The 18th century is a period of transition between Destreza, predominant in the 17th century, and modern fencing, of fundamentally French influence, which was imposed from the 19th century onwards. In contrast to other European territories where the production of works is more intense, on the Iberian Peninsula in the 18th century the creation of fencing works is scarce, on the contrary two centuries before and after. Therefore, it is interesting to study the few works that we have, to try to know what point and in what way new techniques and concepts are incorporated, as we persist in our abandoned knowledge and terminology of Destreza.
A Espada Firme by Manoel Martins Firme (title and author that must be assimilated, together, for appreciation and memory of the humor as the author named to his work) is one of these transition texts that the sword rope is in disappearance but the fencing of the sword has not been completely supplanted.
Apart from the critical apparatus that accompanies (author, context, etc.), the content of the work is:
Front page
Preliminaries
Prologue
Definitions
Introduction
Games
Low straight
defend
Game for canhotos.
High straight
To directly defend the canoto
Brief summary for Espada Branca
This last section is of interest to its very existence: the author’s evidence, on the linha of
Thomas Luis quase a century before, different styles of fencing for school or sport and for real fighting.
A work of obvious interest to study the 18th century or, simply, to have a complete overview of the evolution of fencing on the peninsula over the long history.
