| Cavatione |
A
circular disengage under the opponent’s blade. |
| Stoccata |
A rising or straight
attack under the opponent’s rapier. |
| Imbroccata |
A
downward thrust over the opponent’s rapier. In preparation for an Imbroccata the arm
is held vertically with the palm to the right and the rapier angled down at the
opponent’s face. |
| Foyne |
An English term used
by Saviolo as synonymous with Imbroccata. |
| Punta
Riversa |
An
angulated attack to the opponents right, normally delivered from a position similar to
modern Quarte. |
| Mandritta |
a forehand cut, i.e.
from right to left (assuming a right-handed fencer). |
| Riverso |
A
backhand cut, i.e. from left to right. |
| Fendente |
A vertical cut
straight down. |
| Squalambrato |
A
cut angled downward at 45 degrees. |
| Tondo |
A horizontal cut. |
| Montante |
a
rising cut with the true edge, either angled or straight up (usage differs slightly from
manual to manual) |
| Stramazone |
a slicing cut with the
tip of the rapier |
| Low
Ward |
Saviolo
uses two variants of the Low ward, neither of which he names. The first one described I
have christened the Extended Low Ward. The fencers’ hold the sword arm almost
straight angled forwards at around 45 degrees, palm to the left with their points directed
at their opponent’s face. In the second variant of the Low Ward the arm is almost
straight, hand by the right leg with the point directed at the opponent’s face. |
| High Ward |
The sword arm is held
vertically upward with the palm to the right and the rapier point directed down at the
opponent’s face. The High Ward is not used by Saviolo on any occasion as an initial
ward. |
| Open
Ward |
The
sword arm is held vertically upward with the palm to the left and the rapier either held
vertically upwards or angled slightly back. The Open ward is not used by Saviolo on any
occasion as an initial ward. |
| Punta Riversa
Ward |
The sword arm is held
across the body with the palm upwards |
| Incartata |
A
step forward and to the right with the left foot so that the heel ends up pointing at the
target. |
| Half-incartata |
A step to the right
with the left foot to remove the body from the line of attack. It can also refer to a step
forward and to the right with the left foot, made immediately after a fencer has lunged.
In this way the fencer can recover forwards while simultaneously voiding his body away
from the expected counterthrust. |
| Prima |
Another
name for the High Ward. Prima also refers to the hand position adopted in the High Ward
(knuckles up, palm to the right) and it is in that sense that the word will be used in
this series of articles. |
| Seconda |
Another name for the
Broad Ward as used by many masters but not mentioned by Saviolo. Seconda also refers to
the hand position adopted in the Broad Ward (knuckles to the right, palm down) and it is
in that sense that the word will be used in this series of articles. |
| Terza |
Another
name for the Low Ward. Terza also refers to the hand position adopted in the Low Ward
(knuckles down, palm to the left) and it is in that sense that the word will be used in
this series of articles. |
| Quarta |
Another name for the
Punta Riversa Ward. Quarta also refers to the hand position adopted in the Punta Riversa
Ward (knuckles to the left, palm up) and it is in that sense that the word will be used in
this series of articles. |
| Single
Time |
A
defence made simultaneously with a counterattack. |
| Double Time |
A defence followed by
a counterattack. |
