High Sword Disarm
Narrow Play - Verse 75
Pin his arms while pressing your hilt into his blade
Translation
This is the high sword disarm. While maintaining contact with your sword, push forward against his blade with your crossguard or pommel. Simultaneously, reach across with your left hand to grab and pin his arms or hands together. This combination of forward pressure with your hilt and the grip on his arms forces him to lose his sword. Once he is disarmed, strike him with multiple powerful blows. The technique concludes with the opponent's sword on the ground.
Fiore's Words
I am the high sword disarm, the sovereign technique. With my sword's grip, I press forward against his blade, while my left hand clamps his arms in such a way that he must lose his sword; there's no escape he's made. Then I'll deal him great strikes, one after another, until his sword lies on the ground, as my scholar brother will show you next. A thousand times and more, I, Fiore Furlano, have proven this in war.
Combat Context
This technique is performed during narrow play (close-quarters sword engagement) when you have achieved a crossing or bind with your opponent's sword. The editorial notes indicate specific positioning where you reach in front of his sword with your foot outside/behind his, suggesting this works from a committed crossing where you can safely close the distance. The 'high' designation indicates this is executed when the bind is in the upper quadrants, likely after defending or creating a high line engagement.
Training Notes
- ✦ Maintain continuous forward pressure with your crossguard against his blade throughout the technique
- ✦ The left hand must reach across and grab both his arms/hands together to prevent him from adjusting his grip
- ✦ Your forward pressure and arm control work together; neither alone will force the disarm
- ✦ Step forward as you execute this to add body weight to your pressure
- ✦ Once the sword falls, immediately transition to striking before he can recover
- ✦ Practice the timing of coordinating the hilt pressure and the hand grab simultaneously
- ✦ The opponent's sword should be directed downward and away as it falls
Related Techniques
This is card FL75 from the Fiore dei Liberi Sword In Two Hands deck.
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[30r-c] ¶ Questo e'l tor di spada lo sovrano cum lo mantenir de mia spada io penzo inançi e cum la mia man mancha io stringo gli soi brazi per modo ch'ello conviene perder la spada. E poii de grande feride gle faro derada. Lo Scolaro che m'e dredo aquesto zogo mostra como la spada del zugadore, e in terra posta.
This is a high sword disarm. With my left hand I pin his hands, while at the same time I press forwards against his blade with the grip of my sword so that he loses his grip on his sword. Then I will deal him several good strikes. The student who comes after me will show how this play finishes with the opponent’s sword lying on the ground.
[15r-a] Questo e lo tore de spada lo sovrano cum lo mantenir de mia spada io penzo innanci, e cum la man mancha io stringo li[23] suoii brazi per modo ch'ello conven perdere la spada. E poi de grandi feride gle faro derada lo scolar che m'e dredo, aquesto zogo mostra como la spada dello zugadore e in terra posta
This is the taking of the sword from above: with the hilt of my sword I push forward and with my left hand I grasp his arms in such a way that it would serve him well to lose his sword. And then the Scholar who is after will make a bargain with great strikes. This play he demonstrates as the sword of the player is positioned on the ground.
[24a-b] Questo tor de spada e chiamato lo soprano Che mille volte e piu l'a fato fior furlano
This taking of the sword is called Above; Which was made a thousand times and more by Fiore Furlano.
[29r-a] ¶ Iste modus[24] quo privo virum ludendo mucrone Dicitur a cunctis sopranus dexter in armis. Quem multis vicibus ego Florius ipse probavj.
That movement by which I rob the man during the playing with the sword Is called by nearly all “the high on the right” in close fighting weapons, Which I, Florius, myself demonstrated by many exchanges.