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Terms of Use under a Creative Commons license. You are free to copy, distribute, and display this article under the following conditions: You must provide attribution to the author and the Lord Collection, and make these license terms clear to others. You may not modify the article, and you may not use it for commerical purposes. You may view the complete terms of the license below: creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/ To download other works in the Lord Collection, and for more information, please visit: www.umass.edu/renaissance/lord Practice for the Duel Dr. Patri J. Pugliese Academia in Artibus Desuetis Many manuals were pub- ous staff weapons. lished in Sixteenth Century Europe He then turns to on the use of arms both in war and “The Second Part in individual combat. For the most intreatinge of De- part, these manuals give detailed in- ceites and Falsing- structions on the manner of doing es of Blowes and great harm to your opponents while Thrustes.” Di Gras- contravening their attempts to harm si explains that he is you. Occasionally, however, these including this sec- Figure 3. Photograph of tip of prac- manuals will discuss activities that tion because he had tice rapier in the Victoria & Albert are part of a training regimen rather promised to do so Museum, London. than, in themselves, movements that earlier in the treatise, one would carry out in combat. These and also “to satisfie those who are greatly delighted discussions sometimes explicitly ad- to skirmish, not with pretence to hurt or overcome, dress what might better be called but rather for their exercise & pastime.”3 He explains sport fencing than actual combat. that in this activity, one is admired for being able to While few Renaissance trea- carry out a wide range of elaborate motions; but that tises explicitly address the issue of in combat, it can happen that an opponent with “good Figure 1. Practice “sport” fencing, Giacomo Di Grassi stomack and stout courage”4 can thrust past these rapier in the Victoria fancy maneuvers. Di Grassi therefore advocates that & Albert Museum, raises the issue at length in his Ra- London. (Hutton. The gione Di Adoprar Sicuramente L’Arme the practices associated with the false art only be em- 5 Sword and the Centu- si da Offesa, Come da Difesa (Venetia: ployed “in sport, and . for their practise & pastime.” ries,1901, p. 74.) 1570) and in the nearly contempo- Beginning his discussion of “Deceits or Fals- rary translation of this treatise, Gia- ings” with the single rapier, Di Grassi reminds the como Di Grassi his True Arte of Defence reader of the various wards previously described . With a Treatise of Disceit or Falsinge within the true art, “And standing in all these waies, (London: 1594).1 In discussing the he may false a thrust above, and force it home be- division of his treatise into the true neath: and contrarie [false a thrust] from beneth [and art and the false art, Di Grassi wants thrust] above, he may false it without and deliver it his readers to understand, “that false- within, or contrariwise.”6 Likewise, one can false a cut- hood hath no advauntage against true ting blow and then deliver a different blow instead. Art, but rather is most hurtfull and All of these most common form of falsings are what deadlie to him that useth it.”2 The we today would call making a feint before delivering majority of the treatise focuses on the real attack. While the use of feints eventually be- the True Art: first, describing posi- comes one of the most standard of fencing practices, tions and movements appropriate to Di Grassi regards it as a technique that carries with the use of arms, and second, provid- it great danger for the user: “And as for these Falses Figure 2. Practice ing detailed instructions in the use of and Slips, they must use them for their exercise & pas- dagger in the Victoria the rapier alone; the rapier and dag- times sake onelie, and not presume upon them, except & Albert Museum, ger; the rapier and cloak; the sword it bee against such persons, who are either much more London. (Hutton. The (or rapier) and buckler (small shield, slow, or know not the true principels of this Art.”7 Sword and the Centuries, either round or square); case (pair) While Di Grassi warns of the danger of mak- 1901, p. 75.) of rapiers; two hand sword; and vari- ing false attacks, he is stronger still in his criticism of 1 a second form of falsing which can be performed when allow to slide down along your own rapier towards your one has supplemented the rapier with a dagger in the hilt a bit off to your right side. You then bring the blade other hand: “As for example, to widen it [the dagger] and of your own dagger up inside (that is, to your right) of his discover [expose] some part of the bodie to the enemie, rapier near to his hilt, and pull with your dagger hand to thereby provoking him to move, and then warding, to your left while holding or pushing with your right (rapier) strike him, being so disapointed: but in my opinion, these hand toward your right. The execution of this maneuver sortes of falses of discovering of the bodie, ought not is greatly enhanced by nimbly stepping in with your left to be used.”8 That is, while “feints” are dangerous to the (rear) foot immediately upon establishing contact between user, “invitations” are far more so. A third form of fals- your rapier and his. As you pull with the left hand and ing receives even more criticism than these first two: “But push with the right, swing your left foot (and your entire this manner of falsing next following, is to be practiced body) back, rotating on the right foot. The separation of last of all other, and as it were in desperate cases. And it your hands, combined with the force provided by having is, either to faine, as though he would forcibly fling his your entire body involved, creates a large turning force or dagger at the enemie’s face, . or els . to fling the dag- torque which easily twists the grip of your opponent’s ra- ger in deede at the enemie’s face”9 One is reminded of pier out of his hand.13 In practice (and we have practiced the scene in the 1974 this on many occa- movie version of The sions), this disarm Four Musketeers in which is both effective and Porthos demonstrates very “flashy.” It is a his new attack which maneuver guaranteed entails flinging his ra- to garner the admira- pier at his opponent. tion of any onlook- After easily parrying ers. Note, however, the thrown weapon, that should an actual Aramis remarks, “Only enemy attack you in Porthos could invent a earnest with such a new way of disarming blow, the standard, far himself.”10 Di Grassi less flashy, response is especially critical of would be to thrust in this idea of giving up Figure 4. Fencing practice showing padded tips on rapiers af- quickly at his chest ter Michael Hundt. Ein new künstliches Fechtbuch im Rappier zum a weapon to achieve Fechten und Balgen (1611) (Arnold, 1979, p. 120.) while his weapon is some imagined imme- coming around from diate advantage. He likewise recommends against seizing above, thereby ending the matter with greater dispatch and the enemies sword with the left hand if doing so calls for avoiding the danger of allowing his weapon to approach the casting away of one’s dagger.11 The objection here is closely before blocking, as the disarm requires. This is not to the seizing of the opponent’s weapon, but to the sac- the difference between the True Art and the False Art. rifice of one’s own dagger. Several pages earlier, Di Grassi After treating rapier and dagger, Di Grassi turns to rapier describes in some detail how one can close with an oppo- and cloak. In his treatment of the true art, Di Grassi nent, grasp his rapier near the hilt, and twist it out of the comments on the cloak that “the use thereof being in a opponent’s hand.12 In that earlier case, however, one is en- manner altogether deceitfull, I was resolved to put over all gaged in single rapier play and the left hand is already emp- this to the treatise of Deceit, as unto his proper place.”14 ty so no weapon is being abandoned during the grappling. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that since one will usually In keeping with the theatrical nature of the moves have a cloak near to hand should the need arise to defend which characterize the false art, Di Grassi ends this sec- oneself from attack, one should know how to use it to tion with a disarm in which you continue to hold on to advantage. The flexibility of the cloak means that it can- your own dagger while seizing your opponent’s rapier. If, not offer the same kind of protection that a rigid imple- according to Di Grassi’s instructions, your opponent de- ment can provide. Therefore, one cannot wrap the cloak livers an edge blow (or thrust) from above, you first block around an arm and then use that to block a strong blow this blow with your own rapier at the third or fourth part from the opponent’s sword. Likewise, while the body of a (that is, near the point) of the opponent’s rapier which you cloak hanging from an arm can interfere with a thrust or 2 blow, one must not rapier in each hand, allow it to drape di- is the most complex rectly over the leg.