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THE SPANISH MAGIC CIRCLE

Posted on September 30, 2013 by @Dm1n

The Verdadera Destreza

This, dear readers, is going to be a long one. Even so, it will still barely cover the subject
comprehensively. I can only hope to explain the basic principles.
The Verdadera Destreza may be translated to mean the true knowledge or art. Prior to
this form, the esgrima vulgar or common fencing was the predominant art. Early
teachers included Pedro de la Torre, Jaume Pons (both writing in 1474) and Fransico
Roman. (1532.
Then along came a gentlemen named Heronimo de Caranca who wrote two treaties, the
first in 1569 and the second, more famous De La Philosofia de las Armas in 1600, and
who basically redefined the Spanish art of the sword. His student, Don Luis Pacheco de
Narvaez (Libro de las Gradezas del la Espada 1625) claims Caranca was originally
inspired by the works of Agrippa. While this may or may not be true, there are
similarities with regard to utilizing geometry.
One of the most striking originalities of the Spanish system was training on diagrams
drawn on the floor. Although Caranca used many simple diagrams, we will look at the
more famous drawing of Thibault of Antwerp. Here, the dimensions of the circle relate
to the blade-length of the rapier which was intended for this purpose to be equal to the
height of a man from the feet to the quillons held level with the navel. (there are other
definitions of what a proper blade length should be but well stay with this one for now)

The arm should then be extended until the point touches the ground and a circle
inscribed around you from this length. A square is then drawn around the circle so it
touches the circle in the centre the straight line. (it should be noted that in Narvaez, the
square is inside the circle with its corners touching the interior) Lines, known as chord
lines are now inscribed across the various diameters. In my translation of Thibaults
Academy of the Sword (1628) the first 37 pages of the first book are the mathematical
instructions for drawing the circles, defining them variously as circumference, diameter,
perpendicular diameter, oblique diameters, inner and outer collaterals, inner and outer
traverses, circumscribed square, , etc, all which relate to the human figure depicted
within.
The figure must be mentally visualized as standing since the chord lines all relate
offensively and defensively to critical areas on both you and your opponents body.
The Stance
The body is held erect with the right foot on the circle line and the rear foot off it. The
body is usually oriented so that the right shoulder is angled towards your opponent with
the chest and hips presented sideways, thus reducing the target potential. The feet are
usually depicted in a narrow stance, less than 12 inches apart.
Movement
Fencers travel around the edge of the circle while seeking to gain advantage or tempt
their opponent into attacking. Movement can be made both forward and back. Classified
as Los Compases, foot movement is defined as the Pasada, a short step, the Pasada
Simple, a longer step, and the Pasada Doble, two steps using alternating feet. There is no
lunge as an Italian practitioner would understand it.
The Guard
The sword is held with the arm straight from the shoulder, its point directed towards
your opponent. The orientation of the hilt is with quillons parallel to the ground, either
in pronation, (knuckles up) supination, (knuckles down) or in-between with the quillons
vertical and the knuckles facing your right.
Narvaez considered that there were two methods for gaining advantage to attack. The
first was Angle which is determined by the meeting of the blades. Angles formed in the
middle of the blades, he considered being favourable for defense while obtuse and acute
angles were regarded as better for defense combined with offense. Another one of his
concepts was ganado los grados al perfil, or gaining the degrees of profile. This
concept implies that you acquired your targets by successive steps around your
opponent. Sound simple? Its not.
Another movement was known as Closing the Straight Line, achieved by taking a

