Chap. 12
Fencing from the Stances
Meyer:
Since much now concerns the Stances, I will thus not keep you long in each for
the same reason they were given still only half composed, but going onward,
since you will need to know, when you present your sword and (while you are
twitching off the guard he aimed to you) you would strike, as soon as you come
out from the farthest point (where you have begun to pull back your sword), then
from here on you should lead your sword against him again with agility, like how
it will be handled from the Guard of the Roof, the Guard through which you bring
about the Downstrike. Thus when you move to the Downstrike (to do such) you will
then in the outermost point of this move come to be in the guard named Roof, you
can now not only (just as you seek to strike) strike then and thus drive ahead
with your Downstrike, but can also persist to stay. This is the reason, namely
just that you not yet undertake any strike unplanned, but even as soon you have
allowed the same considered strike to be drawn against them, you should now lead
the strike on from even from here so that as you stay for only an eye blink at
the obvious outermost point, so consider ahead if your chosen strike can either
still be led usably to fulfillment, or if through it you can attain a better
opportunity applicable elsewhere, where you thus change to a second strike
accordingly at the outermost point and thus conclude the Downstrike which you
have drawn out with a Traverse. This is the underlying reason for the
development of the Stances and is why you stay while in one Guard: to see what
the other will take ahead (and then rightly know how to overtake his chosen
part) and prevent such just by being certain to see here what his chosen part
will be, and such waiting is a great art and experience. Because you now need to
know onward how to engage your opponent's oncoming strikes from the Roof with
your Sword, I have set the following examples both of when he would strike, or
stay and not strike.
Roof
Ringeck:
The "Parting Strike"
Note: the parting strike is aimed at the face or breast. Do it like this: If he
is in the guard Alber, strike vertically downward with the long edge, and while
striking, keep your arms up high and move your point to his face.
If you move the point at his face from above with the parting strike and he displaces the point with the (his) hilt up, turn your sword, lift the (your) hilt high above your head and thrust him down into the breast.
When you strike a parting strike and he displaces with the hilt high above his head, then this displacement is called "the crown", from there you can rush in.
If he breaks the parting strike or any other Oberhau with the crown and tries
to rush in, cut him in the Arm under his hands and push upward, so that the
crown is broken. Then turn your sword from the low cut into a high one and free
yourself in this way.
Egenolph:
Step and strike from above with your true edge to his left ear. The other step and strike from above with your short edge to his right ear. The third strike backward with the true edge.
Tafel 1
Oberhieb. - Unterhieb.
Overhand blow. - Underhand blow.
Oberhau and Unterhauw in the Liechtenauer terminology. These are the simplest cuts, both vertical. The purest Oberhau cuts from above with the true edge, the purest Unterhauw cuts from below with the true edge. The Oberhut is a high guard and an Unterhauw can be executed from the Fool's stance.
Tafel 5
The free cut from above. - Against it, make a blow against the neck.
Withdrawing the blade. (Taking a defensive guard).
The fighter on the left is pulling away, blade out, from a threat to grapple. He is moving into a defensive posture.
"Der greift die untere Blösse
an. - Der schneidet von oben dagegen."
"He attacks the lower targets. - He cuts against it from above."
The fighter on the left is attempting a low plunging stab from a crossed grip. His opponent has preemptively struck against the stab in the moment it is chambered.
Goliath:
Of the Vertex Strike
Text
The top of the face is endangered with your turn, the attempt is to take the threat that comes from the Crown, cut through the crown thus break hard as the strike hits with the edge to twitch off.
Analysis
The Vertex breaks the guard called fool and endangers the face and the chest with your turn. Then drive this thus, when you come to him in pre-fencing, and he stands against you in the fool's guard, then put your left foot forward and hold your sword in guard on your right shoulder and burst to him and strike strongly with the long edge from above to his head, when he displaces the strike so his point and grip are above and to each side in the stance called the Crown, then keep your arms high and with your left hand raise the sword's pommel high and sink your point over his hilt to his chest, if he thrusts his sword to push your point away, then wind your sword under his crown with a cut to his arm and push, then breaking the crown again, and with the push then cut hard on the arm and pull out with a slice.
Danzig:
The top of the face is endangered with your turn, the chest is threatened by what comes from him, the Crown takes that out, cut through the crown thus break hard as the strike hits, withdraw with a slice.
Meyer:
Because you now need to know onward how to engage your opponent's oncoming strikes from the Roof with your Sword, I have set the following examples both of when he would strike, or stay and not strike.
