SECTION 5 : LONG SWORD
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The Sign of the Sword
The figure below portrays the symbols of the four virtues necessary for fencing.
Two are technical virtues and two are moral:
The sense of measure and the choice of timing (Prudentia, represented by a lynx),
Speed of action (Celeritas, represented by a tiger),
Courage (Audatia, represented by a lion),
Physical and psychological strength (Fortitudo, represented by an elephant).
The seven swords represent seven types of strikes:
two "fendenti", or strikes from the top,
two "sottani", or strikes from bottom,
two "mezzani", or strikes from the side and
a thrust, with the corresponding seven basic guards to neutralize them.
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We are six masters, different one from the other:
One does one way, the others another;
And each keeps his sword on guard:
And we'll show what they are about.
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I'm well prepared for the throw,
And I'll make a good deal from a great pass.
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Against a throw I hide my hand
With this guard I'm well defended.
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To push farther and stronger
This position I want against a man in arms.
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Against dagger and sword armed and unarmed,
I want to be found like this.
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This grip is the guard of the proud woman:
It protects against any strikes and thrusts.
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This sword I use for a sword and an axe:
With harness and without who can take me, go ahead.
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Twelve crowned masters
We are called post and guards by name
And we are one contrary to the other;
And depending on how we stand or are positioned
We'll show how one stands against the other.
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I'm the WHOLE IRON DOOR at ground level
And always stop cuts and thrusts.
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I'm the GUARD OF THE WOMAN high and proud
For all manner of defense And he who wants to counter me
Should find a longer sword than mine.
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I'm the ROYAL GUARD OF THE TRUE WINDOW
And I'm the quickest of the whole art.
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I'm the strong HALF IRON DOOR And I kill with strikes and thrusts
And for the length of the sword which I feel I always defend myself in close fight.
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I am the LONG GUARD with my short sword
And with my talent I often cut a throat.
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I'm the frontal guard and I'm called CROWN
And don't forgive anybody a thrust or a cut.
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Again I'm the GUARD OF THE WOMAN
against the boar's tooth
With my malice
and cunning I will fight you.
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I am the strong GUARD OF THE BOAR'S TOOTH:
And I can measure myself against all other guards.
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I am the SHORT GUARD and am as long as
the sword;
I often thrust and quickly return to it.
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I am the LEFT GUARD OF THE TRUE WINDOW
And I'm quick with the right and the left.
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I am the GUARD OF THE LONG TAIL
extended to the ground, I can offend forwards
and backwards And if I step forward with a thrust
Without failing I enter into close combat.
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I am called the GUARD OF THE UNICORN,
And don't ask me how cunning and false I am.
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To cross with you the tip of the sword,
On the other side I stopped the tip in the chest.
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To the wounding the way the previous master says,
I quickly thrust the tip of the sword in your throat.
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Let's cross the middle sword and I'll wound your left arm
And I'll do it quickly because time is short.
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For the master who crosses the middle sword,
Of what he said, I'll do to you in abundance.
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After this crossing I want to grab your sword this way:
And before yours sword gets off my hand I'll hit you like a weak villain.
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There is no question about what the master said before,
And the technique he explained, I'll do with reason.
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By dodging I have well opened you
And for sure I'll hit your arms by turning.
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I do a combat to hit your arms
And from close combat I'll hit you more.
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When one wants to hit your leg with the sword, Strike his head or his throat;
Or hit the arms rather the head, Because the distance is shorter.
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When I cross the swords and come to close distance. I'll hit his groins with my right foot.
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This is a cruel exchange of the tip: In this art you can't have a more cunning tip.
You traded tips and this I gave you, And I can make it safer by dodging
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Thanks to my grip on your hand,
With the tip I make a mark on your face.
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I quickly kick your tip to the ground
And this way I'll hit you without any doubt.
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And here we stay crossing on the ground,
Ready to learn more techniques.
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For the crossing on the ground made by the scholar,
For my swiftness I come to cut your face, And your sword
will be bent or broken
And you won't use it for anything.
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From last technique I enter into this one:
And it will take me nothing to cut your face.
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By pinching your elbow I'll make you turn
And in that I'll wound you without delay.
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By turning you with the elbow
I right away hit your head from behind.
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I pretended to attack from the right, I came from the left
To give you pain and trouble with this tip;
False tip I make myself called, I'm so cruel
And I change the tip of the sword.
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For the false tip with which you wanted to hit me,
I turn around and with my sword I hit you,
And I put the tip on your face
And I took away from you all your advantage.
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For the way we are here crossing our swords,
Following are techniques with more knowledge and speed;
And since many techniques start from this crossing,
We are going to do the strongest contraries.
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Because I grabbed your sword with my hand
I'll hit you and your sword will be mine.
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Because my sword has received a hit and because of
my grab, I'll hit your face with my pommel.
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And this is another hit with my pommel,
According to the art and the speed of the masters.
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I'll throw you to the ground this way:
I did not miss putting my sword to your neck.
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In my hand I have the grip with which
I'll floor you with your sword.
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After a right parry I grabbed you in such a way
That I'll floor you long and straight.
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I entangled your sword with my arm,
And I stuck the tip of my sword into our face,
And this is the contrary to disarming me
And other close range combats too.
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I grabbed your arms with my left arm
And my technique is good armed
and unarmed;
And I can also steal away your sword,
According to where master Fiore puts me.
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I have blocked the hilt of your sword in such a way,
That I can hit you with hits and thrusts;
I can also grab your sword away:
I can hit you, but you can't touch me.
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I have tied you so well in this way,
That you would be blocked armed or unarmed
And your sword would do nothing against me,
But I can for sure take your sword away.
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I have locked your hand with my sword
And I'll hit your head with many hits,
And I'll grab your sword from the middle,
This tie I made, which is great.
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This is the left guard, For very cunning techniques.
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From the left guard I have blocked your hand, And
from close range you won't be protected from my hits.
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This is a strong grab with the left hand,
You will be hit and your sword lost.
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You wanted to block my sword under your arm
But my contrary will make you have a bad ending.
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From the right guard I've grabbed you in such a way,
That my sword will be in your face and you on the floor.
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This grabbing of the sword is called the upper grab
And was done a thousand time by Fiore from Friuli.
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Here I show the middle grab of the sword,
And I'll cause trouble with your sword or mine.
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This is the low grab of the sword:
Who is master of this art, will do it well.
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This sword I'll keep as mine, And with
turning and grabbing I'll cause you villainy.
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