The Wards

Posta are body positions. They provide a convenient way to talk about options and things to do. In general you should move from a posta, through a posta and to posta. If you're attacking, then you will almost always cut through Posta Longa. If you're covering (ie defending), then you're most likely going through Posta Frontale. However, you could also find yourself going through Posta Breve just as easily.

The wards themselves are not exact positions. There are variations of Posta di Dona, in particular, throughout the sword in two hands sections of all the manuals. There are key ingredients to distinguishing the poste from each other, and determining the tactical abilities of each wards, but in general, they aren't to be taken exactly as the position pictured.

There is no explanation within Fiore as to why he names some wards Pulsativa, others Instabile, and yet others Stabile. One theory is that you start with Pulsativa, move through Instabile, and end up in a Stabile Posta. The exception to this is Finestra, which is listed between the Pulsativa Posta. One explanation is that this is a ward you end up in when you draw your blade.

However there is another explanation that doesn't appear to have any exceptions. The designation refers to the blade and it's relationship or attitude to the line. This has nothing to do with your attitude/relationship towards the line, or your attitude towards anything. You can decide to make an instable ward stable on the line. Your decisions and attitudes don't affect the poste's attitude however.

Think of the poste as Dennis the Menace, the line as Mr. Wilson, and Dennis's parents, Mrs. Wilson and everyone else in the Dennis the Menace world as various governing factors of a fight. Dennis's attitude towards Mr. Wilson is that Mr. Wilson exists for Dennis's amusement and prank victim. At times the parents will influence Dennis to not annoy Mr. Wilson. That influence of behavior doesn't change Dennis's attitude towards Mr. Wilson. In fact there is nothing that will change Dennis's attitude towards Mr. Wilson, there are lots of things that change his behavior towards him however.

This is the same with the Poste and their attitude towards the line. There are things that will influence what they do, but not their attitude.

Unstable Wards

The swords in these wards should be unstable in their relationship to the line. This means that on the defense, the will generally be better coming off the line, and returning to it then staying on it. Attacks from these wards are also better to come off the line, and return to it as well, thrusts being the exception. When laying in these poste, keeping the blade looser, or even moving it is better then leaving it motionless.
When laying in these wards, I don't advocate movement that endangers you. Some people (especially new ones) will be intimidated by an opponent in Poste Longa waggling their blade like an epileptic weasel on speed. Some people won't. Some people will watch the tip, and so a slower wider movement might be better. Others won't fall for any of these tricks, and so just holding (not in the sense of gripping the sword) the blade loose with regard to the line is better.
The key is the relationship of the sword to the line, not the tactics that you use. The tactics you use should be determined by your situation and your opponent, the governing philosophy of these wards is that they are flexible with regard to the line.

Front Ward

This is Posta Frontale, called by some masters Posta do Corona, which is good for crossing and for the thrust she is also good that if he gives a high thrust she crosses passing out of the way. And if the thrust is low also she passes out of the way beating the thrust to the ground. Also she can do something else, that in the placing of a thrust turn with the rear foot and come with a fendente through the head and through his arms and she goes to Dente do Cengiaro and quickly throw a thrust or two with an accrease of the foot and return with a fendente to this particular guard.

Long Ward


Posta Longa is filled with deceit. She goes probing the guards if she can trick the companion. if she can wound with the trust then she knows well how to sidestep his blows and injure use more deception than the other guards.

Two Horned Ward


This is the Posta do Bicorno that stays much public that always stays with the point in the middle of the road. And that which Posta Longa can do this can do. And similarly I say this of Posta di Fenestra and of Posta Frontale.

After working with some of the German longsword guys, we have an idea on how Bicorno might actually work, and what it's used for. We think it's a defensive ward that you come to when covering a blow. It seems to work against sottani or fendente blows primarily.

Then there's this article from Guy Windsor, that makes even more sense.

Window Ward


This is the Position of the Window that is always ready with malice and deceit. And of covering and of wounding it is Master. And with all guards it can question and with the high and the low. And from one guard to the other she often goes for she deceives the companion. And places great thrusts and knows how to break and to exchange these plays which she can can do well.

Pulsing Wards

These wards are attitudinally ambiguous with regard to the line. You can hold (not referring to how you grip the sword) them rigid or loose with regard to the line.
Both di Dona for instance have an alternate form where the blade is pointing right down the line. Porta di Fero can be done with the blade anywhere in the front right between 12:30 and 3:00. The blade, in terms of where it is on the line, is fluid. It can be held on the line. It can be off the line.
The name is also suggestive I think. Pulsativa, pulsive or impulsive. A pump fake of the blade could be considered a pulse. If you just want to react to your opponent, that's impulsive. Again these types of things are dictated by the situation, and skill of all the fighters involved.

