User:Christian Trosclair/Translations/Nicolaüs

Descending cut Wrathcut Wrathpoint The Warcut The Four openings Crooked cut crosswise cut Ox and plow Cockeyed cut part cut The Four positions The Four parries The Pursuing Overrunning Displacing Cutting off Two Hangers The Speaking window The Crown

The plays of the sword by Johannes Liechtenauer.

The seven master cuts

The Wrathcut The Crooked cut The Half cut The Crosswise cut The Crosswise switch cut The part cut The Crown cut

This is the text about the three winds, that is, a cut, a thrust, a slice, a sweep and it is also the text and expository gloss of the long Zettel of the the longsword of Liechtenauer's art.

Here it begins, the Zettel of the knightly art of fencing is written herein, which Johannes Liechtenauer, God be merciful to him, who is known to be a high master of the art, had created as lies written hereafter. The first with the long sword, thereafter with the spear on horseback and also with the short sword in battle and it begins in this way...

Young knight learn To have love for god, honor women and maidens So that you expand your praise and honor. Practice Knighthood and learn Art that decorates you And in war exalts you with honor. Use the good grips of wrestling, Lance, spear, sword, and messer Like a man And render them useless in other's hands. Attack suddenly and storm in, Keep rolling, engage or let pass. Thus the intellectuals hate him, Yet this one sees glories. Hold yourself to this: All art has a time and place.

If you wish to examine the art, Go left and right with cutting And left with right, That is, if you desire to fence strongly.

Gloss: Note this is the foremost art of the long sword, that above all you should learn to cut correctly. That is, if you wish to otherwise fence strongly and understand it like this. When you stand with the left foot forwards and cut from your right side, if you then do not support the cut with the ingress of your right foot, then this cut is erronious and incorrect. When your right side remains behind, 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 supportthe cut with your left foot, then the cut is again erronious. Therefore, see to it that when you cut from the right side that you always support the cut with the right foot. Do 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 will be hewn correctly.

This is the text of another lesson

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

Gloss. This is: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you do not stand still and look upon their cut nor await whatever they fence against you. Know that all fencers that look out and wait upon another's cut and will do nothing other than parry, they allow themselves to enjoy quite little of the art, because it is for naught and they become struck for this reason. Therefore, strike and seek the openings.

Text. Another lesson

Cut from close proximity whatever you wish No changer gets past your shield To the head, to the body Do not omit the stingers With the entire body Fence whatever you desire to conduct with strength.

Understand that like this. When you arrive at the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then whatever you wish to fence, do that with the entire strength of your body and with that cleave in, to either their head or to their body from close proximity and remain with your point in front of their face, so they cannot disengage ((with before)) the point. Then if they parry with strength and allow their point to go up in the air or to one side and remains low with their hands, then give them a flesh wound on their arm or rise up high with your sword when they parry and strike below to their body with a free cut and with that, immediately step back before they come to their senses. Thus, they are struck.

Gloss: When you arrive at the opponent, then whatever you wish to fence, drive that with your entire strength. Strike them to the head and to the body from close proximity and remain with your point in front of their face or breast, so that they cannot disengage in front of your point. And then if they bind strongly against your sword and rise up high with their sword, then strike below to their body or give them a flesh wound upon their arm before they come to their senses and immediately spring back from that.

Now hear what is bad Do not fence lefty from above if you are a righty And if you are a lefty You also quite awkward on the right

Gloss: Note this is a lesson that hits upon two people, a righty and a lefty and it is also how you shall cut so that one cannot win the weak of your sword with the first cut. Look at it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if you are a righty, 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 cleave in with you strongly. Therefore, cut from the right so you can stay in contact with full strength and work whatever you wish at the sword.

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

Text

Before and After, the two things Are the singular origin of the entire art. Weak and strong Indes, note them with this word So that you may learn To work and ward with art. Whoever frightens easily Never learns to fence.

Gloss: Note this is about how you shall understand and get the sense of the two things correctly for all situations. This is the before and the after and after that, the weak and the strong of the sword and the word Indes, because the entire art of fencing comes from those. When you have correctly taken in and comprehend these things and have not forgotten the word Indes therein in all plays that you conduct, then you are indeed a good fencer and master of the sword and can fully teach princes and lords so that they may keep with the proper art of the sword in play and in earnest.

Here note what is here called the before.

This is when you precede the opponent with a cut or what have you so that they must parry you, then Indes work swiftly using your sword in front of yourself within the parry or whatever with other plays so that they cannot come to any work.

Note what is called the after.

This is when the opponent precedes you with a cut so that you must parry them, then Indes work swiftly to the nearest opening with your act of parrying using your sword so that you seize their before the after and this is called before and after.

Now you should also know about the weak and the strong of the sword.

Get the sense of it like this. From the hilt to the midpoint of the blade, this is the strong of the sword and further past the midpoint to the point of the sword is the weak. And how you shall work with the strong of your sword according to the weak of their sword will be introduced to you and clarified hereafter.

Now hear the text of the five cuts

Learn five cuts From the right hand against the weapon, We swear upon this To pay off in skills easily.

Gloss: Note there are five cryptic cuts that many masters of the sword know nothing of which to speak of. You shall learn to execute these from the right side. Whichever fencer that can break the cuts with the proper art without harm, they will be valued by other masters, for their art shall be more worthwhile to them than other fencers. And how one shall execute these cuts with their plays will be explained to you hereafter.

This is the text about the components of the Zettel

Wrathcut Crook and Cross, If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter, The Fool parries. Pursuing, Overrunning, places the attack Disengage, Suddenly withdraw, Rush through, cut off, press the hands Tilt and Turn to uncover with Slash, catch, sweep, thrust to clash with

These are the correct chief components of the Zettel of the long sword have been named for you as they are each designated with its name so that you can better understand them and the whole of it is 17 side by side.

