George Silver, Gentleman of England, wrote his Paradoxes of Defence in 1599 to counter the claims of Rapier masters who counted the point as the only true way to win a sword duel. It's an interesting controversy and read. I've noticed some similarities in his principles to FMA, and Balintawak in particular. Some of what follows below is also taken from Silver's accompanying book, the Brief Instructions, which is the book which actually explains how to use various weapons instead of merely lecturing about why rapiers are so bad. It was apparently not published until a copy of the manuscript was discovered in the British Museum, and was subsequently printed in 1898 by Captain Cyril G. R. Matthey.
See if you can notice the similarities and differences in his thinking. The old English may take some getting used to, but I've translated it the best I could. Veritas Vincit - Truth Conquers.
Paradoxes of Defence
Four Principles of The True Fight At All Manner of Weapons
1) Judgement
2) Distance
3) Time
4) Place
Through Judgement you keep your Distance, through Distance you take your Time, through Time you safely win or gain the Place of your adversary. The Place being won or gained, you have Time safely either to strike, thrust, ward, close, grip, slip or go back in which time your enemy is disappointed to hurt you, or to defend himself, by reason that he hath lost his true Place. The reason he hath lost his true Place is by the length of Time through the numbing of his feet, to which he is of necessity, driven to the will-be Agent.
The Four Governors
1) The first Governor is Judgement which is to know when your adversary can reach you, and when not, and when you can do the like to him, and to know by the goodness or badness of his lyinge (position), what he can do, and when and how he can perform it.
2) The second Governor is Measure. Measure is the better to know how to make your space true to defend yourself, or to offend your enemy.
3 & 4) The third and fourth Governors is a twofold mind when you press in on your enemy, for as you have a mind to go forward, so you must have at that instant a mind to fly backward upon any action that shall be offered or done by your adversary.
Certain General Rules Which You Must Observe in That First Use of All Kinds of Weapons
1) First, when you come into the field to encounter with your enemy, observe well the scope, evenness and newness of your ground. Put yourself in readiness with your weapon, before your enemy comes within distance, set the sun in his face, traverse if possible, still remembering your governors.
2) Let all your lyinge (position) be such as shall best like yourself, ever considering out what fight your enemy chargeth you, but be sure to keep your distance, so that neither head, arms, hands, body, nor legs, be within his reach, but that he must first of necessity put in his foot or feet, at which time you have the choice of three actions by which you may endanger him and go free yourself.
1) The first is to strike or thrust at him, at that instant when he has gained you the place by his coming in.
2) The second is to ward, and after to strike or thrust from that, remembering your governors.
3) The third is to slip a little back and to strike or thrust after him.
But ever remember that in the first motion of your adversary toward you, that you slide a little back so shall you be prepared in due time to perform any of the three actions aforesaid, by disappointing him of his true place, whereby you shall safely defend yourself and endanger him.
Remember also that if through fear or policy, he strike or thrust short, and therewith go back or not go back, follow him upon your twofold Governors, so shall your ward and slip be performed in like manner as before, and yourself still be safe.
3) Keep your distance and suffer not your adversary to win or gain the place of you, for if he shall so do, he may endanger to hurt or kill you. Know where the place is, when one may strike or thrust home without putting in of his foot. That may be objected against this last ground, that men do often strike or thrust at the half sword, and yet the same is perfectly defended, where too I answer where that defence is perfectly made by reason that the warder hath his true space before the striker or thruster is in his force or entered into his action.
Therefore, always do prevent both blow and thrust, the blow by true space, and the thrust by narrow space that is true, crossing it before the same comes into their full force, otherwise the hand of the Agent being as swift as that hand of the Patient, the hand of that Agent being the first move, must of necessity strike or thrust that part of the Patient which shall be stricken or thrust at because the time of that hand to the time of that hand, being like swiftness the first move hath the advantage.
4) When your enemy shall press upon you, he will be open in one place or other, both at single or double weapon, or at the least, he will be too weak in his ward upon such pressing, then strike or thrust at such open or weakest part that you shall find nearest.
5) When you attempt to win the Place, do it upon guard, remembering your Governors, but when he presseth upon you and gaineth you the Place, then strike or thrust at him in his coming in.
Or, if he shall strike or thrust at you, then ward it, and strike or thrust at him from your ward, and fly back instantly according to your Governors, so shall you escape safely, for that the first motion of the feet backward is more swift than the first motion of the feet forward, whereby your regression will be more swifter than his course in progression to annoy you. The reason is, that in the first motion of his progression, his number and weight is greater than yours are. In your first motion of your regression, nevertheless, all men know that the continual course of the feet forward is more swift than the continual course of the feet backwards.
6) If your enemy lie in variable fight, and strike or thrust at you then be sure to keep your Distance and strike or thrust at such open part of him as are nearest unto you, viz, at the hand, arm, head, or leg of him, and go back with all.
If two men fight at variable fight, and if within distance, they must both be hurt, for in such fight they cannot make a true cross, nor have time truly to Judge, by reason that the swift motion of the hand, being a swifter mover than the eye, deceiveth the eye.
Look to the grip of your enemy and upon his slip take such ward as shall be best fit your hand, from which ward strike or thrust, still remembering your Governors. If you can mislead your enemy at any kind of weapon, then you have the advantage, because he must move his feet to direct himself again, and you in the meantime, may strike or thrust at him, and fly out fast, before he can offer anything at you, his time will be so long.
