Steel Marginalia
[38]

Fourth against mandritto in sgualembro

De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme
Salvator Fabris · Book I · Thrust in Fourth to the throat.

Plate

Enemy in Third outside delivering descending diagonal mandritto to face; striker passes left foot, hand in Fourth, excluding the cut and thrusting to the throat
Enemy in Third outside delivering descending diagonal mandritto to face; striker passes left foot, hand in Fourth, excluding the cut and thrusting to the throat De lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme · Copenhagen, 1606 · Plate 38

Translation

There is seen following another wound in Fourth, but against that same Fourth, which may have been caused because the striker went to find the enemy blade, which was in Third on the outside, and because that enemy turned a mandritto in sgualembro toward the face, keeping the arm in correctness and operating only with the wrist. Therefore the striker immediately passed with the left foot forward, with the point of that foot turned outward; and by likewise turning the hand into Fourth, extending the arm, and bending the body as much as he could, he met the enemy blade while it was descending, before it had fallen into presence, and excluded it on the outside, wounding that same enemy in Fourth in the throat.

This was and is the true way by which one ought to parry the mandritto to the head when a man is constrained to parry; because by passing with the left foot in this form, not only does the sword go farther in order to wound, but it is also stronger and can better resist the impact of the cut, whereas with the right foot it is much weaker.

Analysis

Initial guards Enemy in Third outside.
Wound Thrust in Fourth to the throat.
  1. You go to find the enemy blade outside.
  2. He cuts mandritto in sgualembro to the face, with the arm in line and working only from the wrist.
  3. You immediately pass the left foot forward, toes turned outward.
  4. At the same time you turn the hand into quarta.
  5. You extend the arm and bend the body as far as possible.
  6. You meet the enemy sword in its descent before it comes into presenza.
  7. You exclude it outside and hit him in the throat.

Translation note

Johnson's "mandiritto in sgalembro" should be kept more faithfully as: mandritto in sgualembro / descending diagonal mandritto.
The Steel Marginalia · HEMA Study Group Notes in the margins. Truth in the bind.