Lew

Lew
Lew
Occupation	Fencing master
Ethnicity	Jewish (?)
Movement	Liechtenauer Tradition
Genres	Fencing manual ; Wrestling manual ;
Language	Early New High German
Principal; manuscript(s)	Cod. I.6.4º.3 (1460s) ; MS M.I.29 (1491) ; MS Var.82 (1570-71) ;
Manuscript(s)	MS 26-232 (1512) ; MS 963 (1538) ; MS Dresd. C.93/4 (1542) [more]
Concordance by	Michael Chidester
Translations	Traduction française ; slovenský preklad ; Traducción castellano ;

Lew or Lewe is the presumed name of a 15th century German fencing master. He seems to have stood in the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, though he was not included in Paulus Kal's ca. 1470 list of the members of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer.^[1]

The name Lewe means "lion" and might have been a nickname or pseudonym. The colophon to the Cod. I.6.4º.3,^[2] which states "Here ends the Jewish art of the man called Lew",^[3] has lead people to fabricate names like Jud Lew or Jude Lew (meaning "Lew the Jew"), even though such a name doesn't appear anywhere in the historical record, and even to speculate that Lew might be a Germanization of a Hebrew name like Levi.

Lew is sometimes erroneously credited with authoring the whole of the Cod. I.6.4º.3, which is an anonymous compilation of various fencing treatises created in the 1460s. His name is actually associated with just two sections of that book: he is credited as the author of an armored fencing treatise which was really written by Martin Huntsfeld,^[4] and is mentioned at the end of a gloss of Johannes Liechtenauer's Recital on mounted fencing^[5] (by convention, the gloss of Liechtenauer's Recital on long sword fencing that almost always accompanies this mounted gloss is also attributed to Lew). Though this colophon is generally regarded as indicating that Lew authored the gloss (which is one branch of the larger Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss family), it could alternatively be interpreted to mean that Lew was the scribe or client for the whole manuscript.

Textual History

Manuscript Stemma

Early on in its history, the prototype of the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss seems to have split into at least three branches, and no definite copies of the unaltered original are known to survive. The gloss of Sigmund ain Ringeck also seems to be related to this work, due to the considerable overlap in text and contents, but it is currently unclear if Ringeck's gloss is based on that of pseudo-Danzig or if they both derive from an even earlier original gloss (or even if Ringeck and pseudo-Danzig are the same author and the "Ringeck" gloss should be considered a fourth branch).

Provisional stemma codicum for Branch A

Branch A, first attested in the Augsburg version (1450s) and comprising the majority of extant copies, has more plays overall than Branch B but generally shorter descriptions in areas of overlap. It also glosses only Liechtenauer's Recital on long sword and mounted fencing; in lieu of a gloss of Liechtenauer's short sword, it is generally accompanied by the short sword teachings of Andre Lignitzer and Martin Huntsfeld (or, in the case of the 1512 Vienna II, Ringeck's short sword gloss). Branch A is sometimes called the Lew gloss, based on a potential attribution at the end of the mounted gloss in a few copies. Apart from the Augsburg, the other principal text in Branch A is the Salzburg version (1491), which was copied independently^[6] and also incorporates twelve paragraphs from Ringeck's gloss and nineteen paragraphs from an unidentified third source. Branch A was redacted by Paulus Hector Mair (three mss., 1540s), Lienhart Sollinger (1556), and Joachim Meyer (1570), which despite being the latest is the cleanest extant version. This branch was also one of the bases for Johannes Lecküchner's gloss on the Messer in the late 1470s.

Branch B, attested first in the Rome version (1452), is found in only five manuscripts; it tends to feature slightly longer descriptions than Branch A, but includes fewer plays overall. Branch B glosses Liechtenauer's entire Recital, including the short sword section, and may therefore be considered more complete than Branch A; it also differs in that three of the four known copies are illustrated to some extent, where none in the other branches are. Branch B is the one most commonly identified with pseudo-Danzig, because it is entirely anonymous and lacks any clues for other attribution. The Krakow version (1535-40) seems to be an incomplete (though extensively illustrated) copy taken from the Rome,^[7] while Augsburg II (1564) collects only the six illustrated wrestling plays from the Krakow. The other substantial version of Branch B is the Vienna, which includes the mounted and short sword sections but omits the long sword in favor of Branch C. Most anomalous are the Glasgow version (1508), consisting solely of a nearly-complete redaction of the short sword gloss which begins with seven paragraphs of unknown origin, and the Dresden version, consisting of a redaction of the first half of the mounted fencing gloss which begins with four paragraphs from Ringeck. A final manuscript, the Falkner Turnierbuch, is known to have once existed but seems to have been destroyed in the Siege of Strasbourg.

Branch C is first attested in the Vienna version (1480s). It is unclear whether it was derived independently from the original, represents an intermediate evolutionary step between Branches A and B, or was created by simply merging copies of those two branches together. The structure and contents of this branch align closely with Branch B, lacking most of the unique plays of Branch A, but the actual text is more consistent with that of Branch A (though not identical). The other mostly-complete copy of Branch C is the Augsburg version II (1553), which was created by Paulus Hector Mair based on the writings of Antonius Rast, and which segues into the text of Ringeck's gloss for the final eighteen paragraphs. A substantial fragment of Branch C is present in five additional 16th century manuscripts alongside the illustrated treatise of Jörg Wilhalm; one of these, Glasgow II (1533) assigns the text a much earlier origin, stating that it was devised by Nicolaüs in 1489. This branch has received the least attention and is currently the least well understood.

(A final text of interest is the gloss of Hans Medel von Salzburg, which was acquired by Mair in 1539^[8] and bound into the Cod. I.6.2º.5 after 1566.^[9] Medel demonstrates familiarity with the teachings of a variety of 15th century Liechtenauer masters, and his text often takes the form of a revision and expansion of the long sword glosses of Ringeck and Branch C. Because of the extent of original and modified content, no attempt has been made on either of those pages to associate Medel's gloss with the sources he was copying from.)

Modern HEMA

The Augsburg, Salzburg, and Munich manuscripts, as well as the Dresden and Vienna copies of Paulus Hector Mair's works, were all cataloged in Martin Wierschin's monumental Meister Johann Liechtenauers Kunst des Fechtens of 1965. In 1985, Hans-Peter Hils added three more in his updated catalog in Meister Johann Liechtenauers Kunst des langen Schwertes: the Vienna and Graz manuscripts as well as the Munich Mair.

However, until the 2010s, the Lew gloss was generally dismissed as an inferior copy of the Pseudo-Peter von Danzig gloss and largely ignored for that reason. Most work on it until recently has been incidental in the course of larger projects (such as transcribing whole manuscripts that happened to include it). The exception to this is the Salzburg long sword, whose additional paragraphs of commentary by anonymous authors (including, unbeknownst to most people, Sigmund ain Ringeck) set it apart as more unique than the others and garnered slightly more attention.

The first transcription of a copy of Lew, the Augsburg version, was produced by Grzegorz Żabiński (long sword) and Monika Maziarz (mounted fencing) in 2001 and posted on the ARMA-Pl site. The Salzburg version soon followed in 2002, with substantial portions being transcribed by curator Beatrix Koll and posted on the University of Salzburg site. That same year, Anton Kohutovič transcribed the German text of the Vienna manuscript by Paulus Hector Mair and posted it on the Gesellschaft Lichtenawers site. Then in 2006, a transcription of the Graz version was produced by U. Bergner and J. Giessauf and published by Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt in Würgegriff und Mordschlag. Die Fecht- und Ringlehre des Hans Czynner (1538), the first printed treatment of a version of Lew.

Based on this early work, individual French translations of the Augsburg and Salzburg versions of the mounted fencing (along with the Rome and Dresden Pseudo-Danzigs) were produced by Michaël Huber and posted on the ARDAMHE site in 2004. In 2010, he followed this up with a translation of the long sword (along with the Rome Ps-Danzig and the Dresden Ringeck) with Philippe Errard and Didier de Grenier, which was also posted on the ARDAMHE site; these French translations were subsequently translated into Spanish by Eugenio García-Salmones and posted on the AVEH site in 2011. During the mid-'00s, Jeffrey Forgeng produced a private English translation of the complete works of Mair, which presumably included the Lew glosses but which has never seen public release.

Dierk Hagedorn authored new transcriptions of the Augsburg version in 2008 and the Salzburg version in 2009, both of which were posted on Hammaborg. In 2012, Pierre-Henry Bas transcribed large sections of the Dresden version of Mair's work for his dissertation and released them on his blog REGHT. Also in 2012, Martin Fabian produced a Slovak translation of the Salzburg long sword and posted it on the Bratislavský šermiarsky spolok site.

In addition to these versions that had been identified as early as Wierschin and Hils, eventually newly-discovered versions began to appear. It's unclear when the Rostock manuscript was first identified as pertaining to Joachim Meyer, but it began circulating prior to 2009 and Kevin Maurer authored a partial transcription in 2011, after which Lew's sections were recognized; Dierk Hagedorn posted a complete transcription on Hammaborg in 2015. Conversely, the Vienna version has been known as a manuscript illustrated by Albrecht Dürer for centuries, but the attribution of the mounted fencing teachings to Lew wasn't made until[Dierk Hagedorn released a full transcription in 2016.

Wiktenauer produced its first article on Lew in 2011, containing only the mounted fencing. We didn't separate the long sword from the Pseudo-Danzig article until 2016, when Cory Winslow produced the first public English translation (incorporating all available versions) and donated it to Wiktenauer; in 2019, Per Magnus Haaland rounded off the article with a translation of the mounted fencing based on Mair's Latin translation.

In 2017, a second English translation by Falko Fritz and Thomas Rhem and a modern German translation by Dierk Hagedorn, both based on the Augsburg version, were published by VS-Books in Jude Lew: Das Fechtbuch.

More recently, Stephen Cheney authored a third English translation of the long sword section, based on Augsburg and Salzburg, which he self-published in Ringeck · Danzig · Lew Longsword in 2020. Christian Trosclair also translated the long sword section to English and posted it on Wiktenauer in 2021.

In 2021, Rainer Welle's transcription of the Vienna version was published by Sublilium Schaffer in Albrecht Dürer und seine Kunst des Zweikampfes: auf den Spuren der Handschrift 26232 in der Albertina Wien, and Dierk Hagedorn's transcription and translation into modern German were published by VS-Books in Albrecht Dürer - Das Fechtbuch. In 2022, Dierk Hagedorn followed this up with an English translation, published (along with the transcription) by Greenhill Books in Dürer's Fight Book: The Genius of the German Renaissance and his Combat Treatise.

In 2024, Martin Fabian self-published an English translation of the Salzburg version in his book Fechtbuch Fabian]].

Treatises

While all branches were originally presented in a single concordance in the pseudo-Peter von Danzig article, the differences between them are extensive enough that they merit separate consideration. Thus, Branch A has been placed here on the page of Lew, Branch B has been retained on the main pseudo-Danzig page, and branch C is now on the Nicolaüs page.

Complete Translation (from the German) (2016)
by Cory Winslow

[1] Master Liechtenauer's Art

1	Young knight learn To have love for God; honor women and maidens,
2	So waxes your learning, And learn
3	things that adorn you And in wars sorely court.
4	Wrestle well, grappler. Lance, sword, and messer
5	Manfully handle, And in others’ hands ruin.
6	Hew therein and hit there, Let hang, and let drive,
7	So that your wisdom one May masterfully prize.

[2] Here begins a good common lesson of the long sword, yet such a very good secret art is locked therein.

9	If you will show art, Go yourself left, right with hewing,
10	And left with right, If you most strongly will fence.

The first lesson of the long sword is that before all things, you shall rightly learn the hews so that you will otherwise fence strongly, and undertake that thus: when you stand with the left foot fore and hew from the right side, then the hew is false and incorrect (since the right side remains there behind), and thereby the hew^[12] becomes too short and may not have its correct going to the right side, etc.

[3] Or, if you stand with the right foot fore and hew from the left side, if you then do not follow after with the left foot, then the hew is but false. Therefore, mark when you hew from the right side that you always follow after with the right foot;^[14] the same do also likewise when you hew from the left side. So put your body in the correct balance, and thus the hews become long and correctly hewn, etc.

[4]

11	Whoever goes after hewing, He deserves little joy in his art.

This is when you come to the man with the pre-fencing: then you shall not stand still with your sword and wait after his hews until he hews to you. Know that all fencers who look there on another’s hews and will do nothing other than parry, they deserve little joy in their art since they become sorely struck thereby, etc.

[5]

12	Hew near what you will; No change comes on your shield.
13	To the head, to the body, Do not shun the strikes.
14	With the entire body, Fight so that you most strongly drive.

Undertake that thus: When you come to the man with the pre-fencing, whatever you then wish to fence, you shall drive it with the entire strength of your body, and hew in therewith, near to his head. Therewith you force him so that he must parry, and come to no Changing-through when you come near to him with the point. If he comes then with the parrying strongly on your sword,^[16] then give him a touch on his left arm and step backwards therewith before he comes in.

[6]

15	Hear what is bad there: Fight not left if you are right,
16	And if you are left, In the fencing^[21] you also sorely limp.

This is a good lesson and touches upon a left-hander and a right-hander. And know how you shall hew so that one does not win the Weak of your sword with the first hew, and undertake that thus: when you come to the man with the pre-fencing, if you are then right and will strongly fence, then hew the first hew with purpose (not from the left side). Then he is weak and may not hold against when you bind strongly on him; but^[22] if you hew from the right side, then you may well strongly hold against him and work on the sword whatever you wish.

[7] Likewise, if you are left-handed, then also hew the first hew not from the right side; hew respectively from the left side, since it is rightly quite wild and again tame, to drive art from the left side. Likewise is it also a left-hander from the right side, etc.

[8]

17	Before and After, these two things Are a well-spring to all art.
18	Weak and Strong; "Meanwhile"—mark with that word,
19	So you may learn Working and defending with art.
20	If you frighten easily Learn no fencing^[25] evermore.

This is that you shall, before all things, correctly undertake and understand the two things: that is, the Before and the After, and Weak and Strong, and the word "Meanwhile". When you rightly undertake and understand these things, from them comes the entire foundation of all the Art of Fencing. And going forward, do not forget the word "Meanwhile" in all techniques that you drive; thus you may well be a good Master of the Sword and may well teach princes and lords, that they may be best in play and in earnest with the correct Art of the Sword, etc.

[9] Item, when you come ere with the hew (or such), so that he must parry you, then quickly work Meanwhile ahead of yourself with other techniques with the sword (or such), and let him come to no further work, etc.

[10] Item, when he comes ere with the hew, then you must parry that and then quickly work Meanwhile with parrying with the sword (or such), so you take the Before with the After. That is called Before and After, etc.