Iron Door

This ward is good against any hand held weapon, as long as your blade is not too long. You can pass with a cover, to close the distance. This is also an excellent ward for exchanging the thrust, and thrusting yourself. You can also break the thrust easily from this ward. Any cut you make from this ward, is also a cover, and you should always move with a step when doing so.

This is an excellent ward for defense, and threatening the attack.

Left Woman's Ward


This is Posta di Donna la Senestra that of covering and of striking she is always read. She makes great blows and breaks the thrust and beats them to the ground. And enters to the Gioco Stretto plays of she knows how to traverse. These plays this guard knows how to do them well.

Woman's Ward

This is the most common ward seen in the sword in 2 hands section of the getty manual. He shows it with both feet pointing to the rear, and sword behind the head pointing at the opponent. He shows it with the left arm up over the head, with the sword straight down the back. The one thing that they all have in common is that the tip is past the rear shoulder, and that the quillon are either at the shoulder, or above it. They all pretty much work the same.

Attack

You can make all 6 blows and thrust from here. Most wards, and covers can be broken because of the power generation.

In general, you want to advance traverse when making a cut. While you have a lot of power, it also takes a longer tempo to reach your target.

Defense

You can cover every line of attack. It's also easy to exchange, or break the thrust.

Stabile Wards

These wards have a rigid attitude towards their relationship to the line. They either have to be on the line, or off the line, and they don't change their minds about this.
Poste's Breve, Dente di Cenghiaro, Porta di Ferro Mezana and Dente di Cenghiaro all need to have their points on the line. They're at a disadvantage if they're off the line, even the slightest degree.
Coda Longa, on the other hand wants to keep it's point off the line. This gives it maximum time to react, and get the blade in play. It keeps the blade length hidden. It maximizes the distance from the opponent. In addition the fastest way to get it moving is to simply push down on the pommel, while throwing the quillons forward, if it's off line, this will cause the attack to be off line. Coda Longa has the same attitude towards the line, it's just in the opposite direction.

Boar's Tooth

This is Dent di Zengiaro because this is the way that the wild boar strikes. She places great thrusts from below to end at the face and does not move with a step and returns with a fendente through the arms. And sometimes delivering a thrust at the face and goes with the point upright, and in that act of thrusting she accreases the foot that is in front and returns with a fendente to the head and the arms and it returns to its guard and quickly does another thrust with and accrease of the foot and it defends well from the Gioco Stretto.

Long Tail


This is the position of the long tail that is extended backwards to the ground, it can place thrusts and in front it can cover and strike. And if it passes forward and strikes through with Fendente, to the Giocco Stretto it enters without failure, because this guard is good for waiting because it can quickly go into other ones.

Middle Boar's Tooth

This is the Dente di Zengiaro lo Mezano and because there are two Denti di Zengiaro the one is Tutta, the other is Mezani therefor is named middle, because she stays int he middle o the body and that which the said tooth can the middle tooth can do. And in the same way of the Wild Boar does the traverse in this way he does it with the sword which always wound with the sword traversing the sword of the companion. And it always throws thrusts and discovers his companion and always destroys his hands and sometimes the head and the arms.

Middle Iron Door

This is Mezana Porta di Ferro because she stays in the middle and is a strong guard but she requires a long sword. She throws strong thrusts and beats with force the sword upwards and returns with the Fendente for the head or for the arms and also she returns to her guard. But she is called porta because she is strong and moreover is a strong guard who is evil and can break without peril and coming to close.

Short Point

The key to this ward is footwork and keeping moving. Keep the blade on-line, and use the thrust to constantly probe your opponents defenses. The blade's point staying on the line keeps you opponent from closing. This is why it's a stable ward, that has no stability. The blades attitude towards the line, is that it must stay on the line, however body's attitude towards the line is that it must get off the line.

Use footwork and the thrust to keep your opponent off guard. Constantly moving and thrusting keeps your opponent off balance and adjusting to what you do, allowing you to confuse your opponent and hide your real attack.

Think of the way a boxer uses the jab. Jab, move. Move, Jab. Jab, right cross. The jab probes and creates a hole for the right. The thrust probes and creates a hole for the cut. Just standing their and jabbing leaves you a target, and not threat. So does just standing their and thrusting.