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Difference between revisions of "Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli"

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| '''WAY OF LAYING THE HAND ON THE SWORD.'''
 
| '''WAY OF LAYING THE HAND ON THE SWORD.'''
 
Because in all the lands there are not the same customs, and often times enmities are expressed with little sincerity, in order to be provided against all occasions, it will not, perhaps, be out of place to teach the way of laying the hand on the sword, before we come to deal with its handling. If by chance you will have your right leg forward when laying your hand on the sword, as is shown in this figure, you will draw back the said leg, extending your right arm at the same time into high first; and if perchance you find yourself with the left leg forward, as the other figure shows, it will not happen if you do not draw your sword in the aforesaid manner, without changing of your pace; and if you would like to avail yourself of the sword and cape, or sword and dagger, as well as the single sword, the true way is, that first you will take a step with your right foot forward in order to present yourself in fourth, or alternately being near the adversary you will draw your left foot back presenting yourself as above, and then at your ease you will be able to wind your cape, or extend your hand to your dagger with more safety, being that the point of your sword will make it such that your adversary remains distant wile you accommodate yourself to your weapons; and this is as much as it occurs to me to say about this particular topic.
 
Because in all the lands there are not the same customs, and often times enmities are expressed with little sincerity, in order to be provided against all occasions, it will not, perhaps, be out of place to teach the way of laying the hand on the sword, before we come to deal with its handling. If by chance you will have your right leg forward when laying your hand on the sword, as is shown in this figure, you will draw back the said leg, extending your right arm at the same time into high first; and if perchance you find yourself with the left leg forward, as the other figure shows, it will not happen if you do not draw your sword in the aforesaid manner, without changing of your pace; and if you would like to avail yourself of the sword and cape, or sword and dagger, as well as the single sword, the true way is, that first you will take a step with your right foot forward in order to present yourself in fourth, or alternately being near the adversary you will draw your left foot back presenting yourself as above, and then at your ease you will be able to wind your cape, or extend your hand to your dagger with more safety, being that the point of your sword will make it such that your adversary remains distant wile you accommodate yourself to your weapons; and this is as much as it occurs to me to say about this particular topic.
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| rowspan=3 | '''OF THE GUARDS.'''
 
| rowspan=3 | '''OF THE GUARDS.'''
 
As one cannot make some composition of beautiful and judicious writings without employing the letters of the alphabet, so does it occur in this our art of fencing, that without the following guards, and some voids and slips of the body which come to be the foundation of this exercise, one could not in any way show this use of ours; therefore the following six figures are designated alphabetically. “A” demonstrates the first to you, and the second is presented to you as “B”, and the third as “C”. The fourth is named as “D”, the fifth as “E”, and the sixth as “F”.
 
As one cannot make some composition of beautiful and judicious writings without employing the letters of the alphabet, so does it occur in this our art of fencing, that without the following guards, and some voids and slips of the body which come to be the foundation of this exercise, one could not in any way show this use of ours; therefore the following six figures are designated alphabetically. “A” demonstrates the first to you, and the second is presented to you as “B”, and the third as “C”. The fourth is named as “D”, the fifth as “E”, and the sixth as “F”.
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| '''FIGURE EXPLAINED BY WAY OF THE ALPHABET.'''
 
| '''FIGURE EXPLAINED BY WAY OF THE ALPHABET.'''
 
Figure that demonstrates resting in guard, as is shown in our art, and the incredible increase of the long blow, in regard of the members which are all moved to strike.
 
Figure that demonstrates resting in guard, as is shown in our art, and the incredible increase of the long blow, in regard of the members which are all moved to strike.
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| '''WAY OF GAINING THE SWORD ON THE INSIDE IN THE STRAIGHT LINE AND STRIKING ACCORDING TO THE POINT THAT THE ENEMY WILL GIVE.'''
 
| '''WAY OF GAINING THE SWORD ON THE INSIDE IN THE STRAIGHT LINE AND STRIKING ACCORDING TO THE POINT THAT THE ENEMY WILL GIVE.'''
 