[11] Item, now you shall, before all things, know the Weak and Strong of the sword; undertake it thus: from the hilt on to the middle is the Strong, and from the middle on to the point is the Weak. And how you shall work after the Weak and with the Strong, you will find all that written hereafter, etc.

[12]

21	Learn five hews From the right hand against the weapons.
22	Then we praise Your Arts, to teach well.

Mark, there are Five hidden Hews. Whoever can break them with correct art, without injury, becomes praised by^[28] other masters, and shall become rewarded more inexpensively in his art than another. And how you shall hew the Hews with three techniques, you will find all that described hereafter, etc.

[13]

23	Wrath hew, Crooked,^[34] Thwart,^[35] Have Squinter with Parter.
24	Fool, Forfends, Travelling-after, Over-running, Off-setting,
25	Changing-through, Pull, Run-through, Slice-off, Press hands,
26	Hang, Wind,with openings, Blows, grasp, strike, stab with thrusting.

Mark, here become named to you the correct Chief-Techniques of the Art of the Sword, as each are called with their names, so that you can further undertake and understand them.

[14] Mark, of the first, the Five Hews.

The first is called the Wrath-hew.
The second the Crooked-hew.
The third the Thwart-hew.
The fourth the Squinting-hew.
The fifth the Parter-hew.

[15] Item: Now mark thereafter the techniques:

The first are the Four Guards.
The second, the Four Forfendings.
The third, the Travelling-after.
The fourth, Over-running.
The fifth, the Setting-off.
The sixth, the Changing-through.
The seventh, the Pulling.
The eighth, the Running-through.
The ninth, the Slicing-off.
The tenth, the Hand Pressing.
The eleventh, they are the Hangings.
The twelfth, they are the Windings.

[16] Thus are the hews and the techniques seventeen.^[37] You will find them likewise described hereafter, one after another, and also that which you shall fence therefrom, etc.

[17] Here begins the Art of the Long Sword, firstly the Wrath-hew, etc.

The Wrath-hew with its techniques

27	Whoever Over-hews you, Threaten [him] with the Wrath-hew point.
28	If he becomes aware, Take-off above without danger.

Item,^[38] the Wrath-hew breaks all Over-hews with the point, and yet it is nothing more than a simple peasant strike,^[41] and drive that thus: when he hews above from the right side to the head, then wrathfully hew with him also (without any parrying), likewise from above from your right side,^[42] above onto his sword, and let the point shoot in straight ahead of you to the face or the breast. If he then becomes aware of the point and parries with strength, then with your sword on his sword’s blade, tear off from his sword up above over yourself, and hew in to the other side, on his sword’s blade, again in to the head. That is called taking-off above, etc.

[18]

29	Be stronger against Wind, stab, if he sees, then take it down.

This is when^[45] you hew in wrathfully with him: if he then holds strongly against [you] with the sword, if you do not wish to take off above then be strong against [him], and drive up with the arms to your right side and Wind the short edge on his sword, and stab him above into his face. If he becomes aware of the stab and drives up and parries, then remain standing thus in the Winding and set the point on him below, etc.

[19]

30	This even mark, Hew, Stab, Leaguer, Soft or Hard,
31	Meanwhile, Before and After, And guard that your War is not rushed.

This is a lesson: when he binds on your sword (with a hew or with a^[48] stab), then you shall not be too rushed with the War (that is, with the Winding) before you mark very precisely if, when his sword clashes or binds on the other, it is Soft or Hard. And as quickly as you find this, then Wind Meanwhile and work with the War, after the Soft and after the Hard,^[49] to the nearest opening. And you have learned previously that which are called the Before and the After, etc.

[20]

32	Whoever enters the War above, He becomes ashamed below.

Know that the Winding, and the work therefrom to the Four Openings with the point, that same is called the War; drive it thus: when you hew in with the Wrath-hew, as quickly as he then parries, then drive up with the arms, and Wind in the point on his sword above into the upper openings of his left side. If he then sets the upper stab off, then remain thus standing with the Winding and let the point sink down under you to the lower opening on his left side.^[51] If he then follows after your sword with the parrying, then seek the lower opening of his right side with your point. If he then follows further with the parrying, then drive up with the sword on the left side and hang the point above into the upper opening of his right side, and thus he becomes ashamed with the War below and above (if you correctly drive in), etc.

[21]

33	In all Winding, Learn to find Hew, Stab, and Slice.
34	Also you shall, with Proofing, Hew, Stab, or Slice.
35	In all hits You will trick the masters.

Know that you shall be entirely ready with all Windings on the sword, since each Winding has three particular techniques: that is, a Hew, a Stab, and a Slice. And when you Wind on the sword, then you shall well proof and mark that you do not drive the incorrect techniques that pertain in the Winding thus: that you do not Hew when you should Stab, and do not Slice when you should Hew, and also not Stab when you should Slice. And you shall so drive that when the man parries your one, you hit with the other,^[52] and thus shall you always find the correct technique with which to drive rightly pertaining techniques in all hits and all Windings of the sword, if you will trick and deceive the other masters when they are set against you. And how you will Wind on the sword, and how you shall drive, that you will find in the last technique of the Epitome, which says “Who well Hangs”,^[53] etc.

[22]

36	Four openings know, Aim^[56] so you strike wisely,
37	Without any fear, Without confusion for how he acts.

That is when you come^[42] to the man with the pre-fencing, if you will then wisely fence, then you shall namely not hew in to the sword, since you should aim for the Four Openings. These are [one] the right side, the other the left, of the half over the girdle of the man. The other two openings, these are the left and the right side of the half under the girdle.^[57] Take the same openings Before and hew then boldly to [them], and regard not whatever he fences against you. If he then parries, then work in the parrying quickly to the nearest opening. Thus wait out the body and not the sword, etc.

[23]

38	If you will reckon To masterfully break Four Openings,
39	Double above, Mutate correctly below.
40	I say to you truthfully,^[59] No man protects himself without danger.
41	If you have understood this, To strikes may he seldom come.

This is when one earnestly hews in at you: if you will then reckon to break the openings on him with artfulness, so that he must let you strike without thinking, then drive the Doubling against the Strong of the sword^[60] and the Mutating against the Weak. So I say to you truthfully that he cannot guard himself before strikes, and may therefore not come to strikes, etc.

[24] Item, drive the Doubling thus: When he hews to you from his right shoulder, then likewise hew also from your right with him, strongly above in to the head. If he then parries the hew with strength, then drive up quickly with the arms and thrust your pommel under your right arm with your left hand, and strike him with the long edge (with crossed arms) behind his sword’s blade on the head, etc.

[25] Item. Or if you have bound on his sword with the long edge from your left side, then drive quickly up with the arms and remain standing at the sword, and strike in behind his sword’s blade with the short edge on the head.

[26] Item, the Mutating to the right side. When you hew in strongly above from your right shoulder and you bind with the long edge on his sword, then drive up quickly with the arms and remain thus standing at the sword;^[63] if he parries and is Soft in the sword, then Wind the short edge on his sword on your left side, and drive up well with the arms and hang the point above over his sword, and drive the arms^[64] therewith and stab in to the other opening, etc.

[27] Item, the Mutating to the left side. Or if you hew in from the left side with the long edge bound^[56] on his sword, then drive up with the arms and remain with the same edge standing on the sword, and wind yet the short edge over his sword, and drive well up with the arms, and hang the point in above over his sword, and drive there well with the arms, and stab him to the lower opening of his left side.^[65] Thus you may drive the two techniques from all hewing hereafter as you find the Weak and Strong of the sword, etc.

[28] The Crooked-hew with its techniques

42	Crooked on nimbly, Throw the point on the hands.
43	Whoever sets well Crooked With steps injures many hews.

Know that the Crooked-hew is one of the Four Forfendings against the Four Guards.^[67] When therewith one Wars [against] the Ox and also the Over- and the Under-hew,^[68] then drive thus: when you come to the man^[69] with the the pre-fencing, if he then stands against you and holds his sword before the head in the guard of the Ox on his left side, then set your left foot before [you] and hold your sword on your^[70] right shoulder in the guard, and from the guard, spring with the right foot well on the right side, and strike him over his hands with the long edge (with crossed arms), etc.

[29] Another

Item, you shall also drive the Crooked-hew from the Barrier-guard from both sides, and position yourself in the guard thus: when you come to the man with the pre-fencing, then set your^[72] left foot before [you] and hold your sword with the point near your right side on the earth so that the long edge on the sword is turned above, and thus you give an opening with the left side. If he then hews above to your opening, then spring from the hew^[73] with the right foot well on the right side against him, and thrust the pommel of your sword under your right arm with the left hand, and strike him with the long edge (with crossed hands) with the point in his hands, etc.

[30] Item, position yourself thus with the Barrier-guard to your left side: when you come to the man with the pre-fencing, then set your^[75] right foot forward and hold your sword with the point near your left side on the earth with crossed hands, so that the short edge on the sword is above, and give an opening with the right side. If he then hews you to the opening, then step well with the left foot from the hew on your left side, and strike him with the step with the short edge^[76] over his hands, etc.

[31]

44	Hew Crooked to the flat, If you will weaken the masters.
45	When it clashes above, Then stand off, that will I praise.

Mark, this technique you shall drive against the masters from the bind of the swords,^[78] and mark it thus: when you come to the man^[79] with the pre-fencing, then lay your sword to your right side in the Barrier-guard, or hold it on your nearest shoulder. If he then hews above to your opening, then hew strongly with the long edge (with crossed arms) against his hew, and as quickly as the swords clash together, then wind Meanwhile with the sword against your left side and drive up with the arms, and stab in to the upper opening. Or, if you will not stab him, then mark as quickly as it clashes, [and] then hew him Meanwhile with the short edge to the head and to the body, etc.

[32]

46	Crooked not, hew short; Show changing-through therewith.

This is a counter against the guard of the Ox, drive it thus: when you come^[83] to the man with the pre-fencing, if he then stands in the guard and holds his sword on his left side before the head, then throw your sword on your right shoulder^[84] and do as if you will bind on his sword with the Crooked-hew, and hew short and change through below therewith, and shoot the point long in to the other side to the opening, so he must parry. Therewith you come to strikes (and to other work with the sword).

[33]

47	Who errs you Crooked, The Noble War strays him
48	[So] that he does not know truthfully Where he is without danger.

Mark, when you drive the Crooked-hew then you must always give an opening therewith, and that means thus: when you hew in with the Crooked-hew from your right side (or bind on his sword), you are meanwhile open with the left side. Thus, if he is then clever and will hew you from the sword to the opening, and will make you astray with agility; then remain with your sword on his and follow after his hew thereon, and wind the point in Meanwhile to the face, and work in further with the War to the openings, so he truthfully does not know whatever end he should guard or protect^[86] himself on before your hews or before your^[87] stabs.

[34] The Thwart-hew with its techniques

49	Thwart takes What comes From the Day.

Mark, the Thwart-hew breaks the guard From the Day (and all hews that come hewn down From the Day above), and drive the Thwart-hew thus: when you go with the pre-fencing to the man, if he then stands against you and holds his sword with arms up-stretched over himself (high over his^[88] head in the guard) and waits on you, then mark when you come near to him. Then set your^[89] left foot forward and hold your sword with the flat on your right shoulder. If he then steps to you and threatens to strike you, then come Before [him] and spring with the right foot well on your right side, and in the spring, turn your sword with the hilt before your head (so that your thumb comes below), and strike him with the short edge to the left side of his head, etc.

[35] Item, but if he comes Before with the hew ere you do, then spring with the right foot with the previously-described parrying from the hew, well on your right side, and strike him with the Thwart (as is previously stated).

[36]

50	Thwart with the Strong; Mark your work therewith.

Mark, this is when you hew to him with the Thwart, which you shall do with strength. If he then parries, then drive up with the Strong of your sword after the Weak of his sword.^[91] You then seize his Weak with the Strong, [and] then work with the Mutating in over his sword to the lower opening, or above to the neck. If you cannot come to there, then work from the Doubling behind his sword (with the strike to the head), etc.

[37] Item,^[42] if he is too strong for you with the parrying (so that you may not come to the technique), then thrust his sword away with the hilt and strike him with the Thwart to the other side. Or if he will run in on you, then take the Slice under his arms, etc.

[38]

51	Thwart to the Plow, To the Ox, hard joined.
52	Whatever you Thwart well, With springing endanger the head.

Mark, you have heard before how the Ox and the Plow are named two Leaguers or two Guards, so here they are called the^[56] Four Openings. The Ox, that is the upper two openings on the right and left side of the head. So is the Plow the lower two openings, also the right and the left side, of the lower half of the girdle of the man. And you shall strike these openings with the Thwart in the pre-fencing, seeking all four.

[39]

Item,^[92] here mark the Thwart strike to the Four Openings, etc.

Item, when you come to him with the pre-fencing, if he then stands against you in the guard From the Day, then spring with the right foot against him (well on your right side), and strike him above with the Thwart to the Ox on his left side with full art. If he parries you,^[56] then strike^[93] him quickly below to the Plow on his right side, and then quickly drive the Thwart-strike further, always one to the Ox, the other to the Plow, crosswise from one side to the other, to the head and to the body,^[94] etc.

[40] Item, you shall also remember that you shall always spring-out widely on a side with each Thwart-strike, so that you may hit^[95] him to the head therewith, and meanwhile see that you are well-guarded above with the hilt before your head.

[41]

53	Failer misleads. From below it hits as you wish.

Mark, the Failer is a technique that becomes planned by the fencer and therewith hits as he wishes, and strikes those that like to parry and those that hew to the sword and not to the openings of the body.

[42] Another

Item, drive the Failer thus, when you come to the man^[96] with the pre-fencing, then hew the Under-hews from both sides. If you then come on him with an Under-hew from your right side, then shoot in^[56] the point therewith long in to the breast, so he must parry. Then spring quickly with the left foot on his right side, and do as if you will strike him thereto, but pull the hew and strike quickly around again to the left side with the Thwart. Or,^[97] if you come before the left side with the Under-hew on him, then shoot in the point yet long, and drive the driving as it stands before in the nearest description, etc.

[43]

54	Inverter forces Running-through, also with wrestling.
55	The elbow take knowingly, Spring in his balance.

Mark, you shall covertly bring the Inverter^[99] in the pre-fencing, when you force the man therewith so that you may Run-through him and correctly grasp him with wrestling.

[44] Item, drive the Inverter thus: When you come to the man with the pre-fencing, and have gone the half,^[101] then go the other half further to him, each^[102] with the left foot before, and hew a free Under-hew from the right side in accordance with each step forward,^[103] according to the left foot, and with the hew, so Invert (or^[104] turn the long edge of^[105] the sword always above). And as quickly as you bind him on his sword therewith, then hang the point in above Meanwhile and stab him to the face. If he parries the stab and drives high up with the arms, then Run-through him. Or, if he remains low with the hands in the parrying, then grip his right elbow with the left hand, and hold fast, and spring with the left foot in front of his right, and thrust him thus thereover.