When you shall ward blow or thrust, made at your right or left part, with any kind of weapon, remember to draw your hind foot a little circularly, from that part to which the same shall be made, whereby you shall make your defence the more perfect, and shall stand the more apt to strike or thrust from it.
The True and False Times
The True Times be these:
1) the time of the hand
2) the time of the hand and body
3) the time of the hand, body, and foot
4) the time of the hand, body, and feet
The False Times be these:
1) the time of the foot
2) the time of the foot and body
3) the time of the foot, body and hand
4) the time of the feet, body and hand
That the blow is more dangerous and deadly in a fight than a thrust. For proof thereof to be made according with Art, an Englishman holdeth argument against an Italian
Italian: Which is more dangerous or deadly in fight of a blow or a thrust?
Englishman: This question is not propounded according to art, because there is no fight perfect without both blow and thrust.
Italian: Let it be so, yet opinions are otherwise holden, that the thrust is only to be used, because it cometh a nearer way, and is more dangerous and deadly, for these reasons: first, the blow compasseth round like a wheel, but the thrust passeth in a straight line, therefore, the blow by reason of the compass, hath a longer way to go than the thrust, and is therefore longer in doing, but the thrust passeth in a straight line, therefore hath shorter way to go than the blow, and is therefore done in shorter time, and is therefore much better than the blow, and more dangerous and deadly, because if a thrust do hit the face or body, it endangereth life, and most commonly death ensueth. But if the blow hit the body, it is not dangerous.
Englishman: Let your opinions be what they will, but that the thrust cometh a nearer way, and is sooner done than the blow, is not true. And for proof thereof read the twelfth Paradox (see below). And now will I set down probable reasons that the blow is better than the thrust, and more dangerous and deadly.
First, the blow cometh as near a way, and most commonly nearer than doth the thrust; therefore, in respect of time, whereupon standeth the perfection of fight, the blow is much better than the thrust. Again, the force of the thrust passeth straight, therefore any cross being indirectly made, the force of a child may put it by. But the force of a blow passeth indirectly, therefore must be directly warded in the countercheck of his force, which cannot be done but by the convenient strength of a man, and with true cross in true time, or else will not safely defend him, and is therefore much better, and more dangerous than the thrust, and again, the thrust being made through the hand, arm, or leg, or in many places of the body and face, are not deadly, neither are they maims, or loss of limbs or life, neither is he much hindered for the time in his fight, as long as the blood is hot.
For example, I have known a gentleman hurt in Rapier fight, in nine or 10 places through the body, arms, and legs, and yet hath continued in his fight, and afterward hath slain the other, and come home and hath been cured of all his wounds without maim, and yet is living. But the blow being strongly made, taketh sometimes clean away the hand from the arm, hath many times been seen. Again, a full blow upon the head or face with a short sharp sword, is most commonly death. A full blow upon the neck, shoulder, arm, or leg, endangereth life, cutteth off the veins, muscles, and sinews, perisheth the bones - these wounds made by the blow, in respect of perfect healing, are the loss of limbs, or maims incurable forever.
And yet more for the blow: a full blow upon the head, face, arm, leg, or legs, is death, or the party so wounded in the mercy of him that shall so wound him. For what man shall be able long in fight to stand up, either to revenge, or defend himself, having the veins, muscles, and sinews of his hand, arm, or leg clean cut asunder? Or, being dismembered by such wound upon the face or head, but shall be enforced thereby, and through the loss of blood, the other a little dallying with him, to yield himself, or leave his life in his mercy?
And for the plainer (simple-minded?) deciding this controversy between the blow and the thrust, consider this short note. The blow cometh many ways, the thrust doth not so. The blow cometh a nearer way than a thrust most commonly, and is therefore sooner done. The blow requireth the strength of a man to be warded; but the thrust may be put by, by the force of a child. A blow upon the hand, arm, or leg is a maim incurable; but a thrust in the hand, arm or leg is to be recovered. The blow hath many parts to wound, and in every of them commandeth the life; but the thrust hath but a few, as the body or face, and not in every part of them neither.
The 12th Paradox
That there is no fight perfect without both blow and thrust: neither is there any certain rule to be set down for the use of the point only, these be the reasons: In fight, there are many motions with the hand, body, and feet, and in every motion the place of the hand is altered, and because by the motions of the hand, the altering of the places of the hand, the changes of lyings (positions), wards, and breaking of thrusts, the hand will sometimes be in place to strike, sometimes to thrust, sometimes after a blow to thrust, and sometimes after a thrust to strike, and sometimes in place where you may strike, and cannot thrust without loss of time, and sometimes in place where you may thrust, and cannot strike without loss of time, and sometimes in a place where you can neither strike nor thrust, unless you fight upon both blow and thrust, nor able to defend yourself by ward or going back, because your space will be too wide, and your distance lost.
And sometimes when you have made a thrust, a ward or breaking is taken in such force with the dagger or blade of the sword, that you can neither thrust again, nor defend yourself unless you do strike, which you may soundly do, and go free, and sometimes when you strike, a ward will be taken in such force, that you cannot strike again, nor defend yourself, unless you thrust, which you may safely do and go free. So to conclude, there is no perfection in the true fight, without blow and thrust, nor certain rule to be set down for point only.
The Works of George Silver, Gentleman of England