Gloss: Note here the correct chief components of the Zettel of the long sword have been named and is seventeen side by side.

This first are the five cryptic cuts as they are designated each in particular

Item The first the wrathcut crooked cut crosswise cut cockeyed cut part cut

Item note the plays

Of these: The four guards The four parries The pursuing The overruning The displacing The disengaging The suddenly withdrawing The rushing through The cutting off The hand pressing The hangings The windings

And what you should fence from the components and how you should give yourself openings with the hangings and the windings, those will be clarified.

The wrathcut with it's plays

Whoever makes a descending cut at you The point of wrathcut threatens them If they become aware of it Then abscond above without concern

Note the wrathcut breaks any straying cut and is just nothing more than a straight peasant blow. Execute it like this. When the opponent cuts from your right side from above to your head, then you cut from above from your right side as well, without any act of parrying, wrathfully with them, in over atop their sword and let your point shoot in forwards and long into their face or breast. If they become aware of your point and parry with strength, then rise up with your sword against their sword's blade, up off away from their sword and cut back in against their sword's blade to their head on their other side. This is called absconding above.

The second play of the wrathcut text

Be strong in turn Wind. Stab. If they see it, then take it below

Note this is how you shall work with your point form the wrathcut and understand it like this. When you cleave in wrathfully with the opponent. Then if they weather this with strength and you do not wish to abscond above, be strong back against their sword, and rise up with your arms and wind against their sword and thrust in from above at their face. If they become aware of the thrust and rise up and parry, stay like this in the winding and keep your hilt in front of your face and lodge against your point upon them below.

One more play from the wrathcut text

Precisely note this. Cut, thrust, position, soft or hard Indes and before and after Without collision your war is not to be hasty

This is a lesson when they bind onto your sword with a cut or with a thrust or however else. You should not let yourself be too hasty with the war, that is with the windings. You then precisely note whether it is soft or hard when one sword clashes against another. And as soon as you sense this, then wind Indes and work continually to the nearest opening with the war, according to the soft and according to the hard. And this is called the before and the after which you have learned of before.

The text of the war

Whoever hunts the war Above, will be exposed below.

Note the windings and the work from them with the point to the four openings is called the war. Conduct it like this: When you cleave in with the wrathcut, as soon as then they parry, rise up with your arms and twist in your point into the upper opening of their left side high against their sword. Then if they parry the thrust from above, then remain standing like this during the winding and let your point sink down back to their left side. If they then chase your sword with an act of parrying, then seek the lower opening of their right side with your point. If they then chase your sword further with an act of parrying, then rise up with your sword to your right side. In this way they will be exposed above and below, if you conduct it correctly.

This is the text

In all windings Cut, thrust, slice learn to apply Also with that you shall Gauge cut, thrust or slice In all encounters Of the masters, if you wish to dishonor them.

Know that you should be quite polished with all windings on the sword, because each one of the windings has three particular plays, that is, a cut, a thrust and a slice; and when you wind on the sword, you shall quite precisely gauge and note so that you do not conduct the incorrect play that is called for in the winding. Expressly that you do not cut when you should thrust and not slice when you should cut and not and also not thrust when you should slice. And furthermore you should always wind the correct plays that are by rights appropriate to conduct in all engagements and windings on of the sword if you otherwise wish to dishonor and confound the masters that set themselves against you. And the number of windings on the sword and how you shall conduct them, you shall find them in the last chapter of the Zettel which says, "Who hangs well and delivers windings with it..."

The text of the four openings

Know the four openings Hunt so that you strike quite wisely Without any fear Without doubt however they are situated.

You shall know the four openings on a person. The first opening is the right side and the second the left above the girdle of the man. the other two, they are also the right and the left sides below the girdle, if you wish to strike or cut it surely. When you come upon the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then select one of those openings at that moment and initiate a cut skillfully to that opening and not to the sword and do not pay attention to whatever they against you. Then if they parry your cut, then immediately work in the act of parrying with the point or otherwise high to the nearest opening. And always watch like this for the openings of the body and of the sword with all cuts and thrusts

And how you shall hunt the four openings and fence into them will be explained to you hereafter in the play that says there: "Lodge against four regions, remain thereupon to learn winding".

The text of the breaking of the four openings

If you wish estimate how To artfully break the four openings Double above Mutate right below I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger If you have understood this, They can scarcely come to blows, etc.

This is for when the opponent cleaves in earnestly. If you wish to then set yourself up against them to break and win the openings with artfulness so that they must allow themselves to be hit without their permission, then conduct the doubling against the strong of their sword and the mutating against the weak. For I say to you truthfully that they cannot protect themselves from strikes and therefore cannot come to blows.

Here note how you shall conduct the doubling on both sides.

When the opponent initiates a cut from above from their right shoulder, cleave in from above with them with strength at their head with your right as well. If they parry and stays strong against their sword, then Indes, rise up with your arms and thrust your pommel under your right arm with your left hand and strike them with the long edge from crossed arms from behind their sword's blade with the short edge to their head.

Item. If you cleave in from above from your left side with your long edge to their head, if they parry and remain strong in the sword, then immediately rise up with your arms and strike them from behind their sword's blade with the short edge upon their head.

Note how you shall conduct the mutating from both sides

Item. When you cleave in strongly from above from your right shoulder to the opponent's head, if they parry and are soft against the sword, then wind your short edge against their sword to your left side and rise sufficiently up with your arms and hang your point over their sword from above and with that, drop back down with your arms and thrust into their lower opening.

