Tactical Principles of the Vadi SystemVadi's De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi ('On the Art of Swordsmanship') isn't a particularly clear instruction how to fence - partially owing to the fact that it is written in verses. Vadi sometimes is just busy telling the reader what he is not going to tell, for instance on feints he writes
I cannot show you so well or on the mezzo tempo (half tempo) he has to say
I cannot show you in writing This may be be so - some things are indeed difficult to illustrate in writing - but it doesn't help at all understanding what it is he understands as use of the feint or the half tempo. And this unfortunately means that a fair measure of educated guesswork needs to be done to understand the tactical principles underlying his system. Vadi also insists that fencing is a science rather than an art and that From Geometry fencing is born (3), he praises the virtue of intelligence and cunning over strength - yet for all that, he doesn't describe much actual tactics and doesn't explain any geometrical theory of fencing (this likely would be about intersecting cutting planes). Also, Vadi makes it clear that he doesn't want just anyone to learn fencing well - To this doctrine should only be invited such men as soldiers, men at arms, scholars, barons, lords, dukes, princes and kings of the land, and any of those whose task is to govern the state, and to any of these who defend widows and orphans (4) - so we may assume that at least part of the intended effect is to confront an opponent with techniques and tricks he doesn't know and which surprise him.
Close in quicklyDespite clearly knowing the Fiore manual, Vadi predominantly includes close play from there in his own manuscript, hardly any of the wide play. Presumably that is because rather than playing tactical games at wider distance, he advocates that fencers advance quickly into the mezza spada ('middle sword') distance and try to overcome the opponent there. Significant portions of the manuscript text actually describe what to do there.From the descriptions we can infer that fencing in mezza spada isn't so different from what Meyer advocates: The aim is to stress the opponent with a flurry of cuts from different directions till he breaks. In his own words:
I don't want your blows to be solely roverso,
Speed is essentialFighting at mezza spada is all about speed - it is the distance where cuts can be made by fast hand movement (rather than full body movement - cf. my article on Cutting Mechanics) - and last only about 300 ms rather than 600 ms for a cut with full body motion - pretty much 'half a tempo' or mezzo tempo in Vadi terminology.The weapon should support this
Choose a weapon that is light, not heavy, the arms are quite high and extended, and while cuts from wide distance may target the whole body, cuts in middle distance hammer the head on all sides (5), so the sword is mainly controlled by twisting the wrists and moving the arms. Vadi also uses footwork that is inverted compared with the traditional, i.e. a right cut is started from right foot forward and done with a lunging step. This, too, is the hallmark of fast, explosive cuts (again, cf. my article on Cutting Mechanics). Wide motions are especially discouraged (presumably they are not only slower but also provide an opening the opponent can attack)
Don't make a very wide motion, Like Meyer, Vadi also acknowledges that feinting during the attack series is sound tactics, but he doesn't describe much how it is done - chances are he has the same combinations of pulling short and jerking the blade to the next opening in mind.
Use a well-timed attack to enter medium distanceThe issue with winning a fight in mezza spada is that you need to get there without being hit in the first place. This isn't conceptually easy - you need an attack to cover your advance, but the opponent may answer that with a single tempo counter - at which point the advance is over.Vadi's main advice for addressing this issue is
As the companion lifts his sword, which describes a kind of Nachreisen - observe the opponent, when he changes guard, use the time window that transition creates to attack quickly into the opening (one of the few examples Vadi gives is a thrust into the face). If you run out of space, grapple and wrestleVadi doesn't describe this transition in any detail, but it is fairly clear that this is what must happen - it is difficult to press a long series of attacks in mezza spada, if the opponent doesn't retreat quickly enough, the distance will progressively shorten with every attack and close play will be reached. At this point, the illustrated part of the manual describes what to do:
 
In defense, prefer single tempo counterIt is clear that the Vadi system overwhelmingly prefers a fencer to be in the offense and have the initiative. As defensive tactics, he only describes two situations. First, there are single tempo counters
Of all the art this is the jewel, Vadi doesn't give any details, but the geometry makes it fairly clear what has to be done: To counter an ascending cut, the strong of the own blade needs to block the weak of the opponent's sword, so hands need to be low. This leaves the point of the own sword free for a quick cut from the wrist, akin to the Schielhau in the German system. Against a high cut, the strong (and by extension the hands) need to be high, so for the tip to hit anything the cut needs to be horizontal - either like a mezzana to the head or akin to a Zwerchhau. To do this kind of counter in the heat of a mezza spada exchange is a bit of a tall order though. The other situation described resembles the Fiore diagonal parry - the opponent's sword is cut away from below, which leaves the defender in possession of the center line - a situation well suited to advance to mezza spada. A fencer should always look out and be prepared for possible counter-attacks and never be too focused on achieving a hit:
Keep an eye on the weapon that can strike you,
SummaryPersonally, I cannot help but wonder if Vadi's approach of 'go in quickly' doesn't find its demise when faced with an opponent who is well-versed in wide play techniques and knows how to lay traps. Compared with Meyer's fairly detailed theory of sequences to enter an exchange, an advice like don't hold back, grab the tempo (8) doesn't really rely on tactics, intelligence or cunning - it just relies on speed.Likewise, fencing in mezza spada is great if you're good at it - for instance because your reaction time is faster than the opponent's and so you deal well with the fast, stressful environment. If that is not the case, then it's not necessarily a winning tactics to do it. Against an opponent who lacks speed, self-confidence or is easily surprised, Vadi's system is likely devastating though. Against cunning opponents who remain cool, I have the feeling it is not flexible enough, or to use Vadi's words:
Who knows many actions carries venom with him.
Original quotes (English translations above by Guy Windsor):
(1) IO non te posso cusì bem mostrare
(2) IO non te posso, scrivendo, mustrare (3) DA geometria lo scrimir se nasce (4) perché solo a questa dottrina se debeno invitare sacomani, homini d'arme, scolari, baroni, Signori, Duchi, Principi e Re di terre de le qualli ad alcuni de loro apertene a governare la repubblica
(5) NOn vo' che in tutto sia puro riverso
(6) TOrai arma lieve & non pesente
(7) Non far già largo molto
(8) Commo el compagno leva la sua spada,
(9) DE tucta l'arte questo si è el giuiello,
(10) Con l'ochio a l'arma che te po' offendere,
(11) Chi sa assai colpi si porta el veleno, Vadi's Fencing Manual on Wiktenauer
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