Stance and Postures

“So the accommodation of the body to be in guard will be that the body is quite curved, the left side and the head resting and leaning on the left leg with the knee being bent, the left arm raised close to the face like a half circle, the right leg extended or folded very little, both heels towards one another, showing only the side that you will cover with your right arm extended down, and a little advanced above the right thigh, the point of the sword looking forward at the right shoulder of the enemy, a little higher than the kidneys, and crossed slightly to the inside, proper to go to all sides of the enemy’s sword.”

— Paternoster, “Very Beautiful Speech for Fencing with the Sword Alone”

“Hold your sword in tierce and your dagger near your right arm so that the enemy cannot strike outside of the left side. Further, you can place yourself in quarte, and keep your dagger joined to the sword.”

— Cavalcabo, “Treatise and Instruction For Fencing”

Key elements:

• The stance is rear-weighted. All the weight is placed on the rear leg.
• You should sink down into the stance a little so that your rear leg is bent and the knee of the front leg is not locked out.
• The sword hand holds the weapon so that it points towards the opponent's forward shoulder.
• The off-hand is held close to the face as a last line of defence.
• If a dagger or cloak is used, keep this as close to the hilt of the sword as possible.

[Image shows Basic Stance for sword alone in tierce.]

All our sources follow Camillo Agrippa's method of four basic postures and, although Cavalcabo and Paternoster disagree on how to group them, both agree that tierce and quarte are the key postures.

“The first guard is when you hold your arm above the shoulder. The second will be when the hand is at the same height as the shoulder. The third is when the arm is a little advanced in front of the knee. The fourth will be when holding the sword and dagger on the left side.”

— Cavalcabo, “Treatise and Instruction For Fencing”

Note that these postures do not talk about the orientation of the hand as adopted by northern Italian and later rapier fencing. These four postures refer solely to the position of the arm.

Premiere: The sword hand is held about the shoulder with the sword pointing directly to the opponent on the level. The posture holds the sword in the outside line.

Seconde: The sword hand is held at shoulder height with the point lower than the sword hand. These examples are somewhat exaggerated to show the different position. The posture holds the sword in the outside line.

Tierce: The sword hand is held lower with the point of the sword higher than the hand. In LongEdge practice, we ensure that there is a straight line running from the elbow through the wrist and along the blade to the point. The posture holds the sword in the outside line.

Quarte: The sword hand is held lower with the point of the sword higher than the hand. In LongEdge practice, we ensure that there is a straight line running from the elbow through the wrist and along the blade to the point. The posture holds the sword across the body in the inside line.

“Hold your sword in tierce and your dagger near your right arm so that the enemy cannot strike outside from the left side. Moreover, you can place yourself in quarte, and keep your dagger joined to the sword so that he has the occasion to strike the right side. You can also open the weapons when in high guard, be it in première or seconde, holding your dagger on the left side, and this guard will be to await and to assail your enemy in the way you want.”

— Cavalcabo, “Treatise and Instruction For Fencing”

– Pics or it didn't happen. When I get time.

“Two are the best, namely, quarte to wait, and tierce to assault.”

— Cavalcabo, “Short Discourse on the Sword Alone”

To be in guard with advantage “is when you will have the point of the sword straight to the enemy's shoulder, and that his sword is not pointed at your face, however turning in quarte guard on the right side of that enemy, with your dagger close to the guard of your sword.”

— Cavalcabo, “Treatise and Instruction For Fencing”

– Needs a philosophical diatribe on why quarte and tierce are the best.