When you initiate a cut from your left side to the opponent's head, then if they parry and is soft against the sword, then rise up with your atms and keep your long edge against their sword and hang your point over their sword from above into their lower opening. You can conduct these two plays in this way from all cuts from the point after which you sense weakness or strength at the sword.

The crooked cut with the text of it's play

Crook up swiftly Throw the point onto the hands Crook. Whoever parries well Disrupts many cuts with stepping.

Know that the crooked cut is one of the four parries against the four guards because with them one wars the ox and also the descending and the rising cut. Execute it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they subsequently stand against you and hold their sword in front of their head in the guard of the ox on their left side, then advance your left foot and hold your sword in guard on your right shoulder spring with the right, well to your right side, and strike them across their hands with the long edge from crossed arms

Item. You also also conduct the crooked cut from the barrier guard from both sides. Send yourself into the guard like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then advance your left foot and hold your sword upon the ground with the point next to your right side such that the long edge of the sword is turned and present yourself open like this with your left side. If they then cleave in high into your opening, then spring away from the cut well to the right side, with your right foot facing them and strike them with crossed hands with the point of the long edge upon their hand.

Send yourself to your left side with the barrier guard like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, advance your right foot and hold your sword upon the ground with the point by your left side with crossed hands such that the short edge of the sword is up and present yourself open with your right side. Then if they strike at the opening, then spring to your left side with your left foot well away from the cut and strike them while springing over their hands with the short edge.

Text

Cut crooked to the flats Of the masters if you wish to weaken them When it clatters above Then dismount, that I will praise

Gloss: Note you shall conduct this play against the masters from the bind of the sword. Execute it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, position your sword in the barrier guard to the right side or hold it on your right shoulder. Then if they cut at the opening from above, cut across theirs with your long edge from criss-crossed arms, 'Indes', cut to their head or to their body with your short edge.

The text from one of the plays of the crooked cut

Don't crook, short cut With that, look for the disengage.

This is a break against the guard of the ox. Execute it like this: when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they subsequently stay in that guard and hold their sword in front of their head on their left side, then throw your sword at you right shoulder and act as if you want to bind against their sword via the crooked cut and cut short and with that disenge below and shoot your point in long under their sword to the other side, so that they must parry. With this you come to blows and to other work with your sword.

Text

Crook whoever bewilders you The noble war bewilders them Such that they do not truthfully know Where they are without danger.

Note whenever you conduct the crooked cut, you'll always make yourself open with it. Look at it like this, when you cleave in or bind their sword with the crooked cut from your right side, you are open on the left side during this. If they are also crafty and will cut from the sword to your opening and bewilder you with agility, then keep your sword against theirs and track their sword from there onward and wind your point into their face and continue to work with the war, that is, with the windings to the openings so that they become so baffled that they truthfully will not know which regions they should shield themselves from your cuts and your thrusts.

Here begins the crosswise cut with it's plays

The cross seizes Whatever arrives from the roof

Gloss: Note the crosswise cut breaks the roof guard and any cut that is cut down from above. Execute the crosswise cut like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then stand facing you and hold their sword upwards with outstretched arms, high over their head in guard and threatens to cleave in from above and come before yours, then advance your left foot and hold your sword with the flat on your right shoulder and spring well to your right side with your right foot and wind your sword in front of your face by the hilt while springing such that your thumb goes underneath and strike them on the left side of their head with your short edge. But if they go forwards with their cut before you do, then spring away from the cut well to your right side with your right foot using the same afore written act of parrying such that you catch their cut in their hilt and then strike in with the crosswise cleave in the afore named place.

Cross with the strong Note your work with it.

This is: when you strike via the crosswise cut, you should strike with the entire strength of your body, because you constrain the opponent with strength and win their opening with it and understand it like this. When you initiate a strike or cut from the right side via the crosswise cut, if the opponent parries and binds strong against your sword with it, then either execute doubling or from your crosswise cut drive their sword away with your hilt and strike them on the other side of their head. When you initiate a cut via the crosswise cut and the opponent parries and binds soft against the sword, then execute mutating into their lower opening or drive your sword to the other side against their neck and spring behind their left foot with your right an drag them over it with your sword.

Gloss: This is When you initiate a cut via the crosswise cut, do it with strength. Then if they parry, rise up to the weak of their sword with the strong of your sword. If you then seize the weak of their sword, work over their sword to either the lower opening or high against their neck by mutating. But if they are too strong mit their act of parrying, then shove their sword away and strike on their other side via the crosswise cut. Or if they will rush in, then take the slice under their arms or await the wrestling.

Cross to the plow Yoke hard to the ox Whoever crosses themselves well Endangers the head with springing

Note you have heard before that the ox and the plow are two guards or two positions, but here they designate the four openings. The ox: these are the two openings on the left and right side of the head. Similarly, the plow is also the left and right side of the lower half of someone's waist. You shall put all four openings to the test in one sortie with the cross strikes.

Here note the cross strikes to the four openings.

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, advance your left foot and spring well to your right side with your right foot facing them and strike them with your complete power at the ox opening of their left side with a crosswise cut from above. If they then parry your strike, immediately strike down to the plow opening on their right side, further driving the cross strike swiftly over and over, one to the ox opening and the other to the plow, from one side to the other crosswise, to the head and to the body. You must always keep in mind that you shall always spring out to one side with each and every cross strike so that you can fully hit the opponent's head and also take care that you are well covered above all the while by your hilt.

This is the text of the play that here is called the failer

Whoever misleads with the failer Wounds from below according to desire

Note the failer is a play with which the fencers that like to parry and that strike at the sword and not to the openings of the body become confused and wounded according to desire.

