Girard Thibault’s Académie de l’Espée, finished in 1628, is a very interesting fencing book which contains some of the most thorough descriptions of fencing moves together with very detailed and consistent illustrations. High-res scans of the plates, without the text, are available here. However, that incredible detail is also a huge barrier for its study. It is difficult to hold it all together in your mind, and when you seek advice for a specific situation it can be hard to locate it again, even if you have seen it before!

One of the first useful work I’ve done when I got my facsimile has been to run through the book and take quick notes of what was where. It is this rough plan that I want to publish here, hoping it might be useful to others. It is of course extremely terse and perhaps inaccurate at times, except for the first few tables that I had read in a bit more detail, but it allows one to look up what is where and maybe find specific answers if need be. I might expand that rough plan in the future to include each sequence of circles…

Book one

This book exclusively deals with a right-handed opponent armed with a single sword.

Table I

Discourse on the measure of Man (p.1-4)

Construction of the Circle (p.5-6)

Naming of points and lines (p.7)

Properties of the Circle: walking, instances, times, lengths, degrees of strength, gripping the sword

Table II

Link with Dürer’s canonical proportions

Dimensions of the hilt

Dimensions of the baldric

Table III

Drawing the sword

How to set yourself in the straight line posture (continued in next table)

Table IV

How to set yourself against the straight line or the obtuse angle

Discourse on the excellence of the straight line

How to adapt according to the length of blades or steps

Table V

Advantage of the straight line against feints (outside, inside, below)

Table VI

Subjection to 2nd instance on the inside (circles 1-2)

Thrust from 3rd instance (circle 3)

Response to a parry of average weight (circles 4-7)

Response to a parry of strong weight (circles 8-13)

Table VII

How to deal with thrusts delivered during the subjection (opponent makes a cavazione)

Table VIII

How to deal with thrusts delivered during the subjection (opponent makes an imbrocatta around the blade)

Table IX

Discourse on the weights and feeling

Dealing with reactions of various weights during the subjection

Table X

Dealing with reactions of violent or strong weights

Table XI

Zachary steps back, how to follow

Table XII

How to open up angles and exploit them while hitting (sometimes using the left hand to grab)

Table XIII

How to deal with a variant of the straight line, hilt higher covering the face, tip lower

Table XIV

Dealing with cuts, starting with a subjection to the inside

Table XV

Subjection to the outside

Table XVI

On the same, study of taking opportunity and economy of strength

Table XVII

Dealing with cuts, starting with a subjection to the outside

Table XVIII

Delivering cuts to the weapon arm

Table XIX

Obligation (opponent’s blade is on top), walking to the outside

Table XX

Subjection to the inside from the obligation to the outside

Discourse on postures and the rigidity of illustrations

Table XXI

First intention strikes

Discourse on strength and weaknesses of the opponent’s posture

Table XXII

Attacking the straight line, starting left foot forward

Table XXIII

Same start, but the opponent holds his hilt higher

Table XXIV

Zachary takes a different posture: hilt low, point high, weight on the right foot

Table XXV

Another slightly different posture: point to the inside, hilt outside

Table XXVI

Feints and possible changes on the same approach

Table XXVII

This time Zachary attacks Alexander on the straight line

Table XXVIII

Attacks on a low guard (sword pointing forward and to the ground)

Table XXIX

Continuation of the latter, dealing with attempts to grab with the left hand

Table XXX

Attacks on a bent arm third

Table XXXI

How to chase the opponent’s sword in extended third

Table XXXII

Dealing with the extended third

Table XXXIII

Dealing with Fabris’ method

Book two

This book details specific cases against different weapon combinations. I have used German names for the postures of the greatsword here, although Thibault does not use that vocabulary and the postures are variants that do not necessarily appear in German works as far as I know. These names should be viewed as shorthands rather than as perfect descriptions.

Table I

Uncaptioned circles. Three of them are the same as in book one, the rest are slightly different in construction.

Table II

Uncaptionned, allegories.

Table III

Against sword and dagger Action derived from book one, table XXIX, circle 8

Action derived from book one, table XXIV, circle 1

Table IV

Against sword and dagger Subjection

First-intention strikes

Adapting to various postures

Table V

Against sword and dagger More on subjection

Other postures, striking between the weapons

Table VI

Against sword and dagger, this time Zachary has the left foot forward

Table VII

Against sword and round shield

Table VIII

Against sword and round shield

Table IX

Against the greatsword, parrying a cut thrown from “low vom tag”

Table X

Against the greatsword Void against the same cut

Subjection against “longpoint”

Table XI

Against the greatsword Countering a cut from “zornhut”

Attacking against “ochs” and “hengetort”

Table XII

How to deal with left-handers

Table XIII

How to behave against a musketeer