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The Falso Impuntato of the Bolognese Tradition
Ken Harding
December 2019 (updated April 2020)

The Falso Impuntato has been a bit of a mystery in Bolognese swordsmanship. It is referenced throughout the works of the masters. The vagueness of our understanding has been expressed in all the major publications and in public demonstrations. But this is understandable. The technique is nowhere exactly and completely described. The name of Falso implies that the false edge is important, and the word Impuntato implies a digging in with a sudden stop. The technique is used in both Assalti and Abbattimenti. The best answer to what this technique really looks like is found by examining all of our Bolognese masters.

Marozzo uses the term Falso Impuntato fairly frequently, without ever describing it in any complete way. He says a few explicit details though, in different places, which allow us to construct an understanding. In chapter 95 he says to “throw a Falso Impuntato, that is, a Tondo.” So we know that whatever it is, the fact that it is horizontal is of primary importance. In chapter 116 Marozzo says that when performing a Falso Impuntato: “the wrist will do a turn.” This is a critical piece of information.

These two descriptors, that it is horizontal and is done with a turn of the wrist, come directly from Marozzo and are indisputable.

In order to deliver the attack as a horizontal Tondo (from your right side), and to incorporate a “turn of the wrist”, it must mean that your right hand originated in the palm-up position in order to terminate in a palm-down position, thereby striking with the false edge. This conclusion is inescapable.

In several places Marozzo says that you “thrust” a Falso Impuntato, but he does not say this every time. From this we know the point can be involved, and not just the false edge. It is reasonable to take the position that the attack has both the qualities of a thrust and a cut. The cut (done with the false edge near the point) is a natural conclusion of the action of throwing the Falso Impuntato. To make a thrust of it, one simply needs to push the blade forward at the conclusion of the cutting motion.

This understanding of Marozzo’s Falso Impuntato matches what Giovanni dall’ Agocchie called a False Mandritto: “You can perform a Mandritto in Falso; as the blow is being thrown, turn the palm of your hand almost as it connects, specifically downward in the case of the Mandritto, so that you wound with the false edge.” It is important to note that while ‘Falso Impuntato’ is mentioned fairly frequently by Marozzo and Anoniomo, nowhere in any of his writings does dall’ Agocchie use the term. This doesn’t mean he didn’t use the technique— he just called it by a different name. Within dall’ Agocchie’s description of it is explicitly the “turn of the wrist” that both Marozzo and Anonimo call for.

What follows is an examination of every place in which Marozzo mentions the technique in his writings, by chapter. The context will be used to establish the basis for understanding.

83 This is a play of two swords. You are with your left foot forward. Your right hand holds the sword in Coda Lunga Alta, and you throw a Falso Impuntato with it, thrusting to the enemy’s left temple as you step your right foot to your right. In this case the action ends with your sword-hand palm down. This example is consistent with the above understanding.

93 This is an Abbattimento of sharp sword and large buckler. You begin with your right foot forward in Coda Lunga Stretta. You provoke your enemy by throwing a Falso Impuntato to the enemy’s left temple as you cross-step your left foot to your right, thrusting to the left temple. Anonimo does this same motion with sword and rotella, although he says nothing about thrusting. This action ends with sword-hand palm down, and is consistent with the above understanding.

95 This is an Abbattimento for the one-handed sword unaccompanied. You start from Coda Lunga Stretta and lift your hand to strike your enemy’s sword with a Falso Impuntato (obviously not a thrust) , stepping your left foot to your left. Your sword clearly travels from right to left. The action ends with your sword-hand palm-down , your sword perfectly positioned for the next cut: a Riverso to the face with a step forward of the right foot. This example is consistent with the above understanding.

104 This is a play of sword and rotella. You throw a Falso Impuntato to the enemy’s left temple as you cross-step your left foot toward your right. This action ends with sword-hand palm down, and after you immediately cut a Mandritto. This example is consistent with the above understanding.

153 This is a play of the sword and imbraciatura. Here you throw a Falso Impuntato to the face stepping your right foot to your right side. This one also ends with sword-hand palm down, as you immediately turn your hand over to cut a Mandritto to the leg, so this is also consistent with the understanding expressed herein.

161 This is the Assalti for the two-handed sword. You throw a Falso Impuntato toward your left passing with your left foot as a deception. This step and cut mirrors the motions you see in chapter 95. Then you follow with a Mandritto stepping with your right foot to your right.

