Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Mike Rasmusson 2004 LS

The text expanding from the verses follows from here;

Text

9	If you will show art, send yourself to Left and Right in striking,
10	and left with right is how you fence correctly and strongly.

Glosa Mark that this is the first tenet of the long sword, that before all things, to learn the strikes rightly, you will always fence strongly, and undertake this thus: When you stand with the left foot forward, and strike from your right side, your step with the right foot will not follow after the strike, thus making the strike weak and incorrect. When your right stays behind, onward the strike will be short. Also don't make your right step go to the other side, putting it under yourself and ahead of your left foot,

otherwise the play further from the left side shall happen with the step and strike on opposing sides.

Text of a lesson

11	He who strikes after deserves a joyless art.

Glosa That is when you come to him in fencing, then you shall not stay still and wait to see with what strike he would fight against you. Know that all fencers who wait to see the other's strike and who will do nothing but displace the other, deserve indeed less joy in their art when they are overcome and struck.

Text

12	Strike closely at him as you will, that nothing comes unto your hilt,
13	head, or body, allow no attack.
14	With the entire body fence as strongly as you can drive.

Glosa When you come to him in pre-fencing, as you would then fence, then drive with your body's full strength, and strike closely to him, one to his head, and to his body, and always keep your point ahead at his face or chest, Thus he can't change through past the point. If he displaces strongly, and your point goes off to the side, then give him a withdrawing slice to the arm,

Or if his arms go high in the displacement, then hit him with a free strike below to his body and step backward with it. Thus he is struck even as he would (strike) himself.

Text

15	Hear what is bad, fight not to left, if you are right,
16	and if you are left, the right is very limiting

Glosa This lesson is intended for two people, one right handed and one left, and regards how you should strike, that one is weak when he strikes the first strike not to engage, and this is shown thus: when you come to him in pre-fencing, and are on the right, then undertake not to strike the first strike from the left side where he is weak and does not want to engage against and strike strong with you, so onward strike from the right where you will engage strongly and work at the sword. Similarly if you are left then strike the first not from the right side, as it is wild for the leftie to drive the art entirely from the right side, similarly for the right from the left side.

Text

17	Before and After, the two things, all arts are from one spring.
18	Weak and Strong, Immediately, do mark this word,
19	thus you will learn work and weapon with Art,
20	know well that no fencing is never learned

Glosa You should first of all rightly undertake and understand two things, that is the Before and the After, and thereafter the weak and strong of the sword and then the word Immediately. From here grows the whole foundation of all fencing arts. When you undertake and understand these things rightly and not forget the word Immediately in all plays, you will drive. Thus will you be a good master of the sword and princes and nobles shall learn well with what proper art of the sword one would choose to fight best and in earnest.

What the Before is

That is that you shall always come before, be it with the strike or with the stab, as when you come to him with a strike or otherwise so that he must displace you, Immediately work ahead nimbly with the sword in the displacement or else with other plays, that he can then come to no work.

What the After is

Is to counter all plays away, and strike to drive the opponent from you, And to take this on even as he comes with the strike, so you must displace. Immediately work nimbly to the next opening and thus break his Before with your After.

Of the Weak and Strong of the Sword

Weak and Strong are taken thus, on the sword from the hilt to the middle of the blade, this is the strong of the sword, and farther past the middle to the point is the weak, and how you shall work with the weak and strong of the sword shall be clarified afterward.

Text of the Five Strikes

21	Teach Five strikes from the right hand,
22	that the weapon will be exalted by a praiseworthy art.

There are five secret strikes of which many masters of the sword know nothing to say. These you shall learn to strike well from the right side, which you can then strike with proper art to break and damage the fencer, which will be praised by other masters. How these shall be learned fully and how to strike when one fences in your plays will be clarified afterward.

Text on the verses' parts.

23	Wrathful strike, Arc, Cross, has Glance, with Vertex,
24	Fool displaces, Traveling After, Overrun lets strike,
25	Change through, Disengage, Run Through, Slice Away, Hand Hit,
26	Wind with openings, Slash against strikes, Stab with thrusting,

Here will be named the proper main parts of the verses of the Long Sword, as they are known, as well as their names, so onward you know well and can understand. The first are the five strikes as they are specially named.