Execute the failer like this

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then make a rising cut from both sides. If you subsequently come against the opponent with the rising cut from your right side, then shoot your point long into their breast with it, so that they must parry. Then immediately spring to their right side with your left foot and act as if you will strike them on that side with the crosswise cut and abort the cut and strike immediately back around to the left side. Or if you come against them with your rising cut from the left side, then shoot in the point long and high and conduct the failer as before on the right side

This is the text of the play which here is called the inverter.

The inverter compels Slipping through and also wrestles with it. Take the elbow surely Spring into their stance

Gloss The inverter. This is the half cut. You shall deliver it covertly with the initiation of fencing when you want to overwhelm the opponent so that you rush through him and hold them correctly with wrestling.

Execute the inverter like this

When you have gone halfway with the initiation of fencing, carry out the other half of the pass forward to the opponent over and over with the left foot and make a free rising cut to the right side after every advance in accordance with the left foot and with each the cut invert and turn the long edge of the sword upwards and as soon as you bind against their sword with that, Indes, hang your point in from above and stab them in the face. If they parry your thrust and rise up high with their arms, then rush through them. But if they stay low with their hands during the parry, then seize their right elbow with your left hand and spring in front of their right foot with your left and shove them over it like this. Or if you won't shove them over your foot, then pass your left arm back around their body and throw them over your hip.

Item. And how you shall rush through, you shall find that written hereafter in the part which says: "Rush through, let the pommel hang if you wish to grapple"

The text

Double the failer If they make contact, make the slice with it Double further Stride in left and be not lax

Note this is called the double failer. Conduct it like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then advance your left foot and hold your sword at your right shoulder and when it is right for you, spring well out to your right side with your left foot counter to them and act as if you will make a free crosswise cut to the left side of their head, abort the cut and spring all the way around to their right side with your left foot and strike them in the head with the cross strike. If they then parry and you hit their sword, then step on past close to them, on the same side and slice from behind their sword's edge into their mouth by doubling with the short edge or fall across their arms with your sword and slice. Execute this to both sides. You can also conduct the same way from a descending cut as you can from the cross strikes, if that is what you wish to do.

You can also just as well execute the failer from descending cuts as you would from the cross strikes.

Here begins the text of the cockeyed cut with it's plays

The cockeyed cut breaks into Whatever the buffalo cuts or thrusts Whoever threatens to change, The cockeyed cut robs them of it.

Gloss: Know that the cockeyed cut is a good, strange and grim play, for it breaks in by cut and by thrust with violence and go in with an inverted sword. This is why many masters of the sword have nothing to say about this cut. And this cut also breaks the guard that is called here, the plow.

Item. Execute the cockeyed cut like this

The cockeyed cut is conducted like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then advance your left foot and hold your sword on your right shoulder. If they then cut at your head from above, then twist your sword and cut long from outstetched arms with your short edge against their cut up over their sword, into their face or breast. If they are then crafty in this way and halts the cut of their sword and chang through below, then let your point shoot forwards and remain with your point as before so that they can not come through from below.

Item. Another play

When you stand opposite the opponent and hold your sword on your right shoulder. If they then stand opposite you in the guard of the plow and will stab you from below, then initiate a cut long from above with the short edge by means of the cockeyed cut and shoot in your point into the breast of the opponent in such a way that they cannot reach you with their thrust.

The text of yet another play from the cockeyed cut

Cock an eye. If they short change you, Disengaging defeats them.

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you shall cock an eye to see whether the opponent fences short against you. You shall recognize it when they initiate a cut, they do not extend their arms far from themselves, thus they are shortened. If you lie in the guard of the fool, then if the opponent will fall upon it with their sword, it is again shortened. If the opponent positions themselves against you in either the guard of the ox or of the plow, then they are again shortened. Also know that all winds before the opponent are short and withdraw the sword and freely disengage out of cuts and thrusts using long point against all that fence against you in this way, with this you constrain them so that they must parry or allow themselves to be struck.

This is the text of how you shall break long point with the cockeyed cut

Cock an eye at the point Take the neck without fear

Note this is a play versus the long point using a deception of the face. Execute it like this When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then stand and hold their point against your face or breast, hold your sword on your right shoulder and focus your eyes upon their point and act as if you wish to cut there and cut strongly against their sword with the short edge of the cockeyed cut and shoot the point long at their face with a step forwards of your right foot.

The text of yet another play of the cockeyed cut

Cock an eye at the top of the head If you wish to ruin the hands

Item. When they stand opposing you in long point, then if you wish to strike them atop their hands, focus your eyes on their face or at their head and act as if you wish to strike them there and strike them on their hands from the cockeyed cut with your point.

The text of the part cut

The part cut Is a threat to the face With it's turn The breast is yet endangered. Whatever comes from them The crown removes. Slice through the crown So that you break it beautifully and hard Press the sweeps By slicing withdraw it

Gloss: The part cut breaks the fool's guard and is quite threatening to the face and breast with it's turn. Execute the part cut like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they position themselves against you in the fool's guard, advance your left foot and hold your sword high above your head with outstretched arms in the roof guard and spring into them and cut down from above strongly and keep your arms high and sinking your point downward into their face or breast. Then if they parry such that the point and the hilt both stand up on their sword (This is called the crown) and they rise up with it and shove your point upwards, then wind your sword down through their crown with your edge into their arm and press. In this way is the crown broken and drive your slice using pressing and withdraw yourself with it.

