This play is part of Antonio Manciolino's Opera Nova.

Book 2

Crossing forward with your right next, you will cut a tramazzone fallen into porta di ferro larga. And you will cause your apposed buckler to guard your head well. Then drawing your left foot near your right you will do a falso from low to high going into guardia di faccia. And casting your right foot immediately forward, you will throw a mandritto traversale to the face so that your sword falls into porta di ferro [not specified].

You will then go into guardia di testa with your sword, and will throw a mandritto to his leg, going under your arm, and immediately recoiling your right foot to the rear, you will throw a riverso to his sword hand in such fashion that it falls into coda lunga, and stepping forward from here with your right, you will extend a thrust to his face, and as he raises his sword to block that, you will immediately place your buckler under that, and in that tempo you will pass toward his right side with your left foot, giving him a mandritto to the leg, and making your right foot then immediately follow behind your left, and thereafter retiring your left behind your right into large pace, you will make a half turn of your hand, so that your sword is finally reposed into coda lunga stretta.

Then you will extend a thrust to the face without moving your feet, and immediately after having done this, you will step toward his right side with your left foot, throwing a riverso to his right temple so that thereafter your right foot follows behind your left, and that your buckler is a good guardian of your head. Then you will extend a stoccata into your enemy's face, lifting yourself to the rear with an easy leap, causing your sword to be reduced into coda lunga alta.

Passing forward then with your right foot, you will extend another thrust to the face. Pretending to strike him in the head with a mandritto, nonetheless you will strike him across the right temple with a riverso, dropping your sword into coda lunga.

Then you will throw a falso traversale to the sword hand, that goes over-arm, and raising the sword hand into the air, you will throw a mandritto to the face going under-arm. Then immediately drawing your right foot back you will strike his sword hand with a riverso.

Then stepping forward with the right foot you will extend a thrust to the face, and pretending to throw a riverso to the face, you will give him a mandritto across the left temple, reducing your sword into porta di ferro stretta, where you will shield your head well with your buckler. Then withdrawing your right foot back you will make a half turn of your fist, recovering your sword into coda lunga stretta, and here cutting the enemy's hand with a mezzo mandritto falling into cingiara porta di ferro without moving your feet, thereafter you will step forward with your right foot and will extend a thrust to the face, redoubling two tramazzoni to the head, and making your buckler good, and then you will do a montante into guardia alta, retiring your right foot even with your left. Having furnished such, you will embellish the play in the fashion already described above thrice.

W. Jherek Swanger translation. Full text and copyright information: Wiktenauer or The Complete Renaissance Swordsman

Written Interpretations

Video Interpretations

Forum Discussions