{"id":2349,"date":"2022-05-01T22:14:34","date_gmt":"2022-05-01T20:14:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.subcaelo.net\/ensis\/?p=2349"},"modified":"2022-05-01T22:14:34","modified_gmt":"2022-05-01T20:14:34","slug":"thibaults-grip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.subcaelo.net\/ensis\/thibaults-grip\/","title":{"rendered":"Thibault’s grip"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The monumental Academy of the Sword<\/em>, by Girard Thibault, is one of the most detailed fencing treatise ever published. The fencing style it describes is a variant of La Verdadera Destreza, the heavily mathematical Spanish style founded by Carranza and then used up to the 19th century.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a number of original departure from the Spanish mainstream line in Thibault’s work. One of the most obvious is the way he advocates to grip the sword. This has became a topic of reflection for me as soon as I tried to pick my first training rapier in 2006<\/a>, and it is high time for me to write my current conclusions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthew Howden has written an article about exactly this<\/a>. It contains a great amount of citations and illustrations from Thibault’s work. I disagree slightly with some of the points made though; basically Howden describes Thibault’s gripping method as composed of two distinct grips that you transition to and from, whereas I consider it revolves around one primary grip which is sometimes altered depending on the situation. I would also argue that Howden’s second grip is not used that frequently in Thibault, with intermediate forms being more common.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I shall start by describing the common rapier grip as a point of comparison, then I will describe Thibault’s grip, its properties and its alterations. Finally I would like to discuss what happens when you try that gripping method with a rapier that has a knucklebow, unlike Thibault’s prescribed hilt. This is a question of interest for anyone wishing to take a seminar or starting a study of Thibault without investing in a specific sword.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The common grip<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

The majority of rapier authors (outside the Germanic area) illustrate or describe a grip which lines up the edge plane with the radius-cubitus plane, the knukles covered by the knucklebow, the index finger looped inside the forward arm of the hilt over the ricasso. The back of the hand is covered by the outer guards, while the fingers on the other side are covered by the inner guards. The knucklebow, if there is one, protects the finger at the front. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

When one delves in depth into the details of gripping, there are several variants that could be identified, depending on thumb position, where the handle and pommel exactly lie, etc. Here are several examples from Lovino, who I consider to have the best (clearest, most correct) illustrations of this family of grips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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