In this series we learn how to fight with a sword - or a sidesword to be precise. The modern term "Sidesword" is usually referring to transitional weapons between the medieval arming sword and the renaissance rapier - in their time, they were most often called "spada" (= sword), which is a one handed sword that could take any shape depending on it's context. This is our current interpretation of Giovanni dall'Agocchie's solodrill "stepping in the guards" for the single Sidesword. It's based on the current translation of W. Jherek Swanger (an older one can be found on Wiktenauer, see down below).

This is the fourth out of six principal headings, Giovanni dall'Agocchie uses to teach fighting with a sword.

Some things to remember:
- draw the sword
- ribbon cut
- tramazzone
- ribbon cut
- ridoppio (last step forward) & imbroccata (no step)
- ribbon cut (step backward now)
- tramazzone
- tramazzone
- ribbon cut
- reset


- A (man)dritto originates from your sword-hand side. (In my case that's every blow from right to left.)
- A riverso originates from your off-hand side.
- A sgualimbro travels on a line from shoulder to knee.
- A tondo (or traverso) is a horizontal cut.
- A ridoppio is a diagonal rising cut that finishes at the shoulder.
- A falso is a cut leading with the false edge.
- An imbroccata is an overhand thrust from above.



Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:58 #1 Exercise: draw the sword
01:28 #2 Exercise: ribbon cut
02:00 #3 Exercise: ribbon cut (different footwork)
02:36 #4 Exercise: dritto tramazzone
03:07 #5 Exercise: ridoppio & imbroccata
03:42 The complete drill

We used a Regenyei and a Kvetun Sidesword to film this.

Image & Media sources:
https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Achille_M...
https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Giovanni_... (you find the old translation here)

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Music Provided: Internet Archive - https://archive.org/
GOTHIC AND RENAISSANCE DANCES (1961)
Klaus Walter, Michel Walter, Eleanor Slone, Gerald Sonneck, Ernst Koelz, Alfred Hertel
Anonymous: 7 Pieces - Molendinum de Paris
Jean le Grand: Entre vous (15th Century)
Anonymous 3 Pieces for Lute (16th Century) - Allemande
Recorded in the early 1960s
Digital transfer by F. Reeder
License: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0
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#HEMA #Sidesword #Potsdam