François Dancie

Original text is in the Municipal Archives of Bordeaux under the catalogue item 66S230. Contained within the translation are two texts covering Dancie's 1617 and 1623 explanations of both sword and dagger and sword alone combat.

Dancie follows a very “Italian” style of fencing based on the long lunge. In this respect, he is more similar to Capo Ferro and Giganti than to Cavalcabo and de Heredia.

However, Dancie references Paternoster and Cavalcabo, father and son, in the introduction to his 1623 book. Is this merely simple recognition of current popular or court trends or is there some form of pedagogical link at play?

The English translation titled The Sword of Combat is by Rob Runacres and Thibault Ghesquiere (lulu.com):

• Paperback
• ePub eBook

There's a really nice quote that Danice uses at the end of both the 1617 manuscript and 1623 book which echoes the advice from the MS3227a Dobringer longsword text:

All this knowledge depends on [it] having been well demonstrated and having often practiced this science with people who more or less understand it because to know something and not practice it, it is [like] a hidden treasure which rusts. Also, the body, discontinuing exercise, becomes numb and slow. In short, the knowledge and practice make men masters.

And also:

Guard the eyes!

The translation covers four topic, each of which will be addressed separately. These are:

• Sword and dagger (1617 manuscript)
• Sword and dagger (1623 book)
• Sword alone (1617 manuscript)
• Sword alone (1623 book)

1617 Sword and Dagger: There is no discussion of guards and a few aside comments about stance. There is mention of counter-guards but no information on what Dancie reckons they are. This is the best we get as to stance and guards.

Coming into presence in front of the enemy, step with the left foot, with the sword advanced and crossed from the right side to the left to cover the whole body and the dagger back, and, in adjusting it, advance the right foot and bring the dagger forward and put it in guard, in measure and in front of one's enemy, nevertheless keeping the steps slow to have more sober judgment to stop the enemy in case he wants to surprise you in your steps and actions.

And when you have gained this advantage on your enemy, being in measure in front of him and settled on your feet with a common step, the body bent and resting on the left leg to the end that the right leg is free to advance when you see it is time, you will make a pas extraordinaire, carrying the foot and the hand with all your strength to strike at the enemy between his two weapons in quarte.

Note here:

• the use of the long lunge rather than the shorter lunge of Cavalcabo and others
• the rear-weighted stance
• bringing the weapons forward only as one enters measure
• using small steps to manage distance and measure

1617 Sword Alone: There is almost no discussion of guards except for the description of the basic stance required to set up the first play. After that, the text reads some variant of “as per the previous play”.

When you come in presence in front of your enemy by stepping in to offend him, make common steps or pas extraordinaire depending on how far you are away from him, always carrying the sword advanced to defend the body, with the left hand near the head. And, entered in to measure, support the whole body on the left leg in order to leave the right side ready and free to advance when the action of the makes a tempo arise – which must be taken with all kind of speed and at the same instant that he moves his foot.“

1617 Sword and Dagger and 1617 Sword Alone: A good fencer requires three things:

• Good judgement – which is expressed in terms of understanding the counter-guards and distance/measure
• Courage – to take the tempo when it arises
• Swiftness – self-explanatory

The purpose of the counter-guards is “to force him [the opponent] to advance or retreat” (1617 Sword and Dagger) and “to force him to change and strike” (1617 Sword Alone). The term also appears to be used by Dancie as his word for the engagement in general.

If he parries, you will do him such blows in, over, under, which are described to you and most proper for you. And if instead he strikes, you will make a tempo with the dagger's tip and strike him in the right shoulder or make appels, in short that practice will place you in front instead.

1617 Sword and Dagger and 1617 Sword Alone: There are several snippets of advice throughout the manuscript.

• Adopt the rear weighted stance once you reach proper measure. Does this mean there's no need for this stance at wide distance or when you are out of measure?
• Likewise, the dagger is adjusted into a more forward position once you reach proper measure.
• The key trigger you are looking for is when the opponent moves or shifts his or her foot (feet?) Conversely, use slow (and small?) steps coming into measure so that you do not provide the opponent with this trigger.
• Always maintain sword engagement with the opponent as you withdraw and recover after an attack or probe of the opponent's defense.

The essential understanding that should be taken away from the 1617 manuscript is that main strategy in approaching a fight is to make your opponent give you a tempo in which to take advantage of his or her position. This means making the opponent move their feet to advance or retreat or change stance or guard position.

The chief means of doing this with the sword alone is by subjecting the opponent's weapon and in sword and dagger by thrusting between the weapons.

All descriptions in the original text and the translation assume two right-handed fencers.

Note: All thrusts are the pas extraordinaire or long thrust. Dancie uses the long thrust in the same way others use the thrust on the pied ferme.