172 This chapter on the two-handed sword has two mentions of a Falso Impuntato as a thing your enemy may find you with. Marozzo describes being in Porta di Ferro Larga and being attacked with a variety of attacks. Marozzo says you could ‘disengage’ a Mandritto or a Falso Impuntato (note that these have the same direction of motion), and to then engage with your edges together (either true edge to true edge or false to false). This is quite ambiguous as no footwork is mentioned. Chapter 172 is inconclusive.

116 This chapter represents an anomaly. It is the only case where the context of the actions clearly and unambiguously does not match the name of the technique. The action starts with the sword-hand palm downward in Sopra il Braccio, but then the right wrist is turned upward at the end. This action is different (actually opposite) from every other clear representation of the Falso Impuntato in the writings of Marozzo. This action does in fact appear to be what Marozzo called a Riverso Impuntato (described below).

Because Marozzo was inconsistent in chapter 116 (describing a Riverso Impuntato when he says to do a Falso Impuntato), one could argue that he made the same mistake in the first part of the first assault for the two handed sword, because of that section’s ambiguity. While this is not impossible, we should not be quick to assume that he made the same mistake twice. The action in the two-handed sword section is described as throwing a Falso Impuntato while stepping forward with the left foot. We also see this same combination of actions in chapter 95: the Falso Impuntato is thrown stepping the left foot forward from Coda Lunga Stretta —and the direction of the motion is clearly from the performer’s right side, to beat the blade of the enemy. Another example of the Falso Impuntato used to beat the enemy’s sword from Coda Lunga Stretta is in Anonimo’s play no. 262. There is nothing technically wrong with substituting a Riverso Impuntato for the Falso Impuntato in the first part of the Primo Assalto for the two-handed sword, but the inconsistency should not be construed as evidence.

Anonimo provides information that supports this understanding of the technique. He describes the same thing as dall’ Agocchie-- in plays 372, 670, 691, 701, 703, and 707 he says to make what looks like a true-edge cut but at the last instant "transform" the cut by turning your sword-hand palm downward “in the manner of a Falso Impuntato”. The interesting part is that the verb describing the motion of the Falso Impuntato is “gire”, which is not a modern word, but must be some variant of “girare”-- to rotate. He also mentions a "Falso Tondo Impuntato", an action consistent with Marozzo's "Roverso Impuntato" (see below). Anonimo provides the important bridge between Marozzo, who is discussed above, and dall’Agocchie, who is discussed below.

Angelo Viggiani reinforces this understanding by contributing the following pertinent information in 56v. After describing the various angles of Mandritto, he says: “These are the types of Mandritto. The Rovescio has as many other types, and not more; and if one would strike with the false edge, there are born therefrom as many kinds of blows from the true edge, except that you need to add the designation of ‘Falso’ to all the particular names, saying ‘Falso Mandritto’, ‘Falso Rovescio’…” Therefore, if you were strictly a follower of Viggiani alone, you would use the term Falso Mandritto instead of Falso Impuntato, and Falso Roverscio instead of Riverso Impuntato (in a pattern similar to dall' Agocchie).

Antonio Manciolino is of no help in the question, unfortunately. He does not seem to mention the term Falso Impuntato, or any other term, to describe such a cut, although certain of his actions can be construed that way. For example, in the first part of his first assault with sword and buckler, he throws a Riverso from Sotto il Braccio that appears to have the qualities of a Riverso Impuntato.

Because of Anonimo’s description, we can tell that what Marozzo called a Falso Impuntato is the same action that dall’Agocchie calls a Mandritto in Falso. This exploration into what Falso Impuntato may change the way that you have been doing things, but that is the ongoing nature of what we do. It’s to be expected. It is to be embraced.

You can practice the Falso Impuntato (standing still for simplicity), by starting with your right foot forward and your sword on your right shoulder (if you’re right handed). Deliver a Mandritto Squalembrato (true-edge diagonal cut from your right side) that stops right in front of your face. But just before it stops, turn your right hand palm downward, thereby striking across horizontally with the false edge, near the tip of the sword. Then practice this action by starting with your left foot forward, and making a passing step with your right foot.

Marozzo and others mention variants of the Falso Impuntato, and they are discussed below.

