Historical Fencing

Notes by Alex Munro, fencer at Stoccata from Australia

Transcriptions / Translations

• Nobility of the sword, its splendor is expressed in three books, according to science, art, and experience. First Book
  • Frontmatter
  • FIRST DISCOURSE. ON OFFENSE AND DEFENSE
  • SECOND DISCOURSE. ORIGIN OF THE SWORD, its qualification, use, estimation, and dignity, in various times, and Nations.
  • THIRD DISCOURSE. INTELLIGENCE, AND EXERCISES, of the Sword, if it is a science, and of what kind
  • FOURTH DISCOURSE. ART AND EXPERIENCE of the sword
  • FIFTH DISCOURSE. LOGIC OF THIS SCIENCE: of the Definition, and Division
  • SIXTH DISCOURSE. LOGIC OF THIS SCIENCE: Universal voices
  • SEVENTH DISCOURSE. PREDICAMENTS, OR CATEGORIES: of the Metaphysics of this science
  • EIGHTH DISCOURSE. SECOND PREDICATE, Quantity, or How much
  • NINTH DISCOUSE. THIRD PREDICAMENT, Relation or Analogy, which Logicians explain that which pertains to something else
  • TENTH DISCOURSE. FOURTH PREDICAMENT, Quality
  • ELEVENTH DISCOURSE FIFTH PREDICAMENT, Action
  • TWELFTH DISCOURSE SIXTH PREDICAMENT, Passion, y Passible.
  • THIRTEENTH DISCOURSE SEVENTH PREDICAMENT. Ubi, or Where.
  • FOURTHEENTH DISCOURSE EIGTH PREDICAMENT, When.
  • FIFTEENTH DISCOURSE. NINTH PREDICAMENT, Situs, or Position
  • SIXTEENTH DISCOURSE. TENTH PREDICAMENT, Habit, or External Ornament.
  • SEVENTEENTH DISCOURSE. POSTPREDICAMENTS, of the Opposites.
  • EIGHTEENTH DISCOURSE ON MOVEMENT AND STILLNESS
  • NINETEENTH DISCOURSE. ON DEMONSTRATION
• Nobility of the sword, its splendor is expressed in three books, according to science, art, and experience. Second Book
  • PROLOGUE TO THE READER.
  • INTRODUCTION TO THE ART OF THE SWORD.
  • CHAPTER ONE. SPECIFIC KNOWLEDGE OF THIS ART, and what arguments it uses
  • CHAPTER TWO. ART AND METHOD OF THIS Book
  • CHAPTER THREE. WHERE TERMS specific to this Science, and those adapted from it ARE INCLUDED.
  • CHAPTER FOUR. IN WHICH THE PETITIONS, Maxims, and General Precepts, ARE INCLUDED.
  • CHAPTER FIVE WHEREIN THE GEOMETRIC DEFINITIONS ARE INCLUDED Applied to the Skill of the regimen of the Sword
  • CHAPTER SIX PRACTICE, AND USE OF THE COMPASS that the Fencer MUST know.
  • CHAPTER SEVEN EXPLANATION OF THE MEASUREMENTS AND Proportions of the human body most necessary for the use and practice of the science and skill of weaponry
  • CHAPTER EIGHT EXPLANATION OF THE IDEA OF OUR Fortress, its structure, and the strong resemblance it has to the Real Forts and Squares, through which the use and practice of the Skill of Weapons is facilitated.
  • CHAPTER NINE BRIEF EPILOGUE, OR COMPILATION OF THE most essential points of the Art of Fencing, and the manner of discussing it; whose foundation will show it to be a science subordinate to Mathematics, arguing in this way.
  • CHAPTER TEN DESCRIPTION OF DIFFERENT FIGURES, through which the straight, circular, and mixed lines that can be considered, both from the movement of the body and the Sword, are shown. Their use is of utmost importance for the true understanding of the Art of Fencing.
  • CHATPER ELEVEN IN WHICH BOTH THE Proportional Means, as well as the appropriate positions that the Fencer should choose, are Demonstrated
  • CHAPTER TWELVE Etymology of the Means of Proportion, Proportionals, and Proportioned; and the circular movements that touch the body in the lower Plane.
  • CHAPTER THIRTEEN On the movements of the sword, and the arm in the Air
  • CHAPTER FOURTEEN FOR A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF THE movements, Angles, and straightnesses of the arm and Sword, in confirmation of what has been demonstrated, it is further facilitated in the following figures and explanation.
  • CHAPTER FIFTEEN How the Circular Movements that the Sword Can Make in the Air are Considered.
  • CHAPTER SIXTEEN Wherein a more specific explanation is given of the Pyramids considered for the use of Skill in Arms.
  • CHAPTER SEVENTEEN Proposition I. Theorem I. It is demonstrated that whenever the Fencer is positioned at a right angle, and at a right angle in his vertical right plane, and his opponent attacks him to strike with a thrust through the same plane, he can defend the depth of his body with a guard of two fingers in semi-diameter; however, it is necessary that the centers of the guards are in the common section of this vertical plane and the superior plane.
  • CHAPTER EIGHTEEN Symmetry of the Arm and Sword, and of the Divisions Considered in Both, from Whose Revolution Result the Six Necessary Orbs to Regulate the Movements of the Body on the Lower Plane, to Understand and Determine the Perfect Selection of Proportional Means.
