Lew/Christian Trosclair LS 2022

A short commentary of the afore pictured stances in the sword further accompanies

1	Young knight learn  To have love for god, honor maidens and women
2	Then accumulate your lessons  and learn
3	Art that decorates you  And in war exalts with honor.
4	Use the good grips of wrestling,  Lance, spear, sword, and Messer
5	like a man  And render them useless in other's hands.
6	Attack suddenly and engage  Let it hang or let it go.
7	So that one can masterfully praise  Your knowledge

Here it begins, a good general lesson of the long sword, yet there is much good, concealed art locked herein.

9	If you wish to examine the art,  Go left and right with cutting
10	And left with right  If you desire to fence strongly.

The first lesson of the long sword is that before anything you should learn to cut correctly. That is, if you wish to otherwise fence strongly. Look at it like this. When you stand with the left foot forwards and cut from your right side, this cut is then spurious and incorrect. Because when your right side remains behind it, the cut becomes too short thereby and its correct path down to the other side in front of the left foot cannot happen.

Or if you stand with the right foot forwards and cut from the left side, if you do not then also follow the cut with your left foot, then the cut is again spurious. Therefore, see to it that when you cut from the right side that you always follow the cut with the right foot. Do exactly the same when you cut from the left side so that your body brings itself correctly into balance with it. In this way, the cuts become long and are conducted correctly.

11	Whoever chases after cuts  Allows themselves to enjoy little of the art.

Gloss. This means when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you do not stand still and wait around for their attacks until they initiate one at you. Know that all fencers that just watch for someone's cut and then will do nothing other than parry, they allow themselves to enjoy quite little of the art, because by doing so, they become gravely struck.

12	Cut from close proximity whatever you wish  No change enters your shield
13	To the head, to the body  Do not omit the blows
14	With the entire body  Fence whatever you desire to conduct with strength.

Look at it like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing. Whatever you subsequently wish to fence, drive that with the entire strength of the body and with that, cut in at the opponent's head from close proximity and at that moment, you simultaneously constrain them so that they must parry and cannot come to any disengaging in front of that because you come too close to them with your point. If they then come strongly against your sword with an act of parrying, then give them a wound on their left arm and with that, step back before they come to their senses.

15	Hear what is bad therein  Do not fence on the left if you are a righty
16	And if you are a lefty  You also quite awkward in fencing

This is a good lesson that touches upon a lefty and a righty and know this, however you shall cut, do it such that someone cannot overcome the weakness in your sword in the initial cut and look at it like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if you are a righty and wish to fence strongly, then do not cut the first cut from the left side by choice because it is weak and with it you cannot hold fast when they bind you. But if you cut from the right side, then you may hold very strongly in opposition and work whatever you wish at the sword.

In the same way if you are a lefty, then again do not cut the first cut from the right side. For it is quite undependable art for a righty to drive from the left side and it is also the same for a lefty from the right side.

17	Before and After, the two things  Are the singular origin of all art.
18	Weakness and strength  Indes, note them with this word
19	So that you may learn  To work and ward with art.
20	If you frighten easily  Don't ever learn to fence.

This means that before anything you shall see and understand the two things correctly. This means the before and the after and weakness and strength and the word Indes, because the entire art of fencing comes from those. When you correctly see and understand the [two] things and do not forget the word Indes in all plays therein that you conduct, then you are indeed a good master of the sword and can teach princes and lords well so that they can keep to the proper art of the sword in play and in earnest.

Item. When you come first with your cut or whatever such that they must parry you, then work swiftly Indes with your sword in front of you or otherwise with other plays and do not let them come any further with any work.

Item. When the opponent comes first with their cut, such that you must then parry them, then Indes work swiftly with your sword or whatever during the act of parrying so that you deprive them of the before with the after, this is called before and after.

Item. Now before anything, you shall know about the weakness and strength of the sword. Look at it like this: From the hilt to the midpoint, that is the strong, from the midpoint to the point is the weak and how you should work according to the weak and with the strong at the sword, you shall find all of that written hereafter.

21	Learn five cuts  From the right hand, against the defences
22	Because we believe  In skills that pay off easily

Note there are five concealed cuts. Whoever can break them with the proper art without harm, they will be praised by other masters and is appropriate that their skills shall become better valued than the others. And how you shall execute these cuts with three plays, you will find all of these written hereafter.

23	Wrathcut Crooked and Crosswise,  If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter,
24	The Fool parries.  Pursuing, overrunning, displaces
25	Disengage, Suddenly withdraw,  Rush through, cut off, press the hands
26	Tilt and Turn to uncover with  Slash, catch, sweep, stab to clash with

Gloss: Note the correct chief components of the art of the long sword will be named for you here as they designate each with its name so that you can see and understand all the better.

First note the five cuts

The first is called the wrathcut
The second, the crooked cut
The third, the crosswise cut
The fourth, the cockeyed cut
The fifth, the part cut

Item: Now note the plays after this.

The first, these are the four guards
The second, the four parries
The third, the pursuing
The fourth, the overrunning
The fifth, the displacing
The sixth, the disengaging
the seventh, the sudden withdrawal
The eighth, the slipping through
The ninth, the cutting off
The tenth, the hand pressing
The eleventh, these are the hangings
The twelfth, these are the windings.

In this way, the cuts and the plays seventeen. You will find them and what you should fence from them written identically one after the other hereafter.