The Noble and Worthy Science of Defense, Chapter 12 · Fighting move 57 – Fighting move 58
The Authors opinion concerning th oddes betwixt a left-handed man, and a right-banded man.
A Left-handed man being skilfull hath oddes againſt a right-handed man being skilfull likewiſe, one reaſon is a left-hand man is alwaies vſed vntounto a right-handed man, but a right-handed man doth ſeldome meete with a left-handed man, for in Schooles or ſuch places, where play is, a man may play with forty men, and not meete with too left-handed men, except it be a great chance, another reaſon is, when a right-handed man doth offer or make play, firſt vntounto the left-handed man, then doth he endanger the right-ſide of his head, although hee doe beare his Dagger to the right-ſide, yet it doth not defend ſo ſtrong, nor ſo ſure, as it doth the left, yet vntounto one that is well inſtructed with the true skill of the Back-ſword, and other rules which belongeth for the beſt aduantage againſt a left-hand, it wilbe the leſſe dangerous or troubleſome vntounto ſuch a one, for he wil preſently cal himſelfe to minde, when he ſeeth that he is to encounter againſt a left-handed man, he will frame himſelfe preſently to the beſt guard of defence for that purpoſe which is the Back-ſword, for that is the chiefeſt weapon to be grounded in, not onelyonly a left-hand, but many other weapons hauehave the true ſtroke of that weapon, and are guided onelyonly by the rules of the Back-ſword, euen as the helme guids the ſhip, now if thou offer play, firſt to the left-handed man, thou muſt be carefull and heedy to recouer vp thy Back ſword againe, preſently into his place ſo quicke as thou canſt, or elſe turne ouer your Dagger to the right-eare, theſe very rules likewiſe muſt a left-handed man obſerue to encounter againſt a right-handed man, yet furthermore I hauehave knowne ſome right-handed men, that were very skilfull, and verie ready if it had beene to encounter againſt a right-handed man, but by no meanes would not deale with a left-handed man, and this was for want of a good teacher: for the teacher ſhould inſtruct eueryevery one which they doe teach by playing with his left-hand with them, for it is an eaſie matter to hauehave the oddes of both the hands a like with little practiſe, and then a man may vſe which he will, as if a right-handed man were to encounter againſt a left, and can vſe both hands alike, then if he play with his left-hand againſt one that is left-handed by nature, it will ſeeme more croſſe, and more dangerous vntounto him then a left-handed man vntounto a right, the reaſon is that two left-handed men ſeldome meete together, now to end with this one ſpeech according to the vulgar ſort, that is an ignorant and a ſimple man of skill by great and often royling and moyling of his body, in practiſing naturall play, I meane onelyonly that which commeth into his head, and being right-handed meeteth with another right-handed man that is very skilfull, and hath very artificiall play, and yet the vnskilfull hath plied ſo faſt and let his blowes fall ſo thicke, that the skilfull man had enough a doe to defend himſelfe, ſo that the vnskilfull hath made ſuch good ſhift, and defended himſelfe contrary vntounto any mans expectation, that was ſo experience and ſaw it, but there is not one of the common ſtreete plaiers in a hundred that can doe the like as I hauehave ſaid before, but not one in fiue hundred of them, that can vponupon the point of a weapon hurt or wrong one that is skilfull or cunning, for many of theſe ſtreete players are ſo vſed to bangs, that they care not for a blow with a blunt cudgell, but moſt of them are fearefull to deale againſt a ſharp weapon, but now to conclude this, with that which toucheth this Chapter, concerning theſe ſtreete players, which hauehave ſo well ſhifted with a cunning player right-handed, the ſame I ſay meeting with a left-handed man was not able to defend in a manner one blow in twenty, except it were in falling backe from him, and the cunningeſt man that is, cannot hit the vnskilfulleſt man that is, if the vnskilfull man do continually keepe him out of his reach or diſtance, for he which hath courage without skill, although well prepared, yet wants his armes to fight, but of this it is ſufficiently ſpoken of in the Treatiſe, in the former part of the Booke.
A briefe of my principall points which I would hauehave thee keepe in continuall remembrance.
NOw to ſumme vp all the chiefeſt leſſons into one ſumme, and for order ſake wee will make foure deuiſions of them.
The firſt is to remember to frame thy ſelfe into thy guard, before thou come within thy enemies diſtance, and ſo to approach in guarded.
Secondly, remember if thy enemy charge thee with a blow, at what weapon ſoeuer,Be conſtant and ſteady in a good guard bee ſlow to make play except thy enemy doe encreaſe vponupon thee. yet anſwere him with a thruſt preſently, after you hauehave borne the blow double, according to my direction, following the firſt picture, but if thy enemy charge thee with a thruſt, then anſwere him with a thruſt at the neareſt place, which lieth moſt vnguarded, whether it be his knee or in his making play, your anſwere may be to his right arme, ſhoulder or face, all which you ſhall finde vnguarded in time of his profer, now if he hauehave a cloſe hilted dagger, yet with a falſe thruſt thou maiſt hit him in the Dagger-arme if he fight not very warily, or elſe in the Dagger-hand if hee hauehave not a cloſe hilted dagger.
Thirdly, let not fury ouer-come thy wits, for in a made fury skill is forgotten, for he which is in drinke or ouer haſty, ſuch a one in his anger doth neither thinke vponupon the end of killing, nor feare to bee killed.
Now the fourth and laſt which ſhould hauehave beene the firſt, is to remember to keepe a true diſtance, and if thy enemie doe gather and incroach in vponupon thee, charge him with a thruſt, although thou put it not home, for a thruſt will feare him, and he which is in his right wits will be loath to come within the reach, or danger of thy weapon, but if thou ſuffer thy enemy to come within thy diſtance, then if thou haddeſt all the guards in the world, and yet ſtand ſtill without making play, hee will hit thee in ſpight of thy teeth, wherefore be doing with him betimes; and he will retreate and fall away from thee for his owne eaſe, Loe his I wrote, becauſe I would not hauehave thee in an error when thou ſhouldeſt hauehave occaſion to vſe thy weapon, as the beſt defence, for a ſhot is to ſtand out of the reach of him, euen ſo the beſt defence of thy bodie from hurts and skars is to be proceeded before hand with skill and cunning, and to remember it when thou haſt occaſion to vſe it, but if thou want skill, then keepe out of thy enemies reach; now if thou canſt not remember theſe foure chiefe points beforeſaid, yet beare in minde theſe two, the firſt is to defend the blow double, keeping both the points vpward, and ſecondly, remember that if thy enemy doe gather in vponupon thee, thruſt to his knee, or whether hee doe gather in or no, yet thruſt to his knee or thigh, but at any hand ſteps not ſo farre forth or thigh, but at any hand ſteps not ſo farre forth with your thruſt whereby to endanger your face, but if you doe ſteppe ſo farre forth as you can, alwaies hauehave a care to defend with your dagger, but if your enemy do ſet foorth one foote aboue halfe a foote diſtance from the other, then may you hit him in the thigh or knee, and hee cannot reach you ſo that you doe not aduenture further with your thruſt, then where his knee did ſtand when you doe offer, for it may be hee will plucke him away, thereby to ſaue him, but that is no defence for a thruſt if it be put in quicke: a man may defend the legge from a blow, by drawing him back, but not from a thruſt, but to keepe thy feete in the right place according to my direction following the firſt picture, and then you are defended, and ready to offend alſo.