(3) Declaration of 4 General Fights (Cap. 3)

A declaration of all the 4 general fights to be used with the sword at double or single, long or short, & with certain particular rules to them annexed.

1. Open fight(11) is to carry your hand and hilt aloft above your head, either with point upright, or point backward, which is best, yet use that, which you shall find most apt, to strike, thrust, or ward.
    
2. Guardant fight(12) in general is of 2 sorts, the first is true guardant fight(13), which is either perfect or imperfect.
    
• The perfect is to carry your hand & hilt above your head with your point down towards your left knee, with your sword blade somewhat near your body, not bearing out your point but rather declining it a little towards your said knee, that your enemy cross not your point & so hurt you, stand bolt upright in his fight, & if he offers to press in then bear your head & body a little backward.
   
• The imperfect is when you bear your hand & sword hilt perfect high above your head, as aforesaid, but leaning or stooping forward with your body & thereby your space will be wide on both sides to defend the blow struck at the left side of your head or too wide to defend a thrust from the right side of the body.
   
• Also it is imperfect, if you bear your hand & hilt as aforesaid, bearing your point too far out from your knee, so that your enemy may cross, or strike aside your point, & thereby endanger you.
   
• The second is the bastard guardant(14) fight which is to carry your hand & hilt below your head, breast high or lower with your point downward toward your left foot, this bastard guardant ward is not to be used in a fight, except it be to cross your enemy's ward at his coming in to take the grip of him or such advantage, as in divers places of the sword fight is set forth.
   
3. Close fight is when you cross at the half sword either above at the forehand ward(15) that is with the point high, & hand & hilt low, or at the true or bastard guardant ward with both your points down.
    
4. Close is all manner of fights wherein you have made a true cross at the half sword with your space very narrow & not crossed, is also close fight. Variable fight is all other manner of lying not here before spoken of, whereof these 4 that follow are the chiefest of them.(16)
    
• (1) Stocata(17): which is to lie with your right leg forward, with your sword or rapier hilt back on the outside of your right thigh with your point forward to ward your enemy, with your dagger in your hand extending your hand towards the point of your rapier, holding your dagger with the point upright with narrow space between your rapier blade, & the nails of your dagger hand, keeping your rapier point back behind your dagger hand if possible.   Or he may lie wide below under his dagger with his rapier point down towards his enemy's foot, or with his point forth without his dagger.
   
• (2) Imbrocata(18): is to lie with your hilt higher than your head, bearing your knuckles upward, & your point depending toward your enemy's face or breast.
   
• (3) Montanta(19): is to carry your rapier pommel in the palm of your hand resting it on your little finger with your hand below & so mounting it up a loft, & so to come in with a thrust upon your enemy's face or breast, as of out of the Imbrocata.
   
• (4) Passata: is either to pass with the Stocata, or to carry your sword or rapier hilt by your right flank, with your point directly against your enemy's belly, with your left foot forward, extending forth your dagger forward as you do your sword, with narrow space between your sword & dagger blade, & so make your passage upon him.