The First Part
And firstly when you come before your opponent and, while striking out or otherwise pulling your sword back (to downstrike) to bring it high above you, he strikes just then to your left at your head, then burst full away from his strike against his left and somewhat toward him, and strike with an outward flat against his incoming strike to meet his sword strongly on the strong so that the forward part of your blade will swing inward over his sword to his head, which is then certainly hit. When you slash at the same time as him and your sword comes to be over his, to hit or not on his strike, then twitch your sword off over yourself again, and strike diagonally upward from below to his right arm, in this strike step out with your left foot full against his right side and arc yourself with your head fully behind your sword's blade, from there nimbly twitch again upward and flit the short edge to his left ear, if you see that he will wipe against this, then don't let the impact fail or flow off, but soon cross your hands in the air (the right over the left) and slash him with the short edge deep to his right ear and then traverse over and pull out. Mark here when he would nimbly follow after the Understrike just taught and thus would be hard onto the roof so that you can't come to flow off, then pay attention just then if he would twitch off from your sword, then follow after him with a cut to the arm.
The Second Part
However if he strikes at your left from below, then step quickly out to his left and strike with the long edge onto the strong of his sword, as soon as your sword moves or glides on his, twitch your sword high above yourself again and slash down with the short edge quickly and deeply to his left ear while stepping forward out to his left, he will then want to rush to displace and then drive above against it, so then strike nimbly with the long edge over again to his right ear and in this slashover step full against his right like before, yet stay with the cross high over your head, and mark as soon as he slashes over then fall further with a cut to his arm, if he is not hurt by this but would evade your work, then follow after him (staying on his arm), and when he makes the smallest extraction, then let fly to another opening and strike him away from you.
The Third Part
However, if he strikes to your right as you come to be in the High Guard,
then step nimbly with your left foot to his right out of his strike, and at the
same time fall from above with the long edge onto the strong of his sword and,
just as you fall on his sword, thrust your pommel under your right arm, so that
you slash at his head with crossed hands fully over or near his sword, if he
drives above against your right then let the half edge nearly flow off and step
under it full out to his left side, and strike with the long edge directly to
his head from above, but twitch nimbly upward again and slash with a traverse
from below to his left ear with an off set with your left foot, and then strike
him away from you.
The Fourth Part
Mark in Pre-Fencing when you have come to hold your sword high above in the
guard of the Roof to beware that he not then rush to strike, so that you can
stay in the Before, cross your hands over your head, (the right over the left)
so that it appears as if you would stab to his face, step under this toward him
with your right foot and twitch your sword then to your left over your head and
strike him thus with the short edge through a crafty traverse from your right
to his left ear, twitch nimbly back off again
and drive against his lower right opening with a long traverse, let it not stay
but twitch above you again in the same flight and let
the third flow off deep to his left ear with the short edge, and slash
the short edge again with crossed hands into to his right ear, as soon as this
hits, step back with the left foot and strike with the long edge from below to
his left arm to be
as shown by the figure fighting against the right in the left background of
illustration G above, mark here when you step off in this Understrike if
he would strike to your lower left opening, then step to him with your left foot
and fall with crossed hands and the short edge onto his sword, strike him thus
an Understrike as shown in the other figure fighting against the right in the
just considered picture. Now mark further just as he then pulls his sword over
himself again, then pull your sword with crossed hands
full to your left and, just as he slashes again, take his oncoming strike
from your left against his right with your outward flat, high traverse out
strongly so that your sword flies overhead in full flight and your hands cross
over each other in the air while your sword flies, then step full against his
right, but still keep your hands high and let the half edge flow off in a twitch
near his right ear (as this hits or grazes), and just then strike long with an
off step. I have described this part in particular as still many good moves can
be taken and be fought from here, therefore you should learn not just this
alone, but think forward with diligence. Thus I will describe yet another part
with a different start.
A Second
In the pre-fencing when you come into the Roof or High Guard, then let your blade sink down in front of you, as before, to your left side, and twitch over your head, step and strike a high traversing Middle Strike with the long edge against his left to his neck or throat, as soon as he withdraws, then twitch again over the head, and strike a second high Middle Strike traversing from your left against his right, again at his throat, as soon as it glides then strike the third, a high strike with the long edge direct from above. These three strikes shall go from one to another in a nimble flight. If you want more room then raise your pommel above to your left side, twitch thus overhead, and take your flat or short edge near your left from below through to his right against your right in a wrench out above him, so that your blade again flies over in the air, and strike with the half edge from above down with crossed hands feinting over near his right ear, you can reach further with the short edge by stepping ahead, thus let it engage and strike a strong wrath strike to his left side and following strike away from him. This is indeed a serious and strong sequence in that, since you have the Before, he can only defend.
Breaking the Roof Stance or Guard
If you are aware that after striking outward one can, in a little flight up over the head, stay in the Guard of the Roof, then come in the pre-fencing into the Guard of the Key, from there raise both hands thus crosswise over your head, and at the same time step to him with your right foot, and while stepping strike with the short edge near your right thigh strongly from below through your opponent's Vertex line up above you, so that the sword is above your head, flying off with an upstrike from your left to your right, keep your hands high in the displacement, just as it connects then step nimbly with your right foot to his left and strike with the short edge in a swing to his left ear. From there upstrike twice with a walk, follow the slash with a traverse to his right ear, and just then step at the same time with your right foot backward to your left, thus the Traverse goes deeper. When this happens you can strike as soon as he does.
