in your thruſt into his bodie, for by ſtepping in with the left foote it goeth in ſo ſtrongly, that it is hardly to bee preuented.
Some that are ignorant will ſay that it is not poſſible to defend a paſſage, but I ſay there is no deuiſe to hit a man neither with thruſt nor blow, but there is a true defence to be ſhewne by one that is skilfull, but yet not eueryevery one that profeſſeth himſelfe to be a Fencer cannot teach true defence, but it muſt be ſuch as hauehave beene grounded in the true art of Defence by great practiſe, ſuch a one it muſt be to teach defence.
The danger of a paſſage is to be preſented three waies.
THe firſt is by an actiue and nimble ſhift of the body by falling back with the right foote, & the danger being paſt to charge haſtily vponupon your enemy againe, but the beſt way is in lying in your guard according to the firſt picture, as your euemie commeth in with his paſſe ſuddenly vponupon the firſt motion, fall your point, and in the very ſame time put him out withall, and with your Dagger onelyonly defend his paſſage, if it bee charged at your body, by turning the point downeward, but if hee put it into your Dagger ſhoulder in manner of an Imbrokata, then you muſt not let fall your Dagger, except you leaue your Rapier to be a watchman for the defence of your ſholder or with bearing them both together it may be defence.
Another defence of a paſſage.
THe ſingle Rapier alone, being carried according vntounto the rule of the ſingle Rapier, as hereafter ſhalbe deſcribed when I come to that weapon, now if your enemie doe take the point of your Rapier, the which hee may very well doe by reaſon of the high cariage of him, if you bee not carefull to fall your point when you ſee him comming in, well if hee doe make ſeiſure of your point, yet hee cannot ſtay your Rapier hand, but that you ſhall hauehave two foote of your Rapier and the hilts at your command for the defence of your bodie, which by ſwearuing or beating him ouer your bodie, towards your left ſide, and a little turning your bodie by falling backe with your formoſt foote, this is a good defence for a paſſage: but indeed a man muſt hauehave practiſe, and bee as wee call them a good ſcholler, that is ſuch as bee skilfull; for a paſſage commeth with ſuch celerity, that one which is not vſed to it, cannot deſerue the comming of it, for there is no thruſt ſo ſwift, nor ſo daungerous as the paſſage, but yet there is no thruſt, nor blow nor paſſage, but by skill and cunning it is to bee defended and auoided, for a man ſhall deſerue the comming of a paſſage ſo plaine as a Hawke, when ſhee intendeth to flie at Check, ſitting vponupon the Pearch, a man may verie eaſily perceiue by the ſetling of her ſelfe to flie, indeed it is dangerous and deadly, except your minde bee vponupon your buſineſſe, for when you are at your play, you muſt expect a paſſage and falſe play aſwell as true play, or plaine thruſts, for the hurt of the paſſage is moſt dangerous of all and moſt mortall, for with a paſſage a man cannot ſay I will hurt my enemie but a little, as you may with any other thruſt, being put in at the length, I meane obſeruing a true diſtance, for hee that otherwiſe breaketh diſtance may be aſſoone hit himſelfe, as hee hit another; therefore the paſſage is ſeldome or neuer vſed in fight, although they bee both neuer ſo skilfull in putting forth a paſſage, or if one can paſſe, and the other cannot, but hee that can paſſe wil be doubtfull left, the other wil intrap him in his owne aſſault, for why may not thy enemy bee as skilfull as thy ſelfe, once if he meete thee in the field, hee ſheweth himſelfe valorous therein, and if it be thy fortune to hurt him by want of skill in a manner amongſt men, hee is reported to be as good a man as thy ſelfe, in regard he aduentured himſelfe with that ſmall skill hee had, and then in reſpect of an honeſt minde, oughteſt o ſhew him ſome fauor, if he be not too forward, whereby hee is like to endanger thee, but yet rather hurt, then be hurt, and rather kill, then be killed, if there be no remedie.