[45] Item, and how^[106] when you shall Run-through, that you will find hereafter described in the technique that speaks "Run-though, let hang with the pommel if you will wrestle."^[107]

[46]

56	Failer twofold. If it hits, then make with the Slice.
57	Twofold further, Step in left and be not lax.

Mark, this is called the Twofold Failer, and drive^[108] it thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, then set the left foot fore and hold your sword on the right shoulder, and when you see that he is even to you,^[109] then spring against him with the right foot well out on your right side, and do as if you will hew him with a free Thwart strike to his left side to the^[110] head, but pull the hew, and spring with the left foot well around him to his right side, and strike him with the Thwart to his^[111] head. If he parries you^[92] and you hit his sword, then step away to^[112] the same side near him, and slice him behind his sword's blade with the short edge, with the Doubling in the mouth. Or fall in with the sword over both arms and slice.^[113] Drive that to both sides. You may also likewise drive the Failer from the Over-hew as from the Thwart strike, if that is what you wish, etc.^[114]

[47] The Squinter-the with its techniques

58	Squinter breaks in Whatever Buffalo strikes or stabs.
59	Who threatens to Change, Squinter robs him therefrom.

Know that the Squinter is a strange, good, serious^[42] technique, when it breaks in with power, with hew and with stab, and goes ahead with inverted sword. Therefore many masters of the sword^[116] know nothing to say of the hew. And also [it breaks] the guard that is called the Plow.

[48] Item, drive the Squinter thus: when you come with the pre-fencing to the man, then set your^[117] left foot fore and hold your sword on your right shoulder. If he then hews you from above to your head, then turn your sword and spring ahead with the right foot, and hew long against his hew with the short edge, with arms stretched over his sword in^[42] to his face or his^[42] breast. If he then is thus clever and Fails with the hew and Changes-through below your sword, then remain with long arms with the point before his face so he may not harm you, nor come through below, etc.

[49] Item, another technique:

When you stand against him and hold your sword on your right shoulder, if he then stands against you in the guard of the Plow and threatens to stab you below, then hew him^[42] long from the Squinter, with the short edge in above, and shoot in the point to his face or breast, so he may not reach you below with the stab, etc.

[50] Another item

When you stand against and have your sword on your right shoulder, if he stands then against you in the guard of the Plow and threatens to stab you below, then turn your hew in with the short edge, long in above, so he may not reach you below with the stab.^[118]

[51]

60	Squint that he is short on you, Changing-through defeats him.

This is a lesson, that when you go ahead with the pre-fencing, then you shall squint with your face or see if he fights you short, and the shortening of the sword is undertaken thus: when he does not lengthen the arms with his^[119] hew, then he is shortened. If you lie in the guard Fool,^[120] if he will fall thereon with the sword, so is he^[56] but shortened. If he fights against you from the Ox or from the Plow, that is also short, and all Windings before the man, they are all short,^[121] and such fencers shall you then Change-through. Therewith you compel them that they must parry, so then^[42] you may freely hew and work with the sword, and also with wrestling, etc.

[52] Item, another lesson

When you go to him with the pre-fencing, then you shall squint with the face if he fights short against you. You shall thus discern if, when he hews, he does not stretch the arms before himself long from him with the hew, then is his sword shortened. And [against] all fencers that so fight short,^[122] Change-through freely then from hews and from stabs with the Longpoint, therewith you beset them on the sword so that they must let you^[123] come to bind on^[124] them and allow you to strike.

[53]

61	Squint to the point, Take the neck without fear.

Mark, this is a technique against the Longpoint with a betrayal of the face, drive it thus: when you come to the man^[125] with the pre-fencing, if he then stands and holds his^[126] point against your face or breast,^[127] then hold your sword on your right shoulder and squint with the face to the point, and do as if you will hew in thereto, and hew strongly with the Squinter (with the short edge on his sword), and shoot in the point long therewith to the neck with a step forward of your right foot, etc.

[54]

62	Squint to the upper Head, if you will ruin the hands.

Item, when he stands against you in the Longpoint, if you will then strike over his hands, then squint in to his face and to his head and do as if you will strike him thereupon, but strike him then with the Squinter, with the point on his hands, etc.

[55]

56	Failer twofold Hit one then slice with might
57	Twofold it further Step in left and be not lax^[129]

This is how you shall drive the failer twofold to both sides. And undertake that thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, then set the left foot fore and hold your sword on your^[130] the right shoulder, and when you see that he is even to you, then spring against him^[97] well out with the right foot on your^[131] right side, and do as if you^[132] will hew a free Over-hew to his left side to his head. If he drives then before with the parrying, then pull the hew again up and spring quickly with the left foot well around the man to his right side, and in the spring but do as if you will strike to the right side,^[133] and fore-pull and spring again with the right foot around him on his left side and strike to the same side freely with one. Meanwhile, if he will attack after the opening, then fall in with the long edge in the arms with the edge^[134] and press from you.

And you shall know to drive from both sides, and that may you drive from the Thwart strike.

[56] The Parter with its techniques

63	The Parter, With its turn,
64	Is, to the face And the breast, quite a danger.
65	Whatever comes from him, The Crown takes that off.
66	Slice through the Crown, So you yet break it.
67	Press the strike. With Slicing you pull-off.

Know that the Parter breaks the guard Fool, and is very dangerous to the face and the breast with its turn, etc.

[57] Item, drive the Parter thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, if he^[136] lies in the guard Fool, then set the left foot forward and hold your sword with outstretched arms high over your head in the guard From the Day, and spring to him with the right foot, and hew with the long edge strongly down from above, and remain high with the arms and sink in the point below you to his face or breast. If he then parries with the Crown (that the point and the hilt^[137] on his sword both stand over him thus), and drives up therewith and thrusts your point over you,^[138] then turn your sword under through his Crown with the edge in his arm, and Press so the Crown is again broken, and with the Pressing take the edge and pull yourself off therewith, and step near to him when he again parries.^[139]

[58] The Four Leaguers follow hereafter

68	Four Leaguers alone Therefrom you hold, and^[140] curse the common.
69	Ox, Plow, Fool, From the Day, are not unpleasant to you.

Mark, these Four Leaguers, they are the Four Guards that you shall fence from. The first guard is called the Ox, etc.

[59] Of the Oxen

Position yourself in the Ox thus: stand with the left foot in front and hold your sword on your right side with the hilt in front^[141] of the head, so that the short edge stands against you, and hold the point thus against the face, etc.

[60] Item, position yourself on the left side in the Ox thus: stand with the right foot before and hold your sword on your left side with the hilt in front of the head, so that the long edge stands against you, and hold the point thus against his face. And^[38] that is the Ox from both sides.

[61] Of the Plow

Item, the second guard is called the Plow. Position yourself with^[42] it thus: set the left foot fore and hold your sword under you with crossed hands on your right side, with the pommel near your right hip, so that the short edge is above and the point stands before you against the face of the man, etc.

[62] Item, on the left side position yourself in the Plow thus: set the right foot fore and hold your sword under you near your left side, on your left hip, so that the long edge is turned above and the point stands upwards against the face of the man.

[63] Of the Fool

Item, the third guard is called the^[92] Fool. And position yourself with^[42] it thus: set the left foot in front and hold your sword before you with stretched arms, with the point on the earth and so that the short edge is above, etc.

[64] Of the guard From the Roof

Item, the fourth guard is called From the Day. Position yourself with it thus: set the left foot in front and hold your sword high over your head with outstretched arms, and turn the long edge in front, and let the point hang backward a little, and stand thus in the guard, etc.

[65] Of the Four Forfendings

70	Four are the Forfendings That sorely injure the Leaguers.
71	Guard yourself before parrying, If it happens, it hurts you more.

Mark, you have heard before of the Four Guards, so you shall now know that there are the Four Forfendings with which you shall break the Four Guards. Know that no parrying pertains thereto since four hews break the Four Guards.

[66] Item,^[142] the first is the Crooked-hew, which breaks the guard of the Ox.

[67] Item,^[142] the second, that is the Thwart-hew, which breaks the guard From the Day.

[68] Item,^[142] the third, that^[42] is the Squinter-hew, which breaks the guard of the Plow.

[69] Item,^[142] the fourth is the Part-hew, which breaks the guard that is called the^[92] Fool.

[70] And how shall drive the correct technique of the four hews against the guards, you will find that described before in the hews. Therefore guard yourself before parrying against the guards, if you will not become oppressed by others with strikes, etc.

[71]

72	If you are parried, Mark how that comes there.
73	Hear what I teach: Wrench off quickly with threat.

Mark, this is^[143] when he has parried you and will not draw off from the sword, and he means to let you come to no technique: then do as if you will draw off from the sword, and pull your sword [to] you to half the blade, and drive the sword quickly up therewith and hew him quickly with the short edge, or with the Doubling, to the head.

[72] Item, another.

When he has parried you, then wrench up over you with your sword on his sword's blade, against his point (as if you will take off above). Then remain on the sword and hew him simply on the blade, in^[123] against his head, etc.

[73] The Setting-on

74	Set on four ends. Remain thereon, if you will end.

Know that the Setting-on is an earnest technique, since it goes to the nearest of the Four Openings and driving it pertains to when you will give a quick end with the sword.

[74] Item, drive the Setting-on thus: When you come to him with the pre-fencing, then lie with the sword in the guard of the Ox or the Plow. If he will then hew you from above or stab to you from his right side, then come before with the Forfending, shoot in the long point to the nearest opening of his left side, and see of you may Set-on him, etc.

[75] Item, or if he then hews in from above from^[123] his left side, then come before with the Forfending and shoot in the point long in to the nearest standing opening of his right side, etc.

[76] Item, or if he hews to you up from below from his right side, then shoot in the point long in to the nearest opening of his left side, etc.

[77]

Item, or if he hews to you up from below from his left side, then shoot the point long in to the^[145] lower opening of his right side, and see the Setting-on therewith always. If he becomes aware of the shooting in and parries, then remain with the sword on his, and work quickly^[146] to the nearest opening, etc.

[78] The Traveling-after

75	Learn traveling-after twofold Or slice in the weapon.
76	Two Outer Conducts, The work thereafter begins.
77	And test the driving If they are Soft or Hard.

Item, mark the Travelings-after are many and^[147] multiple, and pertain to driving with great prudence against the fencers that fence from free long hews,^[148] and otherwise do not hold^[149] the right Art of the Sword, etc.

[79] Item, the first technique from the Traveling-after

Drive it thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, then set the left foot forward and stand in the guard From the Day, and see well even that which he fences against you. If he then hews in^[42] long from his right shoulder, then do not parry him, and wait so that he does not reach you with the hew. Then mark while his sword goes below you against the earth, [and] then spring to him^[150] with the right foot, and hew him above in to the opening of his right side ere^[123] he comes up again. So he is struck, etc.

[80] Item, another technique.^[151]

When he forehews at you and you hew after him, if he then drives quickly up with the sword^[152] and parries, then remain strongly with the long edge on his sword. If he then lifts upwards with the sword, then spring with the left foot well behind his right, and strike him with the Thwart (or such) to the right side of his head, and work quickly around to his left side with the Doubling (or such with other techniques) thereafter, if you find he is Hard or Soft^[153] on the sword. And that is the Outer Conduct, etc.

[81] Item, yet another technique.

When he forehews in front of you and you hew after him, if you then bind on his sword against^[42] his left side, and he then strikes quickly around with the weapon^[154] from the parrying to your right side, then come in Meanwhile ahead with the Thwart before, under his sword against his left side [and] on his neck. Or, spring with the left foot on his right side^[155] and strike or^[156] hew after his hew to the right side. Or, drive the slice in over his arm to the head, etc.

[82] Item, yet a Traveling-after.^[151]

When you fight against him from Under-hewing or from Slashing, or you lie against him in the guard Fool, if he then falls with the sword on yours ere you then come up,^[157] then remain thus below on the sword, and lift upwards. If he will then hew you from the parrying or Wind-in on^[158] the sword, then let him not come off from the^[159] sword, and follow after him thereon, and work therewith to the nearest opening.

[83] Another

Item, mark, you shall Travel-after him from all guards and from all hews as quickly as you can, when he forehews in front of you or opens himself with the sword.

[84]

78	The Feeling learn; The word^[160] "Meanwhile", that slices sorely.

Know that, on^[161] the sword, the Feeling^[162] and the word "Meanwhile" are the greatest Art. And whoever is a Master of the Sword, or wants to be, and^[42] he cannot Feel and cannot undertake^[163] the word "Meanwhile", so is he not a Master, [rather] he is a Buffalo of the Sword. Therefore you shall, before all things, learn the word "Meanwhile" and the Feeling well.

[85] Item,^[159] mark^[165] the Feeling thus: When you come with him to the pre-fencing, and one binds the other on the sword, then Meanwhile, as the swords clash together, you shall Feel with the hand if he has bound on Soft or Hard. And as quickly as you Feel^[166] Soft or Hard, then think on the word "Meanwhile", that is, that you shall work quickly with the sword in the Feeling, so he becomes struck ere^[167] you are.

[86] Item, now you shall know that Feeling and the word "Meanwhile" may not be one without the other, and undertake that thus: when you bind him^[42] on his sword, then you must Feel Soft or Hard with the word "Meanwhile". And when you Feel, then you must yet work Meanwhile. Thus are they always by one another, since the word "Meanwhile" is in all techniques.

[87] Mark^[168] that thus:

Meanwhile Doubles,
Meanwhile Mutates,
Meanwhile Changes-through,
Meanwhile Runs-through,
Meanwhile takes the Slice,
Meanwhile wrestles with,
Meanwhile^[169] takes the sword.^[170]
Meanwhile does whatever your heart desires.

"Meanwhile" is a sharp word by which all masters become sliced, and they do not know or understand the word "Meanwhile" from previously, etc.

[88]

79	Travel-after twofold. Make with the Old Slice.

This is that you shall drive the Traveling-after to both sides, and also^[42] bring the slice therein, and undertake that thus: when he forehews in front of you, be it from the right side or from the left side,^[171] then hew in cheerfully after the opening. If he then drives up and binds you below on the sword, then mark as quickly as one sword on the other clashes, then fall in Meanwhile with the long edge in his arm, and press with the edge downwards, or slice him after the mouth, etc.

[89] The Over-running

80	Whoever overcomes,^[173] Over-run, then he becomes ashamed.
81	When it clashes above, So strengthen, that do I^[97] praise.
82	Make your work, Or press twofold.

