La Verdadera Destreza
La Verdadera Destreza is the common term for the Spanish tradition of historical fencing in the early modern period . The word " destreza " (cf. with English " dexterity ") literally means " skill " or "ability, ability", and thus "la verdadera destreza" can be used as "the true ability" or "the true art (skill)" be understood.
While Destreza is primarily a system of the art of fencing with slim bladed weapons, it is supposed to be a universal fighting method that is in principle applicable to all weapons. In practice, the focus is specifically on the rapier or the rapier in combination with a defensive weapon such as a cloak, a shield (especially the buckler ) or a parrying dagger . Destreza - Fechtbücher but devote himself to other weapons such as the Montante , a two-handed sword of the late Renaissance, the war flail or pole weapons like the spear and halberd .
Its rules are based on reason, specifically geometry , and are tied to intellectual, philosophical, and moral ideals that encompass various aspects of a well-rounded Renaissance humanism , with a particular emphasis on the writings of classical authors such as Aristotle, Euclid, and Plato.
The tradition is documented in numerous fencing manuals, but the focus is on the works of two main authors: Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza ( Hieronimo de Carança , around 1608) and his student Luis Pacheco de Narváez (1570-1640).
history
Jerónimo Carranza's groundbreaking treatise De la Filosofía de las Armas y de su Destreza y la Aggression y Defensa Cristiana was published in 1582 under the patronage of Don Alonso Pérez de Guzmán , the 7th Duke of Medina-Sidonia , but was compiled as early as 1569, according to his colophon . In a letter to the Duke of Cea in Madrid on May 4, 1618, Pacheco de Narváez stated that the Carranza system was based on the work of the Italian fencing theorist Camillo Agrippa .
Carranza's work represents a break with an older fencing tradition, the so-called esgrima vulgar or esgrima común (vulgar or ordinary fencing). This older tradition, which has its roots in the Middle Ages, was represented by the works of authors such as Jaime Pons (1474), Pedro de la Torre (1474) and Francisco Román (1532). Destreza authors took great care to distinguish their "true art" from the "vulgar" or "ordinary" art of fencing. The older school continued to exist alongside La Verdadera Destreza but was increasingly influenced by its shapes and concepts.
After Carranza laid the groundwork for the school with his groundbreaking work, Pacheco de Narváez expanded Carranza's concepts with a number of other books. While Pacheco originally adhered closely to Carraza's principles, he gradually deviated from them in essential points. This divergence eventually led to a split between the followers of Carranza ("Carrancistas") and those of Pacheco ("Pachequistas"), which essentially led to three different fencing schools on the Iberian Peninsula .
These new fencing methods quickly spread throughout the New World . Originally this was the esgrima común , but eventually Destreza too , since Carranza himself was governor of Honduras for a while . The work of other Destreza authors and masters could be documented in Mexico , Peru , Ecuador and the Philippines . Some degree of influence on the Filipino martial arts is plausible, but this needs further research.
In the 18th century, Destreza's popularity began to decline in favor of the dominant French fencing school. This led to technical changes that became more and more apparent at the beginning of the 18th century. In the 19th century, fencing texts on the Iberian Peninsula begin to mix the Destreza concepts with ideas and techniques from French and Italian methodology. While Destreza experienced some sort of revival in the late 19th century, it appears to have largely disappeared by the early 20th century.
technical features
Technical features of the system are:
- Visualizing an imaginary circle between the opponents to conceptualize distance and movement
- Using footwork to the side to get a favorable angle of attack
- Avoid moving directly towards the opponent
- Extending the sword arm in a straight line from the shoulder for maximum reach
- Profiling the body to increase the range and reduce the target area
- Use as small a starting distance as possible, but which is out of reach ("Medio de Proporción")
- A conservative approach that uses the atajo (the bond) to control the opponent's weapon
- Preference for downward movement ( Movimiento Natural ) in all fencing actions
- Use of cut ( Tajo , Revés ) and push ( Estocada )
- Using a certain type of closing movement ( Movimiento de Conclusión ) to disarm the enemy
Perhaps the most important difference between Destreza and other contemporary fencing schools is the footwork. In the course of the centuries fencing had developed into what is known as "linear" footwork throughout Europe, similar to modern fencing. This means that the movements take place on an imaginary connecting line between the opponents. In contrast, the Destreza Doctrine taught that it is dangerous to move directly towards your opponent and that linear retreat will not put yourself in a more advantageous position. Instead, a footwork was developed in Destreza , with which the fencer moves at an angle to the connecting line to the right or left (often on an imaginary circle or square) in order to achieve a safer and more advantageous approach to the opponent.
