Paradoxes of Defense:

(4) The Principles of Fighting

(4.1) The Grounds of True Fight with all manner of Weapons *16*

First judgement, lyings, distance, direction, pace, space, place, time, indirection, motion, action, general and continual motion, progression, regression, traversing, and treading of ground, blows, thrusts, falses, doubles, slips, wards, breaking of thrusts, closings, grips, & wrestlings, guardant fight, open fight, variable fight, and close fight, and four governors.

(4.2) The Wards of all manner of Weapons *17*

All single weapons have four wards, and all double weapons have eight wards. The single sword has two with the point up, and two with the point down. The staff and all manner of weapons to be used with two hands have the like.

The sword and buckler, and the sword and dagger are double weapons, and have eight wards, two with the point up, and two with the point down, and two for the legs with the point down, the point to be carried for both sides of the legs, with the knuckles downward, and two wards with the dagger or buckler for the head. The forest bill is a double weapon by reason of the head, and therefore has eight wards, four with the staff, four with the head, four of them to be used as with the staff, and the other four with the head, the one up, the other down, and the other sideways.

(4.3) Of Times appertaining unto True Fight and False Fight *18*

The names and numbers of times appertaining unto fight both true and false.  There are eight times, whereof four are true, and four are false.

The true times are these.

  1. The time of the hand.
  2. The time of the hand and body.
  3. The time of the hand, body, and foot.
  4. The time of the hand, body, and feet.
The false times are these.
  1. The time of the foot.
  2. The time of the foot and body.
  3. The time of the foot, body, and hand.
  4. The time of the feet, body, and hand.
Thus have I thought good to separate and make known the true times from the false, with the true wards thereto belonging, that thereby the rather in practicing of weapons a true course may be taken for the avoiding of errors and evil customs, and speedy attaining of good habit or perfect being in the true use and knowledge of all manner of weapons.

Last modified: November 09, 1998