This is how you shall Over-run him when one fights to you from^[42] below; undertake that thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, if he then hews below to you, do not parry that, but mark when his Under-hew goes against you, then hew him from your right shoulder long from above and shoot in the point long to his face or to^[56] the breast, and set on him so that he cannot reach you below. And if he then drives up from below and parries, then remain with the long edge strong on the sword, and work quickly to the nearest opening, etc.

[90] Item, mark when you have bound^[175] him strongly on his sword, if he then strikes from the parrying around^[176] you to the other side, then bind him^[97] yet with the long edge strongly on his^[177] sword, above to the head, and work to the openings as before. Drive that to both sides, etc.

[91] The Setting-off

83	Learn Setting-off. Hew, stab, artfully injure.
84	Whoever stabs on you, Your thrust hits and his breaks.
85	From both sides, Hit all, if you will step.

Item, mark when you come to him with the pre-fencing: if he then stands against you as if he will stab, then set your left foot forward and lay yourself against him in the Plow to your right side, and give an opening with your left.^[178] If he then stabs to the opening, then Wind with your sword on your left side against his stab, the short edge on his sword, and set it off therewith, that^[42] your point remains thus^[56] standing against him, and step to him with^[56] the right foot and stab him Meanwhile to the face or to^[159] the breast, etc.

[92] Item, another technique.

When you stand to your right side in the Plow, if he then hews above to your left side^[38] to the opening, then drive up with the sword and Wind against his hew therewith on your left side, the hilt before the^[180] head in the Ox, and step ahead with^[123] the right foot therewith, and stab in to the face or the^[42] breast. And also drive the technique from the Plow on the left side, etc.

[93] Of the Changing-through

86	Learn changing-through From both sides, sorely with stabs.
87	Whoever binds on you, Change-through him; closely slice or find.

Item,^[38] know the Changing-throughs are many and multiple, and you may drive them from all hews against the fencers that hew there to^[181] the sword, and not to the openings of the man. And you shall learn very well to drive them with prudence, so that one does not Set-on you while you Change-through him.

[94] Item, drive the Changing-through thus: when you come to him with the pre-fencing, then hew in long above^[42] to the head. If he then hews^[182] against your sword and not to your body, then let your point whisk through^[183] below with the hew, before he binds you^[42] on the sword, and stab him to the other side. If he then becomes aware of the stab, and quickly drives with the sword after the stab with parrying, then Change-though yet [again] to the other side, and drive then always when he drives after your sword with the parrying to both sides, etc.

[95] Item, yet a Changing-through.

When you come to him with the pre-fencing, then set your^[185] left foot forward and hold the Long Point against his face. If he then hews you from above or below to the sword, and wants to strike that away or bind^[186] thereon, let the point sink underneath and stab to the other side, and do that against all hews, etc.

[96] Item, this technique mark very evenly.

When he has parried you (or has otherwise bound on your sword), if he then holds his point on your sword [but] not against the opening of your body, and lets it go near on the side beside you, then Change-through under^[92] him boldly. Or, if he remains with the point before the face or^[42] against the opening, then do not Change-through, and remain on the sword and work therewith to his nearest opening; thus he may not Travel-after or Set-on you.

[97] The Pulling

88	Step close in binding, The Pulling gives good findings.
89	Pull, he hits, Pull more, He finds work that does him woe.
90	And Pull all hits, If you will trick the masters.

Know that the Pulling pertains to driving against the masters that bind strongly with the parrying on the sword, and against those who remain standing on the sword and await whether the one before them will hew or withdraw themselves from the sword. If you will then deceive or trick those same masters, then drive the Pulling against them thus: hew him from the right side, strongly above in to the head. If he drives there and will parry, then Pull your sword upon yourself before when he binds thereon, [and] then stab him to the other side, and do that in all hits of the sword, etc.

[98] Item, another Pulling^[187]

When he has bound on your sword, if he then stands against you on the sword and waits if you will withdraw from the sword, then do as if you will Pull, but remain on the sword and Pull your sword on you as far as half the blade, and stab in quickly again into the face or the breast. If you do not then^[56] hit him correctly with the stab, then work with the Doubling, or otherwise with other techniques which are best.

[99] The Running-through

91	Run-through, let hang With the pommel if you will wrestle.
92	Who is strong against you, Run-through, therewith mark.

The wrestling in the long sword

Item,^[38] mark^[159] the Running-through and the wrestling pertain to driving against the masters that like to run in, and drive it thus: when he parries you and drives high up with the arms therewith,^[159] and runs in on you and will overwhelm you with strength above, then drive up with the arms and hold your sword over your head (with the left hand by the pommel), and let the blade hang low behind [you], over^[188] your back, and run with the head through the arm against^[42] his right^[189]^[123] side, and spring with the right foot behind his right, and with the spring, drive in with the right arm against^[42] his left side, well around the body, and grasp him thus on your right hip, and throw him down before you on his head, etc.

[100] Item, another wrestling.

When he runs in on you with arms stretched up, and you against him, then Run-through him with the head to his^[190] right side, and step with your^[191] right foot in front before his right, and drive in with the right arm under his right arm,^[38] around through behind his body, and sink down a little,^[192] and grasp him on the right hip and throw him behind you. You shall drive these two wrestlings to both sides, etc.

[101] Item, yet^[42] another wrestling.

When he runs in on you to your right side^[42] and is high with the arms, and you also, then hold your sword in your^[193] right^[42] hand and thrust his arm from you therewith, and spring with your left foot in-front before his right, and drive in with the left arm well around behind his^[194] body, and sink down a little, and grasp him on your left hip and throw him before you^[195] on the face, etc.

[102] Item, yet another^[196] wrestling.

When he runs in on you and is high with the arms, and you also, then you shall hold your sword in your right hand and then^[38] thrust his arm from you therewith, and spring with the left foot behind his right,^[197] and drive with the left arm below through before his breast, in his left side, and grasp him on your left hip and throw him behind you. Drive these two wrestlings also to both sides, etc.

[103] Mark, when he runs into you with the^[42] sword, and holds his arms low so that you may not^[198] run through him, then drive this wrestling as hereafter described.

[104] Item, when he runs in on you with the sword and holds his hands low, then invert your left hand and grip his right therewith (inwardly between both his hands), and jerk^[200] it on your left side therewith, and with the right [hand] strike him over the head with the sword. Or, if you will not strike him, then spring with the right foot behind his left and drive in with the right arm in front or behind around the neck, and thus^[42] throw him over your right knee, etc.

[105] Item, yet another wrestling.

When he runs in on you with the sword and is low with the hands, then release your left hand ahead from the sword, and with the right drive in^[42] with the pommel outside over his right hand, and press down therewith, and grasp him with the left hand by the right elbow, and spring with the left foot before his right, and press him thus over.

[106] Item, another wrestling.

When he runs in on you at the sword,^[201] then invert your left hand and drive over his right arm therewith, and grip therewith his sword between both hands by the handle, and jerk on your left side. Thus you take his sword.

[107] Item, yet another wrestling.

When he runs in on you with the sword, then let your sword fall, and invert your right hand and grip his right^[202] outwardly therewith, and with the left hand^[203] grasp him by the right elbow, and spring with the left foot before his right, and thrust his right hand over your left with the right arm,^[204] and lift him upwards therewith. Thus he is locked, and you may thus break the arm or^[205] throw [him] before you over the left leg.

[108] The Slicing-off

93	Slice off the hard ones From below in both drivings.

That is a counter against the over-binding^[208] of your sword, drive that thus. When you fight to him from Under-hews, or from the Strife Hewing, or you lie against him in the guard that is called the^[97] Fool, if he falls then with the sword on yours before you then come up with the sword; then remain below on the sword and lift with the short edge fast upwards. If he then presses down fast, then slash below behind^[42] you with the sword on his sword's blade, off from his sword, and hew on the sword again quickly into his face, etc.

[109] Item, another.^[210]

When you fight to his body^[211] with Under-hewing, or lie in the guard Fool, if he then^[38] falls with the sword on yours near by the hilt so that his point goes out to your^[212] right side, then drive quickly up with the pommel over his sword, and strike him with the long edge to the head. Or, if he binds on your sword to^[213] your left side, then drive agilely up with the pommel over his sword and strike him with the short edge to the head. And that is called the Snapping or the Speeding, etc.

[110]

94	Four are the Slices, Two below, with two above.

Item,^[38] mark the Four Slices. The first are the two Overs that pertain to driving against the fencers that like striking around to the other side from the parrying or from the bind of the swords. And counter that^[42] before with the slice thus: when he binds on your sword with the parrying or such to your left side, and strikes therewith quickly around with the Thwart^[214] or such to your right side, then spring from the hew with the left foot on his^[215] right side and fall in with the long edge above over both arms, and press with the slice from you. You shall drive that from both sides, always when he strikes around from the parrying, etc.

[111] Item, the two Under-slices pertain to driving against the fencers that run in with arms stretched up, and drive them thus: When he binds you on your sword, be it with parrying or such, if he then drives high up with the arms and runs in on you to your^[216] left side, then turn your sword so that your thumb comes below, with the long edge under his hilt in his arm, and press upward with the slice.

[112] Or, if he runs in on you with arms stretched up to your right side, then turn your sword so that your thumb comes below, with the short edge under his hilt in his arms, and press upwards with the slice. Those are the Four Slices, etc.

[113]

95	Turn your edge, To escape, press your hands.

That is how you shall change from the Under-slices to the Over-slices, mark that thus. When he runs in on you to your left side with arms stretched up, then turn your sword with the long edge under his hilt in his arms, and press upwards fast, and step therewith on his right side, and Wind through below with the pommel, and come with the sword not^[218] from his arms, and turn the sword from^[219] the Under-slice to the Over, over his arms with the long edge, etc.

[114] Item, if he runs in to your right side with arms stretched up, then turn your^[221] sword with the short edge under his hilt in his arms and press fast upwards, and step on his left side, and with this let your pommel go through below, and turn the sword with the long edge over his arms in the slice, and press from you, etc.

[115] Of the Hangings

96	Two Hanging come from one hand from the earth.
97	In all driving Hew, stab, Leaguer, Soft or Hard.

Know the Two Hangings from the earth, that is the Plow from both sides, therein you shall also have the Feeling in hewing, and^[38] in^[159] stabbing, and in the binds of the swords, if he is Soft or Hard therein, etc.

[116] Also you shall know that you shall therefrom drive the Four Windings, and from each single Winding^[123]^[222] particularly a hew, a stab, and a slice, as from the upper Hangings.^[123]

[117] Of the Speaking-Window

98	Speaking-Window make. Stand joyfully, see his manner.
99	Who Pulls off before you, Strike him quickly so that he snaps.
100	I say truthfully, No man protects himself without danger.
101	If you have understood, He may not come to strikes.

Item,^[38] mark, you have heard before how you shall position yourself before the man with the sword in the Four Guards. So you shall now know that the Speaking-Window is a guard wherein you may stand well, and the guard is the Long Point, that is the noblest and the^[159] best ward with the sword. Who can fence correctly therefrom forces the man therewith so that he must allow striking without thinking, and may therefore not well come to strikes, etc.

[118] Item, make the Speaking-Window thus: when you go to the man with the pre-fencing with whatever hew you then come on him, be it an Over or^[97] an Under-hew,^[223] then let the point always shoot-in long from the arms with the hew, to the face or the^[38] breast. Therewith you force him so that he must parry or bind on, and when he has bound-on thus, then remain strong with the long edge on the sword, and stand freely and see his manner; what he will fence further. If he pulls backwards from the sword, then follow after him with your^[224] point to the face or the^[42] breast. Or, if he strikes from the bind around to the other side, then slice him strongly over the arms, and work in^[123] above to the head. Or, if he will not pull off nor strike around, then work with the Doubling or such with other techniques thereafter, as you find if he is Strong or Weak on the sword, etc.

[119] Item, then shall you [make] the Speaking-window, which are two guards from the Long Point, one on the sword, and the other before the man ere when you bind him on his sword or the swords clash together. And it is yet the same, not more than one guard.

[120] Item, I say truthfully that the Long Point is the noblest^[38] [and] best^[159] ward on the sword, when therewith you compel the man that he must let you strike, and therefore to no strikes may come. Wherefore you shall drive the point in to the man with all hews, to the breast or to the face, and further therefrom drive stab and strike, etc...

[121] Item, mark that is also^[38] called a Speaking-Window when you are^[42] come close^[42] to the man with the pre-fencing. Then set the left foot before, and hold the point long from the arms against the face or the breast ere when you bind him on the sword, and stand joyfully and see what he will fence against you. If he then hews in above, then drive up with the sword and Wind against his hew in the Ox, and stab him to the face. Or, if he hews to the sword and not to the body, then Change-through^[228] bravely and stab in to the other side. Or, if he runs in and is high with the arms, then drive the Under-slice; or if he is low with the arms, then await the wrestling. Thus you may drive all techniques from the arms, whichever is best, etc.

[122] The conclusion of the new^[229] epitome

102	Who drives well, and breaks well, And finally well accounts,
103	And breaks particularly Each of the Three Wounders,
104	Who correctly hangs well, And brings therewith Winding,
105	And the eight Windings With correct weighing considers.
106	And you each The Windings triple, I mean,^[230]
107	So they are^[231] Twenty- And-four pieces only.
108	From both sides Learn eight Windings with steps,
109	And prove the driving, Not more than Soft or Hard.

This is a lesson and admonition of the Art of the Sword that you therein shall very well judge and meditate on,^[232] so that you quickly drive bravely, and correctly drive the counters against his techniques. Thus you shall particularly^[42] drive the Three Wounders in each counter, which become explained hereafter. Also you shall know that the Four Hangings are two below and two above: the upper is the Ox, the lower is the Plow, to both sides. And from the Four Hangings you shall bring Eight Windings, and the same Eight Windings^[233] you shall thus further^[38] contemplate and rightly weigh, so that you shall particularly drive a hew, a stab, and^[38] a slice from each Winding. These are the previously described Four Windings, etc.

[123] Item, here^[42] mark how you shall drive the Eight Windings from the Four Hangings. The first Over-Hanging has two Windings, drive that thus. When you come to the man^[235] with the pre-fencing, then stand on your right side in the Ox. If he then hews in^[56] above in to your left side, then Wind against his hew,^[236] the short edge on his sword, yet in Ox, and stab him above in to the face. That is the^[123] Winding-in. If he sets the stab off to^[237] his left side, then remain on the sword, and Wind again on your right side in the Ox, the long edge on his sword, and stab him above in to the face. That is one^[238] Hanging from your right side with two Windings on his sword.

