In part 1 of Gaining the opponent’s blade, I talked about what the gain is and started describing how to do it. Here in part 2, I’ll continue with some advice on how to accomplish the gain by looking at what it means to be “in presence,” I’ll discuss the three types of gain as laid out in the Vienna Anonymous, and then condense all that you’ve learned about how to accomplish the gain to four instructions, or admonitions.
NOTE again that you can also view the videos I published on this subject here. I cover a little more detail in this three part written series, but I realize some people process better with more visualizations.
***All of the quotes from the Vienna Anonymous manuscript in this issue are from Tom Leoni’s translation.
***All of the quotes from Ridolfo Capoferro’s book in this issue are from the Swanger-Wilson translation.
***All of the quotes from Salvatore Fabris’ books in this issue are from Tom Leoni’s translation, or A.F. Johnson’s.
Staying in presence
The Vienna Anonymous holds that you need to keep your opponent “in presence” of your point as you gain, meaning you want to be aiming at some part of their body.1 Put simply, when a sword is in presence it is a direct and immediate threat.
A sword can be in presence in two ways: on the straight line, and at an angle. When a sword is in presence on the straight line, the whole sword, from the hilt to the point, is directed toward the opponent’s torso “in such a way that if you were to draw a straight line between your body and [theirs], it would pass through the sword from the hilt to the point.”2 When a sword is in presence at an angle, the point itself “is situated between your body and the opponent’s,” even though the sword doesn’t follow a straight line to their torso.3
To gain the opponent’s sword is to place yours on his debole so that yours is stronger than his while it is in presence. This way you can push away his, but he cannot push away yours; or, if he wishes to push it away, he must move his point out of presence.4
Capoferro similarly advises when you gain their blade, you want to be aiming over their blade at (or toward) their shoulder.5
So these authors are explaining that when your opponent’s sword is aiming at you, you want to settle your blade so it is physically over the debole, or weak part of theirs, such that they are at a disadvantage. The opponent will have a harder time trying to use their blade to push yours out of their presence than you will have doing the same with their blade. So you have gained potential control over their blade, and they are at a disadvantage and will likely need to make an extra (non-threatening) movement to regain the advantage and/or push your blade away.
The three types of gain according to the Vienna Anonymous
The author of the Vienna Anonymous treatise writes that “Gaining the opponent’s sword is of three sorts.”6
Simple gain - this is a gain while the opponent’s point is still pointing at you, or you are “in presence” of their point or sword.
Gaining the sword while shutting it out of presence
The beat - when you beat the opponent’s blade, you are (very) briefly controlling it!
Capoferro writes: “…having beaten the sword in whatever manner, so that he exits outside of my presence, in that tempo in which it travels by force, it is understood to be in my domination, in which I have to strike before he redeems himself.”9
BUT NOTE: The VA warns against the beat a couple times, saying it’s doable when your opponent is slow and you’re experienced, but it’s too easy to mess up, and it’s “better to discard this technique than rely on it.”10 Fabris didn’t seem too keen on the beat either.11
The four points on getting to the gain
So setting aside the beat, a ‘how to’ on the other two forms of the gain12 - the simple gain and out of presence gain - can be summed up as:
Get more of your sword over less of theirs.
Remember the degrees of strength, mentioned earlier? When you first step into measure you want to get section 2 or 3 over their section 1. Then as you get closer, you want to continue to have a higher number of your blade over a lower number of theirs, while keeping them in the pocket, until you’re able to strike.
Use gravity to your advantage and keep your point in their presence.
Place your blade over theirs, and aim over their blade at the other side of their body.
Don’t convey too much information.
Do not touch or “molest” the opponent’s blade.
Aim your true edge at your opponent’s blade.
The false edge is weaker than the true edge. If your sword is over theirs and your blades are at parity (section 3 over section 3, for instance) then you still have a slight mechanical advantage. If you slide your forte closer to their blade (get your 4 or 5 over their 3) then you’re even stronger. The closer you get your hilt toward their blade, the more mechanical advantage you have - the harder it is for them to power through your defense or move your sword offline.
