Arte della Daga: countering the opponent's defense, Flos Duellatorum, 1410

Carta 8 A, 1

The opponent attempts to ward a reverse-grip downward stab as shown, but his ward is deceived and he is stabbed through the left forearm.

Carta 8A, 2

The Maestro (right) demonstrates another counter to the ward shown in 1 by slapping or pressing the opponent's left forearm from the outside. The Maestro immediately converts the slap/press into a trap to the opponent's left wrist.

Carta 8A, 3

The Maestro passes forward with his right foot and presses the opponent's trapped left wrist down, turning his body and exposing him to the stab as shown.

Carta 8a, 4

The Maestro demonstrates another counter to the ward illustrated in 1 by passing the blade of his dagger over the opponent's left forearm and scissoring his wrist, trapping it between the dagger blade and his own inner right wrist. Bear in mind that these daggers were designed for thrusting and stabbing attacks and were not sharp along the edges. From this position he could either pull free to disengage and stab again, break the opponent's wrist with a downward/inward snapping movement, or pass back with his right foot and drag the opponent to the ground.

Carta 8A, 5

The Maestro has performed a thrust to the abdomen (note that this is the first time an orthodox "hammer" grip is demonstrated with the dagger). His opponent has intercepted the thrust and seized the dagger at the handle with his right hand and about 2/3 along the blade with his left hand. From this position, the opponent could wrench the dagger from the Maestro's grip.

The Maestro counters the seizure by passing his left hand and wrist between the opponent's hands. From this position he can neutralize the opponent's leverage advantage by flexing both hands down and forwards, using the counter-leverage of his left wrist against the blade and the opponent's right wrist. This will force the opponent to release his right-hand grip.

Although it is not illustrated, the Maestro could then free his dagger from the opponent's left-hand grip by slapping or pressing downwards in a clockwise circle against the opponent's left hand and wrist, simultaneously pulling the dagger back towards his own right hip. This will force the opponent to release the weapon and expose him to another thrust.

Carta 8A, 6

The Maestro demonstrates a counter to the wrist-scissor technique shown in 4 by deflecting the opponent's reaching hand with his own right hand. From this position the Maestro could then enter the techniques illustrated in 6A, 1, 6B, 3, 6B, 5, 7A, 3, 7A, 5, 7B, 1, 7B, 5, etc.

PAGE 2 - Arte dell'Abbracciare unarmed defense sequence #1

PAGE 3 - Arte dell'Abbracciare unarmed defense sequence #2

PAGE 4 - Arte della Daga unarmed defense sequence against the thrusting dagger

PAGE 5 - Variations on a theme: twenty versions of the "back lever" throw from diverse historical sources