This play, possibly connected to a play in Marozzo’s Abbattimento di Spada Sola, introduces the initial provocative cuts, that are not meant to connect with the opponent’s sword but simply to confuse the opponent and to prepare your follow-up actions.
Translation
If your opponent is in CLS with the right foot forwards or in PdFS, you will set yourself against him in CLS with the left foot forwards, and from here make a falso tondo that must not touch the opponent’s sword at all, and follow by passing with the right foot a great step forwards somewhat towards his left side, making a feint of throwing a mandritto to the head.
And when he will go to parry this mandritto, you abandon the impression of mandritto, instead quickly throwing the true edge of your sword into his pushing it with full force towards his right side or the ground. And so at the same time you will push behind his sword a thrust to his chest and your left foot must follow behind the right and your sword will be found in way of GdI.
In making this strike turn your body as much as you can, that is, with the right shoulder towards the opponent.
Commentary
While the text is clear, the exact purpose of the initial falso tondo is somewhat challenging. Even more tricky is the way how the feint of a cut is supposed to be changed into a beat on top of the opponent’s parry – a concept that is easy to understand but that requires very specific conditions to be true in order for it to work. Namely, the beat needs to be done early enough for the agent to get on top of the opponent’s blade properly.
The initial false-edge cut is not so easy to see in the video, but it is important. This play introduces two new concepts to the mix: the preparatory provocative cut and the way to beat against a parry.