Window Guard
Guards 3/12 - Verse 15
Mobile guard threatening all levels with thrusts
Translation
This is the Window Guard, a fluid stance ready for deception and trickery. She excels at both covering attacks and delivering strikes. She threatens all opposing guards, whether high or low. She frequently transitions from one guard to another to confuse the opponent. She is particularly effective at delivering powerful thrusts, breaking the opponent's thrusts, and exchanging points.
Fiore's Words
I am the royal Window Guard, always ready and fleet, with cunning and malice, I make every technique complete. I'm the master of covering and striking true. I threaten all guards, both high and low, with what I can do. From stance to stance, I dance with speed and art, to confuse my foe and tear his defence apart. Great thrusts I deliver, and theirs I break and trade. These plays I perform well, a queen's martial parade.
Combat Context
A versatile middle-range guard who maintains initiative through threat and mobility. Most effective when you need to keep the opponent guessing and can't commit to a purely offensive or defensive posture. Particularly useful when facing an opponent whose guard position is unclear or when you want to provoke them into revealing their intentions.
Training Notes
- ✦ Practice rapid transitions from Window Guard to other guards to develop the deceptive mobility Fiore emphasizes
- ✦ Focus on delivering thrusts from this position while maintaining readiness to cover
- ✦ Train both offensive thrusting and defensive breaking/exchanging of opponent's thrusts
- ✦ The guard should feel fluid and ready to move, not static - the 'instabile' quality is essential
- ✦ Work against both high and low opposing guards to understand how the Window threatens all levels
- ✦ The guard's effectiveness comes from its versatility and the opponent's uncertainty about your next action
This is card FL15 from the Fiore dei Liberi Sword In Two Hands deck.
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· Posta de Finestra instabile · [23v-c] ¶ Questa si e posta di Finestra, che de malicie & inganni sempre la e presta. E de covrir e de ferir ella e magistra. E cum tutte guardie ella fa questione e cum le soprane e cum le terene. E d'una guardia a'l'altra ella va spesso per inganar lo compagno. E a metter grande punte e saver le romper e scambiare, quelli zoghi ella po ben fare.
This is the Window Guard who is always quick, skillful[30] and deceptive. She is a master at covering and striking. She threatens all opposing guards, whether high guards or low guards. She moves quickly from this guard to other guards to confuse her opponent. And she is a very good guard from which to make powerful thrusts, break the opponent’s thrust or exchange points.
[12r-c] Questa si e posta de fenestra dextra che de malicie e inganni sempre e presta, E de covrir e de ferir e lla magistra. E cum tute guardie ella fa questione, e cum le soprane, e cum le terene. E d'una guardia a l'altra ella va spesso per inganare lo compagno. E a meter grande punte e saverle rompere e scambiar. Quelli zoghi ella po bene fare.
This is the Stance of the Casement Window on the right, which is always ready with malice and trickery, and she is the Master of covering and of striking and with all the guards she makes her disputes (with the high and with the low). She often goes from one guard to another in order to fool her companion, and she throws great thrusts, and knows how to break and to exchange them—those plays she can make very well.
[18a-c] Io son posta realle de vera finestra E de in tuta l'arte sempre io son presta
I am the royal Stance of the True Window And I am always ready for the whole art.
[12v-c] ¶ Regalis verae: situs hic sum nempe fenestrae: Et volucrem[32] fateor clara me semper in arte.
I am this the regal Position, certainly, of the True Window, And fleeting,[31] I always disclose in accordance with my clear art.