Falso Impuntato Manco

A ‘Falso Impuntato Manco’ is referenced in chapter 173. The word Manco (left) is the modifier of the Falso Impuntato action. It is delivered as a typical Falso Impuntato (a Mandritto that turns over at the end, sword-hand palm down), except that you begin the action by rotating your sword to your left. As per Marozzo’s description, start by standing in Guardia d’ Intrare with your left foot forward in a wide stance. Without lowering your hands, turn your point towards your left side (your left hand crosses underneath your right), circling your sword over your head and then as you pass your right foot forward deliver a diagonal Mandritto Squalembrato from over your right shoulder. As your arms fully extend, turn your right hand palm down to strike horizontally with the false edge at the tip, as your left hand goes under your right forearm. Marozzo specifies that you should end with your right foot forward in “Guardia di Faccia Incrosata” (with crossed arms). This may seem awkward at first, but it isn’t if you turn your hips so that they face forward; do this by rotating your rear foot on the ball of the foot so that it points forward (lift your heel).

Riverso Impuntato

In the fifth part of the Second Assault for the two-handed sword Marozzo mentions a “Roverso Impuntato”. This is what dall’Agocchie refers to as a Riverso in Falso, or False Riverso. In this attack Marozzo tells you to start from Guardia di Intrare not in a wide stance (your right foot is forward, and your feet are close together). To perform the action, you start to deliver what appears to be a Riverso, stepping your left foot forward and to your left, but turn your right hand palm up right before your sword reaches the target. You will be striking horizontally with the false edge of the tip. When making this action, don’t take your sword past where it would be if you were standing in Guardia di Croce. This technique matches what dall’ Agocchie described as a False Riverso: “You can perform a Riverso in Falso; as the blow is being thrown, you turn the palm of your hand upward, almost as it connects, so that you wound with the false edge.”

Falso Manco Impuntato

This is only referenced in Marozzo’s Second Assault, part ten, two times. Rather than a variant of Falso Impuntato, it is a variant of a Falso Manco. The final word 'Impuntato' is the modifier of the verb 'Falso Manco'. This is different from the Falso Impuntato Manco (note the difference in word order). Did Marozzo simply make a mistake and carelessly swap the words around? No. The starting positions of both actions have the opposite foot forward. The ending positions of both actions have the opposite foot forward. And at the end of both actions, the edges are in the opposite orientations. To assume Marozzo was simply being inaccurate with his wording is to ignore all these facts. Better to first assume that he intended to express a specific idea.

Based upon the context (particularly starting and ending positions), this appears to be a typical false edge thrown from the left side, with the emphasis on digging the point into the target, as opposed to using the false edge to cut with. The beginning position is always Guardia d’ Intrare left foot forward in a wide stance, and the finishing position is always with the right foot forward and the false edge of the sword against the enemy’s false edge, crossed in stretta di mezza spada. Part ten of the Second Assault actually contains seven separate sequences. Of these, three times Marozzo calls for a Falso Manco, and two times he uses the term Falso Manco Impuntato, perhaps interchangeably. They both begin and end in precisely the same positions and have the same functionality. Based on this, one may go so far as to suppose that ‘Falso Manco’ and ‘Falso Manco Impuntato’ are in fact the same thing, with the name shortened for convenience. Marozzo never uses this wording elsewhere.

Falso Dritto Impuntato

This is mentioned in chapter 174, and is thrown from Guardia di Testa and ends in Guardia di Faccia. We can therefore perform this no differently than a typical Falso Dritto, and like the previous example, this appears to be less a variant on Falso Impuntato than it is a variant of the Falso Dritto, with an emphasis on digging the tip in rather than cutting with the edge. The word that comes last, 'Impuntato', is a modifier of the Falso Dritto. This is the only mention of this cut anywhere.

Punta in Falso Impuntata

The maneuver is mentioned in the fifth part of the Second Assault for the two-handed sword, and based on its context it is specifically a thrusting action and clearly has nothing to do with a Falso Impuntato.

See it on Youtube

Understanding the Stretta of the Half Sword
Ken Harding, St. Louis School of Arms
January 2020

In the Bolognese tradition, we have many techniques which involve us being in position where we must have our swords crossed with our opponent. It is important to see these techniques as two-part maneuvers, the first part consisting of achieving the crossed sword position, safely and reliably, from outside of striking range, and the second being the execution of a specific technique entering into striking range, as described by the master. How do we know this?