position where your sword threatens your opponent so he cannot enter or attack without
first dealing with your blade or simply being hit.
Measure
These were referred to as the Instances. Thibault qualifies them as follows:
The First Instance: In this, extended points reach to the hilt.
The Second Instance: Extended points reach to the combatants elbows.
The Third Instance: Combatants are position so that their points reach each others
shoulders.
Cuts
Strokes are defined as Tajo (cut) or Medio Tajo, (half-cut) Reves (reverse cut) and
Medio Reves (reverse half-cut. Tajos are performed in pronation while Reves and done
in supination and accomplished by movement from the elbow. There was also a cut done
from the shoulder, styled an Arrebater and tip-cuts accomplished by a turn of the wrist,
known as Mandoble. There was also a cut known as an Estramason which was a fast cut
to the face using the swords tip, possibly accomplished as a mandible.
Cuts were defined by where they originate, not their target.
Narvaez speaks of the Rectitudines, defining the nature of a cut or sword movement in
general, they being : Violenta, Natural, Remisso, de Reduccion, Extrano and o
Accidental. (Violent, natural, forgiving, decreasing, rare and accidental) Natural
movement, for example, would be a down-cut, Violent, a upper-cut or rising cut,
Remisso being the removal backwards of the sword, etc.
Thrusts
Known as Estocada, thrusts were delivered by stepping to your opponents right or left,
or stepping forward along an imaginary chord line that corresponds with the line of
attack. (remember that the chord lines show the direct lines of attack to critical areas of
your opponents body from foot to top of the head. Narvaez calculated that there were
83 angles of attack formed between two opposing bodies)
Thrusts were made over the arm, travelling down, usually pronated and from the right,
(which Italians would classify as imbrocatta) or under the arm from the lower right side.
(stocatta)
Parries
Known collectively as Desvio, most sword work involved a combination of small
movements with the weapon combined with movement of the body. The Spanish system
develops the methodology of combination defensive-movement-becomes-reposte to a
very high degree.
If, for instance, I assume a position where my sword is held at my shoulder level, this

(intentionally) invites an attack to my mid or lower torso. If my opponent chooses to

attack my lower torso, I could then bring my sword into the position of septime (7) while
simultaneously stepping back with my left (rear) foot in the manner of an inquartata,
and direct my point at a 45 degree angle downwards, allowing his forward motion to
help impale him the stomach. Or, if I have tempted by opponent to hit while I am in
motion, say, stepping to my left with my left foot, I might drop my sword so that his
blade is deflected downwards using my outside quillon, angle my point upwards, and
stepping forward on my right foot, impale him in the throat. Or if the attack is a stocatta
to my right armpit, I could rotate my sword from pronation with a half-twist, redirecting his blade with my inside quillon and sending it to my right, while at the same
time, stepping forward on my left foot and stabbing him in the shoulder or throat.
No end to the fun you can have
Heres a commentary from a period master, Alvaro Guerra de la Vega from his
commentaries on important matters from 1681:
Every stance you master, must be good to short cut your opponents.
Every stab inflicted without a short cut is false (not the best).
Every stance can be short cut.
The right angle is good to avoid incoming attacks.
The obtuse angle is useful to stop our foes sword.
Three planes of reference are to be considered.
First plane: from head to shoulders.
Second plane: from shoulders to waist.
Third plane: from waist to feet.
Ther first plane is to be defended with the guard.
The second one with the force of the sword.
The third one with the frailty, including your enemys sword.
High guard, low point.
Low guard, high point.
If our foe is showing us his profile, we must look for the medio proporcional.
If he is squared, we must always attack him from the medio proporcional.
The medio proporcional has to be considered by the positioning of the opponents
sword.
No matter the side you choose for the medio proporcional, you must always be front
towards your enemy.
When attacking, be very careful, never show your body to your enemys weapon.

Never attack if you are not sure it will be a perfect movement.

Never stand on both feet at the same time; one of them must be ready, touching just
slightly the floor.
You sword will always be on movement.
Here is a short excerpt from Angelo (1787) on his observations of the Spanish style:
The Spaniards have in fencing a different method to all other nations their guard is
almost straight, their lunge very small. Their ordinary guard is with their wrist in tierce
and point in line with the face. When they come into distance they bend the right knee
and straighten the left and carry the body forward. When they retire they bend the left
knee and straighten the right they throw the body back well in a straight line with that
of the antagonist, and parry with the left hand or slip the right foot behind the left.
Their swords are near five foot long from the hilt to point and cut with both sides. The
shell is very large and the quillons extend two inches on each side. They make use of this
to wrench the sword out of the adversarys hand by binding or crossing his blade with
it.
And this from George Silver (Paradoxes of Defense, 1599)
they stand as brave as they can with their bodies straight upright, narrow-spaced,
with their feet continually moving as they were in a dance, holding forth their arms and
rapiers very straight against the face or bodies of their enemies. als long as any man
shall lie in that manner with his arme it shall be impossible to hurt him because in
that straight holding forth of his arms, which way soever the blow shall be made against
him, by reason that his rapier hilt lyeth so far before him, he hath but a very little way to
move to make his ward perfect.
One of the things the Destreza does is teach distance in absolute terms. Its elegant
subtlety gives the appearance of simplicity yet it is anything but. One of its principles is
to constantly move your sword and body in a way that closes off certain venues of attack
while opening up others. In this way, you subconsciously guide your opponent into a
series of predictable attacks which can be dealt with quickly with minimal movement,
and combined with a counter-attack that your enemy often aids and abets by his
commitment to your invitation. This is one of the reasons the rest of the world referred
to this system as the Magic Circle, since it gave the uncomfortable appearance that
your opponent was reading your mind.
As I said at the beginning, this is a rather simplistic and entirely incomplete picture of
this system. This is an essay, not a book. I hope, however, that I have given you a good
basis for understanding the physical, dynamic principles behind this elegant and deadly