This is the text about the four positions or guards

Four positions alone Defend from those and eshew the common Ox, plow, fool, From-the-roof are not dispised by you

Gloss: Note that you should fence from the four positions or the four guards. The first guard is called the ox. Put yourself there like this: stand with your left foot forwards and hold your sword by your right side such that your hilt stays in front of your head and your point stays against the opponent's face.

Item. Put yourself into the ox on the left side like this: Stand with your right foot forwards and hold your sword by your left side with your hilt in front of your head such that the long edge stays facing you and the point stays against the opponent's face. The ox on both sides.

The second is called the plow.

Put yourself there like this: advance your left foot and hold your sword at your hip, down by your right side, with crossed hands such that the short edge is up and your point is against the opponent's face.

Item on the left side.

The second is called the plow. Put yourself into the plow like this: Advance your left foot and hold your sword at your hip, down by your right side such that your short edge is up and your point is against the opponent's face.

Item. Put yourself into the plow on the left side like this: Advance your right foot and hold your sword at your hip, down by your left side such that your long edge is up and your point is against the opponent's face. This is the plow to both sides.

The third is called the fool. Put yourself there like this: Advance your right foot forwards and hold your sword in front of yourself with extended arms, with the tip of your point upon the ground and such that the short edge is turned up.

This is the text about If you are parried, as that is arriving

The fourth guard is called the roof guard. Put yourself there like this: Advance your left foot and hold your sword on your right shoulder or with your point high over your head with extended arms and stand in the guard like this.

This is the text about the parries

Four are the parries That severly disrupt the positions Guard yourself from parrying If it happens by necessity, it hurts you

Gloss: You have heard previously about the four guards, you shall now know that there are four parries with which you shall break the four guards. Know that no actual parries are called for in this, because it is the four cuts that they break

The first is the crooked cut which breaks the guard of the ox

Item the second is the crosswise cut which breaks the roof guard

Item the third, this is the cockeyed cut, which breaks the guard of the plow

The fourth, this is the part cut, which breaks the guard here called the fool and how you shall break the four guards with the cuts, you shall find that written previously in the cuts. The consequence of this is to guard yourself so that you do not parry much, if you do not wish to otherwise become struck.

This is the text

If you are parried, Note as it happens. Heed what I advise: Break loose quickly, cut with violence.

Note, this is for when the opponent has parried you and will not draw themselves away from your sword and fully intends to not let you come to any play. In this case act as if you will withdraw yourself, away from their sword and suddenly withdraw your sword to you, just to the midpart of your blade and together with that drive up with your sword and strike quickly at the opponent's head via doubling or with the short edge.

Item another one

When the opponent has parried you, wrench up against their sword with your sword up toward their point as if you would abscond above and remain against their sword and cut back in against their sword with your long edge.

This is the text of the four lodgings against

Lodge against four regions Learn to remain upon them if you wish to finish

Gloss: Lodging is an serious play because out of everything, it goes into the four openings the most narrowly and it is appropriate to execute where you wish to deliver an immediate end with your sword.

[Vienna] And lodging is executed like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then position yourself with your sword in either the guard of the ox or of the plow. Then if the opponent will from their right side either cleave in from above or thrust in from below, note when they lift up their sword to strike or draws towards themselves below to thrust and shoot in ahead into long point into their left side opening before they can deploy their cut or thrust and see if can you lodge against them. Do the same when the opponent initiates a cut from below and this goes to both sides. Then if they become aware of your lodging and parries, then keep your sword against theirs and do not draw away from it and work quite swiftly with your sword to the nearest opening so they cannot come to any play.

[others] Item. Execute the lodging like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, position yourself in the guard of the ox or of the plow with your sword. If the opponent will subsequently cleave in from above or initiate a thrust from their right side, then come forwards with a act of parrying, shoot in the long point to the nearest opening of their left side, and see if you can lodge against them. But if they cleave in from their left side, shoot in your point to the opening of their right side.

Item. When the opponent initiates a cut up from below from their right side, shoot in your point and lodge against them. Also do the same when they cut up from below from their left side. Then if they become aware of the lodge and parry, stay on their sword with yours and swiftly work to the nearest opening so they cannot come to any play.

[Vienna] Then if they withdraw themselves from your sword, execute the pursuing which will be explained to you hereafter.

This is the text about how you shall pursue

Learn to pursue Double or slice into the weapon Two incitements to the outside The work begins thereafter And gauge the application Whether they are soft or hard

Gloss. Note pursuing is diverse and varied and is required to be executed with great caution against the fencers that fight from free and lengthy cuts or will not otherwise keep to the proper art of the sword.

Execute the first play of pursuing like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then advance your left foot and stand in roof guard, quite precisely observing what your opponent fences against you. Then if they cleave in long from above from their right shoulder, do not parry them and see to it that they do not reach you with their cut. Then mark the moment during the cut that their sword goes down towards the ground, then spring into them with your right foot and cleave in from above into the opening of their right side before they come back up with their sword, in this way they are struck

The is the incitement to the outside

When the opponent misfires and you cut behind that, then if they immediately rise up with their sword and parry, then stay strong against their sword using your long edge. if they then lift up with their sword, then spring well behind their right foot with your left and strike them on the right side of their head with a crosswise cut or whatever and immediately work back around to their left side using duplieren or with whatever other plays dependent on you sensing whether they are soft or hard against the sword

Item. Yet another play.

When the opponent misfires and you cut behind that, then if you bind against the opponent's sword on their left side and then they immediately strike around from their act of parrying to your right side, then Indes, either advance ahead of them below their sword and toward their left side with a crosswise cut across their neck or spring to their right side with your left foot and according to their cut, either strike or cut behind that to their right side or conduct the slice across their arms into their head.