There are two causes (it seems to me) for which it is necessary to stringer the adversary: the first is to stringer the sword in order to seek the measure and the tempo; the other is to stringer the body of the adversary in order to seek only the measure; which excellent stringerings are considered in the straight line; and because there are two causes of stringering there must also be two occasions: the first occasion of stringering the sword, in order to seek the measure and tempo, is when the said adversary lies in an oblique line, because the adversary lying with the sword in fourth which is aimed on an oblique line at your left side, you will lie with the sword on the outside, and disengage with an increase of pace in order to stringer it on the inside with the said straight line, as the figures show you; from this he can cause you a good deal of difficulty, seeing as how only the said straight line suffices to stringer the sword, the adversary's sword lying in an oblique line; the second occasion, that of stringering the body in order to find only the measure, is when the adversary lies in the straight line, or with his body uncovered, then without stringering the sword in order to seek the tempo, it will suffice to only stringer the body with the straight line in order to find the measure, and then to strike according to the point; although the use of the art requires that one stringer the sword in all the lines without some utility. Striking according to the point, one must understand that every time that the point of the opposing sword be in your line then you will be able to strike in the straight line where the height of the point of the enemy's sword will give its direction, taking a palmo from the point of your enemy's sword, however, with the forte of your sword, and you will strike safely, taking heed that if it is as high as the middle of your head you will strike him in the face, and were it to the middle of your body you will be able to strike him in the face and in the breast; this is called "to strike according to the point that the enemy's sword will give"; moreover in this way you will be able to safely disengage the sword from all sides in order to attack; however, when disengaging you will carry the forte of your sword in primo tempo to the point of the adversary's sword, and do not do as some masters do, who disengage, and do so in order to strike in primo tempo, arriving with the point of their sword on the forte of the enemy's sword, not perceiving that they give the point to the enemy, and most of the time they are offended, as is seen in our figures.
 
There are two causes (it seems to me) for which it is necessary to stringer the adversary: the first is to stringer the sword in order to seek the measure and the tempo; the other is to stringer the body of the adversary in order to seek only the measure; which excellent stringerings are considered in the straight line; and because there are two causes of stringering there must also be two occasions: the first occasion of stringering the sword, in order to seek the measure and tempo, is when the said adversary lies in an oblique line, because the adversary lying with the sword in fourth which is aimed on an oblique line at your left side, you will lie with the sword on the outside, and disengage with an increase of pace in order to stringer it on the inside with the said straight line, as the figures show you; from this he can cause you a good deal of difficulty, seeing as how only the said straight line suffices to stringer the sword, the adversary's sword lying in an oblique line; the second occasion, that of stringering the body in order to find only the measure, is when the adversary lies in the straight line, or with his body uncovered, then without stringering the sword in order to seek the tempo, it will suffice to only stringer the body with the straight line in order to find the measure, and then to strike according to the point; although the use of the art requires that one stringer the sword in all the lines without some utility. Striking according to the point, one must understand that every time that the point of the opposing sword be in your line then you will be able to strike in the straight line where the height of the point of the enemy's sword will give its direction, taking a palmo from the point of your enemy's sword, however, with the forte of your sword, and you will strike safely, taking heed that if it is as high as the middle of your head you will strike him in the face, and were it to the middle of your body you will be able to strike him in the face and in the breast; this is called "to strike according to the point that the enemy's sword will give"; moreover in this way you will be able to safely disengage the sword from all sides in order to attack; however, when disengaging you will carry the forte of your sword in primo tempo to the point of the adversary's sword, and do not do as some masters do, who disengage, and do so in order to strike in primo tempo, arriving with the point of their sword on the forte of the enemy's sword, not perceiving that they give the point to the enemy, and most of the time they are offended, as is seen in our figures.
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| '''The present and subsequent figures demonstrate diverse manners of wounding on the outside, always presupposing a stringering on the inside and a disengage by the adversary in a thrust for the attack.'''
 
| '''The present and subsequent figures demonstrate diverse manners of wounding on the outside, always presupposing a stringering on the inside and a disengage by the adversary in a thrust for the attack.'''
 
For an explanation of the following figure I say that D being narrow to the inside of the figure marked C, the same C disengages to attack with a thrust to the chest of D. D then attacks with a thrust to the left eye with a firm foot or an increase of a step as seen in the figure. But still I say that if C had been clever, when disengaging he would have disengaged by way of a feint, with his body held back, and D, in approaching, would have been confident in attacking C. Then C would have parried the enemy's sword with the false or the true edge to the outside, giving him a mandritto to the face or an imbroccata to the chest and then he would return to a low fourth.
 
For an explanation of the following figure I say that D being narrow to the inside of the figure marked C, the same C disengages to attack with a thrust to the chest of D. D then attacks with a thrust to the left eye with a firm foot or an increase of a step as seen in the figure. But still I say that if C had been clever, when disengaging he would have disengaged by way of a feint, with his body held back, and D, in approaching, would have been confident in attacking C. Then C would have parried the enemy's sword with the false or the true edge to the outside, giving him a mandritto to the face or an imbroccata to the chest and then he would return to a low fourth.
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| '''Figures that demonstrate how much measure is lost by attacking the leg.'''
 
| '''Figures that demonstrate how much measure is lost by attacking the leg.'''
 
