Sword class last night was a revision and going-over of the basics, particularly the First to Fourth Plays of Abrazare, or unarmed combat. As I learn more, the more I feel I benefit when I go over and revise the foundations of our art ~ the more solidly grounded you are in the basics, the easier everything else becomes. Problem is, the basics don’t really make sense until later when it gets used in a drill… or perhaps I’m just plain dyslexic, not being able to translate the words and pictures on the manuscript into physical action?
Anyway, the the first four plays of Abrazare begins, as fights are wont to do, by the attacker (left) making a grab for the defender’s (right) throat or tunic:
First Play of Abrazare
From here, there are a few things the defender can do but the first thing Fiore teaches is a way to break that hold:
Questo si è lo primo zogho de abrazare e ogni guardia d’abrazare si pò ‘rivare in questo zogho e in questa presa zoé pigli cum la man stancha lo suo brazo dritto in la piegadura del suo brazo dritto e la sua dritta mano metta chosì dritta apresso lo suo cubito e poy subito farà la presa del segondo zogho zoé piglila in quello modo e daga la volta ala persona e per quello modo o ello andarà in terra overo lo brazo gli serà dislogato.
Or more simply: Push with your left hand at the opponent’s right elbow and place your right arm behind the opponent’s left elbow, while taking a small step to the right, like so:
And thus setting up the sucker attacker for the Second Play of Abrazare.
Now that the attacker’s hold is broken, the options available to him rapidly becomes limited. The attacker (left) is likely to react in a few ways:
Freeze in stunned confusion, or
Try to pull away and disengage, or
Bull in and try to overwhelm by strength.
Second Play of Abrazare
Assuming that the attacker was struck dumb by your brilliant break of his initial attack and freezes (*heh*), the play can then develop into the Second Play of Abrazare:
Lo Scolaro del primo Magistro sì digo che son certo d’ zitar questo in tera o rompere suo brazo sinistro overo dislogare. E si lo zughadore che zogha cum lo Magistro primo levasse la man stancha de la spalla del Magistro per far altra defesa subito io che son in suo scambio lasso lo suo brazo dritto cum la mia man stancha, piglio la sua stancha gamba e la mia man dritta gli metto sotto la gola per mandarlo in terra in questo che vedeti depento lo terzo zogho.
Or, pivot to the left by taking a step and simply reaching over his left elbow with your right arm. This will put him in a lock, or by applying more pressure, break his arm:
Third Play of Abrazare
If the attacker decides to pull back and disengage, then the Third Play of Abrazare comes into effect ~ maintain pressure by stepping forwards as he steps back, extending your right arm into his face and grabbing his leg with your left hand as the opportunity presents itself and dump the opponent on his head. In practice, this is easier than it sounds ~ after all, people are able to move forwards faster forwards than backwards….
Fourth Play of Abaraze
And finally, the Fourth Play of Abarazare deals with the attacker attempting to bull his way forwards and trying to grapple. Simply extend your right hand and push at his jaw, this will disrupt his line of attack, and possibly break his jaw or neck.
Beyond these there are more plays…. but I need more time to absorb them :p