[124] Another

Item, drive the two Over-Hangings yet with two Windings^[239] thus. When you come to him with the pre-fencing, then stand on your left side in the Ox. If he then hews above in to your right side, then Wind the long edge on his sword against his hew and stab him above to the face. That is but one Winding. If he sets the stab off against his^[240] right side, then remain on the sword and Wind again on your left side in the Ox, the short (?) edge on his sword, and stab him above in to the face. This is the second^[241] Over-Hanging from the^[242] left side, yet with two Windings on his sword, etc.

[125] Item, Now you shall know that from the two Under Hangings, that is the Plow from both sides, you shall also drive Four Windings with all your drivings, as from the Overs. These are the Eight Windings. And as often as you Wind, then think in each single Wind particularly on the hew, and^[42] on the^[243] stab, and on the slice. Thus twenty-four come from the Eight Windings, and from whatever Winding, and against whatever technique, and against whatever hew you shall drive the hew, or the^[123] stab, or the slice. You find all that described before in the techniques,^[244] etc.

Draft Translation (from the Latin)
by Per Magnus Haaland

[1] Here follow some really useful instructions for mounted combat

When you clash with your opponent to thrust him in the chest on his right side.

[2] Turn the horse and grab hold of his right hand with your left.

[3] Make sure as soon as your saddles join together, you take his sword.

[4] Thrust with the point above quickly, change through or parry the opponent's thrust.

[5] Strike, move the sword over the opponent's arm and parry his thrusts or strikes.

[6] Hold the opponent hard with both hands.

[7] Charge at your opponent with full force with thrusts and strikes.

[8] Twist the opponent's right hand, and put your sword-point into his face.

[9] If he removes your thrust, you grab hold of his right hand with your left.

[10] Aim at where the arms are bare by his gauntlets^[246]

[11] Charge at the opponent with full force, and pull his hand from the reins and take his sword.

[12] Against all kinds of weapons, learn two techniques with empty hands.

[13] If you grab his visor and his eyes, all your opponent's wrestling will be for nothing.

[14] As soon as you get close to your opponent, you twist his head with crossed arms.

[15] When riding away from your opponent, you parry with half sword or by the point.

[16] When attacking the opponent on the left side you turn in the pommel in his face.

[17] Attack a stronger opponent on the right/Germ. Attack to the right with your techniques.

[18] Put the point into the opponent's face.

[19] Resist forcefully all your opponent's attacks.

[20] In every battle, use your force at the beginning of the attack.

[21] Keep a close eye on the opponent's lance at the attack.

[22] The nameless grip, is when you move the hand into the opponent's visor.

[23] If he attacks you from both sides, turn the horse to the left, so that you end up on his right side.

[24] If space is given for it by your opponent, you turn the horse.

[25] Remember well to disarm and hold on to your opponent's sword.

[26] Move the arm over the opponent if someone attacks you, and fight him hard.

[27]

1	If you drop the lance, the attack will do you more harm than good.

Explanation

This means above all, that when you see your opponent charging at you with his lance, to be able to deflect his thrust and hit with your own. There are four positions or guards you shall use, of these there are three at the full length of the lance and one in the middle.

[28] First position is done thus:

strech out the lance as far as you can under the arm with the point straight toward the opponent's face.

[29] Second is this:

hold the lance as before, but pretend that it is too heavy, and lower it down on your left side and keep it over the horse's neck.

[30] The third is this:

Hold the middle of the lance with both hands across the saddle.

[31]

The fourth goes from the middle of the lance. Do as follows: stretch out the lance as far as you can and shoot the point into the face of the opponent.

[32] You can also hold the lance with both hands on the middle, and hold it in front of you as with the whole.

[33] Above mentioned positions are to be done manly and with full force, and here below you learn them.

[34] Figure

The 20th figure teaches that you must quickly use force in the beginning of all fights.

[35]

Know you shall learn what techniques that come from the four positions and how to perform them.

[36] When riding to attack in first position, stretching out the lance far against him as if you were to thrust the opponent in the face, you lower the front end of the lance and change through under the opponent's lance to his right side and move it to your right, and your own will hit him.

[37] Another figure

This is what the first figure shows: aim for the opponent's chest on his right side.

[38] When you turn down the lance under the opponent's, you insert the reins into the lower armour hook, and grab the lance with the left to support your right and thrust the point at him.

[39] Figure

The sixth figure teaches that you shall hold the opponent with both hands with all your might.

[40] Second guard

Lower the lance point down on your left side and then you strike up the lance on the opponent's right side let go of the reins as described before and grab hold of your lance with the left hand to support your right.

[41] A technique out of the third guard

When holding the lance in the middle with both hands in the clash, you remove his lance with the front end of your lance and put the point into him.

[42] A technique out of the fourth guard

If you are holding the lance in the middle, and your opponent is holding it in its full lenght in the clash, you drop the reins with your left hand and deflect his lance with it, and then you continue forward and put the lance-point on him.

[43] Figure

The twelfth show how to parry all kinds of weapons in two ways.

[44] Hold the lance in half lance position in the middle of the lance with both hands, in the same way as in full length guard and parry the opponent's attack.

[45] Instruction on what to do if both your lances miss

If you both miss with your lances, and you want to win, you drop the lance as fast as you can, and ride in on the opponent's right side but do not draw sword nor dagger. Turn the horse and make sure to ride in with your left side to his right and pay attention to his right hand.

[46] Then, when you are beside your opponent and he has drawn his sword and is about to strike you, you grab hold with your left hand in his elbow and push up and lift his right leg with your left foot, and he will fall down.

[47] If you do not want to throw the opponent, you grab hold if his elbow with the left hand and with the right onto his pommel, and pull it to you as you push his elbow away from you with the left hand, and you will twist the sword out of the opponent's hand.

[48] Figure

The third figure shows what to do to your opponent when your saddles join, and how you take his sword.

[49] Or show him the sun, i.e. wring his neck.

[50] Or, if the opponent reaches in with his right hand under your reins to take them, how you lock down his hand with the reins.

[51] If the opponent reaches at your chest or neck, then grab hold with your right arm in his right hand and use the nameless grip, and if you then turn your horse away from him, he will fall to the ground.

[52] If you grab the opponent's right hand with your right, you can take his weight with your left hand on his elbow and even use the nameless grip if you wish.

[53] These techniques are to be used if you ride in on your opponent's right side.

[54] How to show the sun to the opponent

If you cannot enter on the opponent's left side when you both missed with your lances, then enter on his right side and throw him to the ground by wringing his neck.

[55] If he tries to draw his sword you reach in with your right arm under his right and press it to you. Then, if you turn the horse away from him, he will fall.

[56] If he has drawn his sword and is about to strike you, use the ”hidden grip”,^[249] and when you don that you break his right arm over your right with your left hand.

[57] If you have grabbed hold of your opponent's right hand with your left, then press it to your chest, and turn the horse around, and the opponent will fall.

[58]

Second figure shows how to turn the horse and grab hold of the opponent's right hand with your left.

[59] If you have taken hold of your opponent's hand as before, then lay down with your chest and all your weight on his arm with all your might. If you continue riding forward, the opponent will fall backwards.

[60] If he raises his arms in the air, whether he has drawn his sword or not, grab hold of his elbow with your right hand and lift up as you lift up his left foot with your foot, and he will fall.

[61] Disarm

If your opponent has drawn his sword, then grab hold with your left hand in his right elbow and with your right on his hilt by the pommel. Hit his elbow with the left hand as you pull the sword to you with the right, and you will take the sword from him.

[62] Figure

The eleventh figure teaches to press yourself against him hard, drop the reins and take his sword.

[63] How to use the lance

First of all make sure to use the lance with caution and modesty, and not to charge in at full speed, for he who rides in with full force cannot perform any good techniques or gain any advantage.

[64] If you ride at a modest pace you can use these here techniques however you like.

[65] Figure

The twenty first technique teaches that you shall ride at modest pace if someone comes toward you.

[66] Be careful with the lance, sword or grappling, and above all beware of being late, which you will learn about in the following devices.

[67] Here end the techniques for the four guards with the lance.

[68] Now begins the instruction on the four guards with the sword, and where horsemen use these.

First guard

Hold the middle of the sword over your left hand by the reins.

[69] Second

Hold the sword by the right leg with the point up toward the opponent.

[70] Third

Hold the sword with the pommel on the saddle bow, and the point toward the opponent, as before.

[71] Fourth

Hold the sword uplifted on your right side with the thumb underneath on the hilt and the point toward the opponent's face.

[72] Here below you will learn the techniques from said guards.

[73] These techniques here below come from the first guard.

When you both, however which way it may be, have dropped your lances, and both have drawn swords, then do as follows:

[74] Ride in on his right side and hold your sword resting over your left hand, and when your opponent then strikes at you from above, you raise the sword and parry with the long edge on the strong if the sword, that is the part of the blade between the middle and the hilt. Then you turn the point to your right of your opponent and thrust him in the neck. If the opponent lifts his sword to parry your thrust, you cut his reins or left hand and ride away from him.

[75] The leg grip

If you cannot cut off his reins or hand, then instead grab hold of his leg when you ride past him.

[76] Figure

Seventh figure teaches how to hold the opponent down and strike or thrust him.^[252]

[77] If you have parried the opponent's strike as before, and do not wish to use the previous techniques, then turn the pommel in on the inside of his hand just by the hilt and press it to your chest as hard as you can. Then you ride forward, and you will twist the sword out of his hand. Use these techniques from the upper guard on the right side.

[78] Here you will learn some excellent techniques you can attack the opponent with

8	Parry all the opponent's attacks as hard as you can, and when you hurry away from him
9	you use pinning techniques against him.

Here you shall pay close attention to how to press onto your opponent, so that you get the upper hand. But you must use force, and hold the sword hard, and in this way you will force him to open up, which the fifth figure so beautifully shows.

[79] Figure

The fifth figure teaches that in every first clash you must be strong, and always keep the point of your lance or sword aimed toward the opponent.

[80]

[81] If you resist hard in the first clash, you will immediately feel if he is holding his sword hard or loose.

[82] How to turn the horse around

Strike from above with full force to the opponent's head, and if he then parries but holds his sword loose, then pin him with the point, and if he removes your strike to the left you turn up the pommel and put it on his neck. If you then ride on or turn your horse around, you will force him to fall.

[83] If he lifts his sword to parry your strike, you use gripping techniques against his right arm.

[84] If he parries your strike, you use a sun gaze against him, or lay the sword over his chin.

[85] A throw

Strike as before from above to the opponent's head. If he parries by raising his sword, you move the hilt in under his armpit, put the right foot under his tunic, and push away with the pommel, and lift up with the right foot, and he will fall to the ground.

[86] Defence

If the opponent parries your strike above with a thwart strike, then you lift up the right hand over his sword and shoot the point in his face or chest, and pin him thus.

[87] If he parries across against your strike, you raise your right hand and move the sword under his right arm, so that you may grab it with your right arm, then you ride forward, and you will twist the sword off of the opponent. This is what the fourth figure teaches.

[88] Following techniques you shall execute from the side guard by the right leg.

[89]

When riding against your opponent, you shoot in the point with straight arms into his face or chest, and thus he has to parry your attack.

[90] How to raise the sword point

If the opponent parries your thrust and removes it on his left side, you raise the right arm and thrust him in the face.

[91] Should he parry your thrust by lifting the arm, you ride as close as you can and move the left hand onto the inside of his right arm and twist it so that you have it captured. Then you can draw your sword or dagger, and pursue his opening or back. Furthermore, you can pull the bridle off the opponent's horse with the right hand and get the upper hand that way, and the opponent's horse stands without bridle.

[92]

If the opponent's horse has been spoiled of his bridle, you may easily pursue his openings wherever you find them.^[256]

This is how you use this technique, and if he is wearing armour you must quickly take heed of what body-parts that are open that you can aim for.

[93] What openings to pursue

The first of the openings are under both armpits,

[94] the other in the gauntlet

[95] and the third in the wrist and in the face on the opponent.

[96]

Above mentioned openings you shall attack with the sword point, since you cannot do anything with strikes or cuts with the edge or pommel against an armoured opponent, as the tenth figure teaches.

[97] Here follow techniques out of the saddlebow guard

If you ride toward your opponent, and he tries to strike at you on your right side, then you raise the sword from the saddlebow, and turn it up over your head so that the thumb lies underneath on your left side, and thus you parry the opponent's strike with the pommel. Then you make sure to thrust him in the left side of his face.

[98] The Turkish strike

If the opponent removes your thrust to his left, you ride forward and strike with the long edge in the back of his neck from behind with full force. This is called the Turkish strike.

[99] A disarm

If the opponent removes your thrust to the left, and you do not want to use the Turkish strike, you^[258] ride past him and move the pommel over his right hand. Then you push him with the hilt before you, and then you grab hold of his pommel and ride on, and you will twist the sword out of his hand.

[100] But if the opponent makes a strike from above his left shoulder, you raise the sword you the right against his strike, and cut him in the right side of his face.

[101] If someone were to ride toward you with a lance, you must make sure above all, that from whatever direction he is coming from, you turn the sword well against his thrust, strike away the lance and quickly thereafter thrust him in the face or wherever you may hurt him.

[102] Figure

The eighth figure teaches that you shall use the right hand and shoot in the right point in his face, that is, you shall always turn the sword out of guard against the opponent's neck or sword, and quickly thrust the opponent wherever he is open.

[103] When you then thrust at the opponent's opening and he removes your thrust and rides close to you, then grab hold with the left hand in his right and use the grappling techniques mentioned before, and described here below.

[104] Figure

The ninth figure teaches that if someone parries your thrust, you grab hold with your left hand in his right.

[105] This is called half sword guard

If you are holding the sword over the left hand by the reins, then grab the sword with the middle of the blade with the left hand and hold of the sword before you thus.

[106] How to use the lance

If someone charges at you on your right side with his lance you strike it from your left hand with your sword and then you put the sword in the armpit and thrust with the point into the opponent.

[107] If someone charges at your left side with the lance, then raise the sword up high with the pommel and let the point hang down on your left side, and parry the opponent's attack thus, and then you thrust the point into the opponent.

[108] Regarding the strikes

If you assume guard and the opponent is about to strike from above at you, you raise the sword and parry between both hands, direct the point toward his face and thrust.

[109] You may also parry his attack in half sword, as well as all thrusts be they with lance or sword by putting the left hand on the sword to support the right if need be, and the situation demands it, in the same way as you have learnt to do with the lance, as the sixth figure shows.

[110]

Two techniques you shall learn against all weapons, lance or sword, and learn to put the empty hand on the weapon.

A hidden technique

This technique is excellent in mounted combat and it's a secret one, and is done from the left hand. Therefore you must be careful to know where you lay your reins so that you get your left hand free, but still can steer the horse with the reins, and this is called to work with free hand,

[111]

since you should hold sword or lance with the right hand, as the twelfth figure teaches about the free hand against all sorts of weapons.

