A Brief Introduction to Capo Ferro - An Overview of His Manual and Principles Therein
v1.0, by Donovan Shinnock, OGR
Part I: Overview of structure of book - a navigation aid.
Part II: Overview of concepts conveyed in book - a comprehension aid.
Appendix: Pictures, etc.
(Possibly the only G-rated picture of people in the entire book. Oh, period manuals.)
A brief note: This class is designed to give the student a basic idea of what Capo Ferro taught in his manual, and the tools with which to study further on their own. Additionally, it is taught with an eye towards learning and using these concepts and techniques within the confines of SCA fencing, rather than solely an HMA classroom setting.
Part I: A Very Quick Guide to the book
- Published in 1610, very much based in the Italian school.
- “Of Fencing”: 13 chapters, where Capo Ferro describes the basis for his theories on fencing.
- Forte, debole; false and true edges.
- Head, body, arms, legs, feet (and stepping).
- Tempo, measure, and details thereof.
- While there may not be any specific strikes, parries, or the like in here, but there are solid concepts to learn and try and integrate into how you fence.
- “The Use of Fencing.” Description of how fencing is done on a practical level.
- Holding the sword, guards, the lunge, and the plates.
- Much more specific, direct, and illustrated.
Part II: Some More Details on His Theory
- Possibly the most important is “defense before attack.” The first thing to worry about is your own body and not dying - only then should you ever consider launching an attack.
- While he denigrates feints in “Of Fencing” as dangerous or useless, he recommends them in several of the scenarios with the plates in “The Use of Fencing.” Take that as you will.
Guards (illustrations in the back!)
- These show up all over the place in Italian rapier – Agrippa and Fabris, too.
- There’s not nearly so much discussion of these, and they really need a secondary weapon in your off-hand to work as designed.
- Note the hand position and orientation in the guards; the arm position is important as well, but the hand position is what really defines the guard.
- Also known as “measure.” The physical distance between two fencers.
- Out of Measure: Farther than lunge distance.
- Wide Measure: Lunge distance.
- Narrow Measure: Close enough to be struck with an arm extension.
- Usually called “timing,” but there’s more to it than that. It’s a pretty broad and at times strange concept.
- Also self-referential.
- Defined as any action between moments of stillness.
- This generally applies no matter how minute the moments of stillness are, as long as they’re discreet actions.
- Moments of stillness can themselves be a tempo. I warned you it was strange sometimes.
Plates! (or: The Practical Section, or: All the Pretty Pictures!)
- The description is absolutely necessary; you can’t take the picture itself.
- Description is generally two parts. The first describes the action on the plate, which ends with one fighter dying. The second part reverses this - “if [the other fencer] was a shrewd man...” and finishing with a means by which to reverse the outcome.
- Drill slowly to ensure proper motions but be assured, they will work at speed.
- May need to recalibrate distance from what’s illustrated in the plates for safety (ie, 1’ of blade sticking out the back won’t work so well).
- Some people using more modern or untutored techniques don’t “react right,” but don’t be disheartened! Lack of point fear is also a problem you’ll run into - fencers are more willing to be offensive when it’s a game than if the point of a real sword is held in their unprotected face.
Bibliography and Otherwise Helpful References
“Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing,” by Ridolfo Capo Ferro. http://mac9.ucc.nau.edu/manuscripts/CapoFerro-GRAUF.pdf
This is a freely available, very solid translation. Given that the printed book I’ve seen is long out of print and generally very expensive used, we’re lucky to have this available to us. Plus, printouts make it much easier to scribble notes on the pages themselves.
The research of Master Dante di Pietro.
Master Dante has written extensively on Capo Ferro, as well as other historic fencing topics. His work immeasurably aided my understanding of the topic, and you should all go read everything he has written and become a better fencer thereby.
“A Brief Glossary of Italian Rapier Concepts,” by Tom Leoni
Depending on the translation or the instructor, any number of new and exciting terms can be thrown around when discussing historical Italian rapier. This is an excellent guide to keep you from getting utterly lost in discussions that will throw around Italian terminology all over the place.
Appendix - Guards