The Beginning Teachings of the Italian Two-handed Sword, by Pietro Monte.

Learn to fight with the two-handed sword!

The famous general and master of arms, Pietro Monte, gives us the Levata of the Sword, the fundamental learnings of the weapon, in his book, the Collectanea, (pub. 1509). The following excerpts show the text we are working from in the exercises in the video. Note: the two chapters mentioned also contain much more insight on the use of the two-handed sword and are the best starting points for the exploration of Monte’s sword. 


You can find a link to where you can get a free copy of my full translation, below. 


Excerpted from Book I, Chapter XIV. On play with a sword for two hands.

'The way of the sword for two hands is also used for play with short weapons, and this play is called levata in the vernacular, which is to be understood as the first blows which we begin to teach or to learn, although it is the strongest cause for bodily exercise, and we make many blows and circles with weapons. The principle blows of the sword for two hands, however, are two rising blows, which we call montantes in the vernacular.'

First Blow of the Levata:

'If, however, they are made from the right side, in the first blow the right foot should begin to move, entering with a rising blow or montante, the second immediately with a reverso or left handed blow returning rising from the left side and covering the head with the sword.'

Second Blow of the Levata:

‘Similarly from the left side one should make two manureversos (left-handed blows), so that they ascend, or the last one descends with another ascending, from the right side, which is to return against the adversary’s hand or covering our highest part.’

We apply this advice here, for the 2nd attack in this sequence:

‘It is also extremely useful when we make a show that we are going to insult with a rising blow, and, in the same way, we should inflict with the point. Our arms in particular should remain raised and also stretched out in front, and this is safe when we attack and defend ourselves. For when the arms are bent to any extent, the danger comes to meet them.’ 

The Third Blow of the Levata:

In Book II, Chapter XIX. On play with a sword for two hands, Monte goes over the above blows again and also tells us:

‘...it is fitting besides to commit two rising blows from the right part. And this first step is to be made with the left foot and the second with the right at the same time as a thrust. But immediately both feet should go back, and this can generally be done on both sides.’

The Fourth Blow of the Levata:

Again, from Book I, Chapter XIV:

‘Similarly from the left side one should make two manureversos (left-handed blows), so that they ascend, or the last one descends with another ascending, from the right side, which is to return against the adversary’s hand or covering our highest part.’ 

In the variant shown here, I start with a rising manureverso, and then follow with a descending one, before returning with a rising right-handed blow. 

I hope you enjoy this insight into fifteenth century Italian swordplay. To get my full translation of Monte’s Collectanea for FREE go to: 

mikeprendergast.ie/monte

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