Narrow Play - Verse 52
Strike opponent's face with pommel, or neck with blade
Translation
This is another pommel strike that can be executed quickly. If your opponent's face is unprotected, perform this strike without hesitation. It works whether you or your opponent is armoured or unarmoured. From experience, this strike will knock four teeth out of your opponent's mouth. After delivering the pommel strike, if you wish, you can throw your sword around his neck, as the next scholar technique demonstrates.
Fiore's Words
This is another strike with my pommel, swift and sure. If his face lies open, strike without fear. Armoured or bare, this blow will endure: Four teeth I'll send flying, the proof is clear. And should you desire, once the pommel has spoken, cast your blade around his throat, as my next scholar has shown.
Combat Context
Close-range engagement where you have the opportunity to strike with the pommel. Most likely executed from a bind, crossing, or grappling situation where your opponent's face is exposed and within reach. The technique serves as an aggressive counter or finishing move, with the option to transition into a controlling position by throwing the sword around the opponent's neck.
Training Notes
- ✦ This is a close-quarters technique requiring you to be within pommel-striking range, likely from a bind or crossing
- ✦ Target the face specifically when unprotected; the strike aims to deliver significant trauma to knock out teeth
- ✦ Execute the pommel strike with speed ('subito') to prevent defensive reaction
- ✦ The technique works from multiple armour contexts, suggesting the pommel strike's effectiveness against both padding and exposed flesh
- ✦ Practice the transition from pommel strike to casting the sword around the neck as a binding/controlling follow-up
- ✦ The 'four teeth' claim suggests significant forward force and proper targeting of the jaw/mouth area
- ✦ Consider this as a finishing technique or aggressive counter when you've gained a positional advantage
Related Techniques
This is card FL52 from the Fiore dei Liberi Sword In Two Hands deck.
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[28r-d] ¶ Questo e un'altro ferir de pomo. E se po far subito Si lo volto a discoverto, fa lo senza dubito. Che ello si po fare armado e disarmado. Quatro denti butta Fior[!] di bocha a uno cum tal zogo, si ch'el l'a provado. E la spada al collo se volesse te poria butare, como fa dredo a'mi quello scolare.
This is another pommel strike, which is effective against a man with or without armor. Make this strike quickly if his face is unprotected, and you will certainly hurt him. I can tell you from experience that with this strike you’ll have him spitting out four teeth. From here, if you wish, you can also throw your sword around his neck, as my fellow student will show you next.
[16r-d] Questo e uno altro ferir de pomo e se po far subito, se lo volto e discoverto fallo senza dubito, Che lo se po fare armado e disarmado. Quatro denti fora butta de boccha a uno cum tale zogo, che l'a provado. E lla spada se volesse al collo te poria butar come fa dredo da mi quello scolaro.
This is another strike of the pommel and it can be done quickly; if his face is uncovered then do it without fear, because it may be done armored or unarmored. You will bore four teeth from his mouth with this play (as has been proven), and if you wanted, you could throw the sword to his neck as does the Scholar who is after me.
[22a-d] Aquesto e un altro ferir de mio pomo Segondo che l'arte e magistri presti sono
This is another strike with my pommel, Following which the art and the Masters are ready.
[26v-c] ¶ Ictus hic est alter capulo referire sodalem / Dumtamen hic celeres sint ars atque ipse magister.
This second blow is striking the companion in return using the hilt, While yet in this place [both] the art and master himself would be speeds.[1]