A good pursuing

When you fence against the opponent either from rising cuts or from the sweeps or you situate yourself against them in the fool's guard, then if they fall upon that with their sword before you come up, then stay against their sword like this with yours below and lift upwards. Then, if they will wind off you , then do not let them come off your sword and pursue them thereon and work to the nearest opening during this.

Item. Note, you shall pursue the opponent from all guards and from all cuts as soon as you recognize that the opponent either cuts before you or uncovers themselves in front of you with their cut.

This is the text about feeling and about the word Indes

Learn to feel it Indes, this word cuts sharply

Gloss. Note that feeling and the word 'Indes' are the greatest and the best arts of the sword and whoever is or wishes to be a master of the sword yet cannot feel nor cannot marry the term 'Indes' to it, they are in fact not a master, rather they are a buffalo of the sword. Therefore you shall fully study the two things for all situations.

Note feeling like this:

Note when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, one binding the other on the sword, you shall in this, as the swords clash together, you shall immediately feel in the clashing whether they have bound soft or hard and as soon as you have sensed this, then reflect on the Indes. This is about how you shall work swiftly at the sword within that perception before the opponent comes to their senses.

Item. Note that feeling and the word Indes cannot occur without the other and understand it like this. When you bind against the opponent's sword, you can feel softness or hardness with the word Indes and when you have felt it, you must still work with Indes. In this way they are always with each other, because Indes is in all Plays. Understand that like this: Indes disengages, Indes slips through. Indes takes the slice, Indes wrestles with. Indes takes the sword, Indes does what the heart desires. Indes is a sharp word, with it all masters of the sword that neither know nor understand this word are or will be carved up.

The text about overrunning[sic]

Pursuing twice, If one hits, make the old slice with it.

Gloss. Note this is about how you shall not forget to conduct the pursuing to both sides nor the slices therein. Look at it like this: When the opponent misses their attack before you, be it from the right or from the left side, boldly cut into the opening and follow them closely. Then if they rise up and bind against your sword from below, then note as soon as one sword clashes onto the other and then 'Indes', continue with a slice towards their neck or fall upon their arms with your long edge, and immediately apply the slice to it.

The text about overrunning

Whoever takes aim from below Overrun, then they will be shamed. When it clashes above, Strengthen, This I wish to praise. Make your work press twice, soft or hard.

Gloss. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then initiate a cut from below, do not parry that. Rather, note when the rising cut moves towards you and cleave in long from above from your right shoulder and shoot in your point into their face or breast long from above and lodge against them from above so they cannot reach you below. Because all of the upper lodgings break and free you from the lower. Then if they rise up and bind against your sword from below, then stay strong on their sword with your long edge and work swiftly to the nearest opening or let them work and if you come Indes then you hit them.

Item. Note when you have strongly bound the opponent up against their sword, if they strike around you from the act of parrying to your other side, then bind them again strongly up against their sword with your long edge up into their head and work to the opening as before. This goes to both sides.

How you shall displace cut and thrust

Learn to displace Skillfully disrupt cuts and thrusts Whoever thrusts at you Your point hits and their's breaks From both sides You will hit every time, if you step.

Gloss. Note the displacing. Execute it like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then set themselves against you as if they will thrust, advance your left foot and stand facing them in the guard of the plow on your right side and offer yourself open on your left side. Then, if they thrust into that opening, wind to your left side with your sword opposing their thrust, your short edge against their sword and displac it with that such that your point always faces your opponent and also stepping in with your right foot and stab them Indes in their face or the opening of their breast.

Item. Another play.

When you stand in the plow on your right side, if the opponent subsequently cuts into your opening on your left side from above, then drive up with your sword and with that wind your hilt in the ox on your left side in front of your head and against their cut and with that step toward the right foot and stab them in their face or breast. This play is also conducted from the plow from your left side in the same way as from your right.

The text about disengaging.

Learn to disengage From both sides thrusting sharply with it Whoever binds upon you Disengaging surely finds them

Gloss. Note disengaging is many and varied. You shall conduct them against the fencers that like to parry and those that cut to the sword and not to the openings of the body. You shall learn quite well to conduct this with caution so that the opponent does not lodge against you nor otherwise come in while you disengage.

And you execute disengaging like this

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, cleave in long from above to their head. If they then counter cut against you at your sword and not to your body, then let your point rush through below during your cut, before they can bind on your sword and stab them on the other side. If they become aware of your thrust and immediately chase your thrust with their sword with an attempt to parry, then disengage above to the other side. And always execute this when the opponent moves towards your sword with an attempt to parry. The is executed on both sides.

Item, another.

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, advance your left foot and hold the long point against your opponent's face. Then if they strike at your sword either down from above or up from below and will bat it away or bind against it strongly, then let your point sink down and stab them on the other side. Execute this against all cuts where the opponent strikes at your sword and not to the openings of the body.

Item, quite precisely note this play

When the opponent parries you and allow their point to go off to your side, boldly disengage and stab them on the other side. Or, if they remain with their point in front of your face or toward your other openings of the body, then do not disengage. Remain on the sword and work with that to the nearest opening such that they cannot pursue, nor lodge against you.

This is the text of how you shall suddenly withdraw

Tread close in binds, So that suddenly withdrawing gives good opportunities. Suddenly withdraw. If they engage, suddenly withdraw more. Uncover the work that does them harm. Suddenly withdraw all engagements If you wish to make a fool of the masters

Know that suddenly withdrawing is appropriate to conduct against the masters that bind strongly against the sword by an act of parrying and against those that remain still at the sword and watch whether someone will either tie off or cut off or draw themselves off the sword. If you subsequently wish to deceive or make a fool of those masters, then conduct the suddenly withdrawing against them like this: Cut in strongly from above at their head from your right side, if the opponent drives against that and will parry, then suddenly withdraw your sword toward yourself before they can bind against it, then stab them on the other side and do this in all engagements of the sword.

