The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12 · Fighting move 46 – Fighting move 52
Queſtions and anſweres betwixt the Maſter and Scholler, concerning the Staffe.
The Scholler.
You hauehave giuen me directions for two ſorts of guards, which doe you commend beſt that I may repoſe my ſelfe vponupon?
The Maſter.
I commend the low guard beſt, for that it ſerueth with the Quarter-ſtaffe of ſeauen or eight foot, or for the Long-ſtaffe of twelue foote, and for the Pike of eighteene foote, for I hauehave made triall with men of good experience which hauehave lien in other guards according to their practiſe, as ſome at Quarter-ſtaffe will lay their point vponupon the ground ouerthwart their bodie, holding the butte-end of their Staffe ſo low as their girdle-ſtead: he that thus lieth the beſt waie to hit him is to proffer, or faine a thruſt at his face, and preſently put it home below, for hee will carrie his Staffe vp to ſaue his face, but cannot put him downe againe before you hauehave hit him vnderneath as beforeſaid, but with quickneſſe you may hit him in the face or breaſt, and neuer falſifie your thruſt but put it in ſodainely, turning the heele of hinder hand vpward withall: and if your enemie lie at Halfe-ſtaffe, holding him in the middeſt, his hands that ſo lieth, are in danger of euerie blow that commeth, but the beſt way to hit him that ſo lieth without danger to thy ſelfe, is with a falſe thruſt, and that is to proffer it on the one ſide of his ſtaffe, and to put it home on the other, according to the direction of the falſe play that followeth: but firſt let me make an end of that which I hauehave begunne, and ſo wee will proceed, ſome will lie with the Long-ſtaffe, or Pike with the point on the ground, and the butte end ſo high as his head or higher; indeed this hath beene and is common fight with the Pike amongſt the ſouldiers, and the defence of this guard either for blow or thruſt, is to ſwerue his vper-hand, this way, or that way, according as he ſeeth the danger of the oppreſſors aſſault, and then preſently launch out the Staffe or Pike by lifting them vp, vponupon the out-ſide of their foote or elſe by gathering him vponupon their left arme, and ſo launch him out as aforeſaid: he that vſeth this guard, muſt be ſtrong, and verie actiue, and nimble, but whatſoeuer hee be, high or low, weake or ſtrong, the low guard is beſt.
The Scholler.
If the low guard be ſo ſtrong for my defence what need hauehave I to learne any other?
The Maſter.
It is true, a man can be but ſure if hee practiſe all the daies of his life, but it is not amiſſe for thee to know more then euer thou ſhalt hauehave occaſion to vſe; for hauing the perfect vſe of the low and high guard, you may cloſe with any Staffe man, if you thinke you can make your partie good with him when you hauehave cloſed.
The Scholler.
I pray you direct me the beſt manner of cloſing.
The Maſter.
When you encounter with any man that hath a Staffe, a Welch-hooke, or a Halbert, and your ſelfe being armed with any one of theſe weapons, preſent a thruſt to the face of your enemie, and withall, follow it in with your hind-moſt foote alſo; and as you incroach in, clap vp your Staffe into the high guard, and you ſhall carrie your enemies point ouer your head by that meanes, but you muſt not be ſlack in following of it in, for hee will beare the point of his weapon ſo high to defend his face, that he cannot recouer his Staffe by no meanes to endanger you, and when you hauehave made your cloſe, you may turne the But-end of your Staffe in his face if you liſt, or you may trip vp his heeles, if you be cunning in wreſtling: but if hee hauehave any ſhort weapons about him, then I wiſh you to take him about the middle and vn-arme him of it, or elſe to hold him faſt that hee hurt you not, but if you bee armed with a Bill or a Hooke, then in your halfe-cloſe you may fall away turning the edge of your Bill or Hooke towards his legge, and ſo by a drawing blow rake him ouer the ſhins, and keeping vp the But-end of the Staffe for the defence of your owne head, and ſo you may fall out of his diſtance, and recouer your guard before he can any way endanger you.