  • CHAPTER NINETEEN Demonstrating through Statics How to Understand the Degrees of Strength and Weakness of the Arm and Sword, as Managed by Its Wielder, in Relation to Its Power.
  • CHAPTER TWENTIETH Explanation on How We Imagine the Eight Vertical Planes Considered in Each of the Two Combatants for the Use of Fencing.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY ONE On the Consideration of the Primary Vertical Plane Universally in Relation to Defense and Offense in All Operations of Fencing, as the Principal Guide by Which to Govern and Regulate.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY TWO Demonstration of How the Right-Hander Applies the Primary or Common Vertical Plane to Any of the Particular Planes of His Opponent, Who is Assumed to be Waiting, for a Clearer Explanation of the Following Figure.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE Explanation of the Other Planes Parallel and Oblique to the Horizon, of Which the Fencer Must Be Aware, to Direct Straight, Circular, and Semicircular Techniques to Their Proper Targets on the Opponent's Body; This Also Includes Knowledge of the Three Lower, Upper, and Middle Planes, All Very Necessary for the Practice of Skill in Arms.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR How the Diestro can apply the primary vertical plane in a way that gains an advantage over their opponent, creating the necessary inequality for their security in all propositions and operations of Skill.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE On the knowledge of defense Pyramids that the Diestro can and must create with their Sword, arm, and guard, both in the middle of proportion and in proportioned positions, to place or contain their opponent's Sword outside the two imaginary planes of their defense.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX Demonstration in which the method by which the Fencer will have the Angles of the bastions of the idea of our Fort is manifested, which consists of containing the sword of his opponent in two vertical planes, touching on both sides of the cylinder in which we imagine the Fencer, or others with a larger diameter than the base requires; and the intersection of these planes is considered along a perpendicular line that falls from the center of the quillons of the guard of the opponent's sword to the lower plane, wherever it may be located; and this perpendicular line we imagine produced up to the horizontal plane, which passes through the verticals of the two combatants: and because this demonstration has some cases, they will be explained in their order with their figures.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN The universal advantages that the Fencer will have, both for defense and offense, if they scientifically use the concept of our Fortress.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT On the Different Ways Commonly Used by Men to Place Their Feet When Standing and Walking: An Examination of the Most Perfect and Secure Method for the Use of Skill.
  • CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE Demonstration of How to Walk More Naturally, Strongly, and Gracefully by Positioning the Feet So That the Imaginary Lines Extending From Their Tips and Lengths Form a Right Angle, Rather Than Other Shapes, or by Keeping the Feet in Parallel Lines.
  • CHAPTER THIRTY Differences of Right Angle, considered for the use of Fencing.
  • CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE In which a more universal demonstration is made of the right angle caused in the upper plane; its jurisdiction, nature, differences, and properties, in order to its reach.
  • CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO For further verification of the reach of the right angle, and of its jurisdiction, in confirmation of what has been demonstrated, I return to facilitate it in three figures of the body.
  • CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE I return for the third time to demonstrate in order the reaches of the Sword in each of the three planes, and jurisdiction of the right angle, in confirmation of the previous demonstrations
  • CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR Having given an account of the universality of the Right Angle, its jurisdiction, nature, differences, and properties in terms of its reach, it remains to demonstrate that it has a greater reach than either the obtuse or acute angles.