[112] What techniques you should use with the free hand with sword and grappling you will find described in the commentary.

[113]

15	The crest grip weakens all grappling coming in front of you.

This is a very useful technique in mounted combat, and is called thus so that not everyone may understand it.

[114] The reason for this name is because you call the opponent's right arm "the crest". Accordingly, you should always grab hold of this when grappling mounted, since the left hand is holding the reins, and cannot harm you as easily.

[115]

[116] A crest grip technique

If you want to grapple with your opponent, then ride up on his right side, and grab him. If he grabs hold of you, then grab hold of his right wrist with your left hand, and pull it forward before you, and press it down and hold it down over your saddlebow. Then if you ride forward, the opponent must fall. Again, you should know that this technique counters many kinds grappling technique that comes in front of you. This is what the thirteenth figure teaches,

[117]

that the crest grip renders all grappling in front to naught.

[118] You may also use this technique when riding in on the opponent's left side, if he wants to defend himself with the left land.

[119] How to defend yourself against someone who reaches around your neck with the right arm

This technique is rather simple. If someone rides in on your right side, and reaches with his right arm around your neck, you use the following technique. Take a firm grip in the back of his tunic and quickly sink down to the left, and pretend to fall off the horse, and pull your opponent to you. If you were to sink down to low, so that you fear you will fall down as well, if you then just hold as hard as you can in the opponent, he will adjust you back into the saddle with his own fall.

[120]

19	Ride in close on the opponent on both sides

If you are about to attack your opponent or grapple, then ride as close as you can on him. Some courtiers show their techniques while riding toward their opponent, performing techniques not suitable for mounted combat. You on the other hand, when riding toward your opponent, shall remain still and get ahead of him, so that he cannot perform any techniques against you.

[121] You shall also know this: when you ride in on your opponent's right side, you shall use the techniques suitable for the right side, and when riding in on his left side, those techniques suitable for that side. If you do this, your opponent is not able to do any techniques against you, since you get ahead of him.

[122] What to do when approaching the opponent's left side

When riding in on his left side, you shall hold your lance or sword hard, and keep close attention to if you can thrust him and then you shall press onto him in the same way you do on the right side, this way the opponent is forced to used the techniques belonging to the left side, which are those that you can only do on the left side, but not on the right.

[123] Figure

The nineteenth figure shows that you shall parry all attacks and be strong in all clashes.

[124] How to twist the sword off of the opponent

If you ride in toward your opponent with a strike from above, and you ride in on his left side you shall thrust with outstretched arms against his opening. If he strikes at the same time as you, and resists hard, and turns out to be stronger than you, and is about to thrust at your opening with the point, then move your left arm from the inside over the outside of his sword, and press him to your left side. Then you ride past him, and you will twist the sword out of his hands, which is what the sixteenth figure teaches, that you shall parry outside of arm's reach.

[125] If you were to ride in so close to opponent as you can, then grab hold with the left hand in his right, and you will stop him from drawing his sword, and you can do the techniques belonging to the right hand,^[264] that are described before and hereafter.

[126]

What to do if you ride in on the left side of the opponent and you ride too far so that you cannot perform the above mentioned techniques.

Never let the horse go far away from the opponent, but turn it to the left so that your left side ends up on his right, and then you may use all the techniques and grappling belonging to the right side, as described here above.

[127] Figure

The seventeenth figure shows that you shall only use the right hand to do all techniques that are the best.

[128]

What to do if your horse is so unruly that you are forced in on the opponent's left side, but also due to the opponent's strength.

If this were to happen, draw the sword and assume guard with the left hand.

[129] If he is about to strike at you from above, you raise the sword and parry with the long edge, and when you then ride close to your opponent with your parry, you reach with your left arm over the opponent's right hand and twist it as hard as you can to his left side, and strike him with the pommel wherever you want.

[130] Figure

The sixteenth figure teaches that if you ride to the left of the opponent you take his sword and strike its pommel in his face.

[131]

[132] How to catch the opponent's right hand with the reins

You may also with the left hand grab hold of his right with the reins and ride away.

[133] Parry the strike from above out of guard as before and ride past him, and strike a free strike above as hard as you can in the head of the opponent.

[134] If the opponent charges at you in guard with lance, then lift up the pommel as high as you can with the right hand and lower the point to your left, and you will parry the lance thrust, and strike him in the head or thrust him with the sword point.

[135] If you ride in on the left side of the opponent and he is about to strike at you, you shall use the sungaze, and he can do no more.

[136] You may also use the crest grip if the opponent tries to defend himself with the left hand.

[137] Furthermore, should he ride in with his left side on your right, and try to throw you with a sungaze, and it turns out that he is stronger than you, then reach with your right arm inside of the opponent's left. If he were to be weaker, you reach with it over on the outside of his left arm. Then, if you use the left hand to support your right, and press backwards with full force, but he then removes his arm, you grab hold of it with the left hand and reach over it hard with your right hand. If you then ride away, the opponent will fall.

[138] Also, if the opponent puts his left elbow over your right arm, you shall grab hold with your left hand in his left and use the nameless grip.

[139] What to do if the opponent rides in on your right side, trying to get the upper hand.

Take good note that if the opponent rides in on your right side when you ride together, and he then tries to get the upper hand over you, then you can stop him by doing this, and always make sure that you join with your left side on the opponent's right and above all make sure that you get close to him and grab hold of his right arm to grapple, and hold him down with techniques shown above and below.

[140] How to get ahead of the opponent

If it were to happen that you are pressed away and forced to flee, and someone then were to pursue you from behind on your right side with lance or sword, and is about to attack you, you turn to your left away from his thrust toward the opponent again, and turn up your sword against his sword or lance so that the thumb is underneath, and thrust him from there.

[141] If the opponent were to ride in on your left side, you turn to your right and use the sword as mentioned before.

[142] Figure

The twenty third figure teaches that if someone pursues you on either side, you shall turn to the left so he ends up on your right side.

[143] In pursuit you must be quick, however, turning quickly in the saddle, and make thrusts backwards on both sides.

[144]

Take notice on what way you may wring the sword from the opponent, as you are holding him down, so that he cannot do anything against you.

[145] Ride in on the right side, and attack the opponent's openings wherever you see them with strikes and thrusts, and if it were to happen that the opponent parries and gets in close to you, you pull forward his right arm just by the wrist, with your left hand turned and hold it firmly to you, and press his hilt to the outside of his left arm, and he will be forced to drop his sword. If you hold his arm as described above, you may also strike him with the sword or throw him with the crest grip however you wish, and take his reins.

[146] Figure

Twenty fifth figure shows how to pull the sword from the opponent and hold him down.

[147] A little notice

If you ride in on someone stronger than you, you shall hold him in such a way that he can use his weapons, if you ride in with your left side in his right.

[148] The nameless grip

When you close in on the opponent's left side, and he has pulled his sword or military dagger,^[267] and is about to strike or thrust at you, then grab hold of his right arm by the wrist, and twist it around, and press it to your chest, and weigh down with your body, that way you will break his arm. This is called the nameless grip.

[149] A disarm

If you do not want to break his arm when holding it to your chest, you put the right hand on his right elbow and press it away from you. Then you grab his sword with your right hand either by the pommel or hilt, and thus you will pull the sword out of his hands, which is what the twenty third figure says.

[150]

[151]

Exhortation, that if you want to grab hold around the opponent you must ride close. This you must do on whatever side you close on your in on your opponent.

Sungaze

[152] Do as follows: ride close with your right side onto the opponent's right, and get as close as you can, and reach with the left hand from behind around his left arm and pull it to you as hard as you can. Then you grab hold with the right hand under his chin and push up as hard to his left. Thus you will show him the sun, and throw him off the saddle.

[153]

Fourteenth figure shows that you in close range shall catch the opponent's hand twist the forehead the the back of his neck.

[154] This grappling technique is called the sungaze by fencing masters, so that not just anyone would know what it is, and is also called a hidden grip.

[155] When you ride in with the left side into the opponent's right, then grab hold of him as described and throw him behind you on your left side.

[156]

Defence against the above

There are many counters to this technique that are well suited both against stronger and weaker fighters.

[157] If someone stronger is riding in with his right side into your right, and wants to throw you with a sungaze, and accordingly has put his right hand on your chin, you move the right arm over the opponent's and move it to your chest as hard as you can. Then you weigh down over it with with the body. If you then ride forward you will throw him to the ground.

[158] If he were to ride in with his left side in your right, and grabs your left arm with his left hand, you turn toward him and quickly lift up the right arm on the inside. Then you remove his arm with the stronger part of your arm move it over the opponent's arm and ride away.

[159] If the opponent is weaker, and rides in with his left side in your right, and tries to grab hold with his left hand in your left, you lift it up behind you, and grab hold of his. Then you lift the arm quickly, and press his arm firmly to the back of the neck and ride forward.

[160]

[161]

[162]

This technique is called hidden, and is one of the best, and not entirely dissimilar to, although not as good as the crest grip, since you can hold your opponent down whether he is strong or weak as long as you like, and lock him so that he cannot do anything against you until you let go, as long as you have taken hold of him in the right way.

[163] If you want to do this, which lazy and over confident masters do, who show all their techniques and plays they know for everyone and all just for show, you will win the praise of the real and experienced masters of combat arts.

[164] If you want everyone to see this grappling technique you do as follows: ride in with the left side onto the opponent's right and grab hold with your right hand in his right wrist and pull it forward as you press down and twist, and grab hold with the left hand in his right elbow, then you push the elbow forward and pull his right arm up over your left arm. Then you lift his right arm your left and hold him locked in this manner with no other fetters, and you may hold him captured for as long as you wish. This technique can be done on both sides.

[165] Admonition for always grabbing hold of the opponent first

Always be careful to be the first to grab hold of your opponent, because if you are first to grab hold him and use the four main grips (the first the crest grip, the second the nameless, the third the hidden, and the fourth the sungaze), you will stop the opponent from using the same grips himself. Then you shall not forget to ensnare the opponent with the reins as well. If you know and exercise these above mentioned grappling techniques well and throroughly, it will be hard for anyone who want to throw you out of the saddle without putting their own health in danger.

[166]

[167]

Additional Resources

The following is a list of publications containing scans, transcriptions, and translations relevant to this article, as well as published peer-reviewed research.

The Fencing Art (2022). Trans. by Mike Smallridge. Ed. by Stephen Cheney. Self-published. ISBN 978-0-47-366116-8.
Acutt, Jay (2019). Swords, Science, and Society: German Martial Arts in the Middle Ages. Glasgow: Fallen Rook Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9934216-9-3.
Bergner, Ute; Johannes Gießauf (2006). Würgegriff und Mordschlag. Die Fecht- und Ringlehre des Hans Czynner (1538). Graz: Akademische Druck- u. Verlagsanstalt. ISBN 978-3-201-01855-5.
Cheney, Stephen (2020). Ringeck • Danzig • Lew Longsword. Self-published. ISBN 979-8649845441.
Fabian, Martin (2024). Fechtbuch Fabian. Self-published. ISBN 978-80-570-6163-2.
Hagedorn, Dierk (2016). "German Fechtbücher from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance." Late Medieval and Early Modern Fight Books. Transmission and Tradition of Martial Arts in Europe: 247-279. Ed. by Daniel Jaquet; Karin Verelst; Timothy Dawson. Leiden and Boston: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-31241-8.
Hagedorn, Dierk (2017). Jude Lew: Das Fechtbuch. Herne: VS-Books. ISBN 978-3-932077-46-3.
Hagedorn, Dierk (2021). Albrecht Dürer. Das Fechtbuch. Herne: VS-Books. ISBN 9783932077500.
Hagedorn, Dierk; Daniel Jaquet (2022). Dürer's Fight Book: The Genius of the German Renaissance and his Combat Treatise. Barnsley: Greenhill Books. ISBN 978-1-784438-703-7.
Jaquet, Daniel; Bartłomiej Walczak (2014). "Liegnitzer, Hundsfeld or Lew? The question of authorship of popular Medieval fighting teachings." Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2(1): 105-148. doi:10.1515/apd-2015-0015.
Jaquet, Daniel (2017). "The collection of Lew the Jew in the lineage of German Fight Books corpus." Acta Periodica Duellatorum 5(1): 151-191. doi:10.1515/apd-2017-0004.
Verelst, Karin (2016). "Finding a Way through the Labyrinth: Some Methodological Remarks on Critically Editing the Fight Book Corpus." Late Medieval and Early Modern Fight Books. Transmission and Tradition of Martial Arts in Europe: 117-188. Ed. by Daniel Jaquet; Karin Verelst; Timothy Dawson. Leiden and Boston: Brill. doi:10.1163/9789004324725_008. ISBN 978-90-04-31241-8.
Welle, Rainer (2021). Albrecht Dürer und seine Kunst des Zweikampfes: auf den Spuren der Handschrift 26232 in der Albertina Wien. Kumberg: Sublilium Schaffer, Verlag für Geschichte, Kunst & Buchkultur. ISBN 9783950500806.

