Nobleza De La Espada Book Three English Translation
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Nobleza de la Espada, Book Three, English Translation Summary of the chapters of the third book Chapter One – Experience and Skill and how it comports with Science and Art. Chapter Two – The purpose of Destreza and the Mathematical Philosophy of Arms, founded in Science, Art, and Experience. Chapter Three – Exercises the Diestro must master in order to perform the techniques properly. Chapter Four – The medio de proporción y medios proporcionados. Chapter Five – How to take the sword in hand, what to do with it, and the best ways to do it. Chapter Six – How to position the arm and sword in the Right Angle. Chapter Seven – Information about some of the circles, the lower plane, and the vertical, oblique and horizontal planes with respect to each of the combatants. Chapter Eight – A demonstration, using the divisions of a cone and horizontal planes, of the angles, movements, lines and correct position of the sword and arms with respect to their raising and lowering. Chapter Nine – Instructing the student in the exercises of the arm and sword so that he skillfully performs the techniques coordinating movements in the upper plane with those of the lower plane so that they augment each other. Chapter Ten – Important exercises for the student’s arm and sword pertaining to the formation of the curved steps to the outside. Chapter Eleven – Important exercises for the student’s arm and sword pertaining to the formation of the curved steps to the inside. Chapter Twelve – Important exercises for the student’s arm and sword pertaining to the formation of the transverse and the mixed (lateral and backward) steps to the outside. Chapter Thirteen – Important exercises for the student’s arm and sword pertaining to the formation of the transverse and the mixed (lateral and backward) steps to the inside. Chapter Fourteen – Important things for the instructor to consider before teaching the student how to perform the real or virtual atajo. Chapter Fifteen – The eight ways to perform the atajo and the requirements for each one. Chapter Sixteen – The impediments and atajos the Diestro can do, with or without contact of the swords, when his opponent positions himself outside the Right Angle in any of the general lines or in a mixed line. 2 Chapter Seventeen – Things the instructor must consider before teaching the student the formation of the techniques followed by a reminder that the atajo is the universal foundation of each of the techniques, and of the requirements that must be met to work them with the perfection that is required. Chapter Eighteen – An explanation of the techniques of Verdadera Destreza the instructor must teach his student to form in first and second intention, from afar and in close, passing from the medio de proporcion to the medio proporcional by the posture of the sword and then immediately to the proporcionados of this jurisdiction, by means of having placed with his own sword on that of the opponent the first atajo by the inside part and from above and assuming the opponent resists sometimes with touch and other times with one or more degrees of contact. Chapter Nineteen – An explanation of the techniques from atajo two in first and second intention, from far and near, to the inside passing from the medio de proporcion to the proporcional and immediately to the corresponding proporcionado taking the opposing (blade) from the outside and from above, feeling a degree of contact. Chapter Twenty – An explanation of the techniques from atajo three in first and second intention from afar, to the outside passing from the medio de proporcion to the proporcional and immediately to the corresponding proporcionado taking the opponent’s sword from the inside and from above, feeling a degree of contact. Chapter Twenty-One – An explanation of the techniques from atajo four in first and second intention from afar, to the outside passing from the medio de proporcion to the proporcional and immediately to the corresponding proporcionado taking the opponent’s sword from the outside and from above, feeling a degree of contact. Chapter Twenty-Two – Explaining to the Diestro the correct way to execute the wounds passing immediately from the medio de proporcion to the proporcionado. Chapter Twenty-Three – Perfect or imperfect atajos and how performing an atajo improperly causes you injury. Chapter Twenty-Four – How the Diestro takes advantage of the courageous action of waiting on the opponent, the techniques he can perform when he wants to move away or remove the sword from the right-angle posture; following this, the defenses he needs to do against the atajo when it is placed on the inside or the outside, with other warnings extremely important to the Diestro’s perfection. Chapter Twenty-Five – How to fight against the leftie if the Diestro