A note on striking the opponent
Note: Maintain the advantage (of having gained or shut out the opponent’s so that yours is always stronger) all the way to when you strike.13
So you have gained the opponent’s blade. To keep the gain and turn it into a hit with control of their blade, get your hilt to their debole as you attack. Capoferro refers to this as “dominating the sword.”14 For Capoferro, when your gain turns into actual contact, it becomes domination.
One dominates the sword in two manners: in the first, when having acquired the adversary’s sword, I never quit the domination while striking. In the second, having beaten the sword in whatever manner, so that he exits outside of my presence, in that tempo in which it travels by force, it is understood to be in my domination, in which I have to strike before he redeems himself.15
Others refer to it as a hit or touch in opposition.
One mistake I’ve seen many make is successfully gaining the opponent’s blade on approach, but then lunging in a straight line - aiming their attack for center mass or a different target without first driving their hilt into the opponent’s sword. When you do this you lose the gain, your advantage is gone, and you in fact may have drawn their parry at the exact moment that you’ve weakened your position.
So I advise that a goal, possibly the main goal, should be to drive the hilt of your sword onto the opponent’s blade in the attack. This may happen as you gain and they stand still, unaware of the danger. It may happen as you gain and they change lines to the other side of your sword. Then you have to follow their blade with yours. I will likely talk more about this concept in a later issue of this newsletter. But suffice it to say, this is what Fabris and the author of the Vienna Anonymous meant when they wrote that gaining the opponent’s blade is the first part of victory.16
To be continued…
In part 3, I’ll explain the ‘whys’ behind the gain. Why should we do it? What’s the tactical use of gaining the opponent’s blade?
Next up:
Northern Italian Postures, Part 5: The postures of Nicoletto Giganti - continued (Paid subscribers)
Gaining the opponent’s blade - part 3 (All subscribers)
Leoni, Tom. 2019. Vienna Anonymous on Fencing: A Rapier Masterclass from the 17th Century. Lulu.com. Page 15.
Ibid. Page 9.
Ibid. Page 10.
Ibid. Page 15.
Swanger, Jerek, and William Wilson. 2009. Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing by Ridolofo Capoferro. Edited by Roger Kay. Page 64. (“if it occurs that you have to stringer on the inside, you will make the point of the sword aim at the adversary’s right shoulder; and if on the outside, at the left shoulder.”)
Leoni, Tom. 2019. Vienna Anonymous on Fencing: A Rapier Masterclass from the 17th Century. Lulu.com. Page 14.
Ibid. Page 18
Ibid. Page 14.
Swanger, Jerek, and William Wilson. 2009. Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing by Ridolofo Capoferro. Edited by Roger Kay. Most Useful Admonition Regarding Dominating the Sword, Page 39.
Leoni, Tom. 2019. Vienna Anonymous on Fencing: A Rapier Masterclass from the 17th Century. Lulu.com. Page 14. Also see Pages 11-12. (“Beating the opponent’s sword is not good, because if in the tempo when you start the beat he performs a cavatione, your sword will fall out of line , giving him a good tempo . Furthermore you cannot beat his sword without removing yours out of his body’s presence.”)
Leoni, Tommaso. 2005. ART of DUELING: Salvator Fabris ’ Rapier Fencing Treatise of 1606. 1st ed. Chivalry Bookshelf. On Flinging the Sword, Page 9.
Leoni, Vienna Anonymous, Page 20.
Swanger, Jerek, and William Wilson. 2009. Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing by Ridolofo Capoferro. Edited by Roger Kay. Most Useful Admonition Regarding Dominating the Sword, Page 39.
Ibid. Page 39
Leoni, Vienna Anonymous, Page 14; Leoni, ART of DUELING, Page 17.
"One mistake I’ve seen many make is successfully gaining the opponent’s blade on approach, but then lunging in a straight line - aiming their attack for center mass or a different target without first driving their hilt into the opponent’s sword."
oh hey that's me 95% of the time :D I'm learning!