{"id":711,"date":"2009-10-02T06:33:10","date_gmt":"2009-10-02T05:33:10","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/?p=711"},"modified":"2009-10-02T16:54:25","modified_gmt":"2009-10-02T15:54:25","slug":"spanish-fencing-notation-part-4-the-position-of-the-hand","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/2009\/10\/spanish-fencing-notation-part-4-the-position-of-the-hand\/","title":{"rendered":"Spanish Fencing Notation Part 4 – The Position of the Hand"},"content":{"rendered":"

(10\/1\/2009)<\/em><\/p>\n

LINK TO ARTICLE 1<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

LINK TO ARTICLE 2<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

LINK TO ARTICLE 3<\/a><\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

Hand Positions<\/h3>\n

In the Italian tradition the hand positions are notated as first, second, third and fourth.\u00a0 While this is concise, it doesn’t provide any information that guides the student to the correct position without additional explanation.\u00a0 When grasping a sword, we can discuss the same hand positions by the orientation of the fingernails.\u00a0 By using the fingernails as a reference, the Spanish system achieves a very simple notation for the position of the hand in plain language.<\/p>\n

Fingernails Down<\/strong> (u\u00f1as abajo<\/em>) – The edges are in the horizontal plane with the true edge on the outside line and the fingernails facing downward.\u00a0 This is the same as Italian Second.\u00a0 Carranza considers this position one of the two possible extremes that will be weaker than the moderate halfway point between this position and fingernails up.<\/p>\n

\"Monicas<\/a>

Monica's hand is fingernails down.<\/p><\/div>\n

——————————<\/p>\n

Fingernails Inside <\/strong>or On Edge <\/strong>(u\u00f1as adentro <\/em>or de filo<\/em>) – The edges are in the vertical plane with the true edge low and the fingernails facing toward the inside line.\u00a0 This is the same as Italian Third.\u00a0 Carranza considers this the best position and it is halfway between the two extremes of fingernails up and fingernails down.<\/p>\n

\"Monicas<\/a>

Monica's hand is fingernails inside.<\/p><\/div>\n

——————————<\/p>\n

Fingernails Up<\/strong> (u\u00f1as arriba<\/em>) – The edges are in the horizontal plane with the true edge on the inside line and the fingernails facing upward.\u00a0 This is the same as Italian Fourth.\u00a0 Carranza considers this position one of the two possible extremes that will be weaker than the moderate halfway point between this position and fingernails down.<\/p>\n

\"Monicas<\/a>

Monica's hand is fingernails up.<\/p><\/div>\n

—————————–<\/p>\n

Fingernails Outside<\/strong> (u\u00f1as afuera<\/em>) – The edges are in the vertical plane with the true edge high and the fingernails facing toward the outside line.\u00a0 This is the same as Italian First and while it is mentioned, using this hand position is so unusual that Pacheco and Carranza typically speak only of the other three.<\/p>\n

\"Monica's<\/a>

Monica's hand is fingernails out.<\/p><\/div>\n

Hand Position in the Spanish Stance<\/h3>\n

The primary sources indicate fingernails inside or sword on edge is the hand position used when assuming the stance.<\/p>\n

Carranza’s Description of the Position of the Sword Arm from The Philosophy of Arms<\/em><\/strong>…<\/span> p. 155-156 (1569, pub. 1582):<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
“And the best of all these positions is as the arm originates because in it the nerves are more relaxed and the action of the Muscles\u2014which are (as it is said) the instruments of the voluntary movement\u2014quicker. In this position the strength endures longer, and since it is the middle (according to necessity) one passes easily to the extremes. For these reasons and others that come from these, the position on Edge is stronger and better than the one with fingernails down or up. Between the extremes there is advantage, like in those extremes that the virtues have (as we will mention in its place), because the extreme that the Fingernails Up arm makes is not as strong as the position of Fingernails Down. Thus, of the two, Fingernails Down is the most noble because it strains the Nerves less to maintain the strength, because even though the arm does not move (seemingly) the Muscles are working inside that maintain it in that position\u2026.”<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

~Translated by Mary Curtis<\/p>\n

To explain this passage, hang your swordarm normally at your side and then reach forward as if shaking hands.\u00a0 A natural extension places the weapon arm as it “originates<\/em>” with the fingernails facing the inside.\u00a0 If you extend your arm with the fingernails in you are halfway between the extremes of fingernails down and fingernails up which allows you to engage with your true edge quickly as needed.<\/p>\n

