Peasant's Strike Counter
Wide Play - Verse 34
Thrust into Peasant's Strike or cover rising counter
Translation
This technique responds to the Peasant's Strike (colpo del villano), which is a powerful descending cut. As your opponent delivers this strike, you advance forward and thrust your point into his chest. Alternatively, you can strike downward to his head or arms with your own descending cut (fendente). If your opponent attempts to counter by striking upward with a rising backhand cut (riverso sottano) beneath your arms, immediately advance your left foot forward and place your sword over his blade from above. From this superior position, he cannot harm you.
Fiore's Words
Here stands the Peasant's Strike before me, and see how well I've planted my point in his chest! Or I could crack his head or arms with a descending cut, just as I said before. And should this player try to counter me, seeking to wound me with a rising backhand beneath my arms, I swiftly advance my left foot and lay my sword over his, and now he can do nothing to me at all.
Combat Context
This technique operates in wide play (zogo largo) at measure where you can strike with the sword. The Peasant's Strike is a committed descending attack that creates an opening for a direct thrust. The described counter-counter situation (opponent's rising backhand) is a common tactical exchange in which your initial offence is met with a rising counterattack to your arms, requiring immediate defensive adjustments through footwork and blade dominance.
Training Notes
- ✦ The primary response is an offensive thrust into the opponent's chest, while he commits to the descending cut. Timing is critical to land the thrust before his strike completes
- ✦ The alternative descending cut to his head or arms requires you to match his attack with your own, likely meeting his blade or striking around it
- ✦ When covering the rising backhand counter, the advance of the left foot must be coordinated with the downward pressure of your blade. This is a passing step forward that closes the distance while establishing a superior blade position
- ✦ The covering action ('metto la mia spada sopra la sua') requires your blade to be above and pressing down on his, preventing him from continuing his rising cut
- ✦ Practice the transition: if your initial thrust or cut is countered with a rising backhand, immediately shift to the covering response without resetting
This is card FL34 from the Fiore dei Liberi Sword In Two Hands deck.
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[26r-b] ¶ Qui denanci si'e lo colpo del villano, che ben gl'o posta la punta in lo petto. E cossi gli posseva un colpo per la testa fare e'per gli brazzi cum lo fendente comme ditto denanzi. Anchora se'l zogadore volesse contra de mi fare volendo mi ferire cum lo riverso sotto gli miei braççi, io subito acresso lo pe stancho, e metto la mia spada sopra la sua. e non mi po far niente.
In the previous drawing you saw the Peasant’s Strike, in which you saw a thrust well-placed into the attacker’s chest. And alternatively he could have struck a downward blow to the opponent’s head or the arms, as I explained previously. Also, if the opponent seeks to counter me by striking back up with a rising blow to my arms from the left, I quickly advance my left foot and place my sword over his, and from this position he can do nothing to me.
[14r-d] Questo e lo colpo del vilano ch'e qui denanci de mi. Che bene gle ho posta la punta in lo petto. E cosi gle posseva fare uno colpo per la testa, e per gli brazi cum lo fendente como e ditto denanci. Ancora s'eio[!] volesse lo zugadore contra de mi fare che ello volesse ferirme cum lo riverso sotto gli mie brazi. Io subito acrescho lo pe stancho e meto la mia spada sopra la sua, e non mi po far niente.
This is the Villain's Strike which appeared here before me, so that I have put my point into his chest well. And so I could [also] have made a cut through the head and through the arms with a downward blow as was said before. Also, if the player wanted to come against me such that he would strike me with a backhand blow under my arms, I would immediately advance my left foot and thrust my sword over his, and then he cannot do anything to me.
[20a-d] Lo ferire deli braçi aquello zogho te faço E dal zogho streto io te faro altro impazo
The strike to your arms, that play I make, And from the narrow play I will cause you other trouble.