If your enemie cloſe with you after this manner, and doe offer the But-end of his Staffe vntounto your face or breaſt, then fall backe with your fore foote, and make a quicke change, and you ſhall hauehave him at great aduantage, both for defence and likewiſe to turne in the But-end of your Staffe vntounto his face or breaſt, and if you liſt this is a ſure defence for ſuch an aſſault, beleeue it, for I know it, he that is perfect in the low guard, may with a Staffe encounter againſt the Welch-hooke, Holbert, Partizan, or Gleaue, and I hold that a Staffe with a Pike to hauehave oddes againſt any ſuch long weapon, being equally matched in length, for oddes in length with any weapon is verie much aduantage, where I wiſh if any doe appoint the field with any of theſe aforeſaid weapons, it is not amiſſe for the one of them to condition to bring a hatchet or ſome other edged toole into the field to cut the longeſt ſtaffe, except you match them before hand.
The Scholler.
I pray you let me here your reaſon, for many thinke that the hooke or any edged weapon hath great ods againſt the Staffe.
The Maſter.
Indeed without cunning and skill, the Welch-hooke, and theſe other weapons are more fearefull vntounto the ignorant, but hee that is cunning in the falſe play and ſlippes, belonging vntounto the Staffe may with a falſe thruſt or with ſlipping his blow endanger any other, being weaponed with any other of theſe weapons aforeſaid. For if you falſifie your thruſt according to my direction in the falſe play, that is, to proffer your thruſt on the one ſide, and then to put home the ſecond determined thruſt vntounto the other ſide of his weapon, and then if your enemy hauehave a Hooke, Halbert, or Bill in defending the falſe, the head of his weapon will ſo ouer-carrie him by the reaſon of the weight, that hee cannot command him nimbly backe againe, whereby to defend the falſe, if your enemy bee armed with a Hooke, Holbert or Partizan or Gleaue, if hee charge you with a blow, then ſlippe his blow, either by plucking in of your Staffe, keeping of the point vpright vntill his blow be paſt, and then you may anſwere him againe, either with blow or thruſt, for by ſlipping a blow, the weight of the head of any of theſe aforeſaid weapons will goe with ſuch a ſwing that it will turne his body in a manner round, I meane beyond the compaſſe of defence.
Againe if you thinke that your face is out of his reach, he which chargeth you with a blow with any of theſe aforeſaid weapons, you may let fall the point of your ſtaffe, ſo that his blow may paſſe cleere ouer your ſtaffe, and ſo choppe home a thruſt withall vnderunder your enemies weapons, and then recouer the point of your Staffe vp haſtily againe.
The Scholler.
What if I bee armed with any of theſe weapons aforeſaid, what guard will your direct mee to frame my ſelfe vntounto?
The Maſter.
I ſtill commend the low guard for any long weapon, whether it be Staffe, Pike, Hooke, Halbert, Partizan or Gleaue, my reaſon is the point being ſo high as your head, and the But-end ſo low as your thigh, then is your weapon more readier to defend either blow or thruſt, if you bee charged neuer ſo ſodainely, whereas if your point hang downe-wards toward the ground, you can neuer lift him vp quick againe to defend your thruſt, but a blow may be defended eaſily, for that a blow commeth more leaſurably, for why it is fetcht with a greater compaſſe, and a thruſt goeth with farre more celerity then a blow, being put in cunningly, but of theſe weapons ſhall follow more at large in the ſecond booke.
Now if thy enemie hauehave oddes in length in his Staffe, then let thy enemie make the firſt aſſault, and vponupon defence of his aſſault ſteppe forth with thy hindermoſt foote, and ſo thou ſhalt gaine ſixe foote at the leaſt in reach, but if your ſtaues bee both of one length, then vponupon a charge or anſwere, increaſe in onelyonly with thy fore foote, and ſtand faſt with thy hinder foote, onelyonly to plucke backe thy body againe, and if thou make the firſt aſſault, and thy enemie defend it, and ſo hee make a ſodaine anſwere, then it wilbe hard to recouer vp thy ſtaffe into his place, to defend it according to the low guard: but for a ſodaine ſhift the beſt defence is bearing your vpper-hand ouer your body, and letting your point fall to the ground, according to the olde common order of the fight with the Pike, at ſingle hand, I meane, hand to hand, or I may ſay, man to man.
