
Translation
Here the sword guards of two hands begins and there are twelve guards. The first one is Posta Tutta Porto di Ferro (Full Iron Gate guard) that is like a great fortress. And it is a good guard to wait in against any hand held weapon, long or short, as long as you have a good sword with not too much length. She passes with cover and goes to the narrow play. She exchanges the thrusts and puts hers in. Also she breaks the thrusts to the ground, and always goes with a step. And she covers every blow. This guard gives those who use it great defence and does it without tiring.
Interpretation
Posta Tutta Porta di Ferro appears in variants across several weapon systems within armizare, being used not only in sword, but also grappling, dagger and spear.
Adopt a stance with your left foot forward. Keep your weight on the balls of your feet, your back straight, and your core engaged. Bend your knees slightly and drop your weight. This will give you a very fast, mobile platform to deliver your techniques from.
The real key to this posta is keeping your shoulders and arms relaxed. Your arms will hang naturally in front of your hips. Hold the sword lightly, gripping with the last two fingers of each hand. It is this relaxation as you wait that allows you to explode into action when the right moment presents itself. By relaxing, you also hold your energy in reserve and so do not tire yourself out.
Posta Tutta di Ferro appears open and unprepared, but gives you the ability to sweep your sword across, covering the entire body. As the hands are already near your centre of gravity, a sweep is achieved using a minimum of body movement, making it a deceptively fast action. When accompanied by a step, this is very well suited to exchange or break a thrust and simultaneously enter the narrow play.