THE Dagger used by Marozzo was the "Pugnale Bolognese," a large double-edged weapon, sufficiently heavy for cutting as well as thrusting.
[Additional material by Marozzo on the dagger can be found at http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/fencing/seizures.html--bjm]
He is most impressive on one very important point, namely, that as the dagger is a very short weapon, so it is an extremely dangerous one, and requires most careful watching, and that therefore the eyes must never be taken off the dagger-hand of the enemy. The cloak is worn and manipulated in much the same manner as when it accompanies the sword:
Feints may be made with the dagger in order to gain openings, and similarly, openings may be shown with the cloak fr the purpose of drawing an attack, the parry and riposte having been already determined on. The following movments of dagger and cloak are extracts from Marozzo's work.
1. Hold your dagger in quarte (coda lunga e stretta), with the right foot leading, and keep your cloak rather low, in order to draw a mandritto at the head, or a high thrust; and as the enemy does this, oppose the folds of your cloak to his dagger, pass forward the left foot, and give him a quarte thrust (punta riverso) in his right side.
Recover by passing the left foot back, and take the same guard as before.
2. make a great oblique pass with your left foot outside his right, envelop his dagger-arm with your cloak, and deliver a thrust or a riverso at his neck.
Recover, passing back three or four paces, and take the same guard.
3. Lower your cloak and give an opening above, and as he attacks give a mandritto at his hand on the pass.
Recover, passing back the right foot.
4. Stand on guard in tierce, with the left foot advanced. Show and opening at your left side by carrying your cloak a little over towards yor right, and when he attacks, force his dagger well over to your left, pass forward your right foot, and give either the pont or a riverso at his face.
Recver, retiring three or four paces.
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