The Scholler.
I pray you how would you direct mee to frame my guard with my ſtaffe, if I were to encounter with my enemy, being armed with Sword and Dagger, or Rapier and Dagger?
The Scholler.
I hold the low guard beſt, charging thy point directly to the enemies breaſt, and alwaies hauehave a ſpeciall regard, that thou poffer nor a blow, for ſo hee may defend it double on the Back-ſword and Dagger, and runne in vnderunder the Staffe, likewiſe if thou proffer a thruſt, let not thy Staffe looſe out of thy fore-hand, but hold him faſt, that thereby thou maiſt bee the more readie to charge him againe, and againe if hee encroach in vponupon thee, for if thou let goe one hand, then may thy enemie very well defend the thruſt of a ſtaffe, according as I hauehave directed in the deſcription of the Rapier and Dagger, concerning the ſtaffe, for with that one defence, being experienced in it, thou maiſt endanger any Staffe-man, that is not wary, and withall, well experienced in both theſe weapons, ſo that thou take thy opportunity vponupon his aſſault, I mean in anſwering him quick, ſo ſoone as you hauehave defended his aſſault, whether it be blow or thruſt.
Now if thy enemie doe ſtrike at the point of thy Staffe, thinking to cut him off, then, as you ſee his blow comming, let fall the point of your Staffe, and preſently chop home a thruſt, for in ſo doing his blow will flie ouer your Staffe, as by your practiſe you may be perfect in this ſlippe, for ſo wee call it. I hauehave knowen a man with a Sword and Dagger hath cut off the end of a Pike-ſtaffe, but I hold him an ignorant and an vnskilfull man, that hath held the ſtaffe, for though I hold, that a man skilfull at the Sword and Dagger may encounter againſt a reaſonable Staffe-man, the ſame opinion I hold ſtil, and my reaſons thou ſhalt heare; if extreame need require, and vponupon a neceſſity, then the beſt meanes is to be vſed wherfore to be furniſhed with the beſt means before hand at the time of neede, it may greatly ſtead thee, for eueryevery common man hath not knowledge of the beſt rule, except hee hauehave learned it and practiſed it by thoſe which could ſhew it, for it commeth not by nature to none, yet eueryevery ignorant dunce, when hee is perſwaded to goe learne skill, will ſay, when I am put to my ſhift I will doe the beſt I can: ſo a man may, and yet without skill bee killed, although hee doe his beſt, my opinion further of this followeth.
Now the beſt guard with a Sword and Dagger, or Rapier and Dagger againſt a Staffe, is this, put your Dagger on the in-ſide of your Rapier or Sword, and ioyne them both together, making your croſſe with them within a foote or thereabouts of the hilt of your Rapier or Sword, and looking cleere with both your eyes vnderunder them, or betwixt both your weapons, and then if your enemy charge you with a blow at your head with his Staffe, beare them both double againſt the blow, and hauing defended it, turne your point and turne your knuckles inward of your right-hand, and ſo to goe in amaine vponupon him.
But if hee charge you with a thruſt, then preſently let fall the point of your Rapier downe-ward, and force him downe the more ſtronger, and more quicker with your Dagger, for to that end I doe appoint you to put your Dagger in the in-ſide of your Rapier or Sword. Loe in this manner you may defend either blow or thruſt of the Staffe, yet I muſt needes confeſſe, there is great oddes in the Staffe, if the Staffe-man bee verie skilfull, but otherwiſe the Rapier and Dagger hath the oddes being furniſhed with skill.
Falſe play to be vſed at the Staffe.
