Radaelli's Guard of 2nd

Today we shall be looking at Radaelli's Guard of 2nd, and some pieces of information that might provoke some thoughts on how we interpret it.

The illustration of the guard of 2nd provided in Del Frate's 1876 text Istruzione per la scherma di sciabola e di spada del professore Giuseppe Radaelli is the following:

Del Frate does not provide a written description of the guard in this text, but the illustration is quite clear in showing the hand at about shoulder height, with the point around chest height (which may be lower towards the opponent's flank depending on the curve of the sabre).

Del Frate's 1868 text Istruzione per maneggio e scherma della sciabola also shows a similar position for this guard, albeit with the point at the height of the flank:

However, Del Frate does actually provide a description of the guard in this text:

In this guard the hand should be placed at the height and in the direction of the chin, the point at the height of the flank, with the blade across the body so that the point extends about one palm beyond the left flank, and the edge slanted to the right.

This description would bring the hand higher than what is shown in both these plates, and perhaps further to the left than what one would assume. Thus the recurring question of whether the description or the illustrations are more accurate in describing the position arises.

There are other examples of differences between description and illustration in Del Frate's works, but the other example that will be shown here is that of his guard position in the sword section of the 1876 text:

Compared to his description of this position:

… right arm semi-extended forward, the sword forming a straight line with the forearm; the point at around head height; the hand at the height of the chin; point, hand, and shoulder in the same direction.

Note that he again states that the hand should be at chin height, yet the illustration shows it at what appears to be shoulder height. The detailed nature of this description leads me to believe that he did not simply mean 'shoulder' when he said 'chin', as the hand would no longer follow the straight line he describes with the point and shoulder, which also cannot be seen in the illustration.

As for Radaelli's students, it seems that some opted to hold the sabre lower for their 2nd guards, like Giordano Rossi (1885):

The right arm is extended, at the same time turning the edge of the sabre diagonally up and to the right, with the grip at the height and in the direction of the right breast; point at the height of the knees, the arm naturally outstretched.

Ferdinando Masiello (1887):

In the assault, however, the guard of second is more useful, which entails holding the hand at the height of the breast and the point directed at the opponent’s flank.

Whereas Luigi Barbasetti (1936) held the guard at shoulder height, albeit with a slight forward lean:

For the guard of Seconde, direct the point toward your opponent's hip, the sabre in line as an extension of the arm, the cutting edge of the blade in a diagonal line to the right.

With Salvatore Pecoraro and Carlo Pessina (1912) we see a similar case to that of Del Frate, with the photo showing the hand at around shoulder height, but the description instead stating for it to be at the height of the breast:

The guard of second differs from that of third in the position of the hand, which is held at the height of the breast with the point of the sabre directed at the opponent's flank, the edge diagonally up and to the right.

The fact that this is an actual photo instead of an illustration most likely removes the possibility that the depiction doesn't match up due to the fault of an illustrator. Therefore it may be that the images are more accurate than the descriptions in this case.

If we look at an example of a contemporary system outside of Italy, for example John Musgrave Waite (1880), his depiction seems to match Del Frate's, and the description he gives matches his own image well:

Move the sword-arm to the front until the hand is directly opposite the hollow of the right shoulder, bend the elbow slightly and raise it, sink the wrist, and turn up the middle knuckles and edge of the sword. Advance, and lower the point until it is nearly opposite and level with the left hip. [...] When this guard is properly formed, the upper knuckles and elbow are level and in line with the shoulder.

Assuming the fencer has a good, upright posture when on guard, Waite's description of the right hand being 'opposite the hollow of the right shoulder' seems analogous to Del Frate's 1868 description of being in the direction of the chin. I will leave it up to the reader to decide how they believe Radaelli intended the guard to be held, but from comparing all these examples, my personal conclusion is that Radaelli's guard of 2nd most likely had the hand around the height of the shoulder and opposite or slightly to the left of it, with the point opposite or just outside of the opponent's flank.

Bibliography

Barbasetti, Luigi. The Art of the Sabre and the Épée. New York: E. P. Dutton, 1936.

Del Frate, Settimo. Istruzione per maneggio e scherma della sciabola. Florence: Tip. lit. e calcografia La Venezia, 1868.

Del Frate, Settimo. Istruzione per la scherma di sciabola e di spada del professore Giuseppe Radaelli scritta d’ordine del Ministero della Guerra. Milan: Litografia Gaetano Baroffio, 1876.

Masiello, Ferdinando. La scherma italiana di spada e di sciabola. Florence: G. Civelli, 1887.

Pecoraro, Salvatore, and Carlo Pessina. La Scherma di Sciabola. Viterbo: G. Agnesotti, 1912.

Rossi, Giordano. Manuale Teorico-Pratico per la Scherma di Spada e Sciabola. Milan: Fratelli Dumolard Editori, 1885.

Waite, John Musgrave. Lessons in Sabre, Singlestick, Sabre & Bayonet, and Sword Feats. London: Weldon, 1880.