Item. Another suddenly withdrawing.

When the opponent has bound against you against your sword, if they subsequently stand opposing you in the bind and watch whether or not you withdraw from the sword, then act as if you will suddenly withdraw and stay at the sword and suddenly withdraw your sword towards yourself just to the midpart of the blade and suddenly thrust back against their sword into their face or breast. If you do not rightly connect with your thrust, then work by doubling or otherwise with other plays, whatever seems best to you.

This is the text about rushing through and about wrestling

Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple. Whoever strengthens up against you, Remember to rush through with it.

Gloss. Slipping through and wrestling are appropriate to conduct against the masters that like to rush in and conduct it like this. When the opponent parries you and with that rises up high with their arms, rushes in and tries to overwhelm you with strength from above, then rise up with your arms as well and hold your sword above your head with your left hand by the pommel and let your blade hang down back across your back and slip beneathe their arms to their right side with your head and spring behind their right foot with your right and during the spring move your right arm against the opponent's left side, well around their body and in this way, fasten them against your right hip and throw them backwards on their head in front of you.

Another wrestling

Item. When the opponent rushes in on you with upstretched arms and you do the same, then rush through them with your head to their right side and let your sword hang back over your back as was written before and step ahead with your right foot in front of their right and drive through under their right arm back around their body with your right arm and fasten them to your right hip and throw them behind you. Conduct these two wrestlings to both sides.

Item. Yet another wrestling

Note when the opponent rushes in on you to your right side and is high with their arms and you are as well, hold your sword in your right hand with your pommel shored against and shov their arm and their sword away from you with your hilt and spring ahead with your left foot in front of both their feet and pass your left arm way back around their body and fasten them to your left hip and throw them in front of you on their face

Item. Yet another wrestling

Note when the opponent rushes in on you and is high with their arms and you are as well, you shall hold your sword in your right hand and shov their arm away from you with that and spring behind their right foot with your left and pass your left arm down through in front of their breast to their left side and fasten them to your left hp and throw them behind you. Conduct these two wrestlings to both sides.

Here note arm wrestling in the sword

Whenever the opponent rushes in into your sword and holds their arms down, invert your left hand and seize their right with it from the inside, between both of their hands and with that drag them to your left side and strike them across their head with your sword with your right. But if you do not wish to strike, then spring behind their left foot with your right and pass your right arm around their neck, ahead or behind and throw them over your right knee in this way.

Item. Another.

Whenever the opponent rushes in on you at the sword and is low with their hands, then release your left hand from your sword forwards and pass over their right hand with your pommel from the outside and press down with it and grab the opponent by their right elbow using your left hand and spring in front of their right foot with your left and pushing them over it.

Item. Another wrestling.

When one rushes in on you at the sword, let your sword completely go and invert your right hand. And using that, take an outside grip of their right and with your left grasp them by their right elbow and spring in front of their right foot with your left and shove with your right hand

When the opponent rushes in on you at the sword, their right arm over your left and lift it upwards so that they are locked. In this way you can either break their arm or throw them over your left leg.

Item. Yet another.

When the opponent rushes in on you at the sword, invert your right hand and pass over their left arm with it and seize their sword between both of their hands and drag them to your left side with that so that you take their sword from them.

Item. Yet another.

Note when the opponent parries you or otherwise bindsagainst your sword, seize both swords in the crossing of the blades with your left hand and hold them both firmly together and drive forwards, down through with your pommel and over both their hands and press them up to your right side with it, so that you keep both swords.

Cut off the hard ones From below with both applications

This is what you shall do when the opponent strongly binds atop your sword from above (or falls upon it). Look at it like this: When you initiate fencing from the rising cuts or from the sweeps or lay against your opponent in the guard of the fool, if they then fall upon that with their sword before your come up with yours, keep against their sword from below and lift upwards with your short edge. If they subsequently press your sword down firmly, then from their sword, sweep off backwards from beneathe with your sword against their sword's blade, away form their sword and immedately cut back in against their sword from above at their mouth

Item. Another.

When you initiate fencing with rising cuts or lay in the guard of the fool, if the opponent subsequently falls onto that close to your hilt, before you come up with it such that their point goes out toward your right side, then swiftly rise up over their sword with your pommel and strike them in the head with your long edge. Or if they bind atop your sword such that their point goes out to your left side, then rise up over their sword with your pommel and strike them in their head with your short edge. This is called snapping.

The text about the four slices

Four are the slices With two from below, two from above.

Item. Note the four slices. Firstly, the two from above are appropriate to conduct against the fencers that like to strike around to the other side from the act of parrying or from the bind of the sword. It breaks that with the slice like this: When the opponent binds against your sword on your left side with a parry or otherwise and immediately strikes back around to your right via a crosswise cut, spring to their right side with your left foot, away from their cut and fall across both their arms from above with your long edge and press them away from you via the slice. You shall conduct this from both sides at anytime they strike or cut around from an act of parrying.

The two lower slices are appropriate to conduct against the fencers that like to rush in with outstretched arms. Execute them like this: When they bind against your sword and rises up high with their arms and rush in on your left side, twist your sword such that your thumb comes under it and collapse into their arms with your long edge below their pommel and press them upwards with your slice.

Or if they rush in on you on your right side with outstretched arms, rotate your sword such that your thumb comes under it and collapse into their arms with your short edge below their pommel and press them upwards with your slice. These are the four slices.