Or if he comes ahead to you going high, then pay attention then if he will go to the low guard, then follow him nimbly with two strong understrikes from both sides out of whatever guard or stance suits you, just as long as you strike nimbly from below. One to the other with the half edge in a nimble walk from both sides deep to the head, after this bind nimbly into his blade, if he goes off then follow after. If he stays then wind, wrench out and make your work onward to the next.
Wrath Guard (Zornhut)
Ringeck:
The Strike of Wrath and the Winding
Note: When your adversary strikes at you from his right side with a strike from above (Oberhau), then hit with a strike of wrath from your right shoulder against it. Strike with
your true edge and in your strong. When he is weak at the sword then, thrust into his face along his blade.
When you thrust against his face from the strike of wrath and he notices this and displaces the thrust with strength, pull your sword upwards, away from his. Then strike to the head from the other side, also along his blade.
When you strike a strike of wrath and he displaces it and remains strong at the sword, hold strongly against it. With the strong of your sword, slide up to the weak (schwech) of his blade, wind the hilt in front of your head while remaining on the sword (am schwert) and thrust into his face from above.
When you thrust from the Winding as described and he displaces the thrust by lifting up his arms and his hilt, stay in the Winding and take the Ort (point or thrust) down between his arms and breast.
Note: When you engage at the sword ("binden") with strength and your adversary pulls his sword upwards and strikes at your head from the other side, then bind strongly with the true edge and strike him on the head.
You must notice immediately, if someone is weak or strong at the sword if he binds at your sword with a strike or a thrust. If you have noticed that, you shall know simultaneously, if it is better to fight him in the "before" (Nach) or the "after" (Vor). Nevertheless, don’t engage rashly in close combat (Krieg), this is nothing else than Winding (Winden) at the sword.
In close combat, you should do the following: if you strike him with the strike of Wrath and he displaces it, lift up your arms and, at the sword, wind the point to the upper opening. When he displaces (Versetzen) the thrust, stay in the winding and thrust to the lower opening. If he follows your sword in the displacement (Versatzung), lead your point through under his sword (disengage under – "durchführen") and thrust to the other opening on his right side. This is how you can defeat him in close combat.
Thrust with the "long point" (Langer Ort), use the "traveling after" (Nachreisen) and all other opportunities. Don’t pay attention to what he’s up to, fence securely and you’ll hit so outstandingly, that he’ll not be able to get through with his own techniques.
If you want to break one of the four openings by force, then "Dupliere" at the upper opening, against the Starke (strong) of his sword, and then "Mutiere" to another opening. Against this, he cannot defend himself and he will not be able to either strike or thrust.
Duplieren: When you strike a strike of wrath (Zornhauw) or any other Oberhau and he displaces it with strength, with the left hand, immediately thrust the pommel of your sword under your right arm. With crossed hands, behind his blade and in between the blade and his body, strike him diagonally through the face, or strike him on the head.
Mutieren: If you bind against his sword, with an Oberhau or otherwise, wind the short edge at his sword, raise your arms and thrust at the lower opening from the outside along his blade. You can use that from both sides.
Goliath:
He who strikes you from above, Wrath Strike, point them out.
Analysis
The Wrath Strike breaks all high strikes with the point. Moreover, it is indeed nothing other than a bad peasant strike. And drive it thus: when you come to him in the pre-fencing: if he strikes to you from his right side high to the head, then also strike from high on your right on all (note in margin: in the weak on the sword) wrathfully displacing with him on his sword, if he is then weak on the sword, then judge to shoot ahead with the point and stab to his face, or the chest and set in the arm.
Text
If he is wary, then take off high without driving
Analysis
When you strike with him in the Wrath Strike, then thrust the point long to his face or chest as described before. If he is wary of the point and strongly displaces and punches your point to the side, then wrench off from his sword (note in margin: take off high) high above you with your sword on his sword's blade, and strike one to his other side, still again on his sword's blade, to his head, this is called taking off high.
Break against the take off
When he takes off above, then bind strongly on his sword above to his head with the long edge.
Text
Be stronger, wind farther, stab, stab first, and thus take it farther.
Analysis
That is when you strike in with a Wrath Strike, if he displaces and stays strong on the sword in the displacement, then also stay again with your sword strong on his sword, and drive on high with your arms and wind your hilt ahead on his sword forward to his head and stab high into his face, if he becomes aware of the stab and (note in margin: with the short edge) and drives on high with his arms, and displaces with the hilt, then stay thus standing with your hilt in front of your head and send your point below to the throat, or to the chest between his arms, as will be told later.
Text of a lesson on the Wrath Strike
Mark, the level strike stabs stances light or hard, Just As and truly, after, onward the war will not be simple.
Analysis
When he has bound on your sword with a strike or stab or otherwise, then you should not let yourself stay even in your winds, the before will be gained by marking if he is weak or strong when one sword glides against the other, and when you have determined this, Just Then work first by winding against the light and the hard, always to the next opening, as will be clarified and judged in parts after this.
Text on the War
When the war roams above, below he will be shamed.