Firstly, in his Primo Assalto for the sword and buckler, Manciolino states that you “perform a stretta of the half sword”, and describes the action of throwing a Mandritto from Guardia Alta stepping your right foot forward, and then immediately retracting your foot as your sword goes under your left arm into Guardia Sotto il Braccio (and then he has you actually do another Stretta of the half sword, this time on the false edge side, again stepping the right foot). What he has done here is to reliably establish a crossing of the blades at their middles, after which he turns the sword-hand down and drives a thrust forward with a forward step. (Note that Manciolino performs the Stretta of the Half Sword from Gioco Largo – something Anonimo Bolognese expressly advises against). You may have noticed that Marozzo has this same technique (although from a Stretta guard as Anonimo advises): advance the right foot to “join” with the adversary’s blade at the middle of the false edge, and then turn the sword-hand down and pass forward with a thrust. These two examples, from Manciolino and Anonimo, show a complete stretta play consisting of two parts: 1) performing the Stretta of the Half Sword (taking a half step from outside of measure to achieve the middle-of-the-sword engagement), and then 2) taking an additional step forward into striking range with a specific technique (in this case the same one). What they both fail to include is an important detail of the footwork, which we will see is supplied by someone else in our tradition.

Secondly, we know these are two part maneuvers by looking at what dall’Agocchie wrote. He gives specific instruction for twelve techniques which are executed “upon reaching the middle of the sword”—six on the false edge side and six on the true edge side. The six true edge techniques are done with a variety of footwork, and the six false edge techniques are always done with a step of the right foot. What is very significant (and easy to overlook) is that between these two sections he wrote some footwork instructions, but it applies only to the false edge techniques. He said that if you have stepped in with your left foot to achieve the crossed blades, you then simply need to pass your right foot forward (as indicated in the six techniques themselves). But if you have stepped your right foot in to achieve the crossing, you need to make your left foot follow it (in this case, bring your left foot up close behind your right foot*), and then advance your right foot again, as indicated in each of the six techniques. “This is the rule that you must use in moving your feet.”

Not convinced? Consider this. If in all six of the false edge stretta you only make a step with the right foot, why would dall’Agocchie state that your left foot may be forward? Because he is not referring to anything happening within the six techniques themselves, but what happens in the moment immediately before— he is talking about the step that got you to that crossed-sword position.

If you practice these ‘crossed sword’ techniques standing still with your sword intersecting the middle of your adversary’s sword, you are doing yourself a great disservice. That is only the second half. You should include the first half. More on that below.

Some authors have incorrectly stated that “plays of gioco stretto may start in two ways: with both the swords crossed, either with the true edges touching or the false edges touching”. This idea that Narrow Plays start with the swords crossed is not true. One reason we know this is because Anonimo Bolognese defines the narrow plays as when you place yourself into a stretta guard (keeping your point at your opponent), and you make only half cuts that end in other stretta guards, and you move with small steps. This definition is not synonymous with a play that begins with the swords crossed; rather, it implies swordplay at close range. Likewise, dall’Agocchie stated that “the wide guards serve in the wide play, and the narrow ones in the narrow.” If it’s true that narrow plays start with the swords crossed, then dall’Agocchie’s statement makes no sense. So it is by this evidence that we can say with certainty that the statement “gioco strette start with crossed swords” is untrue. This leads us to an important revelation.

There are a lot plays at crossed swords, and all the masters state that they are very important (even that they are the most important). They describe these techniques with as much detail as anything else. Without seeing them as two part maneuvers, attempting to use them at full speed is frustrating and difficult. If you wait until your swords randomly cross, things happen so quickly to be able to cleanly execute them, and you fall well short of the rich and varied techniques that the masters described. This is why you should not practice these techniques by beginning with your blades already crossed: you (as the agent) do not have any advantage of tempo.

Antonio Manciolino was not one to leave things to chance. He wouldn’t be the first person to attack committedly. He would get his opponent to do it. When engaging, he nearly always used a pressing tactic to force his opponent into making predictable responses. In all of his ‘spada da filo’ (real fighting with a sharp sword), whether it was sword alone, sword and dagger, sword and cape, or sword and buckler, he always pursued this careful and manipulative tactic. It seems highly improbable that when it came to close-in fighting at crossed swords, he would have left things to chance. It turns out that he didn’t. It is very easy to miss. Manciolino mentions it only once, but it is profoundly important. It is the “Stretta di mezza spada”, or the straits of the half-sword, and it is a very specific tactic. Its existence seems to have gone overlooked, or it has been confused with the gioco strette.

Stretta di Mezza Spada is an action designed to force the opponent to raise their sword up in defense, so that you can then follow that up with some specific technique. In order to do this consistently and correctly, you need to throw an obvious and unmistakable strike, because in order for your opponent to respond with the appropriate reaction, they must see what’s coming. “Make a show of throwing” the blow, as the masters say. But the strike you make is not at your opponent’s body, but in the middle of the space between you and your enemy. Do as the masters say: “Throw a strike, but not to wound”. Step your foot in only half as much (throw the blow in half measure). Your adversary will see the attack coming and naturally put the sword up to intercept it-- but they won't know that you're only stepping half way. Do not try to knock down the blade of your opponent. Brace yourself: firmly control the center, at the middle of the swords. Do it, again as the master say, to “join the edges together”.