C having gained the sword of D, this same C turns a riverso to the leg of the figure noted as D. During the attack of the riverso, D is able to make a stramazzone to the arm or a thrust to the face as a result of it being tipped too far forward. As seen in the figure, D throws the right leg back in the attack. Always, I say, that when D was stringering C, had C been clever, he would have given a riverso to the face followed by a mandritto fendente to the head and thus he would have been safer.
 
C having gained the sword of D, this same C turns a riverso to the leg of the figure noted as D. During the attack of the riverso, D is able to make a stramazzone to the arm or a thrust to the face as a result of it being tipped too far forward. As seen in the figure, D throws the right leg back in the attack. Always, I say, that when D was stringering C, had C been clever, he would have given a riverso to the face followed by a mandritto fendente to the head and thus he would have been safer.
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| '''A figure that attacks in a passata while the adversary disengages in order to wound.'''
 
| '''A figure that attacks in a passata while the adversary disengages in order to wound.'''
 
Figure D having gained the sword on the inside of the figure noted as C, the same C disengages to give a stocatta to the face of D. D attacks him to the face in second with a passing step making a grip with the left hand at the same time of the hilt of the enemy's sword. I will never fail to say that had the one called C been a clever person, he would have disengaged as a feint with his body held back to the rear. D advancing confidently to pass, C falsing underneath his sword and turning an inquartata with a void of the body, passing his leg crossed behind, would wound him in the chest.
 
Figure D having gained the sword on the inside of the figure noted as C, the same C disengages to give a stocatta to the face of D. D attacks him to the face in second with a passing step making a grip with the left hand at the same time of the hilt of the enemy's sword. I will never fail to say that had the one called C been a clever person, he would have disengaged as a feint with his body held back to the rear. D advancing confidently to pass, C falsing underneath his sword and turning an inquartata with a void of the body, passing his leg crossed behind, would wound him in the chest.

Revision as of 01:17, 18 July 2020

Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli
200px
Born 16th century
Died 17th century
Occupation Fencing master
Patron Federico Ubaldo della Roevere
Influences Camillo Aggrippa
Influenced Sebastian Heußler
Genres Fencing manual
Language Italian
Notable work(s) Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma (1610)
Concordance by Michael Chidester

Ridolfo Capo Ferro da Cagli (Ridolfo Capoferro, Rodulphus Capoferrus) was a 17th century Italian fencing master. He seems to have been born in the town of Cagli in Urbino and was a resident of Siena, Tuscany. Little is known about the life of this master, though the dedication to Federico Ubaldo della Roevere, the young son of Duke Francesco Maria Feltrio della Roevere, may indicate that he was associated with the court at Urbino in some capacity. The statement at the beginning of Capo Ferro's treatise describing him as a "master of the great German nation"[1] likely signifies that he was faculty at the University of Siena, either holding a position analogous to dean of all German students, or perhaps merely the fencing master who taught the German students.

Capo Ferro authored a fencing manual on the rapier entitled Gran Simulacro dell'Arte e dell'Uso della Scherma ("Great Representation of the Art and Use of Fencing"); it was published in Siena in 1610 and refers to Federico by the ducal title. Though this treatise is highly praised by modern fencing historians, it is neither comprehensive nor particularly innovative and does not seem to have been terribly influential in its own time.

Treatise

Additional Resources

  • Capo Ferro, Ridolfo. Italian Rapier Combat: Ridolfo Capo Ferro's 'Gran Simulacro'. Ed. Jared Kirby. London: Greenhill Books, 2004. ISBN 978-1853675805
  • Capo Ferro, Ridolfo. Rapier: The Art and Use of Fencing by Ridolfo Capo Ferro. Trans. Nick S. Thomas. SwordWorks, 2007. ISBN 978-1906512279
  • Leoni, Tom. Ridolfo Capoferro's The Art and Practice of Fencing: A Practical Translation for the Modern Swordsman. Wheaton, IL: Freelance Academy Press, 2011. ISBN 978-0-9825911-9-2
  • Garcia-Salmones, Eugenio. Ridolfo Capoferro, "Gran simulacro del arte y del uso de la esgrima", Traduccion al castellano. Editorial Sacauntos, 2009. ISBN 978-84-937207-0-4

References