art.
Never stop learning.
Braun McAsh

Additions to Spanish Rapier

Posted on December 7, 2014 by @Dm1n

Spanish rapier, Thibault school.

I have known Maestros Ramon and Jeanette Martinez for some time now and solicited
their comments and corrections my essay on the Destreza. I have studied Spanish rapier
play for some time now, but dont consider myself an expert. Ramon and Jeanette are;
indeed, they are internationally recognized as such. Here are some corrections and
clarifications they gave me, for which I am vey grateful and which I now share with you.
These are all direct quotes from Jeanettes letter:
The so-called term Magic Circle never existed in any of the Spanish writings on
Destreza. However, the term Mysterious Circle only exists in Thibaults magnum
opus.
The term esgrima vulgar is not referring to common fencing. The common school
of fencing was termed Destreza Comun. Destreza Comun refers to the common
methods of swordsmanship that were followed in Spain prior to the foundation of La
Verdadera Destreza of Carranza.
As you cite Pedro de la Torre, Jaime Pons and Francisco Roman, we cannot know
exactly what they practiced or taught as none of their written works have come to light.
Therefore, we cannot make commentaries on what they practiced.

Esgrima Vulgar is known mainly through the writings of Narvaez in where he

catalogues some thirty or so vulgar techniques. Esgrima Vulgar were the
methods/techniques/tricks that were mainly utilized by the ruffians, bravos and street
hoods of the period. Practitioners of both esgrima vulgar and destreza comun were
none-the-less very dangerous adversaries.
In regard to Thibault; he was not part of the main stream of the Spanish school as he
had his own take on swordsmanship. Narvaez for instance did not at all appreciate the
work of Thibault and in his last work (published posthumously) called him the Dutch
author and said that he was putting out a mal-digested form of destreza and that his
book should be submitted to the sepulcher of neglect. Therefore, when discussing La
Vedadera Destreza Thibault should not be considered as having a prominent place.
You are citing Alvaro Guerra de la Vega. Unfortunately, your translation is not quiet
accurate. For instance you use the translated term short-cut for what I recall is the
Spanish term atajo. The term Atajo is a loaded term (with many levels of meaning
and comprehension) that at present times has been vastly misinterpreted with the
resulting inaccuracies followed by misapprehension.
This is what I want this site to be a discussion an exchange of informed opinion.
One of the things I wanted to do was to expose readers from the novice to the seasoned
practitioner to a large venue of historical weapons technique. Ive been studying the use
of historical bladed weapons for 43 years now, but I really only consider myself to be
well studied in a few German Longsword and Italian rapier, for instance. As a
professional fight choreographer, its necessary for me to be a generalist with as much
specific knowledge on a wide range of weapons as possible. This, of course, also includes
non-European weapons which have only a limited place in this site by way of
comparisons. The Martinez are specialists, exponentially more knowledgeable in the
Spanish system than myself, including the fact that my command of Spanish could be
only charitably described as sketchy. Jeanettes contribution to this essay is greatly
welcomed and has increased my own knowledge of this wonderful art for which, again, I
thank her.
I dont know it all, ladies and gentlemen, and thats not false humility no one does. To
declare that you know everything there is about even one art is to declare yourself either
delusional or a fool. If a week goes by without my learning something new, I consider it

a wasted week. I sincerely appreciate the complimentary comments this site has
received but I would genuinely also appreciate input new information corrections,
etc. This is how we all learn.
I would encourage you all to visit their school site: http://www.yelp.ca/biz/martinezacademy-of-arms-new-york and also http://www.martinez-destreza.com/