Note that Manciolino said to "perform" the stretta of the half-sword (an action), and not to "enter into" the stretta of the half-sword (a position). He’s telling us to do a specific thing-- not the resulting position after you’ve done it. This is an important technique used by all the masters, under their subject of “what to do when your opponent does not want to be the first to attack.” These days it's what we call a provocation.

At the exact moment the blades touch, steal the tempo and execute one of the many techniques that they have given us. When you perform the Stretta of the Half Sword, you should be safe from danger by the fact that you stepped forward in half measure, which keeps you out of striking distance, until you advance again. One thing of critical importance is that when you perform this, you should HAVE IN MIND which action you plan to do next, because that is the whole point of this— that you know what you're going to do once you get your enemy to meet your sword. This is where the advantage of the tempo comes from. If you simply clash blades together, and then make an assessment and decide what you are going to do next, by that time your opponent has done the exact same thing and no one has the advantage of tempo—you both are acting in equal time. Performing the Stretta of the half-sword is the secret to achieving the position from which you can securely and reliably launch all of those awesome techniques from crossed swords.

As far as the footwork required to perform the Stretta of the Half Sword, Manciolino and Marozzo are incomplete. Before you begin, we will call the straight line between your center and your opponent's center the "baseline". When you perform the Stretta of the Half Sword on the true edge side, when bringing your sword forward to the engagement, you will step your right foot forward to your right, only so far forward as to meet the opponent's blade in the middle with yours. Turn your right foot to point slightly inward, and your left foot swings behind your right, aligning so that you are standing at a slightly oblique angle towards the original baseline. In this way your sword goes across the front of your body so that it shields you, as you are behind it. Your pommel should be approximately in front of your left shoulder, and your tip should be aimed approximately a few inches above the head of your adversary (and your adversary's sword should be likewise positioned). This is not done as a feint; the blades should impact. As soon as this impact occurs, you instantly execute the "payload" of this delivery system: the second half which you had decided upon beforehand. Execute the technique, as dall'Agocchie described, "upon reaching the middle of the sword". Do not pause: this is your moment to steal the tempo from your adversary. So much for the true edge strette. The footwork for the false edge stretta was described above.

Manciolino and Marozzo provide lots of Stretta techniques within the combination of the sword and buckler, while Marozzo and Anonimo give these techniques for the two-handed sword. From this we see that the Stretta of the Half Sword occurs in the practical 'Abbattimenti' as well as in the instructive and elaborate 'Assalti', which is a testament to the combat worthiness of the techniques, and they are not merely ornamental. It is important to include the footwork instruction of dall’Agocchie when practicing the techniques of the other Bolognese masters.

We are (and should be) cautious about imposing teachings from one master upon another. And while it's certainly possible to get insight from external sources, we should be even more cautious about applying teachings from outside our Bolognese tradition. We should also be extremely cautious about applying teachings backward through time, as the methodologies of later ages were based on different weapons with different goals and usages. We should first strive to extract every bit of information we need from the five masters who comprise our tradition. In some cases our masters do not always agree-- such as whether or not to practice with a sharp sword, the best way to parry with an offhand dagger, or how to grip a partisan. We note these differences and keep training. There are some pieces of information which are not contradictory, and seem to represent undescribed details. The later masters (Anonimo, dall'Agocchie and Viggiani) were more verbose and descriptive than their earlier counterparts (Manciolino and Marozzo). For example, dall'Agocchie gives us a wonderfully detailed description of how to perform a Falso Impuntato (False Mandritto), something which Marozzo completely fails to do when he requires it of us. In the case of the topic of this article, it is clear from practicing it that dall'Agocchie's instruction is essential to the safe and effective execution of the Stretta of the Half Sword, and not merely a matter of his opinion.

