It was a sad occasion, but Mario Buonventura di Roma challenged and my Lady's honor required I accept. I saw the fine weapon with which he chose to meet me. An exquisite rapier with elaborate guard. Yet, was a simple matter to choose my own weapon as I have always preferred the much less gaudy yet functional blades. Thus we greeted each other, bowed in respect and assumed our appropriate distances.
Mario, a few years younger than I, my junior in the art of swordsmanship, was fleet of foot, with flair of poise and a supple hold of his weapon which immediately led me to believe him a formidable adversary. He took Marozzo's guardia di coda lunga e stretta while I slipped cleanly into Agrippa's quarta guardia -- as if it offered the comfort of an old friend's castle. *1 [see notes below]
Marozzo's guard has many strengths, yet it revealed to me some secrets which only practice, time and experience will develop. With Mario's shoulders so square to me, it was easy to divine that my
adversary was baiting me to his left side. Perhaps to strike mandritta tondo, a horizontal cut to his torso from left hip to his right. Or maybe to apply Viggiani's punta supramano thrust to his chest or heart. *2
It struck me odd, as I stepped and thrust forward in a gentle manner -- more defensive than aggressive -- that he would be so natural and mature a fighter yet chose so open a posture. Was this not odd? *3
My dear Mario left me no real time to ponder these oddities. He shifted and thrust with a punta roversa, which I parried; then he cut mandritta sgualembrato and again with a riverso tondo. I retreated one step, then another and, as the torso cut came at me, I dodged low and delivered il
passato soto - a cut and thrust move - which first disables the opponent's right while permitting the point to enter under his sternum. *4
Il Passato Soto is a very fast move with no parallel that works only when the adversary is attacking in a determined manner. Which Mario so generously presented me. *5
It was thus, on this day of our Madonna della Bella Citta, did Mario Buonventura di Roma pass from our life to the life of sweet and everlasting dream. The sole cause of his failing was he should be more worried about insulting a man's Lady and overly extending his attack.
[*Notes: 1) Know yourself. 2) Know your opponent as well. 3) There is a time to ponder. 4) There is a time for action. 5) It is good to know when to do these and when not to do them.]
