Jean de Brye - “The Art of Fencing”

I cannot discover much about Jean de Brye. He is listed as a member of ther Masters of Arms of Paris and had a residence and presumably a salle d’armes in rue de Buci from 1692 onwards.

Arsène Vigeant, in his 1882 bibliography of fencing, states that de Brye “presents a glimpse of the transition from the Old School represented by Philibert de la Touche, le Perche, de Liancourt and Labat to the modern School created by Danet, Demeuse, la Boëssière, Jean Louis and Gomard.”

An English translation is available from LongEdge Press here.

This is a manual for coaches, not students. That’s why there almost no smallsword technique in it. It’s about how to bring students from simply actions, through compound actions to fencing the wall, ie: set plays. Then there’s a large amount of advice on sparring, bouting and play in earnest.

De Brye's game is thus far about two actions, the first to rattle the opponent and force them to uncover an opening, the second to strike. The first is a probe which, if the response is deemed appropriate, is turned smoothly and immediately into a second action to attack. If it fails, jump out of distance and think up a new attack sequence. It’s all two-tempo sequences – in fact, you could probably draw some flow charts …

[ As much as I dislike them, the idea of the flowchart is well founded in this text, especially in the advice on the assault. These should, perhaps, be mapped out.]

Aim is to develop a sense of balance and learn the basic actions. This stage encompasses the thrust in the first intention with disengagement.

Drills are conducted against the master alone, not against other students.

• parts of the sword
• stand in a balanced guard position
• simple thrusts to the four lines
• counters to thrusts to the four lines
• stepping into and out of measure safely

Aim is understand a range of fencing situations and develop in the student a sense of which is the correct technique for a given situation.

Drills are conducted against the master alone and not against other students so that the master can correct errors of execution.

• selecting the correct technique, eg: only if the master is weak in the bond should the student perform a straight thrust in opposition
• “unsettling the opponent”, eg: feints, invitations, provocations

Aim is to perform all the actions learned in stages one and two against a pell or, perhaps, an unresisting student. The difference is that student is in charge of his or her own actions while the master watches and corrects.

This stage has three levels.

1. Co-operative sparring against a student at the same level concentrating on proper execution rather than winning.
2. Co-operative sparring against an advanced student. The emphasis for the advanced student is on assisting the lesser student.
3. In effect, free sparring against all comers.