The first is called the Wrath Strike,
the second the Arc Strike,
the third the Cross Strike,
the fourth the Glance Strike,
the fifth the Vertex Strike.

Now mark these elements,

the first being the four Guards,
the next the four Displacements,
the third the Traveling After,
the fourth Running Over,
the fifth the Parry,
the sixth is Changing Through,
the seventh is Disengaging,
the eighth Charging Through,
the ninth is Slicing Off,
the tenth is Hand Hitting,
the eleventh is Hanging,
the twelfth is the Winding.

And how you shall fence with the plays and how you shall gain openings with the Hanging and Winding so that you will go from one to the next, you will find described after here.

Mark that you come here to the first text and glosa

on the Wrath Strike (Zornhau) with its plays

Text

27	To him who strikes you from above, Wrath Strike point concludes.

Glosa The Wrath Strike counters all high strikes with the point. And it is indeed nothing other than a bad peasant strike. Deploy it thus: when you come to him in the pre-fencing: if he strikes to you from his right side high to the head, then to this also strike from high on your right wrathfully displacing with him on his sword, if he is then weak on the sword, then aim to shoot ahead with the point and stab to his face, or attack the chest between the arms.

Text

28	If he wards, then take off high without driving

Glosa When you strike him with the Wrath Strike, then thrust the point long to his face or chest as described before. If he is wary of the point and strongly displaces and pushes your point to the side, then wrench off from his sword high above you with your sword on his sword's blade, and strike one to his other side, yet again on his sword's blade, to his head, this is called taking off high.

Counter against the take off

When he takes off high, then bind strongly on his sword above to his head with the long edge.

Text

29	Be stronger, wind farther, stab, stab first, then take it farther.

Glosa That is when you strike him with a Wrath Strike, if he displaces and stays strong on the sword in the displacement, then also stay with your sword strong on his sword and drive upward with your arms and wind your quillons onto his sword going forward to his head and stab high into his face, if he becomes aware of the stab and (note in margin: with the short edge) drives up high with his arms, and displaces with the quillons, then stay standing with your hilt in front of your head and send your point below to the throat, or to the chest between his arms, as will be told later.

Text of a lesson on the Wrath Strike

30	Mark well, strike stab stances light or hard,
31	Immediately and truly after, onward the war will not be awkward.

Glosa When he has bound on your sword with a strike or stab or otherwise, then you should not let yourself stop even in your winds, the before will be gained by marking if he is weak or strong when one sword slides against the other and, as you have determined this, immediately work first by winding against the light and the hard, always to the next opening, as will be clarified and examined in plays after this.

Text on the war.

32	When the war roams above, below he will be shamed.

The War is the Winding and the work to the four openings with the point that comes from it, and deploy this thus: when you strike with the Wrath Strike, as soon as he displaces then drive full forward with your arms and immediately wind the point high on his sword to the upper opening on his left side. If he then displaces the high stab, then stay standing in the wind with your hilt in front of your head, and let your point sink below to your left side, if he follows after your sword in displacement, then drive on to his left side with the sword and send the point up to his upper right opening, thus will he be shamed with the war high and low, in that you drive properly from one to the other.

Text of a lesson

33	In all windings, strike stab slice, learn to find,
34	also should you not test, strike stab or slice,
35	in all engagements, you will lose the mastery.

This is when you strike with the Wrath Strike, then you should remember well to end completely with the Windings, and a single wind has three particular elements, that is one strike, one slice, and one stab, and when you wind on the sword, then you should indeed consider well that these elements aren't driven wrongly. Take heed in the winding that you not strike when you should stab, and not slice when you should strike, and not stab when you should slice. Thus you shall always know the elements, that by properly heeding them you will drive all meetings and bindings with the sword, otherwise you will fail or lose the mastery when one displaces against you. How you shall deploy the windings, and how many there are, you will find described in the last part of the verses, which will speak of what will deploy well and what will counter properly.

