The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

 

Translation by Rachel Barkley

A double blow against a double evasion

In mutual combat of this contest, if you have come nearer to the enemy, you should fix forward the left foot, you should seize the sickle raised against the enemy in the right hand and you should graze his neck from the right side.

Should he attack you from above by the same reasoning, you placing forward the right foot and having held the sickle against the enemy in the lower position of incision[1], then you should pursue his right arm with the left hand and raise upwards from the same, you should wound the right arm near the armpit with the sickle.

If he attempts the same, you having seized and held up the right hand of the enemy with your left, you will have moved back[2] his incision in this manner.  But from that point you should suddenly draw back the right hand and you will attempt to plough up the fixed forward right foot of the adversary.

When your enemy is trying the same against you, you should seize his right hand with your left hand and you should repel him who is attempting this by the same reasoning. Thence immediately with the right hand drawn back you should wound with an incision on the neck of the adversary, and from here you should retreat.

Notes:

[1]This position seems to be the inverted (sickle downward) guard, the position for a low strike.

[2]Latin “removere”.  Essentially “repelled”

 

Interpretation by Owen Townes

Setup:

Agente:
Close measure
Left foot forward
Sickle forward and vertical

Patiente:
Close measure
Right foot forward
Sickle forward and downward

Agente:
Downward onside strike to neck

Patiente:
Grab Agente’s Right arm with Left hand and raise up
Offside rising cut to Agente’s Right arm

Agente:
Grab Patiente’s Right hand and raise to Right side
Rotate torso to Right to free Right hand
Strike Patiente’s Right foot

Patiente:
Grab Agente’s Right hand
Rotate to Right to free Right hand
Strike Agente’s neck
Retreat

 

Observations and Notes:

[1] For the strike to do real damage, the cut must come from the elbow, and ends up directed to the inside of the Right wrist

[2] Seizure and cut should be to the inside of the exposed forearm