References

↑ The Fellowship of Liechtenauer is recorded in three versions of Paulus Kal's treatise: MS 1825 (1460s), Cgm 1507 (ca. 1470), and MS KK5126 (1480s).
↑ Subsequently copied into the Graz and Munich versions as part of Lew's mounted gloss.
↑ Some instead render it "Here ends the art of the Jewish man called Lew".
↑ Jaquet, Daniel; Walczak, Bartłomiej. "Liegnitzer, Hundsfeld or Lew? The question of authorship of popular Medieval fighting teachings". Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2(1): 105-148. 2014. doi:10.1515/apd-2015-0015.
↑ See the colophon on folio 123r.
↑ Both Augsburg and Salzburg contain significant scribal errors of omission that allow us to identify manuscripts copied from them.
↑ Zabinski, pp 82-83
↑ Medel's section of the Cod. I.6.2º.5 is internally dated on folio 21r.
↑ The record of the Marxbrüder in the manuscript ends on folio 20r with the year 1566, so Mair couldn't have compiled it before then.
↑ alt: enclosed, defined, deduced
↑ "the cut" omitted by the Salzburg
↑ "the hew" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ "side" inserted by Salzburg
↑ S. "right-side foot".
↑ Salzburg: "with the strong"
↑ Mair: "If he comes then onto your sword with the strong".
↑ sic : nahent
↑ Salzburg/Rostock: on the right
↑ alt: crumple, crush, win by force, conquer
↑ Augsburg: "or"
↑ Liechtenauer's verse has in der rechten, "on the right", here, but it has been changed in all copies except the Salzburg and the Rostock.
↑ A. "or"
↑ sic : rechten
↑ Salzburg: "the art or to fence"
↑ S. "art or fencing".
↑ Salzburg, Rostock: "before"
↑ lit: cut
↑ S., R. "before"
↑ sic : lonen
↑ Salzburg: "Crooked cut"
↑ Salzburg: "Crosswise cut"
↑ lit: "hang"
↑ lit: "wind"
↑ S. "crooked hew"
↑ S. "thwart hew"
↑ Mair: twelve
↑ Mair: "twelve"
↑ ^{Jump up to: 38.00} ^38.01 ^38.02 ^38.03 ^38.04 ^38.05 ^38.06 ^38.07 ^38.08 ^38.09 ^38.10 ^38.11 ^38.12 ^38.13 ^38.14 ^38.15 ^38.16 Word omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.
↑ Salzburg: "cut"
↑ Salzburg omits "side"
↑ S. "peasant hew".
↑ ^{Jump up to: 42.00} ^42.01 ^42.02 ^42.03 ^42.04 ^42.05 ^42.06 ^42.07 ^42.08 ^42.09 ^42.10 ^42.11 ^42.12 ^42.13 ^42.14 ^42.15 ^42.16 ^42.17 ^42.18 ^42.19 ^42.20 ^42.21 ^42.22 ^42.23 ^42.24 ^42.25 ^42.26 ^42.27 ^42.28 ^42.29 ^42.30 ^42.31 ^42.32 ^42.33 ^42.34 ^42.35 ^42.36 ^42.37 Word omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ Could be read as “schlichter”.
↑ Mair: "This is a lesson"
↑ Mair: "This is a lesson on when".
↑ Assuming this is a misspelling or variant of "stecken"; otherwise, the phrase is "stabs with you" which is nonsensical in context.
↑ corrected from sein, see Danzig
↑ "with a" omitted from Rostock.
↑ Mair adds "not", making it "after the Soft and not after the Hard".
↑ Mair: to their left side
↑ "The lower opening" is omitted in Mair, shortening it to "to the left side".
↑ "And you shall... with the other" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of also soltu das.
↑ Couplet 104, part of the group 102-109.
↑ "come" is omitted in the Salzburg
↑ "of the opponent… of the belt" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of der gürttell.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 56.00} ^56.01 ^56.02 ^56.03 ^56.04 ^56.05 ^56.06 ^56.07 ^56.08 ^56.09 ^56.10 Word omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.
↑ "of the man… of the girdle" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of der gürttell.
↑ Salzburg omits "of the sword"
↑ "To you truthfully" effaced from the Augsburg by damage to the page.
↑ "of the sword" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ Fehlstelle im Manuskript
↑ Augsburg: "move on the arms"
↑ "and you bind with… standing on the sword" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.
↑ "with the arms… and drive" omitted from the Rostock. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of den armen.
↑ "And wind yet… and stab him" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.
↑ In the Rome (Danzig branch), it is "...Die do haist der öchss vnd auch der öber vnd den vnder haw" => "That is here called the ox and also the descending and the rising cut". In the Vienna(Nicholas branch) it is: "...da mit pricht man den ochsenn vnd auch den ober oder denn vnder[e]nn haw" => "with this one breaks the ox and also the descending or the rising cut". The likelihood is that "eber" is a scribal error. That being said, "eber" is also a guard in Lecküchner's treatise and cannot be ruled out.
↑ Here Salzburg segues into Sigmund ain Ringeck's gloss of the same verse describing how the Crooked hew is used as a counter-cut: "This is how you shall cut crooked to the hands, and execute the play thus: When he cuts from your right side with the over- or under-cut, spring away from the cut with the right foot against him well to his left side, and strike him with outstretched arms with the [point] upon his hands."
↑ Literally "boar" (eber) in Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair, probably due to a scribal error from über. Rostock further changes this to alber.
↑ A. "him"
↑ A., M. "the"
↑ Mair omits "the cut"
↑ A, M: "the
↑ "the hew" omitted in Mair.
↑ "with the short edge" omitted in the Salzburg
↑ A., M., R. "the"
↑ "with the short edge" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ Salzburg: "that cut from the bind of the sword"
↑ S. "bind of the sword hews".
↑ A., R. "him".
↑ sic : schwerts
↑ Salzburg: "come to the opponent"
↑ "the head, then throw your sword on" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from dem to dein.
↑ A., M., S. "go"
↑ "the head, then throw your sword on" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from dem to dein.
↑ Rostock and Salzburg add: "or guard"
↑ Augsburg and Mair just have "protect".
↑ "before your" omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.
↑ A., M., R. "your"
↑ A., M., R. "the"
↑ Lit. "his".
↑ "after the Weak of his sword" omitted from Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of Schwerts.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 92.0} ^92.1 ^92.2 ^92.3 ^92.4 Word omitted from the Augsburg, Rostock, and Mair.
↑ Salzburg and Rostock double "schlag".
↑ "and to the body" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ A. treffen, S. griffen.
↑ A., M., R. "him"
↑ ^{Jump up to: 97.0} ^97.1 ^97.2 ^97.3 ^97.4 ^97.5 Word omitted from the Rostock.
↑ Mair: extended
↑ M. "you shall bring the Inverter with extended arms".
↑ Mair: When you arrive at the opponent with the initiation of fencing and have moved half way into it
↑ A., S., R. "when you are gone half to him with the pre-fencing"
↑ A., M., R. "each and every"
↑ Mair has "from the right side, in accordance with the right side, in accordance with each step forward", which is probably scribal error of duplication, where the scribe repeated a line of text.
↑ A., M. "and"
↑ A. "on"
↑ A., M. "when"
↑ Couplet 91.
↑ S. has vier oder trieb, which should perhaps be read as fahr oder treib, "drive or drive".
↑ Scribal error in S. and R., replacing "even to you" with "above".
↑ S. "to his"
↑ A. "to the"
↑ M. "with"
↑ "and slice" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ "if that is what you wish" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ sic : deinem
↑ "of the sword" omitted in Mair.
↑ A., R. "the"
↑ "with the stab" omitted from the Rostock.
↑ A., M., R. "the"
↑ A., M., R. aber: "yet"; this seems to be a misspelling of alber.
↑ "and all Windings... are all short" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of kurtz vnd.
↑ "that so fight short" omitted from Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping from fechtern to fechten.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 123.00} ^123.01 ^123.02 ^123.03 ^123.04 ^123.05 ^123.06 ^123.07 ^123.08 ^123.09 ^123.10 Word omitted from Mair.
↑ A., M. anwind: "wind on".
↑ A., M., R. "him".
↑ S. "your"
↑ R. "the breast".
↑ Korrigiert aus »Hautt«.
↑ These verses are glossed previously, as the Rostock indicates (see the next note), but with a significantly different play.
↑ A., M., R. "the"
↑ R. "his"
↑ "as if you" omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.
↑ Rostock ends here with the statement (written in Latin) "Previously in the chapter Vom Feler", which is odd because this is the exact point when the text ceases to bear any resemblance to the earlier version in that chapter.
↑ "in the arms with the edge" omitted from Mair and the Rostock. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from schneiden to schnitt.
↑ Disappears into the margin.
↑ S. "he then".
↑ S. "the one hilt".
↑ S. "thrusts your point up".
↑ Clause omitted from the Augsburg, Mair, and the Rostock.
↑ Word omitted in the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair.
↑ Augsburg doubles the phrase "and hold your sword on your right side with the hilt in front". This is probably a scribal error in which the scribe's eye jumped to the wrong line.
↑ ^{Jump up to: 142.0} ^142.1 ^142.2 ^142.3 Word omitted from the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair.
↑ "this is" omitted in the Augsburg, the Rostock, and the Mair.
↑ Mittels Einfügezeichen korrigiert aus »siten rechten«
↑ M. "his"
↑ A. "quickly there".
↑ "many and" omitted in Mair; Augsburg omits "many" and just says "are and multiple".
↑ "that fence from free long hews" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of fechten.
↑ "do not hold" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ "to him" omitted from the Salzburg and Mair. Rostock just has "to".
↑ ^{Jump up to: 151.0} ^151.1 Title is repeated in Mair.
↑ M. "if he the drives his sword quickly upward".
↑ M. "Soft or Hard".
↑ A. zwer: "thwart".
↑ "on his neck... on his right side" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping from to the second instance of seiten.
↑ "Strike or" omitted from the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Rostock.
↑ S., R. "ere when you come up"
↑ S. "to"
↑ ^{Jump up to: 159.0} ^159.1 ^159.2 ^159.3 ^159.4 ^159.5 ^159.6 ^159.7 Word omitted from the Augsburg and Mair.
↑ "The word" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.
↑ A., R. "in"
↑ Salzburg doubles "the feeling".
↑ "Feel and cannot undertake" omitted from the Salzburg. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from one instance of nicht to the next.
↑ This seems to be a translation of verse 77 rather than 78, possibly moved here as a means of avoiding having to translate Indes.
↑ S. "work".
↑ S., R. entphindest: "perceive".
↑ S., R. "ere when".
↑ M. "undertake"
↑ Word doubled in the Salzburg.
↑ S. "word".
↑ S. "right or left side".
↑ S. "takes aim from below", which matches the standard Recital. R. "whoever winds from below".
↑ S. "Whoever aims below", which matches the standard Recital. R. "whoever winds below", which might represent an intermediate change between these two readings.
↑ Mair: under
↑ S. bindest gebünde~.
↑ M. "under"
↑ S. "his"
↑ M. "left side"
↑ ^{Jump up to: 179.0} ^179.1 Disappears into the binding.
↑ S. "his"
↑ S. "after".
↑ R. "hews you"
↑ S., R. "change through"
↑ Corrected from 'mit'.
↑ S. "the"
↑ S., R. "wind".
↑ S. "Technique".
↑ R. "on"
↑ Word doubled in the Augsburg.
↑ S. "your"
↑ A., R. "the"
↑ "down a little" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ A., M., R. "the"
↑ A., S., R. "the"
↑ "before you" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ S., R. "a"
↑ M. "rightful"
↑ Word doubled in Mair.
↑ S: force
↑ S. dring.
↑ "at the sword" omitted from the Salzburg.
↑ M. "rightful"
↑ Word omitted from the Augsburg, the Salzburg, and the Rostock.
↑ "and thrust... the right" omitted from the Augsburg and Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of siner rechte~.
↑ R. "but"
↑ sic : sein rechten bis repetita
↑ S., M., R. "over-winding"
↑ S., M., R. "over-winding"
↑ L: "When you fence to your opponent with rising cuts"
↑ S., R. "Another wrestling".
↑ A., M. "him".
↑ A. "his"; M. "the".
↑ M. "on"
↑ S. "weapon".
↑ S. "your".
↑ M. "with his"
↑ A: wind
↑ A. "with".
↑ S. "on"
↑ s: wind
↑ S. "his".
↑ "and from each single Winding" omitted from the Salzburg. This is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of winden.
↑ S. "be it Over-/Under-hew".
↑ A., S., R. "the"
↑ ”einwindẽ durchwindẽ“ written in another hand above the line.
↑ Illegible word from another hand written above the line.
↑ s: best
↑ R. "change"
↑ R. "correct"
↑ "I mean" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.
↑ "So they are" omitted from the Augsburg and Mair.
↑ S., R. "meditate and judge"
↑ "and the same Eight Windings" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of winden.
↑ Rest der Zeile verschwindet im Bund
↑ A., M., R. "him".
↑ M. "against his hew oppositely"
↑ S., R. "against".
↑ S., R. "the one"
↑ M. "hangings"
↑ S. "your".
↑ M. "another"
↑ S., R. "your".
↑ "on the" omitted from Mair.
↑ "in the techniques" omitted from the Salzburg and the Rostock.
↑ korrigiert aus »schnudt«
↑ Germ. And the eyes
↑ illegible deletion
↑ S corrected from D
↑ Germ. ”the sharp grip”
↑ Unleserlich. Gemeint ist die 20. Figur. Illegible. Refers to the 20th figure.
↑ Marginalie von anderer Hand. Marginal note from a different hand.
↑ German. How you use the bag strike at your opponent.
↑ Auf beiden Seiten neben dem Text, oberhalb einer Linie. On either side of the text, above a line.
↑ Marginalie. Marginal note.
↑ Marginalie neben einer Linie. Marginal note next to a line.
↑ Germ. If you have caught the opponent by the reins, you can pursue his openings.
↑ Unleserliche Streichung
↑ Germ. Do not!
↑ Marginalie. Maginal note.
↑ Illegible deletion
↑ Die Wörter »so« und »Spricht« sind im Manuskript vertauscht, was durch entsprechende, oberen Anführungen gleichenden, Einfügezeichen kenntlcih gemacht wird.
↑ Über der Streichung eingefügt.
↑ Marginalie. Marginal note.
↑ Germ. The left
↑ Der Text läuft in den Bund.
↑ Marginalie. Marginal note.
↑ Germ. sword, messer, or dagger
↑ Der Text läuft oben aus der Seite heraus (beschnittenes Buchformat?).

[1] The Fellowship of Liechtenauer is recorded in three versions of Paulus Kal's treatise: MS 1825 (1460s), Cgm 1507 (ca. 1470), and MS KK5126 (1480s).

[2] Subsequently copied into the Graz and Munich versions as part of Lew's mounted gloss.

[3] Some instead render it "Here ends the art of the Jewish man called Lew".

[4] Jaquet, Daniel; Walczak, Bartłomiej. "Liegnitzer, Hundsfeld or Lew? The question of authorship of popular Medieval fighting teachings". Acta Periodica Duellatorum 2(1): 105-148. 2014. doi:10.1515/apd-2015-0015.

[5] See the colophon on folio 123r.

[6] Both Augsburg and Salzburg contain significant scribal errors of omission that allow us to identify manuscripts copied from them.

[7] Zabinski, pp 82-83

[8] Medel's section of the Cod. I.6.2º.5 is internally dated on folio 21r.

[9] The record of the Marxbrüder in the manuscript ends on folio 20r with the year 1566, so Mair couldn't have compiled it before then.

[10] t: enclosed, defined, deduced

[11] "the cut" omitted by the Salzburg

[12] "the hew" omitted from the Salzburg.

[13] "side" inserted by Salzburg

[14] S. "right-side foot".

[15] Salzburg: "with the strong"

[16] Mair: "If he comes then onto your sword with the strong".

[17] sic : nahent

[18] Salzburg/Rostock: on the right

[19] t: crumple, crush, win by force, conquer

[20] Augsburg: "or"

[21] Liechtenauer's verse has in der rechten, "on the right", here, but it has been changed in all copies except the Salzburg and the Rostock.

[22] A. "or"

[23] sic : rechten

[24] Salzburg: "the art or to fence"

[25] S. "art or fencing".

