Achille Marozzo
Spada e Brocchiero Largo


Cap. 85.
This discusses the way that to hold combat, person to person, with spada e brochiero largo, attack and counter.

Now here I will compose a fight of the spada da filo, with the brochiero largo in hand, that it will be an excellent thing & very useful to teach & Still for one that should have to do fencing [cortellate: lit “knifing”], therefore take note and be careful. I want that when you will be with the spada da filo in hand and with the said brochiero largo, you will settle yourself in coda longa & alto, that is with your left foot advanced, narrow [stretto] with your spada and brochiero together: and this I do because you should be patient, that is you wait for the enemy that he casts first at you, making you to understand that when a man does fencing [cortellate], naturally he cannot make more than three wounds, that is mandritto, riverso and stoccata; but there are some who say that you can make more than these three above said wounds: I confirm to you that you can do them, that is of many types of wounds, but be that if he wants that if he does them with fencing, I say to you thatin this firstly he cannot make other than these three above said. Therefore we should put in this firstly that he makes the first stoccata: I want that when he makes the said stoccata, you will pass with your right foot towards his left side and, in that passing, you will beat with the falso of your sword from below upwards to his stoccata and so you will give him a roverso that will follow for his leg and your brocchiere will be above your sword; and for your defence, you will throw the right foot behind the left and in your throwing [of the foot] you will unleash a mandritto sgualembrato for the arm of the sword of the said enemy, so the sword will settle in cinghiara porta di ferro stretta; that done you will throw the left for behind the right and in this throwing you will make a half turn of the fist and so you will have arranged yourself in coda longa e stretta, that is with the right foot advanced & the sword will be outside the right leg, nicely tidy and well extended with the arms and legs; and here I want that you will act, that is I want that you will be the first to wound.

Cap. 86.
Firstly from the arranging with spada and the said brochiere.

Being still in the coda longa e stretta, here I want that you punch a stoccata with the left leg advanced and with the right leg you will cast a mandritto for the leg, passing in this time towards the left side of the enemy & your sword will settle in porta di ferro larga & there you will wait for the said enemy who casts at your for the head or for the leg; but we will assume that he casts at you wherever , either mandritto or roverso or stoccata: I want that to each of these blows that he will cast, you will beat with a falso from below upward on the sword, that is in the blow that he will cast, and in this beating you will cast the left foot advanced towards his right side & so you will give him and mandritto for the leg, putting in such passing your brochiere to the fist of the enemy’s sword, following in this time the your right leg behind the left; and this done, you will cast him a roverso, retiring with the left leg behind the right, in a way that your sword will settle in coda longa e stretta; for your defence you will throw a grand pace of the right foot backward of the left and so will settle yourself in coda longa & alta, like the first I taught you yourself, that is with your left foot advanced & and you will wait for the enemy that he casts a mandritto for the head or for the leg; and wait for it with grace not moving the eye from the sword hand and, if so you will him unable to deceive you, therefore be sensible [aware].

Cap. 87.
In this you will be, with the stoccata, acting.

Then you will be in coda longa & alta waiting for the enemy that he casts you a mandritto for the head for the leg, I want that when he is casting the said mandritto, in this time you will cast the right leg to the left side of the enemy and, in this casting, you will give him a mandritto fendente to the head or to the arm of his sword; if he intends that, in such casting for the head, that you parry with your brochiere and the left leg will follow the right backward & your sword will settle in porta di ferro larga, and if in such falling [settling] your enemy should cast you a stoccata or mandritto or roverso, I want that to each of these blows, that you will beat with the falso from below upwards, passing in such beating with the right leg forward, towards his left part and, in such passing, you will give him a roverso for the leg, in a way that your sword will be in coda longa e stretta; and from him, you will defend yourself, you will throw the right foot behind backward of the left; in this throwing, you will cast a mandritto traversato for the arm of the sword or your enemy and from there you will make a half turn of the fist and so you can arrange yourself in coda longa & alta and so don’t forget

Cap. 88.
The third part, and here you will wait for the enemy to cast.

You know that in the beginning of the first wounding I told you that each person that had the spada da filo in hand and the brocchiere largo, they cannot make more than three blows by nature, that is mandritto and roverso and stoccata; thus for many, first you will have seen against stoccata, in second against mandritto, thirdly you will see against roverso. Therefore note, if in the case, that you are in coda longa & alta and your enemy should cast a roverso, you will stay alert [attentive] that, as he will cast at you, you will cast the left foot beside the right & you will leave his roverso to pass & when the said roverso will pass you will increase in fact your right foot & so you will cast him a roverso for the leg or if you wish a ponta stuck to the breast; and once done, taking back the) said riverso, you will cast him a falso from below upwards for his hand, with a roverso tramazzon still/solid & for your defence you will throw the right foot behind the left & so you will cast him a mandritto traversato and you sword will go in cinghiara porta di ferro: and from there you will not move at all, because this guardia is a good guardia for waiting, that is whensomeone wanted to wait for the companion that casts before him; therefore watch well that sticking you the said ponta for the chest, it is necessary that your right foot flees behind the left in a great pace and, in such time that you will retreat the said foot, you will trust a ponta from below upwards for the face of the enemy accompanied with the buckler; and that done you will wait in coda longa e distesa & you will wait him the said enemy that he will cast you first.