The text about the transfromation of the slice

Turn your slice To escape, press your hands

This is about how you shall shift to the upper slice from the lower. Note it like this: When the opponent runs in with uplifted arms to your left side, then move your sword into their arms with your long edge under their pommel, pressing upwards firmly and step to their right side with it, winding your pommel through below as well and do not come away from their arms with your sword and turn your sword from the lower slice into the upper, over their arms with your long edge.

Or if the opponent rushes in with uplifted arms to your right side, the turn your sword into their arms with your short edge underneath their hilt, pressing upwards firmly and step to their left side, letting your pommel go through below and turn your sword up over their arms with your long edge.

The text about the two lower hangings

Two ways of hanging emerge From the ground from one hand In every application Cut, Thrust, Position, Soft or Hard

Gloss. Note that the two hangings from the ground, these are the plows to each side and when you fence or wish to fence from those, you shall also have the feeling of whether the opponent is soft or hard therein.

You shall conduct four winds from those and from each winding one cut, one thrust or one slice and outside of that conduct every application like from the two upper hangings, if you wish to otherwise fence correctly.

The text about the speaking window

Make the speaking window Stand freely, watch their situation. Strike them so that it snaps Whoever withdraws themselves before you. I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger If you have understood They cannot come to blows

Gloss. Note you have heard before about how you should arrange yourself with your sword in the four guards and how you should fence from them. You should now know about the speaking window, which is also a guard that you can stand fully secure in. And this guard is the long point which is the noblest and the best guard of the sword. they constrain their opponent with it in such a way that the opponent must allow themselves to be struck without their consent and furthermore cannot come to strikes or anything before your point.

Make the speaking window like this

When you have almost arrived at the opponent with the initiation of fencing, advance your left foot and hold your point long from your arms and against their face or breast before you bind on their sword and stand freely and watch what they will fence against you. If they will subsequently cut long and deep at your head, then rise up and wind into the ox with your sword against their cut and stab them in their face. But if they will cut at your sword and not to your body, then disengage and stab them on the other side. If the opponent rushes in and is high with their arms, then conduct the lower slice or rush through with wrestling. If they are low with their arms, then seek the arm wrestling. You can deliver all plays from the long point like this.

Another of the long point's

Whenever you move toward your opponent with the initiation of fencing, with whichever cut you approach them, be it a rising or descending cut, always let your point shoot in long to their face or to their breast during your cut. With that you constrain them such that they must parry or bind on the sword. And when they have bound on, remain strong with your long edge on their sword and stand freely and watch their situation and whatever they will fence against you. If they draw themselves back off from your sword then follow after them with your point to their breast. Or if they strike around to the other side leaving your sword, then bind in behind their cut strongly from above into their head. Or if they neither withdraw from your sword nor strike around, then work by doubling or otherwise using other plays as you subsequently sense weakness or strength in the sword.

This is the text of the Instruction of the four hangers and the eight hangings

Who fully commands and correctly breaks And makes complete irrefutable judgement And breaks each one individually Into three wounders, Who hangs consumately and correctly And delivers the winding with it And considers the eight winds With correct judgement And to them make singular, The winds, I differentiate trebly Thus they are twenty And four counting them individually. From both sides Learn eight winds with steps And gauge these applications Nothing more than soft or hard

Note this is a lesson and an exhortation of hanging and winding. You have to be well practiced and accomplished in this so that you can both swiftly take lead and correctly conduct a break against one of another fencer's plays from them. The hangers are four, to which belong two from below and two from above. These are the ox and the plow. From these you shall deliver eight winds. And you shall further consider and correctly judge these eight winds in such a way that you shall conduct from each wind one of the three wounders, that is: a cut, a thrust or a slice.

Note here how you shall execute four winds from the upper two hangers (that is, from the ox), two from the right and two from the left. Execute them like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, setup in ox from from your right side, then if they cleave in from above to your left side, wind your short edge into their sword against their cut into the ox and thrust in from above into their face. This is one winding. Then, if they parry you thrust, remain at the sword and wind your short edge against their sword back up into the ox on your right side and thrust in from above into their face. There are two windings against the sword from the upper hangers from the right side.

Item The second upper hangers execute like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, setup in ox from your left side. Then if they cleave in from above to your right side, wind your long edge against their cut onto their sword and thrust in from above into their face. This is one winding. If they displace your thrust, then remain against their sword and wind your long edge against their sword back to your left side into the ox and [thrust] in from above into their face in the ox. These are the four windings from the upper two hangers.

Item. Now you shall know that you shall execute the four winds from the plow from both sides (these are the two lower hangers) with all of their applications just like the upper hangers. In this way the winds become eight and note that whenever you wind, you think about the cut and about the thrust and about the slice in each individual wind. In this way you come to twenty four from the eight winds. And how you shall execute cut, thrust and slice, you will find all of that written in the plays. You should also learn to expertly execute the eight winds with stepping on both sides. And note as soon as you wind, you shall distinctly recognize nothing more than the two applications in each particular winden whether the they are soft or hard against your sword. Thereafter execute the play that subsequently becomes clear to you in the previous statement

Item. Here ends the text from the Zettel of the long sword of how one shall hold themselves in the sword: every step and measure, and cut and thrust and slam together strike and any opening and when one is soft, then you are strong and when one is strong, then you are soft, thus you find weak and strong with each other well in the guard.

Item. It is to be known that the "neche". and the two hangings and the sliding and the hollow parrying, and the golden Art breaks the Art. These five plays, they break the Zettel. Also if someone finds their opponent well, they break them using one or two plays, because one cut breaks the other and one play breaks the other and one thrust breaks the other. Note the gloss.