This article provides a general overview of terms used in Italian Swordplay. It should generally link to other articles that give a more in-depth view of each given term. This document is organized using the Italian terms with translation to the English terms provided. It is important to note that throughout history there is some ambiguity and mixed usage of any given term. So no single definition can be seen as universal.

Sword Anatomy

The following articles provide the names of the various parts of the sword:

Anatomy of the Rapier
Anatomy of the Longsword

Guardia

Guardia is the Italian term for guard and is used synonymously with the term posta, meaning position. The guardie or poste (plural forms of the respective words) are configurations of the body and sword made to facilitate attack and defense, invitation and constraint.

Guards of the Longsword

See the Fiore Poste Progression for a view of the 12 poste used by Fiore dei Liberi.

Guards of the Rapier

The Rapier generally uses four guardie that are similar at least in hand position in all the late period Italian manuscripts. They are:

Prima (First) – The hand position with the knuckles towards the ceiling. The sword is positioned above the right shoulder, with the blade straight towards the opponent or at a slight downward angle. This is a forward guardia.
Seconda (Second) – The hand position with the knuckles towards the outside (the right, if you are right handed). The sword is positioned in front of the right shoulder, with the blade angled to the left. This is a forward guardia.
Terza (Third) – The hand position with the knuckles towards the floor. The sword is positioned with the guard in front of the flank, the elbow and hand at the same height. Terza is a reverse position guardia and is the most defensive of the Guardia.
Quarta (Fourth) – The hand position with the knuckles towards the inside. The sword is positioned in front of the left shoulder, with the blade angled towards the right. This is a forward guardia.

Terms of the Misura

Misura (Measure) – The distance between you and your opponent. Measured from the tip of your sword to your opponent’s body.
Misura Largissima (Widest Measure) – The distance where one can strike their opponent with a passing lunge to the body or a stepping lunge to the arm.
Misura Larga (Wide Measure) – The distance at which you can strike your opponent with a lunge.
Misura Stretta (Narrow Measure) – The distance at which you can strike your opponent with an extension of the body and/or a lean of the body.
Misura Strettissima (Narrowest Measure) – The distance at which you can strike your opponent’s lead arm with an extension.
Out of Measure – To be far enough away from your opponent that you cannot strike in less than 2 steps.
Safety Measure – A measure used in acting, where the combatants throw blows from out of distance (typically 5 to 10 inches out of range) to ensure that no accidents occur.

Footwork

Lunge – A movement made typically with an attack, where the combatant takes a large step with their front foot, propelling themselves forward by pushing with their rear leg and extending it fully.
Passing Lunge – A lunge made by passing with the rear leg, crossing ahead of the lead leg. The orientation of the feet can be maintained, or the body can be rotated to bring the offhand into play.
Passo Giusto (Small Step) – The most common form of movement in rapier play.
Accrescere (Increase / Advancing Step) – A small step in the advance.
Descrescere (Decrease / Retreating Step) – A small step in the retreat.
Passado (Passing Step) – A step made towards or away from your opponent by crossing the lead leg behind the rear, or crossing the rear ahead of the lead. The orientation of the feet is maintained through this step.

Terms of Blade Interplay

Lines of Attack

Line of Attack – The path that a sword travels along to strike one’s opponent.
Inside Line – A line of attack to the right of your opponent’s sword (the body side).
Outside Line – A line of attack to the left of your opponent’s sword (the space outside their body).
High Line – A line above the opponent’s sword guard.
Low Line – A line below the opponent’s sword guard.

Blade Actions

Stringere (To Constrain) – The strategic use of position or blade action to restrict the opponent’s available choices and make their next action more predictable. Stringere has three related components:
- Constraint – Restricting the opponent’s available lines while maintaining threat, requiring them to change position, recover their weapon, or otherwise make an additional movement before they can safely attack.
- Invitation – Deliberately leaving a particular line or action available so that the opponent is encouraged toward a predictable response.
- Proportion – Creating a relationship in which the tempo the opponent must give is larger than the tempo you require to respond. The purpose is not simply to make the opponent move, but to make their movement easier to take.
Stringere may be established through contra postura or through an action of the blade. In either case, the mechanical advantages of edge orientation, crossing the line, and leverage are used to restrict the opponent’s weapon while preserving your own freedom to act.
Guadagnare (To Gain / To Earn) – Consolidating your advantage by pushing your opponent’s blade out of line while you proceed to strike. This is done using two techniques:
- Striking According to the Point – Strike your opponent’s body at the same height as their point or higher.
- Forte on Debole – Firmly placing your opponent’s sword on your forte or guard of your sword.
Cavare (To Disengage / To Extract) – To move your sword from one side of your opponent’s to the other, with the intention of moving into an opening or away from a Stringere or Guadagnare.
- Cavare Sotto (Disengage Under) – Performing a cavare by drawing a small U with the tip of your blade underneath your opponent’s.
- Cavare Sopra (Disengage Over) – Performing a cavare by drawing an upside down V over the top of your opponent’s blade.
- Cavatione – The noun form of Cavare. A “disengage”.
- Cavazione in Tempo (Disengage in Time) – To perform a cavazione during an opponent’s attempt to constrain, find, beat, or otherwise gain control of your sword, taking the tempo of their sword movement. Because their sword is committed to finding or closing against yours while your blade moves around it, the cavazione can create an immediate opportunity to strike before they can establish control.
Battuta (Beat) – To strike the opponent’s blade and send it offline. A battuta may be used to create an opening, provoke a predictable response, or expel the opponent’s weapon strongly enough that they must recover it.
- When the battuta expels the opponent’s weapon from their control and the following strike takes advantage of its predictable recovery, the action creates a Due Tempi opportunity.
- A battuta does not automatically create Due Tempi. If the opponent remains in control of their weapon and is free to continue acting, the beat has not placed them into a true condition of recovery.
Finta (Feint) – To make a less committed attack to trick your opponent into responding, thus leaving them open in another area.

