The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

 

Translation by Rachel Barkley

Two outside blows

In the fight you should position yourself in this manner. You should fix forward the right foot and you should grasp the sickle against the enemy with the right hand, by the left hip should be applied to the left hip.  From here and with such a position, you should tear to pieces[1] the outer right side of the hostile neck with the sickle.

If he, turning toward you, uses the same, you placing forward the left foot and at the same time holding the sickle in the right hand having turned toward the enemy you should seize the outer right elbow of the enemy with the left hand, and if sharply you will have withdrawn against your right flank, the hostile incision is turned away. Thence you will take charge so that you may wound his outside right elbow with the sickle.

If the adversary attempts the same against you, you should not hesitate to seize the adversary’s right arm with the left hand and you should repel his incision by this reasoning. Meanwhile you should plough up the placed forward left foot of the adversary with the pulled back right hand, you turning.

But if he attempts similarly against you, you should repel his blow with the left hand against the right arm. If he withdraws by the same reasoning, you should pursue the right hand with the seeking-again hand[2], and thence if you will have wounded his head by ploughing up you should retreat from him.

Notes:

[1] Has a certain oomph to it that “stoccata” just doesn’t

[2] The “seeking-again hand” is going to be the off-hand. You’ll grab the enemy’s weapon-hand so that you can come in with your own sickle.

Interpretation by Owen Townes

Setup:

Agente:
Right foot forward
Sickle extended in middle guard

Patiente:
Right foot forward
Sickle extended in guard

Play:

Agente:
Offside to neck

Patiente:
Step forward with Left foot
Seize agente’s elbow with left hand
Cut Agente’s upper right arm from outside and low

Agente:
Seize Patiente’s Right arm with Left hand
Plough up Patiente’s left foot

 Patiente:
Block with Left hand
Strike head

Observation:

This play follows very closely to Plate 10, with the only real difference being the start in Right Foot Forward instead of Left Foot Forward middle guards.