Learning Fiore De Liberi

Some wards are naturally contrary, and by this we mean that neither ward has an advantage to the other. All wards are contrary to themselves (di Dona vs di Dona offers no tactical advantages), except wards where the point is forward. Posta where the point is forward, the more extended blade has the advantage.

An extended blade is one that is closer to your opponent. The sword itself could be longer, the arms holding the sword could be longer as well. The heights of the opponents can make difference as well. Then you have sword position, even though your opponent may have a longer sword, and longer arms, if you're both point forward, and your point is closer, your more extended.

The existing manuals all have different pairings. In some cases all three have at least one ward in common, and just pair it with something else. I think they all have the same purpose, they are contrary to each other.

My interpretation of these "pairings" as being contrary, and that they are done on purpose, is not the only one. There are those who say that the wards had to be listed in some order, and this is the order that came up. Some people believe that the order is the order of the most common wards to least common (and di Dona is seen a lot, as is Porta di Fero).

My argument for these being "paired" is based on this passage from the beginning of the manual:

The guards, or "positions" are easy to recognize. Some guards will be set against one another and will not touch one another, studying each other to see what the opponent may do. These are called poste, or guards, or First Masters of the fight. They will be wearing a crown, meaning that the position in which they wait is optimal for defense.

You can find this quote in Tom Leoni's excellent translation of the Getty manual, here. If you're serious about studying Fiore, you have to have this translation.

In all three manuals the pictures of the poste have crowns on their head. They are optimal for defense. They are set against one another, don't touch, and are suited to studying the other and seeing what they will do. I take this last part to mean that your offering an invitation to the other ward to do what it does best. I think that's why the poste are front or back weighted the way they are. I also believe that a large part of these "pairings", is selling the invitation.

If you're opponent is comfortable in the poste, and they aren't taking the invitation, you know something about them. If they appear to be thinking about taking the invitation, you know something else. You study your opponent by studying their reaction to the ward you're in. If you pick a ward, watch which ward your opponent picks. You study their reactions. You gauge skill and knowledge in this way.

At the very least, they give us a place to talk about analyzing wards and how they're used, and opposed.