Fiore’s longsword postas describe sword positions. These poses are generally momentary during a fight and can be executed with a wide variety of foot positions and weight bias. One particular pose is shown when the posta is described, but alternative poses are frequently used during plays that use the posta. Think of the postas as zones rather than poses to be meticulously duplicated.
One way to drill your understanding of the postas is to use our Longsword Posta flash cards. The illustrations are from the Getty museum’s copy of Fiore’s book.
Tutta Porta di Ferro/Full Iron Gate
Porta di Ferro Mezzana/Middle Iron Gate
Dente di Cinghiaro/Boar’s Tooth
Dente di Cinghario Lo Mezzano/Middle Boar’s Tooth
Posta di Coda Longa/Long Tail Position
Posta di Fenestra/Window Position
Posta di Donna (Destra) / (Right) Woman’s Position
Posta di Donna la Sinestra/Left Woman’s Position
Posta Breve/Short Position
Posta Longa/Long Position
Posta di Bicorno/Two-horned Position
Posta Frontale/Frontal Position