Another distinction is the weighting of the relative value of cuts and stings. The general elongation of rapiers in Europe showed a clear preference for the stab over the cut. Destreza, on the other hand, refused to make such a distinction, claiming that the cut could be as useful as the sting depending on the situation, and adjusted the weapons accordingly. Although fencers from the Iberian Peninsula developed a reputation for using very long weapons, the weapons used in Destreza tended to be shorter than the rapiers used elsewhere.
Gradually, blade work in Europe was influenced by the work of Camillo Agrippa and his successors, with an emphasis on the use of four primary hand and blade positions ( prima , seconda , terza , quarta ), with the latter two in the foreground . Destreza, on the other hand, concentrated almost exclusively on a terza- like hand position (thumbs up).
Throughout Europe, Masters taught a greater variety of hats than Destreza Masters , who focused on what is known as the "right angle," a position where the arm is extended directly from the shoulder and a straight line from the tip of the sword to the left shoulder. For this Destreza uses a finer gradation of the blade thickness . While other traditions generally recognized two degrees of strength ( forte and debole ) and eventually expanded them to three or four parts, Destreza authors wrote of about 9, 10, or even 12 "degrees" or segments of the sword.
The Destreza masters paid great attention to the methods of their contemporary colleagues both inside and outside the Iberian Peninsula. In his text Nueva Sciencia (The New Science) Pacheco argues explicitly against the works of many Italian authors. Likewise, the work of Gérard Thibault d'Anvers contains a section that turns against the techniques of Salvator Fabris. The work of Francisco Lórenz de Rada also contains a comprehensive account of the question of how a Diestro ( i.e. a Destreza user ) should face an Italian opponent with sword and dagger .
Primary sources
- early modern age
- Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, Philosophia de las armas y de su destreza (1582)
- Luis Pacheco de Narváez, Libro de las grandezas de la espada (1600)
- Diogo Gomes de Figueiredo, Oplosophia (1628)
- Gerard Thibault, Académie de l'Espée (1630); translated by John Michael Greer Academy of the Sword , The Chivalry Bookshelf (2006)
- Luis Méndez de Carmona Tamariz (ca.1639)
- Miguel Pérez de Mendoza y Quijada (1672, 1675)
- Francisco Antonio de Ettenhard (Tenarde) y Abarca
- Alvaro Guerra de la Vega (1681)
- Thomaz Luiz ( Tratado das Liçoens de Espada Preta , 1685)
- Francisco Lórenz de Rada (1695)
- Nicolás Tamariz ( Cartilla y Luz en la Verdadera Destreza , 1696)
- Manuel Cruzado y Peralta (1702)
- Francisco Lórenz de Rada (1705)
- 19th century
- Manuel Antonio de Brea ( Destreza del Espadin , 1805)
- Simon de Frias ( Tratado Elemental de la Destreza del Sable , 1809)
- Jaime Merelo y Casademunt ( Esgrima del Sable Español , 1862)
Trivia
- El Buscón (1626) by Francisco de Quevedo mocks a disciple of Pachecos Las grandezas de la espada . The chapter ends with a fencer who comments that "the book [...] was good, but made more fools than skilled [fencers] as most did not understand it". Quevedo also wrote hurtful poems against Pacheco.
- In the movie The Mask of Zorro (1998), Don Diego, the original Zorro, teaches the new Zorro Alejandro Murrieta in the Destreza style.
- The television series Queen of Swords shows the use of the Destreza- style rapier in Gérard Thibault's Mysterious Circle.
- The film Alatriste , which is based on the novels by Arturo Pérez-Reverte , shows various fencing characters in the Destreza style, including the protagonist Diego Alatriste, played by Viggo Mortensen .
- The historical, Russian fantasy film 1612 from 2007 also shows this style of fencing as an important plot element of the film.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Francisco de Quevedo, Historia de la vida del Buscón: Libro Segundo (1626) chap. 1.