Sometime in 2009 I went crazy and figured it would be a good idea to read through the entire rapier fencing manual of Ridolfo Capo Ferro, titled “Great Representation of the Art and Use of fencing”. You can find an absolutely stunning PDF by Roger Kay of the high-quality English translation by Jerek Swanger and William E. Wilson online for free. That is also the translation I used, reverting to trying to parse the original in only a couple of places.

I did actually read through the damn thing. The main observation for me was that Maestro Ridolfo could use a copy-editor. Another was that he speaks of “terza” when he shows things that I might call a low seconda or (more rarely) a low quarta, and in the guard definition plates (page 43 in the PDF) themselves terza is definitely not shown true edge downwards, but with hand turned more or less fully into “seconda”, resembling (just to show off here) the third position of later smallsword styles. Other than that, there were no actual major revelations added to stuff I had learned actually practicing the style under Mr Guy Windsor in The School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki.

Here are links to my entries in order:

Introductions
Explanation of what I am doing here
Introduction, part 1
Introduction, part 2

The art of fencing
Chapter 1: Of fencing in general
Chapter 2: The definition of fencing, and its explanation
Chapter 3: The division of fencing that is posed in the knowledge of the sword
Chapter 4: On measure
Chapter 5: On tempo
Chapter 6: Of the body, and chiefly of the head
Chapter 7, Of the body
Chapter 8: Of the arms
Chapter 9: Of the thighs, calves, of the feet, and of the pace
Chapter 10: Of defense, of the guard
Chapter 11: Of the way of seeking measure
Chapter 12: Of striking

The use of fencing
Introduction
Some admonitions, or advice, of fencing
Explanations of some terms of fencing, which pertain to its use (part I)
Explanations of some terms of fencing, which pertain to its use (part II)
Explanations of some terms of fencing, which pertain to its use (part III)
Explanations of some terms of fencing, which pertain to its use (part IV)
Plate 1: Way of laying the hand on the sword
Plates 2-4: The guards
Plate 5: Position of the body parts on guard and in striking
Plate 6: Gaining the sword on the inside; striking according to his position
Plate 7: Counterattack on the outside; Plate 8: Why should you not strike at the legs
Plate 9 & 10: More techniques on the outside
Plate 11: Attacks to under the enemy’s sword
Plate 12: Parrying using both hands
Plate 13: Scannatura; Plate 14: Counter-attack by going low
Plate 15: On gaining the sword
Plate 16: Basic attack and counterattack on the inside
Plate 17: Scanzo (and a scannatura counter)
Plate 18: Counterdisengage to attack, and scanzo as a counter
Plate 19: Example on why you should disengage to gain the sword, instead of to attack directly
Plate 20: Strike in seconda while controlling his sword with the left hand
Plate 21: Stringering with sword and dagger
Plate 22: Parry with the dagger over your swordarm, and strikes that can follow
Plate 23: Feint and disengage over the dagger
Plate 24: Controlling his sword with your sword and dagger
Plate 25: High parry with the dagger on the inside
Plate 26: Supporting a parry with the sword by the dagger
Plate 27: Feint and disengage under the dagger
Plate 28: Parry with the dagger under your swordarm
Plate 29: Strike over the dagger
Plate 30: Parry to the outside with the dagger while striking from a feint over the dagger
Plate 31: Parry with both weapons together
Plate 32: Parry and strike with minimal effort
Plate 33: Strike under the dagger, in quarta
Plate 34: Strike over the dagger, in seconda
Plate 35: Why you should not arrive to measure in a wide guard
Plate 36: Sword and cape against cuts
Plate 37: Sword and cape, counter-disengage in quarta
Plate 38: Some techniques against a left-hander
Plate 39: Parry with both weapons against a cut to the head
Plate 40: Striking with the dagger
Plate 41: Another dagger strike technique
Plate 42: The rotella shield
Plate 43: More on the rotella
On using a cutting weapon
The Ultimate Technique