You should also note that the text explicitly indicates fingernails inside is stronger than fingernails up and fingernails down.\u00a0 Coming into guard fingernails up or fingernails down contradicts the author which is our primary source.\u00a0 Carranza provides us with a ranking of the hand positions with fingernails in as the best and fingernails up as the least strong or worst of the three.<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Fingernails in or sword on edge (Best)<\/li>\n
  2. Fingernails down (better than fingernails up)<\/li>\n
  3. Fingernails up (worst and least strong)<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    (Carranza does not discuss fingernails outside in this passage and by its omission we might assume it would qualify as the least useful position.)<\/p>\n

    Pacheco’s Image of the Stance from The Book of the Greatness of the Sword <\/em><\/span><\/strong>p.39 (1600)<\/strong><\/h4>\n
    \"Pachecos<\/a>

    Pacheco's Stance showing the hand with the fingernails inside.<\/p><\/div>\n

    Pacheco again in New Science<\/span> p.30 (1632)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    “The right angle is seen with the body being straight, and over the right angle or over the parallel lines, and he extends the arm straight as it originates from the body<\/strong>, without lowering it nor raising it.”<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    ~Translated by Mary Curtis<\/p>\n

    Ettenhard’s<\/strong> Description of the Position of the Sword Arm from Compendium of the Foundations…<\/em> <\/span>p.13 (1675)<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
    The first thing that one should deal with is the way to form the Angles, with the application of the Geometric measurements; and beginning with this, I say: That the Swordsman forms the Right Angle when he stands with the body straight and perpendicular; as he naturally falls over both feet, leaving a half foot distance between one heel and the other; and then holding out the arm and Sword straightly, like it originates from the body<\/strong>,…<\/em><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

    ~Translated by Mary Curtis<\/p>\n

    Over 100 years later, we see that Ettenhard comes very close to quoting Carranza in his description of how to assume the stance with the arm extended “like it originates from the body<\/em>“.\u00a0 When comparing the text to the relevant image in Treatise 2, Chapter 1, we see Ettenhard’s fencer with the hand fingernails inside which further confirms the interpretation.<\/p>\n

    Brea’s Images in Universal Principles<\/em><\/span>…<\/span> Ch12.L7 (1805)<\/strong><\/p>\n

    In 1805, Manuel Antonio de Brea shows the stance in his book again with the hand fingernails to the inside.<\/p>\n

    \"Brea's<\/a>

    Brea shows the hand position in the stance with the fingernails facing inward for this demonstration of the Measure of Proportion and the Degrees of Strength in the weapon.<\/p><\/div>\n

    You can view Brea’s Universal Principles and General Rules<\/strong><\/em>…<\/span> online with Google Books here:<\/a><\/p>\n

    Thibault’s Academy of the Sword<\/span><\/em> Ch43 – Plate 12 (1630)<\/strong><\/h4>\n

    Even Girard Thibault, who is arguably outside the mainstream Spanish canon, demonstrates his stance with the hand fingernails in.\u00a0 Because of the peculiarity of his grip, Thibault’s cross is aligned in the horizontal plane, but the hand again follows Carranza’s advice extending as the arm originates with the fingernails facing the inside line.<\/p>\n

    \"Thibault's<\/a>

    Thibault's stance with the hand fingernails in and the cross in the horizontal plane<\/p><\/div>\n

    Wikipedia Article with two images of Thibault’s intricate plates<\/a><\/p>\n

    Conclusion<\/h3>\n

    The repeated examples in both the texts and original images provides compelling evidence that assuming the stance with the weapon hand in a position other than fingernails inside would be a significant deviation from the tradition.\u00a0 While the hand position may naturally change in the course of an encounter by starting between the two extremes of fingernails up and fingernails down, the Spanish fencer is able to quickly change the position of the hand to align the true edge as needed while fencing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    (10\/1\/2009) LINK TO ARTICLE 1 LINK TO ARTICLE 2 LINK TO ARTICLE 3 Hand Positions In the Italian tradition the hand positions are notated as first, second, third and fourth.\u00a0 While this is concise, it doesn’t provide any information that guides the student to the correct position without additional explanation.\u00a0 When grasping a sword, we […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3,12,1,13,4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=711"}],"version-history":[{"count":156,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":944,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/711\/revisions\/944"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=711"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=711"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.puckandmary.com\/blog_puck\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=711"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}