IF you both lie in the low gard, according vntounto my former direction, then proffer or faine a thruſt vntounto your enemies face to the faireſt ſide of the ſtaffe, which to your ſeeming lieth moſt open or vngarded, but thē preſently in the ſame motion let fall the point of your ſtaffe ſo low as his girdle-ſted, ſo that you may paſſe cleare vnderunder the But end of his ſtaffe; for if with any part of his ſtaffe he touch or intangle your ſtaffe, then you can not put in your falſe ſo directly as you ſhould, or as you may, if you paſſe cleare with your firſt offer, then may you bring vp your point on the other ſide of his ſtaffe, and thruſting it home, you may hit him in the ſhoulder or face, as you will your ſelfe, yea although he be verie skilfull or cunning, ſo that yon hauehave the true ſtroke of it: as to make it plainer, then in offering your falſe, doe but fall the point of your ſtaffe, ſtriking it as it were a blowe, but let it fall two foote wide of that ſide, which lieth open, and then bring it vp againe on the other ſide, and put it in with a thruſt, for hee will carrie his ſtaffe to defend your falſe, and ſo by that meanes open the ſide which lieth well guarded, and alwaies marke which part of your enemies bodie lieth open or moſt diſcouered vntounto you, there proffer you your fained thruſt, firſt to the faireſt, but hit him with your ſecond or determined thruſt to the contrarie ſide, and if you faine your thruſt to the right ſide, then thruſt it home to the left, and if you faine your thruſt to the left fide, then put it home to the right, and you may hit him in the breaſt, ſhoulder, or face, whether you liſt your ſelfe, ſo that you proffer your fained thruſt three foote wide of his bodie, for if in offering your fained thruſt, he hit your ſtaffe, it will ſo intangle your point, that you cannot recouer him to hit him with your determined thruſt, for before you can cleare your point, he will be in his guard of defence againe.
The defence of this falſe thruſt.
THis thruſt is to be defended two waies, the firſt is to beare him againſt your enimies proffer, but hauehave a care that you doe not ouer-beare him, ſo that if he mock you with his fained thruſt on the one ſide, you muſt quicklie bring your ſtaffe backe againe into his place, to meet him when he commeth on the other ſide of his ſtaffe, and ſo to defend it, keeping your point vpright: now the ſecond defence is to beare your ſtaffe ouer your bodie againſt his proffer, as you doe againſt euerie ordinarie thruſt; for you muſt ſuppoſe that euerie thruſt will come home, for the defender doth not know if his enimy doe proffer a thruſt, whether it will come home or not: therefore (as I ſaid) you muſt beare your ſtaffe againſt euerie thruſt, but you ſhould beare your ſtaffe but a foote out of his place, whether it be againſt blow or thruſt: for if you ouer-carrie him, you can not recouer him to defend neither blowe nor thruſt, if it be falſified vponupon you. Now if your enemie doe falſifie vponupon his firſt proffer, carrie your ſtaffe ouer your bodie, keeping the point vpright againſt his firſt proffer: now vponupon your offer of defence, at the firſt you ſee that you make no ſeiſure vponupon his ſtaffe, then preſently you may perceiue he doth but dallie with you, onlie to deceiue you with falſe play, but then your proffer of defence, both for the true and falſe play, muſt be all done with one motion; for if you ſee that with the firſt proffer aboue he ſhorten his thruſt, without putting it home, then turne downe the point of your ſtaffe towards the ground, and meete him below, and ſo ſtrike it away, but be ſure that you defend alwaies before hand, for to ſtrike it backeward is no ſure defence.
Yet to make this fore-hand defence plainer, why then it is thus meant, if your right hand be placed formoſt in holding your ſtaffe, then you muſt defend both the true play, and the falſe towards your left hand, but you muſt not defend the firſt proffer forward, and the next, which may bee the falſe thruſt, backe-ward, but both muſt be defended towards your left ſide: and ſo likewiſe, if your left hand be formoſt, then frame your defence towards your right ſide, as before ſaid.