The War is the Winding and the work to the four openings with the point that comes from it, and drive this thus: when you strike with the Wrath Strike, as soon as he displaces then drive on full forward with your arms and just then wind the point high on his sword to the upper opening on his left side. If he then displaces the high stab, then stay thus standing in the wind with your hilt in front of your head, and let your point sink below to your left side, if he follows after your sword in the displacement, then drive on to his left side with the sword and hang the point from high to his upper right opening, thus will he be shamed with the war high and low, in that you drive rightly to the other
Text of a lesson
In all windings, strike stab cut, teach finding, also should you not test, strike stab or cut, in all meetings, the mastery you will lose.
Analysis
This is when you strike with the Wrath Strike, then you should rise well and fully finish with the Winding, as a single wind has three special parts, that is one strike, one cut, and one stab, and when you wind on the sword, then you should indeed consider well that the parts aren't driven wrongly. Take heed in the winding that you not strike when you should stab, and not cut when you should strike, and not stab when you should cut. Thus you shall always know the parts, that by properly heeding them you will drive in all meetings and bindings with the sword, otherwise you will fail or lose the mastery when one displaces against you. How you shall drive the windings, and how many there are, you will find described in the last part of the verses, which will speak of what will drive well and break properly.
Another
When you have struck him strongly high to the head from your right shoulder, if he displaces and is weak on the sword, then wind the short edge on his sword to your left side and, driving on with your arms, drive your sword's blade high over his sword and stab his lower opening.
When you have struck high to his head from your left
side and he displaces and is weak on the sword, then drive on with your arms and
hang the point over his sword from above and stab to his second opening. Thus,
you will drive the two parts from all strikes as you find him weak and strong on
the sword. Thus are fencing and work with the sword retained to be praised.
Danzig:
The wrath strike
He who strikes you from above, Wrath Strike points them aside, Would he first be wary, Take off from above without driving. To the strong here again, Wind stab yours to his, take it again. The flatly made strike stabs stances light or hard. Just As and After truly onward the fight will be not clumsy. Should the fight roam above, below will he be shamed. In all windings, Strike, stab, cut, be unfound, that you shall with potent strikes stab or cut in all meetings, the mastering will you achieve.
Egenolph:
When you strike a “Zornhauw” or another downward strike and he displaces this and goes up with his arms, you both get close. If he is careful then and wants to hinder you executing a slice under the hands against the arms, follow his sword downward with the true edge, push and you will break his attempt.
Another.
But if you are both high with your arms and he closes in and wants to hit you with his pommel between your arms under your abdomen, under your eyes or to the breast, move the pommel strongly downwards with the arms, tear backward to yourself and strike him with your blade to his head.
Talhoffer:
The long wrathful point (thrust). - Against it is the crossed point (thrust).
The combatant on the left has extended a wrathful point into a thrust. The wrathful point probably followed a wrathful strike, or Zornhauw, a strike from the right shoulder often followed with a thrust from the bind. His opponent has gone around the point while transitioning to a crossed guard. He can now counterthrust. This seems to be an example of a disengage which flips over out of the bind to cross hands on the opposite side of an engagement. This may be an example of zucken or abnehmen.
Der vollführt den verschränkten Ort (Stoss). - Der haut von oben.
He drives forward into the crossed point (Stab). - He hews from above.
The fighter on the right has launched an overhead attack to his opponent's left. Your basic overhead attack, nothing special.
The fighter on the left has stepped forward with his left foot and raised his arms into a crossed guard. He is now pointing at his opponent. His opponent's blade is safely on the outside. He will now complete his thrust.
Tafel 3
Threatening with the wrathful point (thrust) - driving again the high
strike.
A threat to stab with a wrathful point (Zornort, Wrathful Point) is driven away by a simple displacement.
Tafel 6
Against the lower openings. - Also at the lower openings.
First Look: these combatants are both in the free hanging point stance and attempting to plunge a thrust against the lower openings. Both are also binding the opponent's blade in a blade play meant to hold off the thrust. The guy on the right has crossed his stance and is in trouble.
Second look: there's probably a lot of winding in this engagement. The guy on the right is still in trouble.
Meyer:
When at the onset you come into the Wrath Guard, then step as soon as you can
reach him and strike a quick Wrath Strike, which he must defend from, to his
left ear. Nimbly follow the strike over with an Under Strike against his lower
right opening, thus you have now attacked. Under this as and when he is reached
for work and the arms show he will strike, then fall low with your sword onto
his arm and behind his charge so that he can not come to work, as he will then
not be able to rightly defend from this, then thrust to him with an incomplete
shove from yourself, that he likewise shows that he would fall, and meanwhile
slash to the next opening that you know you have, but if he reaches this and
strikes you off, then be there again with the cut or displacement, and fall
against his strike on the blade, if he goes off the blade again, then cut him on
the arm again, but if he stays on your sword then thrust his sword aside with
your hilt and nimbly let your sword fly again to the next opening and swing to
him after your need. Thus now you shall fight with all elements of the sword to
the body, and from the body to the sword, but where he would twitch or flow off
from you, then always use the cut for help, and where you can't cut, then there
can be no useful fencing, but where you can do it rightly, then swing to him as
you will. He who can break the cut himself, you will find less, but he who
cannot rightly lead the cut will soon be broken.