Opponent's Stance	Invitation or Engagement	No. of Actions	Opponent's Action or Parry	Counter Action	Source(s)	Concordance
Sword forward	Thrust on the pas extraordinaire between the weapons	2	Withdraws	Seize the opponent's sword with the dagger and strikes on a rear foot pass	D17-1
Sword forward	Thrust on the pas extraordinaire between the weapons	3 or 4	Advances to counter attack	Withdraw maintaining blade contact. Disengage, parrying with dagger and thrust on a rear foot pass	D17-2a
Sword forward	Thrust on the pas extraordinaire between the weapons	3 or 4	Raises sword to attack your head	Parry with sword, control with dagger and thrust leaning (moving?) to the right	D17-2b
Sword forward	Feint under the opponent's dagger hand (with a pas extraordinaire?)	2	Parries with dagger	Disengage and thrust then withdraw	D17-3
Sword forward	Stramazzone and strike a main droit to the head	3	Parries to the inside	Disengage under the parry and thrust low. Secure yourself with your dagger	D17-4
Dagger forward	Thrust on the pas extraordinaire between the weapons	2	Withdraws	Seize the opponent's sword with the dagger and strikes on a rear foot pass	D17-1	There are two versions of this ending with a high or a low counter-attack
Dagger forward	Feint under the opponent's dagger hand with a pas extraordinaire	2	Parries with dagger	Disengage and thrust then withdraw	D17-3
Dagger forward	Feint over the opponent's dagger hand (with a pas extraordinaire in second	2	Parries with dagger	Disengage and thrust under in fourth	D17-5
Sword forward in “open tierce	[Scoop to] subject in 2nd	2	Withdraws	Left foot pass and thrust in 2nd	D17-6a
Sword forward in “open tierce	[Scoop to] subject in 2nd	2	Disengages	Lean left, parry with dagger, thrust low in 2nd	D17-6b
Sword in quarte	Feint thrust to right eye	2	Parries with sword	Strike low, secure with dagger	D17-7a
Sword in quarte	Feint thrust to right eye	3	Counter-time strike	Retreat parrying with dagger, Thrust in 2nd	D17-7b
Sword in quarte	Strike on the opponent's inside, capturing the opponent's blade with your dagger	?	Parries, advances to counter-attack	Disengage and strikes on a left foot pass	D17-8a	Cf. D17-2a, D17-7a
Sword in quarte	Strike on the opponent's inside, capturing the opponent's blade with your dagger	?	Retreats	Seize the opponent's sword with the dagger and strikes on a rear foot pass	D17-8b	Cf. D17-1
Sword in quarte	Strike on the opponent's outside, leaning left	2	Parry and riposte under your sword	Parry with dagger and strike to the nearest opening	D17-9
Sword in quarte	Strike on the opponent's inside	2	Parries to the opponent's outside	Disengage and thrust under the dagger in 4th, inclining right	D17-10	Re-visit this. It makes no sense.
Sword in quarte	Feint with dagger to grab opponent's sword	2	Disengages	Redouble with dagger and thrust in quarte	D17-11
Sword in quarte	Strike to opponent's inside line	2	Parries [with dagger or sword?]	Continue the strike, controlling the opponent's blade with your dagger and passing with the left foot	D17-12
Opponent stand left foot forward and dagger advanced	Feint a strike between the weapons	2	Parries with sword?	Thrust low in 2nd with left foot pass (pass below?)	D17-13a
Opponent stand left foot forward and dagger advanced	Feint a strike between the weapons	2	Parries with dagger?	Thrust low in 4th with left foot pass	D17-13b
Opponent stand left foot forward and dagger advanced	Feint a strike in 3rd outside of the opponent's dagger	2	Parries with dagger	“Raise the point of the sword over the point of his dagger” and strike in 4th on a lunge	D17-14
Opponent stand left foot forward and dagger advanced	Feint a strike in 4th between the weapons	2	Parries with dagger	“Turn the hand” and strike low in 2nd	D17-15	Dancie says to recover in “quinte”. Undefined but assume a hanging parry.
	Invitation in tierce	2	Opponent passes forward to thrust, attempting to grab your sword with his dagger	Drop to the left knee, inclining left and thrust in tierce. Protect with dagger high.	D17-16	Pass below
	Invitation in tierce	2	Opponent passes forward to thrust, attempting to grab your sword with his dagger	Disengage and counter-strike, inclining to the right	D17-17
	Invitation with weapons held open	2	Opponent strikes between your weapons	Parry with dagger, strike low in 2nd on a left foot pass	D17-18
	Invitation with weapons held open	2	Opponent feints inside your dagger	Parry with dagger, counter-attack in 4th passing with the left foot	D17-19