Parts 1 and 2 of the Partisan and Rotella - Antonio Manciolino

My discussion and interpretation of parts one and two of Antonio Manciolino's partisan and rotella plays. Below is my interpretation of the translation by Steven Reich:


First Play, with Partisan and Rotella

Arrange yourself with the rotella on the arm and the partisan in your dominant hand as if you were to throw it. When your opponent sends a thrust at you, you will bring your partisan low and behind your rotella and step to your outside with your dominant leg, passing the dominant beyond the line of your non-dominant. Once you have cleared incoming thrust you will give a reverse thrust to the opponent’s chest, then leap back away from your opponent returning to the starting position. If your opponent defends in such a way, when the opponent passes his dominant foot behind his non-dominant, you must jump back with the non-dominant leading.

After leaping back, you will feint a thrust to your opponent’s face, and he will raise his rotella to defend. When he does, you will thrust to his body, then jump backward into the aforementioned guard. If the opponent shall parry with his partisan instead, step to your inside with your dominant leg, and have the non-dominant pass behind so you assume a dominant leading guard.

If he thrusts again at you, step to your outside with your non-dominant leg, and with the butt end of your partisan, parry the incoming thrust and bring your dominant leg around keeping your weapon arm out
Second Play, Partisan and Rotella

The next play is not as beautiful as the first, but it is still very useful. To begin, start from the aforementioned guard, but raise the rotella high, so your non-dominant hand is level with your eye and the rotella faces your outside. When your opponent thrusts at your leg, bring your partisan low and parry with the haft, with the head pointed down. Once parried, you will cut your opponent’s leg and return to the starting position. If your opponent thrusts at your face, you will still parry with the haft of your partisan, but you will then thrust at his leg.



The original can be found at https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Antonio_M...