If you stand in the right Wrath stance and your opponent strikes from his right
to your left, then with a step of your right foot drive with displacement under
his blade and over your head, and catch his strike on your flat with your thumb
underneath, and the blade hanging below you somewhat to the ground, but as soon
as in glides then step with the left foot to his right side, and wind the short
edge under his sword inward to his head, as shown by the small middle figures in
illustration L. (Note: the translator suspects images I and L got mixed up in
the transcript. Image L seems to be missing.) When you have wound, then hold
your sword with the short edge on his, and wrench the sword out following
against your right above you, as shown by the small middle figures in
illustration F, thus that your hands complete the wrench high in the air and
crossed over, and slash in (keeping your hands high) with an inwinding flat to
his lower right opening, as soon as he swipes against it in displacement, then
don't pull but twitch high again and strike a glide strike to his left ear, but
in this strike let the blade swing in deep over your hands and fence quickly
away from him.
F
If your counterpart strikes to you from above, then step and strike to him from your right with a high traversing Middle Strike, thus also through and away from his long edge strike in flight so that your blade flies over with the half edge against his left ear but, as soon as you near it, flow off and twitch over your head from your right to your left, step and slash him with an inverted flat from your left to his right ear, high traversing through the middle line shown on the larger figure on the right of illustration A
If it happens that he would not strike, then place yourself into the right Wrath stance and drive over your forward thigh thus: Stay standing with your left foot planted and strike seriously from your right over your left leg into the left Changer, from there travel over yourself again with the short edge through the strike line which you just traveled through from above so that your sword comes to your right shoulder again. Do this then once or thrice and, at the last when you see your opportunity, then drive the short edge in a move from your left above in the air over yourself and let it snap over thus into an upstrike to his lower right opening with your third step, and as this is then pulled right, then slash a deep one again with the short edge over your hand to his left ear, in this let your pommel snap full above yourself, thus letting it go deeper, then twitch over again and drive a strike to his lower right opening with two forward steps, and then as such is pulled right, then slash again over your hand with the short edge to his left ear, in this let your pommel snap above yourself thus making it go deeper, twitch over again and drive a strike to his right, yet still soon traverse again to his left with a back step and then pull out.
In the pre-fencing strike into the right Wrath and, as soon as your opponent goes off, then raise your hands high over your head and let your point shoot forward toward his face as if you would stab, but twitch off again and slash with inverted hands or reversed flat from your lower right out to his left ear or arm together with a retreating step. If he then strikes from above at the same time as you, then nimbly twitch over after the swords meet and slash diagonally deep to his upper right opening with an inward flat so that your hands become crossed, yet then pull out to yourself again as if you would strike to his left but don't, rather twitch off again without engaging and strike thus with the short edge in a circle to his right ear so that the short edge grazes his ear. During this keep your hands high above you and step around with the circle then step back and strike a direct vertex strike to his head, then twitch nimbly above yourself again with a high traversing cross. That is, come over your head into the Crown, from there traverse to both sides, the first on the right with the long edge, the other to the left with the short edge, keeping your thumb always under the ricasso, and pull off.
Rule (Regel.)
When you stand in the Right or Left Wrath, and one strikes to you from below committing to your right or left opening, then strike high outward with the long edge and, just as it engages, then shoot the point on his sword inward to his face, just then drive off with your hands and work to the next opening with elements of going before or after.
Left Wrath Stance (Lincke Zornhut.)
When at the onset you come into the Left Wrath stance, then drive over the right thigh, as above with the left, one strike, two, three, yet then step and strike from your low left out strongly through your right above yourself, so that your sword flies over in the air in an upstrike toward your right, then twitch over your head and strike a strong traverse to his left ear, onward quickly crosswise and high traverse to all four openings: to his left over the hand, be it high or low, that is reversed or inverted with the hand, and on his right with an inward flat, that is under the hand.
Sutor:
Attack your opponent from above then step and flatten to strike in a high traverse cut from your right as he withdraws so that you cut with the half edge to his left ear, close against further withdrawal, move to your right while transitioning left over his head, step and hit his right ear with another traverse with the Weak, striking through the middle line.
Ox
Goliath:
How
one shall drive the four windings from the two upper hangings that is the Ox
from both sides.
How
you drive the first two windings from the Ox only on the right side is thus:
When
you come to him in pre-fencing, then stand with the left foot forward and hold
your sword before your head to your right side in the Ox. If he strikes one high
to you from his right side, then wind the short edge on his sword to your left
side in his strike into the Ox and stab him
one high to the face, that is one winding. If he then displaces the stab with
strength and forces your sword to the side, then stay on the sword and wind
again to your right side into the Ox and stab him high to the face. These are
the two windings on the sword from the one high hanging on the right side.