finds himself in battle with him. Chapter Twenty-Six – An explanation of where to place the dagger when the Diestro arms himself with sword and dagger using Spanish footwork with the body upright. Chapter Twenty-Seven – Following the Spanish method of sword and dagger, a discussion of some of the techniques of first intention, beginning with the sword free. Chapter Twenty-Eight – How to fight with the sword alone against the sword and dagger as used by the vulgar masters. The first posture of the sword and dagger in parallel lines, whether over the right angle or with the tip of the right foot turned to the inside part. 3 Chapter Twenty-Nine – How to use the sword and buckler and how to fight with the sword alone against the sword and buckler. Chapter Thirty – Italian methods of fighting with the sword and dagger. Chapter Thirty-One – Introduction to the method of la Bella Espanola with the sword alone and with the sword and dagger with the exercises needed for teaching it and how to apply it against the Italian method. 4 Book Three, Chapter One Experience and skill and how they comport with Science and Art. It was previously demonstrated in the first two books that the first two potencies of human knowledge are Science, and Art; and it remains for the perfection of this undertaking to explain the third potency, which is experience, as everyone has been told by the expert Caelius Rhodiginus, as summarized by these words: We found three cognitive potencies in our soul; and, citing the findings of the Greeks, he says: Hoc est, Scientiam, Artem, & Experientiam (TN: Latin. This is, Science, Art, and Experience) (ref. Caelius Rhodiginus Antiqlect book 6 chapter 12) Hippocrates, in the first of his Aphorisms, does not seem to accept them as Caelius does; since Hippocrates said: Vita brevis, Ars veró longa, Experimentum fallax. (TN: Latin. Life is brief, Art is vast, and Experience is deceiving.) (ref. Hippocrates Book 12 Chapter 12) Hippocrates’ exponents and other wise men have discussed the wisdom of this aphorism. Galen took the most certain opinion, though the Metaphysicists wandered in their opinions, that human capacity without divine influence is always defective, from which Egyptian Rabbi Moses, at the beginning of his Directory, recognized: Natural things cannot be perfectly explained by man, nor can he come to understand his origin according to them. (Ref. Rabbi Moses ben Maimon of Egypt. In princip. Directorij) This is the reason Pierre Grégoire, drawing upon sacred and profane sources of expertise, says: In this, as in other profound things (especially regarding God), man is overcome because of the frailty of his wisdom, even when he has it, and cannot achieve sufficient understanding. (ref. Pierre Grégoire Commen. Arte mirabilis Book A Chapter 1) Philostrus persuaded all who wish to take advantage of the Studies to, as their first diligence, respectfully consult God, who is Lord, and the source of all that is good. He said: Suadeo itaque omnibus, qui proventus ex literis desider a verint, ut ad Deum omnium bonorum largitorem tota mente in primis confugiant. (TN: Latin. I advise all who will impatiently have longed to understand the writings, to first consult God with all his mind, for he is the giver of all good things.) (ref. Philostratus Vita Apollonii Book 1 Chapter 8.) Plato (although Pagan) said on behalf of Socrates: If it pleases God you will quickly see great benefit of it; otherwise, nothing will come of it. (ref. Plato book 3 Theages - Si deo gratum est, per multum quidem breví prosicies, in contra minimé.) For the same reason Pythagoras said: Net venias ad opus, nisi numina fausta precatus. (TN: Latin. “Do not go to work unless you have prayed to the goddess of good fortune”) (ref. Pythagoras Carmine Latino expressi) And Virgil recognized God (although in a Pagan way) as the original source of all knowledge, saying: Ab love principium, Musa Iovis omniaplena. (TN: Latin. The Muses richly supply our leader, Jupiter.) (ref. Virgil Eclogues 3) 5 And, with great certainty, our patron Santiago tells those of us with the light of true faith: If you lack Wisdom and Science ask God for it; for he provides a tributary of it to all without hesitation or reproach. (ref. Epistle of James, Chapter 1 Verse 5: Si quis autem vestrum indiget sapietia, postulet a Deo, qui dat omnibus affluenter, & non improperat & dabitur ei.) (TN. Modern Bible James 1:5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.) Thus, it is more than barbaric when a man who studies every day and who considers himself advanced in those studies, and who does not recognize that all men are free of this deceit if they touch upon the value of the disillusionment of self-awareness, can say with Aristotle: Now I know that I do not know; and, seeing the light of Hippocrates’ aphorism, truly, life is brief, Science and Art are vast, and Experience is deceiving.