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Difference between revisions of "Vincentio Saviolo"

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| '''V.''' When you perfectlie understand your weapons, it maie serve you otherwise, so that you hold not your swoord hand within your knee, for if you finde your enemie to beare his swoord long, being in distance, you maie sodenlie beat it aside with your swoord, and withall give him a stoccata in the bellie, which must bee done all in one time, speedilie turning your bodie on the right side, or else retyring with your right foote toward the right side of your enemie: otherwise, if you stand upon it, as manie doo, you might much endanger your selfe thereby, for if your adversarie being furious, should passe on you in the same time, hee might put your life in jeopardie: but by the agilitie of the bodie, it is easilie to be avoided: and againe, when you finde his point long, you maie breake it aside with your swoorde, and give him a Stramazone, or a riversa to the head, but with readines of the bodie, or you maie thrust a stoccata, either to the bellie or face: and if your enemie offer to breake it with his swoorde, and if he breake it above, falsefie againe underneath his swoorde, or if you be readie with foote and bodie, you maie passe on him whilste he breaketh your fincture with his sword, fastning y our left hand on the hiltes of his swoord, and you maie give him a stoccata, either direct, or with a rinersa: but looke that you laie not holde of his arme, for if your enemie perceive it, hee maie change his Rapier sodainly into his other hand, & so have you at a great advantage, & therfore I teach you to laie hold on the hilts, because you have then commanded his sword surely: and if your enemie finding your point out at length, would beat it aside with his rapier, to passe uppon you, retire your lefte foote a little backward, and with greate promptnesse in the same instant, falsifie with a riversa either to the face or bellye, of which kinde of thrusts you shall often have use, but you must be verie readie and well practised therein therefore you must labour it, that when occasion require you may performe it.
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| class="noline" | '''V.''' When you perfectlie understand your weapons, it maie serve you otherwise, so that you hold not your swoord hand within your knee, for if you finde your enemie to beare his swoord long, being in distance, you maie sodenlie beat it aside with your swoord, and withall give him a stoccata in the bellie, which must bee done all in one time, speedilie turning your bodie on the right side, or else retyring with your right foote toward the right side of your enemie: otherwise, if you stand upon it, as manie doo, you might much endanger your selfe thereby, for if your adversarie being furious, should passe on you in the same time, hee might put your life in jeopardie: but by the agilitie of the bodie, it is easilie to be avoided: and againe, when you finde his point long, you maie breake it aside with your swoorde, and give him a Stramazone, or a riversa to the head, but with readines of the bodie, or you maie thrust a stoccata, either to the bellie or face: and if your enemie offer to breake it with his swoorde, and if he breake it above, falsefie againe underneath his swoorde, or if you be readie with foote and bodie, you maie passe on him whilste he breaketh your fincture with his sword, fastning y our left hand on the hiltes of his swoord, and you maie give him a stoccata, either direct, or with a rinersa: but looke that you laie not holde of his arme, for if your enemie perceive it, hee maie change his Rapier sodainly into his other hand, & so have you at a great advantage, & therfore I teach you to laie hold on the hilts, because you have then commanded his sword surely: and if your enemie finding your point out at length, would beat it aside with his rapier, to passe uppon you, retire your lefte foote a little backward, and with greate promptnesse in the same instant, falsifie with a riversa either to the face or bellye, of which kinde of thrusts you shall often have use, but you must be verie readie and well practised therein therefore you must labour it, that when occasion require you may performe it.
  
 
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Revision as of 02:09, 4 June 2020

Vincentio Saviolo
Born date of birth unknown
Padua, Italy
Died ca. 1599
London, England
Occupation Fencing master
Nationality Italian
Patron Robert Devereux, 2nd Earl of Essex
Genres Fencing manual
Language English
Notable work(s) His Practice, in Two Books (1595)
First printed
english edition
Jackson, 1972

Vincentio Saviolo was a 16th century Italian fencing master. He seems to have been born in Padua, Italy some time in the mid 16th century, and he traveled widely in his youth, ultimately learning both the Italian method of rapier fencing and possibly the Spanish system of la Verdadera Destreza. He arrived in London in 1590 and quickly gained a great deal of prestige; he seems to have also taken on the former school of Italian master Rocco Bonetti. There are a number of anecdotes about Saviolo's activities in London, but as these are largely derived from the writings of his hostile critic George Silver, it's unclear how trustworthy they are.

In 1595, Saviolo published a fencing manual entitled His Practise, in Two Bookes. It presents his system of rapier fencing, apparently a synthesis of Italian and Spanish concepts,[1] and is structured as a dialogue between Saviolo and a student. The treatise was probably written with the assistance of his friend John Florio, and it's possible that Saviolo wrote the treatise in Italian and Florio translated it.

The exact date of Saviolo's death is uncertain, but he seems to have been deceased by the time George Silver published in 1599.

Treatise

Additional Resources

References

  1. Hand, Stephen and Martinez, Ramon. "Spanish Influence in the Rapier Play of Vincentio Saviolo". Spada: Anthology of Swordsmanship. Ed. Stephen Hand. Union City, CA: Chivalry Bookshelf, 2002. p 132.