The Weekly Warfare   Musings martial from across the SCA

 

Translation by Rachel Barkley

An upward blow against that by which the flank is attacked

From this fight, if you have approached the enemy, remember to put forward the right foot and if you are holding the sickle in the right hand high up against the enemy you will plough up his head.[1]

But if the adversary has attempted the same against you, you placing forward the right foot and in turn holding the sickle with the right hand in this position of the middle cut[2], then with the left hand you should grab the forward right arm of the enemy next to his hand, and in this position if you will have lifted upwards you will pull his upper incision. Quickly wound his right side with the sickle.

If you should recognize that you are pursued similarly in this manner, you should attack the right outer elbow of the adversary with the left hand and if firmly you should repel the enemy’s blow, you turning your right flank, you will escape his middle blow. Meanwhile pursue with the left foot, and you should plough up the fixed forward right foot. Thence you should withdraw backwards from the enemy.

Notes:

[1] Essentially the same starting position as the previous play.  A slightly different attack, though, with a plough of the head rather than the neck.

[2] You know, I had this great system worked out of the three guards and whatnot, and this comes along.  But really, “the position of the middle cut” should be interchangeable with the middle guard as formulated.

 

 

Interpretation by Owen Townes

Setup:

Agente:
Right foot forward
Sickle extended in middle guard

Patiente:
Right foot forward
Sickle extended in middle guard

Play:

Agente:
Plough up head

Patiente:
Seize Agente’s wrist with Left hand and raise up
Offside mittelhau to Agente’s Right side[1]

Agente:
Block Patiente’s Right elbow, rotating to Right[2]
Pass forward with Left foot
Plough up Patiente’s Right foot
Withdraw

Observation:

[1]Patiente’s counter-attack should come in under Agente’s right arm and strike into his ribs or abdomen.

[2]The rotation both voids Patiente’s counter-attack and pulls the sickle arm free of Patiente’s grasp (or, even better, pulls Patiente off balance towards Agente)