Following
are the other two windings from the Ox, on the left side, thus:
When you come to him with pre-fencing then stand in the guard of the Ox on the left side, if he strikes one high to you from his left side then wind against his strike with the long edge to your right side on his sword and stab him one high to his face, this is one winding. If he displaces the stab and punches the sword to the side, then stay on the sword and wind the long edge to your left side into the Ox on his sword and stab him one high to the face. These are the four windings from the two upper hangings on the left and right side.
Meyer:
I hope you have taken and judged how you will apply your strikes and elements
against your opponent's four openings with sufficient guidance from the parts
taught up to now, also how at times how you should apply a wind, cut, note the
flowing off, circle, and flying off with stepping, which are not counted alone
as such from this, indeed pre-fencing from all other stances shall also be
understood. So now, because the Ox is an especially good stance to engage your
opponent, I will give a short lesson and rules on how you shall engage your
opponent in the Before, rush, and force displacement from it.
And mark now the first, that you have four available attacks from either side,
driven forth through the four leading lines as was explained and made apparent
in the initial chapter, the lines being the correct paths for all strikes which
would be driven and struck from you to your opponent.
The first of two is when you approach against your opponent with the Plunge Strike, which plunges as you hold your point toward him, and hold it steady (as was taught above) so that your thrust is obviously indicated, from which as soon as you can reach your opponent to attack, be it from below or above, wrathful or high traverse, as is shown through the lines, you will now attack through them from one side striking either high traverse or diagonally against him, be it with long or short edge or with the flat. This you bring on forcefully and nimbly Before him, and must force unto him so that he can not come to other work without your leave, then if he would soon try to work against you, then you will already be at his throat with traveling after, cuts, hits, and similar work following, with which you let no work be accomplished, thus now from this lesson's elementary basis, an example of how to judge this in both attacking and traveling after will be given:
In the pre-fencing when you have come into the guard of the Ox through a plunge, then strike (as soon as you can reach him) a serious and forceful Wrath Strike from your right to his left ear with a long right foot step, as soon as the strike touches or hits, then almost twitch off again and strike over against his left arm, also with the long edge, but with this strike step with your left foot to his right and take your head out to the side behind your blade, just then he may be ready either to strike or otherwise with his sword stretched out ahead to displace, so at first let your blade hang behind you from your right arm, and meanwhile twitch your grip over your head to your right and take his blade (he is stretched out from striking or displacing) with your long edge or flat and strongly and forcefully high traverse out from your right to his left so that you break out fully with your blade, and in this outward stride let your blade fly above again in a traverse over your head against his left ear, from there twitch your sword over your head again and strike a strong strike swinging in to his right ear with the flat outward, in a flat strike as shown by the larger figure on the right hand side of illustration K, also mark diligently that you step fully out with the left foot to his right side in this strike, from this flatstrike or Bounce Strike twitch your sword high over your head, keeping your hands high, and let the blade fly over with the long edge to his right arm, and yet don't impact, but traverse nimbly to his left ear while stepping back with the right foot, and sign off. This play, when you have arranged it thus, gives you thus the cut held (as taught above) in reserve, with which you can make more room, either in fencing the full play, or onward in taking another part.
Note that in the onset when you can reach your opponent from the Ox, as was just taught, then twitch your sword over your head and slash a strong and well aimed high traverse from your right with the flat outward to his left ear, yet from there twitch over your head and slash with an outward flat from the other side, also high traversing here. After these two strikes fence to what you think is a good opportunity. Thus you can always attack crosswise and against each other, which also leads out of fencing.
At times you can also, as opportunity allows, attack seriously from one side high traversing to the other, and this on one side somewhat with the long edge, on the other with the short edge or flat. At the last thus also mark where one would be rushed in this guard, so that you cannot bring any element into the before, then shoot forward just then into his face with a step forward in the long point, and in this shooting forward turn the long edge against his oncoming strike and, as soon as you engage, wind on his sword to the next opening.
