The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12
CHAP. XII. Sheweth of ſeauen principall rules whereon true defence is grounded.
1 A good gard.
2 True obſeruing of diſtance.
3 To know the place.
4 To take time.
5 To keepe ſpace.
6 Patience.
7 Often practiſe.
THe firſt is to learne a good and a ſure gard for the defence of thy body, as when you come to the vſe of weapons, as heere preſently after ſhall follow, and when thou haſt thy gard it is not enough to know it, but to keep it ſo long as thou art within reach or danger of thy enemy.
To obſerue diſtance, by which is meant that thou ſhouldeſt ſtand ſo far off from thine enemy, as thou canſt, but reach him when thou doſt ſtep foorth with thy blow or thruſt, and thy foremoſt foote and hand muſt goe together, the which diſtance may be twelue foot with a rapier, or with aſword fowre foote long, and yet thy beſt foot which ſhould be the hindermoſt foot of a right handed man, ſhould bee mored faſt and keepe his ſtanding without moouing an inch, for then he will be the readier to draw backe thy fore foot and body into the right place of diſtance againe for that thou muſt doe vponupon eueryevery charge, whether thou hit thy enemy or not; whereas if in ſtepping foorth with thy fore-foot, when thou doſt charge thy enemy either with blow or thruſt, thou ſuffer thy hinder foot to dregge in after the other, then thou breakeſt thy diſtance, and thereby endangereſt thy body.
There is no way better to get the true obſeruation of diſtance, but by often practiſe either with thy friend, or elſe priuately in a chamber againſt a wall, ſtanding twelue foot off with thy hindermoſt foote, and thy weapon fowre foot long or there about, for a good gard and diſtance are the maine and principal points of all.
To know the place, this may be taken three wayes, as this, the place of thy weapons, the place of defence and the place of offence: the place for the holding of thy weapons, thou ſhalt know when thou commeſt to it as I ſaid before, but it is chiefly meant heere the place of offence; thou muſt marke which is the neereſt part of thine enemy towards thee, and which lyeth moſt vnregarded, whether it be his dagger hand, his knee, or his leg, or where thou maiſt beſt hurt him at a large diſtance without danger to thy ſelfe, or without killing of thine enemy.
To take time, that is to ſay when opportunity is profered thee, either by his lying vnregarded or vponupon thy enemies profer, then make a quicke anſwer, I meane it muſt be done vponupon the very motion of his profer, thou muſt defend and ſeeke to offend all at once, for thou muſt not ſuffer thy enemy to recouer his gard, for if thou doe thou looſeſt thy aduantage. But thou muſt anſwer him more quicker then I can ſpeake it, for if thou looſe thy anſwer, and charge thy enemy when he is garded, thou giueſt thy enemy that aduantage which thou mighteſt hauehave had thy ſelfe, for he which maketh the firſt aſſault doth endanger himſelfe moſt, if he be not very expert and cunning in his buſineſſe, otherwiſe a man of reaſonable skill may hurt him by making a quicke anſwer.
To keepe ſpace this may be conceiued two wayes; the one in the ſpace between thy enemie & thy ſelfe, this I call diſtance, and I hauehave already ſpoken of it; but the ſpace which in this place I will ſpeake of, is to aduiſe thee to keepe a certaine ſpace betwixt eueryevery aſſault, I meane if thou charge thy enemy either with blow or thruſt, recouer thy weapons into their place, and draw thy ſelfe into thy gard againe, and ſo preparing thy ſelfe for to defend, and likewiſe to make a freſh aſſault with diſcretion, but not charging thy enemy raſhly or furiouſly, for haſtineſſe is fooliſhnes: for if fury hauehave the vpper hand, and ſo you both ſtrike and thruſt, without reaſon and iudgement, I ſay in ſuch a caſe the skilfulleſt man that is, may be ſo well hit as he hit another.
The next is patience, and that is one of the greateſt vertues that can be in a man: the Wiſe man ſaith, he is a foole which cannot gouerne himſelfe, and he very vnfit to rule which cannot rule himſelfe; therefore, though thou be haſtie or cholericke by nature, and by croſſing thou art moued vntounto anger; yet I ſay, let the bridle of Reaſon and Iudgement ſo gouerne and ouer-rule thy haſtie affections, that in no caſe Anger get the vpper hand; But of this there is more at large ſpoken in the eight chapter. Now the laſt thing that I will note heere, is often practiſe, for without practiſe the Prouerbe ſayes, a man may forget his Pater noſter: for practiſe (with moderation) is, not onelie the healthieſt thing in the world for the bodie: but it is likewiſe as defenſiue for the ſame. For skill to euerie reaſonable man is a friend, ſo that with moderation it be vſed, and ſo long as it remaines in thoſe of good temper; for vntounto ſuch, skill bringeth no more preſumption nor furie then as if they had it not: for in the field, thoſe which I meane will vſe it as if they were in a Schoole, by which meanes ſuch hauehave great aduantage of the ignorant and vnskilfull; for thoſe which are vnskilfull, are neither certaine of their defence nor offence; but what they doe is vponupon a kinde of fooliſh bolde hardineſſe, or as I may ſay by hap-hazzard or chance noddy: and therefore (gentle Reader) reſolue vponupon skill and knowledge which follows heere immediately.