Royal Armouries MS I.33 (“One Thirty-Three”, “Tower Fechtbuch”)
The Underarm Plays
First Ward: Underarm
First Counter: Half Shield
Set 1: P in Underarm, S in Half Shield
Play 1:
P attacks legs
S slips legs, strikes head
Play 2:
P attacks legs, covers head with buckler
S slips leg, strikes forearm
Play 3:
P rests in guard
S closes, binds arm w/ buckler, strikes head
Play 4:
P makes Oberhau
S shifts to right shoulder, blocks w/ buckler
P covers with buckler, strikes scholar
Play 4b:
P makes Oberhau
S parries w/ sword, ripostes
P blocks w/ buckler, strikes exposed arm
Play 5:
P makes Unterhau
S slope paces left, stab-knocks to P’s face
Set 2: Falling Under the Sword
P in Underarm, S in Half Shield
Play 1:
P underbinds left, slope passes left
Demonstrate: If no slope pass left, head exposed to attack. If slope pass left, head attack exposes S to stab-knock
Play 2:
P falls under sword
S does not react
P stabknocks
Play 3:
P falls under sword
S parries
P strikes to legs under S’s hilt
Play 4:
P falls under sword
S slope passes left and forward and stabknocks
P binds buckler and cuts body
(Demonstrate: No buckler cover for S, P attacks arm)
Play 5:
P falls under sword
S overbinds right, advances, shield knocks, strikes
(Demonstrate: Defensive use of falling-under-sword)
Set 3: Attacking against half-shield
Play 1:
P falls under sword
S adopts Crutch
P treads through forward and left, buckler binds, and thrusts
Play 2:
P falls under sword
S parries in Crutch, shield strikes P’s face
Play 2b:
P falls under sword
S parries in Crutch, shield strikes P’s face
P voids back, disengages over hilt, thrusts S’s face
Play 2c:
P falls under sword
S parries in Crutch, shield strikes P’s face
P voids back, disengages over hilt, cuts S’s buckler arm
Set 4: Defending in Half-Shield
Play 1:
P falls under sword
S binds and advances, shield-knocks
Play 2:
P falls under sword
S binds and advances, attempts shield-knock
P separates sword and buckler to avoid shield-knock
S binds sword arm with buckler, strikes P
Play 3:
P falls under sword
S binds and advances, attempts shield-knock while raising sword to strike
P falls under sword and strikes S’s sword arm
Play 4:
P falls under sword
S binds, grapples w/ half incartata
Set 5: Defending the Shield Knock
Play 1: Disengaging
P falls under sword
S binds and advances
P disengages with ccw sweep, strikes
Play 2: Sword Mutation
S closes to overbind P’s sword (Position 1)
P sweeps sword under and up
S moves buckler to block
P continues sweep to overbind S’s sword on right (Position 2), shieldknocks, and strikes
(Demonstrate: S protecting against headstrike “nucken” with buckler exposes buckler arm)
Play 3:
Position 2: S withdraws sword to Tail, strikes at P
P attacks S’s arm
Play 4:
Position 2:
S passes forward and grapples
Set 6: Grappling
Play 1:
From end of Set 5, Play 4:
S incartatas to place hip against P, unbalances P, strikes
Play 2:
Position 1:
P sweeps sword under and up
S closes while guarding with buckler
P grapples, incartatas into S, throws, and strikes
Play 3:
From grapple:
S drops equipment, runs
Play 3b:
From grapple:
S drops equipment, steps back, seizes P’s shoulders, kicks kidneys
Set 7: More escapes from binds
Play 1:
S in Half Shield, P in Underarm
P falls under sword, S passes forward and overbinds on right
P sweeps sword CCW
S follows circle with sword and buckler, overbinds on right again
S shield-knocks
Play 2:
S in Half Shield, P in Underarm
P falls under sword, S passes forward and overbinds on right
P steps slightly left (maintaining sword press on scholars bind), then slope paces left foot forward, withdrawing sword to position for belly thrust
Play 3:
S in Half Shield, P in Underarm
P falls under sword, S passes forward and overbinds on right
P half-incartatas to right, freeing sword from bind while maintaining buckler contact
P cuts S’s forearm, thrusts belly
Play 4:
From bind
P flees to right (incartata)
S rotates and strikes
P wards strike with buckler, grapples from beneath with sword arm
P passes forward, grappling with buckler arm, freeing sword arm for strike
Play 4a: (S counters)
From bind
P flees to right (incartata)
S rotates and strikes
P wards strike with buckler, grapples from beneath with sword arm
S thinks quickly, drops weapons, kidney kicks
(P can prevent this by rotating to face S with Plow when S steps behind P)
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