[26] Salzburg, Rostock: "before"

[27] t: cut

[28] S., R. "before"

[29] sic : lonen

[30] Salzburg: "Crooked cut"

[31] Salzburg: "Crosswise cut"

[32] t: "hang"

[33] t: "wind"

[34] S. "crooked hew"

[35] S. "thwart hew"

[36] Mair: twelve

[37] Mair: "twelve"

[word-sr-38] {Jump up to: 38.00} ^38.01 ^38.02 ^38.03 ^38.04 ^38.05 ^38.06 ^38.07 ^38.08 ^38.09 ^38.10 ^38.11 ^38.12 ^38.13 ^38.14 ^38.15 ^38.16 Word omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.

[39] Salzburg: "cut"

[40] Salzburg omits "side"

[41] S. "peasant hew".

[word-s-42] {Jump up to: 42.00} ^42.01 ^42.02 ^42.03 ^42.04 ^42.05 ^42.06 ^42.07 ^42.08 ^42.09 ^42.10 ^42.11 ^42.12 ^42.13 ^42.14 ^42.15 ^42.16 ^42.17 ^42.18 ^42.19 ^42.20 ^42.21 ^42.22 ^42.23 ^42.24 ^42.25 ^42.26 ^42.27 ^42.28 ^42.29 ^42.30 ^42.31 ^42.32 ^42.33 ^42.34 ^42.35 ^42.36 ^42.37 Word omitted from the Salzburg.

[43] Could be read as “schlichter”.

[44] Mair: "This is a lesson"

[45] Mair: "This is a lesson on when".

[46] Assuming this is a misspelling or variant of "stecken"; otherwise, the phrase is "stabs with you" which is nonsensical in context.

[47] rrected from sein, see Danzig

[48] "with a" omitted from Rostock.

[49] Mair adds "not", making it "after the Soft and not after the Hard".

[50] Mair: to their left side

[51] "The lower opening" is omitted in Mair, shortening it to "to the left side".

[52] "And you shall... with the other" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of also soltu das.

[53] Couplet 104, part of the group 102-109.

[54] "come" is omitted in the Salzburg

[55] "of the opponent… of the belt" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of der gürttell.

[word-a-56] {Jump up to: 56.00} ^56.01 ^56.02 ^56.03 ^56.04 ^56.05 ^56.06 ^56.07 ^56.08 ^56.09 ^56.10 Word omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.

[57] "of the man… of the girdle" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of der gürttell.

[58] Salzburg omits "of the sword"

[59] "To you truthfully" effaced from the Augsburg by damage to the page.

[60] "of the sword" omitted from the Salzburg.

[61] Fehlstelle im Manuskript

[62] Augsburg: "move on the arms"

[63] "and you bind with… standing on the sword" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.

[64] "with the arms… and drive" omitted from the Rostock. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of den armen.

[65] "And wind yet… and stab him" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.

[66] In the Rome (Danzig branch), it is "...Die do haist der öchss vnd auch der öber vnd den vnder haw" => "That is here called the ox and also the descending and the rising cut". In the Vienna(Nicholas branch) it is: "...da mit pricht man den ochsenn vnd auch den ober oder denn vnder[e]nn haw" => "with this one breaks the ox and also the descending or the rising cut". The likelihood is that "eber" is a scribal error. That being said, "eber" is also a guard in Lecküchner's treatise and cannot be ruled out.

[67] Here Salzburg segues into Sigmund ain Ringeck's gloss of the same verse describing how the Crooked hew is used as a counter-cut: "This is how you shall cut crooked to the hands, and execute the play thus: When he cuts from your right side with the over- or under-cut, spring away from the cut with the right foot against him well to his left side, and strike him with outstretched arms with the [point] upon his hands."

[68] Literally "boar" (eber) in Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair, probably due to a scribal error from über. Rostock further changes this to alber.

[69] A. "him"

[70] A., M. "the"

[71] Mair omits "the cut"

[72] A, M: "the

[73] "the hew" omitted in Mair.

[74] "with the short edge" omitted in the Salzburg

[75] A., M., R. "the"

[76] "with the short edge" omitted from the Salzburg.

[77] Salzburg: "that cut from the bind of the sword"

[78] S. "bind of the sword hews".

[79] A., R. "him".

[80] sic : schwerts

[81] Salzburg: "come to the opponent"

[82] "the head, then throw your sword on" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from dem to dein.

[83] A., M., S. "go"

[84] "the head, then throw your sword on" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from dem to dein.

[85] Rostock and Salzburg add: "or guard"

[86] Augsburg and Mair just have "protect".

[87] "before your" omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.

[88] A., M., R. "your"

[89] A., M., R. "the"

[90] Lit. "his".

[91] "after the Weak of his sword" omitted from Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of Schwerts.

[word-amr-92] {Jump up to: 92.0} ^92.1 ^92.2 ^92.3 ^92.4 Word omitted from the Augsburg, Rostock, and Mair.

[93] Salzburg and Rostock double "schlag".

[94] "and to the body" omitted from the Salzburg.

[95] A. treffen, S. griffen.

[96] A., M., R. "him"

[word-r-97] {Jump up to: 97.0} ^97.1 ^97.2 ^97.3 ^97.4 ^97.5 Word omitted from the Rostock.

[98] Mair: extended

[99] M. "you shall bring the Inverter with extended arms".

[100] Mair: When you arrive at the opponent with the initiation of fencing and have moved half way into it

[101] A., S., R. "when you are gone half to him with the pre-fencing"

[102] A., M., R. "each and every"

[103] Mair has "from the right side, in accordance with the right side, in accordance with each step forward", which is probably scribal error of duplication, where the scribe repeated a line of text.

[104] A., M. "and"

[105] A. "on"

[106] A., M. "when"

[107] Couplet 91.

[108] S. has vier oder trieb, which should perhaps be read as fahr oder treib, "drive or drive".

[109] Scribal error in S. and R., replacing "even to you" with "above".

[110] S. "to his"

[111] A. "to the"

[112] M. "with"

[113] "and slice" omitted from the Salzburg.

[114] "if that is what you wish" omitted from the Salzburg.

[115] sic : deinem

[116] "of the sword" omitted in Mair.

[117] A., R. "the"

[118] "with the stab" omitted from the Rostock.

[119] A., M., R. "the"

[120] A., M., R. aber: "yet"; this seems to be a misspelling of alber.

[121] "and all Windings... are all short" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of kurtz vnd.

[122] "that so fight short" omitted from Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping from fechtern to fechten.

[word-m-123] {Jump up to: 123.00} ^123.01 ^123.02 ^123.03 ^123.04 ^123.05 ^123.06 ^123.07 ^123.08 ^123.09 ^123.10 Word omitted from Mair.

[124] A., M. anwind: "wind on".

[125] A., M., R. "him".

[126] S. "your"

[127] R. "the breast".

[128] Korrigiert aus »Hautt«.

[129] These verses are glossed previously, as the Rostock indicates (see the next note), but with a significantly different play.

[130] A., M., R. "the"

[131] R. "his"

[132] "as if you" omitted from the Salzburg and Rostock.

[133] Rostock ends here with the statement (written in Latin) "Previously in the chapter Vom Feler", which is odd because this is the exact point when the text ceases to bear any resemblance to the earlier version in that chapter.

[134] "in the arms with the edge" omitted from Mair and the Rostock. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from schneiden to schnitt.

[135] Disappears into the margin.

[136] S. "he then".

[137] S. "the one hilt".

[138] S. "thrusts your point up".

[139] Clause omitted from the Augsburg, Mair, and the Rostock.

[140] Word omitted in the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair.

[141] Augsburg doubles the phrase "and hold your sword on your right side with the hilt in front". This is probably a scribal error in which the scribe's eye jumped to the wrong line.

[word-asm-142] {Jump up to: 142.0} ^142.1 ^142.2 ^142.3 Word omitted from the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Mair.

[143] "this is" omitted in the Augsburg, the Rostock, and the Mair.

[144] Mittels Einfügezeichen korrigiert aus »siten rechten«

[145] M. "his"

[146] A. "quickly there".

[147] "many and" omitted in Mair; Augsburg omits "many" and just says "are and multiple".

[148] "that fence from free long hews" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of fechten.

[149] "do not hold" omitted from the Salzburg.

[150] "to him" omitted from the Salzburg and Mair. Rostock just has "to".

[title-m-151] {Jump up to: 151.0} ^151.1 Title is repeated in Mair.

[152] M. "if he the drives his sword quickly upward".

[153] M. "Soft or Hard".

[154] A. zwer: "thwart".

[155] "on his neck... on his right side" omitted from the Salzburg. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping from to the second instance of seiten.

[156] "Strike or" omitted from the Augsburg, Salzburg, and Rostock.

[157] S., R. "ere when you come up"

[158] S. "to"

[word-am-159] {Jump up to: 159.0} ^159.1 ^159.2 ^159.3 ^159.4 ^159.5 ^159.6 ^159.7 Word omitted from the Augsburg and Mair.

[160] "The word" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.

[161] A., R. "in"

[162] Salzburg doubles "the feeling".

[163] "Feel and cannot undertake" omitted from the Salzburg. This is probably a scribal error, jumping from one instance of nicht to the next.

[164] This seems to be a translation of verse 77 rather than 78, possibly moved here as a means of avoiding having to translate Indes.

[165] S. "work".

[166] S., R. entphindest: "perceive".

[167] S., R. "ere when".

[168] M. "undertake"

[169] Word doubled in the Salzburg.

[170] S. "word".

[171] S. "right or left side".

[172] S. "takes aim from below", which matches the standard Recital. R. "whoever winds from below".

[173] S. "Whoever aims below", which matches the standard Recital. R. "whoever winds below", which might represent an intermediate change between these two readings.

[174] Mair: under

[175] S. bindest gebünde~.

[176] M. "under"

[177] S. "his"

[178] M. "left side"

[bind-179] {Jump up to: 179.0} ^179.1 Disappears into the binding.

[180] S. "his"

[181] S. "after".

[182] R. "hews you"

[183] S., R. "change through"

[184] Corrected from 'mit'.

[185] S. "the"

[186] S., R. "wind".

[187] S. "Technique".

[188] R. "on"

[189] Word doubled in the Augsburg.

[190] S. "your"

[191] A., R. "the"

[192] "down a little" omitted from the Salzburg.

[193] A., M., R. "the"

[194] A., S., R. "the"

[195] "before you" omitted from the Salzburg.

[196] S., R. "a"

[197] M. "rightful"

[198] Word doubled in Mair.

[199] S: force

[200] S. dring.

[201] "at the sword" omitted from the Salzburg.

[202] M. "rightful"

[word-asr-203] Word omitted from the Augsburg, the Salzburg, and the Rostock.

[204] "and thrust... the right" omitted from the Augsburg and Mair. This omission is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of siner rechte~.

[205] R. "but"

[206] sic : sein rechten bis repetita

[207] S., M., R. "over-winding"

[208] S., M., R. "over-winding"

[209] L: "When you fence to your opponent with rising cuts"

[210] S., R. "Another wrestling".

[211] A., M. "him".

[212] A. "his"; M. "the".

[213] M. "on"

[214] S. "weapon".

[215] S. "your".

[216] M. "with his"

[217] A: wind

[218] A. "with".

[219] S. "on"

[220] s: wind

[221] S. "his".

[222] "and from each single Winding" omitted from the Salzburg. This is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of winden.

[223] S. "be it Over-/Under-hew".

[224] A., S., R. "the"

[225] ”einwindẽ durchwindẽ“ written in another hand above the line.

[226] Illegible word from another hand written above the line.

[227] s: best

[228] R. "change"

[229] R. "correct"

[230] "I mean" omitted from the Augsburg, the Rostock, and Mair.

[231] "So they are" omitted from the Augsburg and Mair.

[232] S., R. "meditate and judge"

[233] "and the same Eight Windings" omitted from Mair. This is probably a scribal error, jumping to the second instance of winden.

[234] Rest der Zeile verschwindet im Bund

[235] A., M., R. "him".

[236] M. "against his hew oppositely"

[237] S., R. "against".

[238] S., R. "the one"

[239] M. "hangings"

[240] S. "your".

[241] M. "another"

[242] S., R. "your".

[243] "on the" omitted from Mair.

[244] "in the techniques" omitted from the Salzburg and the Rostock.

[245] rrigiert aus »schnudt«

[246] Germ. And the eyes

[247] tion

[248] S corrected from D

[249] Germ. ”the sharp grip”

[250] Unleserlich. Gemeint ist die 20. Figur. Illegible. Refers to the 20th figure.

[251] Marginalie von anderer Hand. Marginal note from a different hand.

[252] German. How you use the bag strike at your opponent.

[253] Auf beiden Seiten neben dem Text, oberhalb einer Linie. On either side of the text, above a line.

[254] Marginalie. Marginal note.

[255] Marginalie neben einer Linie. Marginal note next to a line.

[256] Germ. If you have caught the opponent by the reins, you can pursue his openings.

[257] Unleserliche Streichung

[258] Germ. Do not!

[259] Marginalie. Maginal note.

[260] Illegible deletion

[261] Die Wörter »so« und »Spricht« sind im Manuskript vertauscht, was durch entsprechende, oberen Anführungen gleichenden, Einfügezeichen kenntlcih gemacht wird.

[262] Über der Streichung eingefügt.

[263] Marginalie. Marginal note.

[264] Germ. The left

[265] Der Text läuft in den Bund.

[266] Marginalie. Marginal note.

[267] Germ. sword, messer, or dagger

[268] Der Text läuft oben aus der Seite heraus (beschnittenes Buchformat?).

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Work	Author(s)	Source
Translation (Long Sword)	Christian Trosclair	Wiktenauer
Translation (Long Sword)	Cory Winslow	Wiktenauer
Translation (Mounted Fencing)	Per Magnus Haaland	Private communication
Augsburg Transcription	Dierk Hagedorn	Index:Codex Lew (Cod.I.6.4º.3)
Salzburg Transcription	Dierk Hagedorn	Index:Codex Speyer (MS M.I.29)
Vienna Transcription	Dierk Hagedorn	Index:Oplodidaskalia sive Armorvm Tractandorvm Meditatio Alberti Dvreri (MS 26-232)
Graz Transcription	Michael Chidester	Index:Über die Fechtkunst und den Ringkampf (MS 963)
Dresden (Mair) Transcription	Pierre-Henry Bas	Index:Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (MS Dresd.C.93)
Vienna (Mair) Transcription (German)	Anton Kohutovič	Index:Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (Cod.10825)
Vienna (Mair) Transcription (Latin)		Index:Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (Cod.10825)
Munich (Mair) Transcription	Saskia Roselaar	Index:Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica (MS Dresd.C.93)
Munich Transcription		Index:Maister Liechtenawers Kunstbuech (Cgm 3712)
Rostock Transcription	Dierk Hagedorn	Index:Fechtbuch zu Ross und zu Fuss (MS Var.82)

Lew

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