Unicorn (Einhorn)
Meyer:
Note, come into the pre-fencing with your left foot forward and strike above
yourself from your right with the short edge, one time, twice, through in front
of your face, and the third time stay in the long point with your sword thus
stretched out in front of you, turn the long edge above you toward your right so
that your pommel goes through under your right arm and your hands cross over one
another, drive thus above yourself with crossed hands, thus you stand in the
Unicorn, as was told of before, from then strike ahead (seeing that your left
foot stays forward) with two consecutive upstrikes, the first from your right,
the other from your left, both hard upward near his body so that in the second
upstrike your hands cross over again as before. Drive thus nimbly above yourself
flying off again into the Unicorn, raise your left foot somewhat up, then soon
set it quickly down again, with such faking and displays you pull him in so that
he then strikes to your left opening, yet just as he strikes then let your blade
sink down in front of you, and then twitch your sword over your head, strike
thus with the long edge high traversing from your right (with an advancing step
of the same foot) against his oncoming strike, such that you catch his strike in
the high traverse on the strong of your sword, as soon as the swords glide
together, then burst with your right foot still forward against his left side,
and raise your sword above you rushing a bit from his blade. Yet while you (as
was told) drive a bit above you, then thrust your pommel through under your
right arm so that your hands become crossed, quickly and nimbly with an inward
flat or short edge (with the next intended step out to his left) behind his
sword to his head, as the small figures on the left side of illustration C show,
you thus expose your left opening, he will rush to do the same, thus do no more
then pull your pommel out from under your right arm again, and wind your sword
into the long point so that your long edge turns to stand against his blade,
thus you stand in direct displacement, as is shown by the other smaller figures
in the same illustration, or when you have crossed the half edge inward toward
his head with crossed hands, so that you have given an opening on your left
side, if he rushes (as described before) to fence the same way, then keep your
hands crossed, pull your head full to the right, and shoot to him with your
blade fully over his, the closer to his hilt the better, thus wrench his blade
out to your left, as is shown by the small figures on the right hand side of
illustration D, and, when this wrench out comes near your left side, drive out
with your hands and slash over them with the half edge deep to his left ear,
after which you come nimbly with your long edge onto his sword after pulling out
at your pleasure.
first part C
second part C
alternate D
Or when you thus come to be in the Unicorn in front of your opponent, then mark Just As he strikes from above to let your blade drive over your head and bind on his sword from your right high traversing to your left and, as soon as he goes off above from this, then let your blade snap over again so that your right hand comes over your left and fall forward to his arms with the short edge and crossed hands while he is still driving off, as is shown by the outermost figures on the right hand of illustration I, then thrust away forcefully out from your left side with your hilt and strike nimbly when he shows his next opening, or follow after him until you can have your advantage.
Note when you have flown out to both sides and come into the Unicorn above you, if your opponent then strikes from his right to the left of your head, then step with your right foot toward his left well away from his strike, and then drop onto the strong of his sword (such that your hands stay crosswise) with the short edge above. This requires an offstep every time which shall be completed at the same time as his oncoming strike, and just as the swords glide together in this way, just then let the short edge snap off again up from his sword, and hit him with it over his hands to his head, after this strike with the long edge and an outstep. From this Unicorn you can also fence and attack rightly and well with the understrike and the thwart, as many good plays shall also go onward similarly when you consider it afterward.
Key
Meyer:
This guard is named the Key since all other elements and stances can be broken from this stance just as well as that which can happen from others where you will actually need more force to do so than in this one, and since a key is a small instrument which, without particular effort or force, can enter a big strong castle where otherwise a man must use great force, thus from this weak stance (as it may seem) all other elements will be broken artfully and delicately without special effort, and basically that's the story. In the pre-fencing put yourself in this guard and, even as how to fence in such forms as the Unicorn was told before, it stands against your opponent's guards, left or right, high or low, thus stab to him from the Key before yourself directly to his face into the Long Point, the stab of which he (if he doesn't want to be hit) must defend from. On whichever side he then hits out from, then let your blade then swipe away with intent as he hits out to it, drive over your head and strike him to the same side that he struck out from, if he swipes after it, then don't let it hit, but let it fly off to another opening, and strike away from him as he seeks for another opening.
Don't go to other stances with your opponent, but force them out from you by striking, if he strikes just then from above or from below, from the right or from the left, then mark just as he strikes in, then shoot your Long Point in front of you into his face, and at the same time as shooting forward twist your long edge against his oncoming strike, when you have caught his strike on the strong of your long edge, then stay hard on his blade and wind in nimbly outward to his head, but if he goes nimbly off from your sword striking to the other side, then strike or rush him (while his sword is still driving out) to his head or arms, hurry soon after this to bind again on his sword and think of traveling after, slices, wrenches out, and misleading.
Basically from this forward Guard you fence elements in the Before and shall attack through it, thus you can take off to the elements to which one breaks the High Guard acting from this Key.
Hanging Point
Talhoffer:
Tafel 6
Against the lower openings. - Also at the lower openings.
First Look: these combatants are both in the free hanging point stance and attempting to plunge a thrust against the lower openings. Both are also binding the opponent's blade in a blade play meant to hold off the thrust. The guy on the right has crossed his stance and is in trouble.
Second look: there's probably a lot of winding in this engagement. The guy on the right is still in trouble.
Meyer:
In the pre-fencing strike forcefully from your left above you through toward his face in a sweep, once, twice, and the third time don't let your sword swing out before your face but twist it into the Hanging Point, as shown on the right hand side of figure F and as taught before, and do this a number of times until you see your opportunity to attack with an element, but if your opponent strikes to you during this (while you stand thus in the Hanging Point) from above, or high traverse, or from below to your fingers, or against your head on the left, then step soon out to your left with the left foot behind the right, and twitch at the same time as he strikes, your sword thus hangs from above you against your right shoulder, from here step and strike at the same time as him left to his head, pull the pommel hard to your inward arm in this strike onto the flat, then swing your blade on forcefully to his head. hold your pommel thus hard on your arm and wrench thus out above you with outstretched blade to your left, let this wrench thus fly over your head and traverse strike strong to his left.