Gioco Stretto is not the same thing as Stretta of the Half Sword. They aren’t even related. Why not? Because you can perform Stretta of the Half Sword from Gioco Largo just as easily as from Gioco Stretto. We literally see this in the material of the masters: in Marozzo’s solo spada section, Stretta di Mezza Spada is performed from a Stretta guard, while in Manciolino’s Primo Assalto for the sword & buckler it's performed from Larga guards (note that Manciolino's example is against the advice of Anonimo, who stated that you should not close to the middle of the sword from wide play, but do so from the narrow play). Under this understanding, we cannot refer any plays that deal with crossed blades as 'Gioco Stretto'. This goes for Marozzo’s Third Assault (which he does not call Gioco Stretto), and the similar material of dall’Agocchie. They are correctly called Giochi di Stretta di Mezza Spada. I hope by this I have helped paint a more complete and accurate picture of historical Bolognese fencing.

*The understanding that "one foot following behind the other" can also mean that "one foot is brought up closely behind the other" is also advanced by Stephen Fratus in his translation of the MSS Ravenna M-345/M-346 manuscript (Anonimo Bolognese). When taking into consideration the context, this understanding is very useful in the works of all the Bolognese masters.

The Case of the Missing Step
Ken Harding, St. Louis School of Arms
January 2020

In interpreting the works of the masters, there are times where it appears that an error is discovered. Sometimes the error is real, but we must be careful and not rush to such a judgment. For sometimes the error is a mistake of translation, and this can be resolved by looking at the works of other translators, or by going back to the original archaic Italian. The error can easily be the mistake of the interpreter as well, who simply did not understanding the context of the master’s instructions. Here is one example of a discovered problem.

Within part ten of Achille Marozzo's Primo Assalto for the two-handed sword, there seems to be an unmentioned step. Here is a summary of the actions. You are in Guardia di Intrare in a wide stance (left foot forward), and then you throw a crossed-arm thrust, and here there is no step mentioned. The enemy beats your thrust, and you are told to cut a half Mandritto to the leg and step your left foot diagonally to your left. However, if your left foot was already wide and in front of you to your left before you threw the thrust, how then could you step your left foot diagonally to your left when you cut the half Mandritto? This series of actions makes no sense. There had to have been a step of the right foot that went with the crossed-arm thrust, right? Well, maybe.

It is entirely possible for one of the masters to omit a necessary footstep. But whatever you think of Marozzo’s writing style, he was explicit and descriptive in his directions, and fairly consistent. When he wants you to step, he usually states it verbosely, such as “step your right foot to your enemy’s right side, and let your left foot follow behind it.” Why would he not say that here, with this thrust in part ten?

If the actions in part ten feel familiar, that’s because there is a similar sequence in part four. There is a moment where you are in Cinghiara Porta di Ferro Stretta (left foot forward), and are told to throw a thrust to the enemy’s left temple— and again there is no step mentioned. Thrusting to that target without stepping your right foot is not exactly what you would call comfortable or mechanically sound, nor is it convincing to your enemy (and the same things can be said of the sequence in part ten). After the thrust you are told to cut across to your left, going into Guardia di Intrare in a wide stance (left foot forward). The sequences in part four and in part ten have the same body mechanics: from a left foot forward stance, you throw a thrust to the face without stepping, then make a true edge cut across to your left, ending with your left foot forward. Now you have to believe that Marozzo forgot to mention a right footstep twice, under similar circumstances. This seems highly unlikely. There is another answer.

Reviewing part ten again, you see that Marozzo tells you to go “into Guardia di Intrare in a wide stance; that is, cast your left leg to one side, namely your left side.” Then he says to throw an over-hand crossed-arm thrust to your enemy’s face, but he mentions no step. He says your enemy will beat your thrust, and that you should “send your left foot diagonally to your left” as you throw a half Mandritto. What Marozzo seems to be describing is that in order for this left step to be necessary, you had drawn your left foot near your right foot when you thrusted at the enemy’s face. Doing this makes the thrust feel more natural and balanced, and it solves the riddle of why the left foot then needed to step to the left: it’s returning to its original spot.

If we also apply this action to the thrust in part four, it makes that thrust feel more natural and powerful too, without changing the overall structure or flow of the play. If you choose not to take this action, you are still left with the riddle of why he told you to make that step. If Marozzo omitted something, it seems more likely to be one foot drawn near the other, rather than an entire footstep, which seems more extreme. This is of course an interpretation, one you may or may not agree with, but our interpretations at the St. Louis School of Arms are not made casually, without a high degree of scrutiny. This is the job of the interpreter: to examine the plays in all their fine details, as supplied by the translator, but also to examine all of the works at a higher level view, to find the similarities and discrepancies, and then present a case for the most likely interpretation.

Based on this examination, the way that we perform parts four and ten of the Primo Assalto for the two handed sword has slightly changed. But this should come as no surprise.

See the step here on YouTube.

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