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Posts: 462 Location: Cape Cod, MA

Sun 14 Apr, 2013 2:44 pm

Marozzo Spadone translation?

My Google fu might be off, but I can't seem to locate a translation of Marozzo's third book on Spadone. Any one know if this has been done and where I could find a copy? Of special interest is Spadone Vs. Partisan plays, I want to see how the reversed grip on the ricasso is used.

Thanks for looking,

Matthew

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Jon Pellett

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Posts: 14 Location: Kamloops, BC, Canada

Mon 15 Apr, 2013 8:47 am

Re: Marozzo Spadone translation?

Matthew P. Adams wrote:

Huh, I could swear I'd seen it somewhere, but now I can't find it.

Anyway, here is a translation of the spadone vs polearm section - it isn't very good, but better than nothing I hope. Please forgive the ugly formatting (friggin BBCode).

The beginning or instruction of the two-handed sword against polearms.

This is a contest between someone who has a two-handed sword, and another with a polearm (any kind he wants, even a thrown partisan): I give you the ways and means by which you will valiantly and safely defend yourself, and he will stand in great danger, so that you make him sorry [???], which will not fail if you have a heart in your body. However, I don’t urge you to attempt such a match, because you will always take the advantage for me [??? - I think this means that the spadone user is at a disadvantage]; but still, if you could not do anything else, you will go safely with these things that I compose for you here below.

Cap. 176 - the first part.
Take the sword in hand as you would do if you had come to blows [??? - I think meaning hold it normally], and put yourself in Coda Lunga e Larga, as you've seen in the previous pictures, and let your enemy strike first, knowing that he cannot strike except with a thrust above or below the belt [the primary attack with a polearm being the thrust]. Suppose that he first strikes above the belt, with a thrust to the upper parts: you standing ready, watch the the haft of his weapon from the third up to the head, and especially its point, and in the tempo that he throws the said thrust to the upper parts, throw your right leg or foot across somewhat forward, and strike with a mandritto traversato across his haft, the which mandritto falls into Porta di Ferro Larga. The left leg follows the right.

And if he attacks again from above, or from below, and you haven't cut his haft, throw your right leg or foot toward his left side, and put the true edge of your sword into his haft in the fashion of the Guardia di Intrare, and parry his attack; and in one and the same tempo step toward his right side with your left leg, and strike with a riverso that falls into the Coda Lunga e Larga, as at first; and you will stand prepared to parry the said thrust below the belt.

But if he struck below the belt with the said polearm, throw the said right leg into the same place as before, and as you step strike up from below with a falso across the haft, that is a falso dritto, and do it such that the left leg follows the right to its place, and then return into the same guard as before to protect yourself.

But note, if you don't want to do the aforesaid falso dritto, then hurl your left foot toward your right side as he strikes, and as you step put the false edge of your sword under his haft. Step with your right foot toward his left side, and give him a mandritto across the head or arms. Your sword will have gone into Porta di Ferro Larga; throw your left foot across, and put yourself in a wide stance with your sword in the Guardia di Intrare. Know that this guard is perfect against polearms, for coming to grips with your enemy, whether or not he knows the method of arms.

And know that if you are in the aforesaid guard of Coda Lunga e Larga, and someone throws a partisan at you, then (you seeing the partisan coming) step with your right leg in the same way, and strike with the same falso dritto, again returning into the original guard immediately. Also, if he throws at you from the middle above, then throw the right leg into the same place as I said to do when he struck at you with the point to the face, and strike with the same mandritto traversato across the haft.

Cap. 177 - the second part.
Know that this order which I will put down for you here, in this last part of the two-handed sword, will be very useful against anyone, even if he knows how to use his weapons like you do, and has whatever weapon he wants - any kind of weapon, except a bill or spiedo. This grip that I will give you is a perfect thing, the strongest way to hold the sword (apart from Guardia di Intrare with a wide stance); even if someone throws a weapon at you, you can parry safely as I have shown you repeatedly. But if you want to know why I say that it isn’t safe against the bill or spiedo, it is because of your right hand, which is in danger of the horn of the spiedo and the hook of the bill; your hand should go a span under the hilt, as I will tell you more of later.

Cap. 178 - the third and last part.
Now know that if you are hand-to-hand with someone who has a partisan, or a spear, or a giannetto, or a quadrello, set yourself against him with your left foot (or leg) forward, and hold your sword with your left hand near the pommel in the usual way, but put your right hand between the hilt and the lugs, and set yourself in Coda Lunga e Larga, keeping your eye fixed on the point of your enemy’s weapon. Stay alert: if he throws a thrust to your upper parts (as you know he cannot strike you in any other way), then hurl your right leg forward and a little toward his left side, and put the true edge of your sword into his haft, bringing your left leg behind the right as you step; and the right in that tempo advances strongly toward the enemy. Push a punta infalsata into his face or chest, and if he wants to draw back you always follow him, in such a way that you will take his weapons out of his hands.

But if he wants to mock you with feints, never let your sword pass out of his presence or yours, and in this way he will never be able to deceive you, because if he strikes above or below on the inside, you always protect yourself with the true edge of your sword; but if he strikes above or below on the outside, toward your right side, parry with the false edge of your sword, and having parried you always have the said falso. If he strikes above, advance whichever foot is behind the other, and slice through his neck, never abandoning him, in such a way that he loses the weapon that he has in his hands.

But if he strikes at your lower parts, and you have the sword in Coda Lunga e Larga, then step with your right leg as I told you above, and put the true edge of your sword into his haft, and immediately step toward his right side with your left leg at the same time. As you step, give a turn to your sword from the inside below, in such a way that your false edge encounters his haft, thrusting his said haft to the outside, with your said false edge; and give him your true edge in the neck, or the face, never abandoning him. But if he is very quick with his hands and feet, so that he draws himself back in that tempo to strike below or above, then press the false edge of your sword into his haft from below upward, in such a way that you will be able to give a sliced dritto into his arms or legs, as seems best to you (?).

And always continue in this order as I have said, because I find no better remedy against polearms than these three, which you can see: that is, first I said that you take the sword in hand, with the right hand forward, and the left at the pommel as usual; second, I said that you stand in Guardia di Intrare in a wide stance, as you know how to go from there; third, I said that you take the sword with the left hand near the pommel and the right between the hilt and lugs, putting yourself into the abovesaid guard. If you do it this way you cannot perish: so note this, and do not forget.

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Matthew P. Adams

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Posts: 462 Location: Cape Cod, MA

Mon 15 Apr, 2013 9:18 am

Thank you very much, just what I was looking for!

If you happen to know of a link to the rest, please let me know.

Cheers

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Matthew P. Adams

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Posts: 462 Location: Cape Cod, MA

Tue 16 Apr, 2013 12:17 pm

of course! *facepalm*

http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Marozzo

Here is the rest of the third book.

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Kalle Kylmänen

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Posts: 29

Tue 16 Apr, 2013 1:51 pm

here's another translation by Craig Pitt
http://www.google.fi/url?sa=t&rct=j&q...mp;cad=rja
I was poking at the spadone about a month ago and Ilkka Hartikainen warned me to take Wilsons translation with a pinch of salt. I hope we get around to working on the stuff again someday. I proper interpretation could also result in a translation, if we add buttloads of work into the equation.

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