Cap. 89.
That part of the document of the wounding.

You being in coda longa e distesa and the enemy should cast you a mandritto or roverso or stoccata, to each of these blows I want that you cast the right foot toward the left side the enemy & in this throwing you will cast him a falso from below upward for his sword arm with a roverso continuing for the leg; and for your defence you will cast the right foot backward to the left and cast a mandritto traversato that settles to porta di ferro cinghiara; and if now your enemy should cast for the head or leg, you will beat with a falso to his sword from below upward, with a roverso for the leg of the said enemy and that done you will turn a trust from below upward that will go for the face of the said, accompanied below your buckler, not moving neither the feet nor the legs; & from there you will wait in coda longa e stretta that is with the right foot advanced.

Cap. 90.
That talks of the fifth part of brochier largo

Being in coda longa e stretta, from there I want that you will raise your sword arm upwards, that is in guardia alta, not moving neither feet nor legs & from there you will cast a roverso squalembrato, that is in entry and then you will turn from having done a falso from below upward, with a roverso tramazzon turned above: and this it is because if he should lunge [or “should deepen”] the said falso you will give him a roverso tramazzon on the head or on his sword arm; & and for your defence you will cast the right foot behind the left and there throwing a ponta from below upwards from the face of the enemy or you will want a mandritto traversato that you settle in cinghiara porta di ferro stretta; and to each of there blows you will make a half turn of the fist & so you settle yourself in coda longa & alta, that is with the left foot advanced nicely tidy and settled.

Cap. 91.
Sixth part and here you will act with the riverso.

You being in coda longa & alta, from there I want that you leave the sword to go in coda longa e distesa, that is with your left foot advanced and your brochiere extended for the face of your enemy, & from there I want that you should attack him with a falso from below upward for the enemy’s sword hand, and if he does not move himself, I want that you feign to turn the said falso another time and, in this turning, you will strike [either “give” or maybe “falsify”] with your sword above his, that is increasing the right foot towards his right parts of the said enemy, thrusting in such time a ponta falsata for the face of the above said; now he, for fear of this said ponta, will raise his sword outwards [to the outside] and now you will give him a riverso for the leg; and this done, for your defence, you will throw the right foot behind the left and, in this throwing, you will cast a mandritto traversato, and that will settle in porta de ferro cinghiara, or you will want a ponta from below upward, accompanying the right hand below your brochiero; and from there you will make and half turn of the fist and so you will arrange yourself in coda longa & alta, with your left foot advanced, therefore note that this blow can be done in three ways, that is when he will be settled in coda longa e stretta and in coda longa & alta and in porta di ferro stretta, therefore in each of these guardie you can do this abovesaid blow.

Cap. 92.
The seventh parte and in this you will be acting with falso for the hand of the enemy

You know that staying in coda longa & alta; it is necessary that you know in that guardia will be your enemy. Now we suppose that you will find him in porta di ferro stretta or alta: from there I want that you will be active [rather you will act], that is you will be the first to injure: finding him in the abovesaid guardie, you will thrust him a ponta with the right foot passing forward, that ponta will go ouside of the sword of your enemy, that is falso on falso [falso per falso], driving it, the said ponta strongly for the face of your enemy’s left side; and he for fear of the said ponta will widen [overflow] his said sword arm and now you will driving a fendente between his sword and his buckler, that you strike strongly his head, & your sword will not pass guardia de faccia, because naturally he will respond to you for the head; & [when] he responds to you for the head, I want that now you will direct him the point of your sword in the face, accompanied below your brochiere and you will give him in guardia de intrare; & in one time you will pass the left foot towards his right side & so you will cast him a roverso for his right temple, that roverso will not pass guardia de coda longa e alta; & for your defence you will throw the left foot a grand pace backward of the right, and you will cast him a mandritto, that will settle in porta di ferro larga; & from there you will do a half turn of the fist and so settling yourself in coda longa e stretta with the right foot advanced with your arms and legs well extended & tidy with the sword narrow [stretta] together with your brochiero.

Cap. 93.
That claims that in this eighth part you will be acting with the ponta

You being in coda longa e stretta, from here I want that you pass with the left foot towards the left parts of the enemy and, in this passing, you will thrust a falso impuntato for the left temple of the abovesaid, in a way that he will uncover, the parts below, for fear of the said falso impuntato: and now you will give him a mandritto for the leg, that is passing, pull [also could be “casting” or “draw”] such mandritto, your right foot advanced, and the sword will settle in porta de ferro larga; and is your enemy in such falling will cast at you or will not cast, I want that you throw the left foot towards the right side of the enemy, in such time, you will thrust a ponta inflastata, that is turning the wrist of your right hand upward, following a roverso for the leg to the above said; and when you will follow such riverso, I want that, for your defence, you drive the fist of the sword, that is the ponta, strongly forward for the face of your said enemy, accompanied below the brochiero and, in thrusting such a ponta, you will throw the left foot a grand pace backward from the right; and in this casting you will turn a roverso in act [manner] of a mulinello, that is a roverso tramazon for his right arm, not moving your right arm advanced of the left: in this way you will be in coda longa e stretta, with your arms and legs well tidy and yourself well arranged.


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