Ragione di adoprar sicuramente l'Arme, si da offesa come da difesa

[1] The text was later translated into English and published again in 1594, as Di Grassi, His True Arte of Defence.

[2] The translation of Di Grassi was one of the three premiere fencing texts known from Elizabethan England.

To get maximum reach and to make the body as flat as possible to the opponent to dodge a counter-thrust, at the end of the thrust the back foot is shifted diagonally forward so that it is in line with the front foot and the tip of the weapon.

The final diagonal step also brings the body out of the direct forward thrust path of the opponent, achieving an angular attack and evasion both at once.

The following three actions can be practised as drills in basic ancient weapon handling, if you are healthy enough to try them, if you have enough space to safely perform them, and if you have sticks of varying lengths to use.

To finish, the entire sequence can be run in reverse to return everything to its initial position.

For a medium weapon (a short spear, a bayoneted gun or a two-handed sword), requiring two hands, the left hand grabs near the buttstock and the right a comfortable distance ahead of it, about one foot up to give an estimation.

The first would be the delivery of a straight-down blow from above, using the same stepping patterns to achieve maximum reach.

This usually necessitated that weapons of the short variety be used since medium and long ones would be too heavy for the right hand alone to wield.

The shield was held outstretched towards the opponent's face to limit his vision and to parry his weapon closer to its pivot point where it is weakest in its movement.