Measurements

Palmo (Palm’s breadth) – A unit of Italian measurement approximately the span of your palm from the tip of your extended thumb to the tip of your extended pinky.
Braccio (Arm’s length) – A unit of Italian measurement taken from the distance between the point of your shoulder to the end of your fist.

Types of Play

Gioco Stretto (Narrow Play) – Actions that take place when the swords are firmly in contact with one another. The narrowness refers to the lack of space between the blades and the constriction of options because of this state.
Gioco Largo (Wide Play) – Actions that take place when the swords are apart or that are designed to create situations where the weapons are apart. For example, a hard parry to your opponent’s sword that knocks it aside is a play of gioco largo, as is the following action on the part of either fighter.

Colpi (Strikes)

Thrusts

Punta (Thrust) – To strike your opponent with the tip of your sword.
Imbrocatta (Through the Arm) – To strike your opponent over their arm with a descending strike, typically delivered from prima.
Stocatta (Strike) – A swift thrusting attack, typically delivered from terza, rising from below.
Punta Riversi (Reverse Thrust) – A thrust delivered from quarta, often done on the outside line.

The 8 Cuts (Taglio)

Fendente – A descending vertical cut.
Montante – A rising vertical cut.
Squalembrato – A descending angular cut entering at the shoulder, exiting at the hip.
Tondo – A horizontal cut, typically delivered at waist height.
Sottano – A rising angular cut, entering at the hip, exiting at the shoulder.

Cut Modifiers

Mandritto (Right) – Typically meaning to cut from your right to your left. A mandritto squalembrato would enter at your opponent’s left shoulder and exit at their right hip.
Riverso (Reverse) – Typically meaning to cut from your left to your right. A riverso tondo would enter your opponent’s waist on their right side, and exit on their left.
Falso – A cut delivered with the false edge of the blade. The term Falso can refer to any cut delivered with the false edge (typically a rising cut) or can be combined with the name of a cut to specify direction, for example: Riverso Squalembrato Falso.
Manco (Left / Backhand) – An alternate name for a Riverso Sottano.
Ridoppio (Redouble) – An alternate name for a Dritto Sottano Falso. Thought to be named such because it was a common second attack that immediately followed a Riverso Squalembrato, thus “redoubling” the attack.

Terms of the Tempo

Tempo (Time / Rhythm) – The study of time, movement, and opportunity in combat. Tempo can be understood in three related ways:
1. As a unit of movement – A discrete action with a beginning and an end. The sword, feet, and body can each have their own tempos.
2. As proportion – The relationship between the size and duration of one movement and another. One tempo may be shorter than, equal to, or longer than another, and sufficiently large movements can be divided into smaller tempos.
3. As opportunity – A movement that creates an opportunity to strike, gain control, improve position, or otherwise act.
Primo Tempo (First Time) – A non-offensive movement given by an opponent as they establish or change their position. Primi tempi include entering or exiting, movements of the sword that open or close lines, and moments of fixing. Stepping into measure is an important example of primo tempo, but it is not the only one.
Contro Tempo (Counter-Time) – Also commonly called Contra Tempo. An offensive tempo given when the opponent attacks. Contro tempi can be considered according to their level of commitment and whether the attack is covered, covering, uncovered, or uncovering. These qualities determine what opportunities are available during the attack.
Mezzo Tempo (Half Time / Middle Time) – An opportunity to complete an action within the first half of an opponent’s movement. Mezzi tempi can occur during either primi tempi or contro tempi. If your action does not finish until the second half of their movement, you are sharing a full tempo rather than acting in mezzo tempo.
Due Tempi (Two Times) – An opportunity created through the opponent’s recovery. The first action places the opponent into a condition where they must recover; the second takes advantage of that recovery. This commonly occurs when the opponent is expelled, such as when their weapon has been beaten out of their control, or spent, such as at the end of a strongly committed attack. Due tempi therefore has an important quality of acting after the opponent’s action rather than during it. Not every sequence containing two actions is due tempi; the opponent must be in a genuine condition of recovery.
Stesso Tempo (Same Time) – To act at the same time and with a movement of approximately the same duration as the opponent.

Proportion of Tempo

In Tempo – Acting with a movement equal to or smaller than the tempo available.
Out of Tempo – Acting with a movement larger than the tempo available, including acting while an opponent is still and ready when they have sufficient time to respond.
Full Tempo – Sharing the complete length of another movement, or completing your action in its second half.
Half Tempo – Completing your action within the first half of another movement.