But if he strikes to your right side from above, then catch his strike on your blade's flat and step out to his right, or stay with your blade (just as the blades have struck together) on the side and wind the short edge inwards to his head, twist nimbly with the sword into the Long Point from the wind, such that you smite his after work away from you, but if he fences in to you from below your blade to your right ear, away from what happens, then twist yet again into the long point with the long edge below, thus setting aside his blade, yet while you displace at the same time also step nimbly with the left foot to his right and thrust your pommel (just as the parry is about to engage) through under your right arm, thus raise your sword high with crossed hands, and hit again nimbly upward with the half edge to his right ear, if he displaces this then let the blade flow off near your right, and step back again with your left foot and meanwhile with your back step strike a forceful middle strike, traverse over to his left ear or arm, then pull out. What would be fenced further is easily taken onward from here.
Iron Door
Goliath:
You should also try the bend strike from the barrier guard, from both sides, And in the guard set yourself thus, when you come to him in the pre-fencing, then stand with the left foot forward, and hold your sword close on your right side, with your point to the ground, so that your long edge is above, and give an opening on the left side. If he Strikes then to the opening, then burst out from the strike with your right foot against him, well to your right side, and strike in with crossed hands, from the long edge with the point out to his hands.
From the Barrier Guard
Thus put yourself in the barrier guard, to your left side, when you come to him with it in the pre-fencing, then stand with the right foot forward, and hold your sword near your left side, to the ground with crossed hands, that the short edge is above, and give an opening with your right side, if he Strikes to your opening, then burst out of the strike against him with the left foot well to his right side, and strike in the burst with the short edge over the hands.
Talhoffer:
Der vollführt den verschränkten Ort (Stoss). - Der haut von oben.
He drives forward into the crossed point (Stab). - He hews from above.
The fighter on the right has launched an overhead attack to his opponent's left. Your basic overhead attack, nothing special.
The fighter on the left has stepped forward with his left foot and raised his arms into a crossed guard. He is now pointing at his opponent. His opponent's blade is safely on the outside. He will now complete his thrust.
Meyer:
This Iron Door is actually (as said above) the Barrier Guard, from which you fence thus: if he strikes one from above, then drive thus out with crossed hands and catch his strike on the strong of your blade, just as he then takes his sword off your blade from this strike, then strike him (while his arms pull over himself) with a forceful upstrike to his arms, as soon as he tries to clear off then fence to his head.
Note, displace his high strike as before, and just as the swords glide together then wind the short edge nimbly inward to his right ear, then wind again to his left side nimbly over him with your pommel through below, and with a back step strike long to the left of his head. However where he would fence to you from below, then fall from above with the long edge onto his sword into the Long Point. The Iron Door or Barrier Guard breaks out the Key, namely stab toward his face forcing him above himself, and then fence after him (just as he drives overhead) from below.
Close Guard
Meyer:
From the Close Guard you will fence into the Bend Strike; as you have been struck to an opening when you hold yourself in the right Close Guard, then step springing with your right foot to his left well away from his strike, and strike with crossed hands above and behind his blade to his head, twitch nimbly (where you don't want to wrench out to your left) above him with crossed hands and hit strongly with the outward flat from below to his left ear; however where he won't strike, then fence such as you will learn from the Middle Guard following this.
Middle Guard
Meyer:
(Note:
this is similar to the dussack middle guard shown on
page
23 of Sutor's fechtbuch, right side fencer)
You will learn of the Middle Guard later with the Dussack, whereas that will be done with one hand, here you shall place yourself in it with two hands. Then even if in the beginning I was not well disposed to set this here, I can indeed (since from nothing else can the Ward of the Roses be taught onward) otherwise not go forward, then mark when one comes ahead to you so that his sword is stretched out before him in the long point or else driving in direct displacement, then drive with your blade around in a circle from the middle guard right over around his, so that you come right back to the same middle guard with your blade, from there swing the weak forcefully out to him over his arm to his head, or as he then (just as you would drive over his blade through the roses) meanwhile would fall from above down to your opening, then take his blade outward with the half edge, namely on the second time you come to be in the middle guard, then as quickly as he has not yet come to reach your opening, you come around just then with the Roses, with which you have enough time to come to the described out, after this you still take him outward, then let flow over in a curve in the air over your head (by which you mislead him) through a circle to the next opening.
Or as you have struck to the left into the Middle Guard in pre-fencing, and your counterpart strikes below this to you from above, then step well out from his strike to his right side, and throw your short edge above or outside his right arm to his head, and in this throw in let your blade shoot well in, either to his head or above both his arms, then nimbly twitch your sword upward again and strike him strongly with the long edge from your left above to his right arm, from there fence to him onward as with previous and following elements at your pleasure, and meanwhile since the Roses can also be fenced rightly from the Long Point, just as I set forth the previous element, I will describe it with the Long Point as well thus:
