Stomp and Strike
Wide Play - Verse 40
Stomp opponent's grounded sword, strike neck, cut arms
Translation
This technique completes the action of the previous scholar (verse 31), who beat the opponent's sword to the ground. Once the opponent's sword is on the ground, immediately stomp forcefully on it with your right foot to pin it down. This will either break the blade or prevent it from lifting. The moment your foot lands on their sword, strike upward with the false edge of your sword under their chin or into their neck. Immediately follow this with a descending cut (fendente) to their arms or hands.
Fiore's Words
The scholar before me beat the player's sword down. Now I have completed his play. Here's how it's done: I beat your point to earth so suddenly, then stomp my right foot down with strength and force. Your blade is now pinned; I've broken it, or see if you cannot lift it to change your course. But this is not enough for victory: The instant that my foot has trapped your steel, I strike false-edge beneath your chin with glee, into your throat, a wound you're sure to feel. Then, swift as lightning, down my sword descends, A fendente to your arms and hands, your end.
Combat Context
You or an ally has beaten the opponent's sword to the ground in wide play (zogo largo). The opponent is temporarily disarmed but standing. You capitalise on their vulnerable position by destroying or controlling their weapon, then delivering decisive strikes before they can recover. This is an aggressive finishing sequence against a momentarily defenceless opponent who still poses a threat if allowed to recover their sword.
Training Notes
- ✦ This is a continuation technique. Your partner or previous scholar must first beat the opponent's sword to the ground
- ✦ The stomp must be immediate and forceful; hesitation allows the opponent to recover their weapon
- ✦ Practice the weight transfer: stomp with authority, but maintain balance for the subsequent strikes
- ✦ The false edge strike under the chin requires lifting your sword point upward from wherever it ended after beating down the opponent's weapon
- ✦ The final fendente to arms/hands targets the opponent as they instinctively raise their hands defensively after the neck strike
- ✦ The sequence: stomp-strike-cut should flow as one continuous action with no pause between elements
Related Techniques
This is card FL40 from the Fiore dei Liberi Sword In Two Hands deck.
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[26v-d] ¶ Lo scolaro che m'e denanzi a rebatuda la spada del zugador a terra. & io complisco lo suo zogho per questo modo. Che rebattuda la sua spada a terra, io gli metto cum forza lo mio pe dritto sopra la sua spada. Overo che io la rompo, o la piglo per modo che piu non la pora curare. E questo non me basta, che subito quando gl'o posto lo pe sopra la spada, Io lo fiero cum lo falso dela mia spada sotto la barba in lo collo. E subito torno cum lo fendente dela mia spada per gli brazzi o per le man come depento
The student who preceded me beat his opponent’s sword to the ground. Now I am going to complete his play, as follows: after I beat my opponent’s sword to the ground I stomp on it with my right foot.[26] This will either break it or prevent him from being able to lift it. But wait—there’s more. As soon as I have pinned his sword to the ground with my foot, I strike him with the false edge of my sword under his beard or into his neck. And then immediately I will return with a downward strike of my sword to his arms or his hands, as you see drawn here.
[21a-a] Rebati tua punta in terra ben subito E per tal modo io te fiero sença dubito
I beat your point to the ground very quickly And in this way, I strike you without a doubt.
[15v-d] ¶ Nunc tua per terram subito manus impia puntam Protrahat. hinc feriam te vulnere protinus alto.
Now your wicked hand would suddenly drag the point through the Earth. Henceforth, I would strike you immediately with a high wound.