Now if you cannot change hands, as (it may be) your enemie can, then keepe your guard vponupon that and which you can beſt vſe, and you ſhall finde that hee hath very little oddes after you hauehave practiſed it a while; for you may offer or defend anie falſe play ſo well as if you lay croſſe handed one to the other.
A falſe blowe.
NOw, if you would hit your enemie on the head with a blow, you muſt proffer a falſe blow at the head, as if you would ſtrike him downe at the firſt; but when it is come halfe way, ſtay your hand, or checke your blow before it meet with his ſtaffe, for he will beare his ſtaffe againſt your blow, thinking to defend it ſtrongly, before it come to endanger him: but the checking of the firſt blow will be an occaſion, that he wil ouer-carry his ſtaffe beyond the compaſſe of true defence, ſo that you may preſently come with a ſecond blowe, and ſtrike it home ouer the point of his ſtaffe, ſo by this determined blow, you may hit him on die head or face.
A Slippe at a Staffe.
IF your enemie charge you with a blow, you lying in your guard according to the Picture, euen as you ſee the blow comming, plucke in your ſtaffe, and withall, withdraw your head and bodie alittle backe, bearing your ſtaffe, during the time while the blowe hath his paſſage, cloſe vpright by that ſide of your face which your enemie chargeth you at, to defend that ſide, if the blow doe reach home, but if it doe paſſe ſhort, and goe cleare of you, without touching your ſtaffe, then will his ſtaffe flie away with the greater ſwinge, ſo that it will paſſe beyond compaſſe of true defence; but if it be a Welch-hooke, or anie other head weapon, then will the ſlipping of his blow be a more occaſion of the ouer-carrying his blow, by carrying his body round, ſo that his blow being paſt, you may preſently charge him with a blow at the head, or thruſt him in the backe, ſo that it be done quicke before your enemie doe recouer his weapons into their place of defence.
Another falſifie.
YOu may profer a downe-right blow at your enemies head, fetching him with a great compaſſe, ſo that it may ſeeme to your enemie, that you meane to ſtrike him downe, but as your blow is comming, draw backe your hand and change your blow into a thruſt, and chopping home to his breaſt or any other part of his body, that you will your ſelfe, for he will beare his Staffe to defend the blow, I meane if hee be not very skilfull and cunning, the which if he doe, hee can but defend himſelfe, the which to doe he muſt be very wary when he beareth his ſtaffe to defend then the blow, ſo that he doe not ouer-carrie his ſtaffe, and yet to beare him a little and then to checke his Staffe, and be readie to turne downe the point to defend the thruſt, but he that is skilfull will, or ſhould chop out a thruſt if his enemie doe proffer a blow, and the thruſt ſhould be put out with one hand, and to looſe the other, I meane with that hand which holdeth the But-end of the Staffe, for ſo thou ſhalt keepe him out at the point of thy Staffe; for then the blow cannot endanger thee, except there be great oddes in the length of your ſtaues, for commonly he that ſtriketh, holdeth both his hands vponupon his Staffe when hee deliuereth his blow, whereby there is three foote oddes in reach betwixt the ſtriker and he which thruſteth.
Another very deceiuing falſe thruſt at the Staffe.
THy enemie lying in guard, proffer a fained thruſt towards his foote, and then preſently raiſe thy point againe, and thruſt if home to his face or breſt, for if hee turne downe the point of his Staffe to ſaue the falſe thruſt below, then if he were neuer ſo cunning, or neuer ſo ſtrong, yet can he not put vp his Staffe time enough to defend his vpper part; and therefore not to turne downe the point, if thy enemy doe proffer a thruſt below is the more ſureſt, but if a thruſt bee made below or aboue the knee, plucke vp thy legge, and either thruſt with him, or keepe vp thy Staffe to defend thy vpper part, which are the killing places, rather then to turne him downe to defend thy legge or foote, wherein is not ſo great danger of death as the body being hit, but at the Staffe all parts may be defended with skill.