Of the four Openings

36	Know four openings, space, thus you hit wisely,
37	in all attacks double where he is wary.

Glosa If one wants to be a master of the sword, he should know how to break the four openings with art, and then he will fence properly and wisely. The first opening is the right side, the second the left, both above the belt, the other two are on the left and right side, both under the belt. One should seek the openings by driving on to two from the pre-fencing by following after and shooting with the long point. The second time one should probe with the eight windings, when one binds from one to another on the sword, this you should also understand when you come to him in pre-fencing that you should always drive as best as one can to all with a strike or a stab into the four openings and pay no attention to what he deploys or fences against you. Thus you will force your opponent so that he must displace and, when he has displaced, then seek quickly for the next opening by winding in the displacement on the sword, and thus always roam to his openings and fence not to his sword, in this part you will achieve placement at four end points, stay there and thus end the lesson.

How one shall break the four openings

38	If you will reckon to break the four openings with art,
39	double above, transform below right.
40	I say to you be aware onward, you shoot no man without driving,
41	if you've reached him, make a close hit, then he won't advance

Glosa When you have first struck, if you then reckon to wind to his four openings with art so that he must let you strike as you please, then drive a double against the strong of his sword and then transform when he is weak at the sword, thus I say onward be aware that he won't be able to shoot in the Before as he wants, and so cannot come to strike.

How you shall drive the Doubling to both sides

Mark when he strikes high to you from his right shoulder, then also strike similarly strong and high from your right to his head, if he displaces and stays strong on the sword, then drive on Immediately with your arms and thrust your sword's pommel under your right arm with your left hand, and with crossed arms strike the long edge behind his sword's blade onto his head.

Another

If he strikes high to your head with the long edge from his left shoulder, then do the same, onward if he then stays strong on the sword, then drive your arms up quickly and strike with the short edge behind his sword's blade to his head.

Thus how your sword goes to war and strikes was taught

How one shall drive transforming to both sides

When you have struck him strongly above to the head from your right shoulder, if he displaces and is weak on the sword, then wind the short edge on his sword to your left side and, driving well up with your arms, drive your sword's blade high over his sword and stab his lower opening.

Another

When you have struck high to his head from your left side and he displaces and is weak on the sword, then drive up with your arms and hang the point over his sword from above and stab to his second opening. Thus you will drive the two elements from all strikes as you find him weak and strong on the sword.

Thus are fencing and work with the sword retained to be praised.

This is the text and the gloss of the crooked cut with its plays

42	Crook up swiftly Throw the point onto the hands
43	Whoever waits well crooked Disrupts many cuts with stepping.

Note the crooked cut is one of the four parries against the four guards because with them one breaks the guards that are called the ox here and also rising and descending cuts. Conduct it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then 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 and spring facing them well to your right side with your right foot and strike them across their hands with the long edge from crossed arms.

Another

Note you can also conduct the crooked cut from the barrier guard on both sides. Take yourself into the guard like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then stand with your left foot forwards and hold your sword such that the long edge is above with your point on the ground by your right side and present yourself open with your left side. Then, if they cut into your opening, spring away from the cut, facing them, with the right foot well to your right side and from the long edge strike them with crossed hands on their hands with your point.

Item

Take yourself to your left side with the barrier guard like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your right foot forwards and hold your sword upon the ground by your left side with crossed hands such that the short edge is up and present yourself open with your right side. Then if they cut into your opening, then spring away from the cut, facing them, with your left foot well to their right side and strike them in the spring with the short edge across their hands.

This is the text and the gloss of a good play from the crooked cut

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

Gloss: Note you shall conduct this play against the masters from the bind of the sword. Conduct it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, then either lay down your sword to the right side into the barrier guard and stand with your left foot forwards or hold it on your right shoulder. Then if they cut at the opening from above, cut across their cut with your long edge from criss-crossed arms. And as soon as the swords spark together, then 'Indes', wind your short edge against their sword facing your left side and stab them in the face. Or if you don't want to thrust, then 'Indes', cut to their head or to their body with your short edge.

This is again the text and the gloss of one from the crooked cut

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

Gloss: Note this is for when the opponent cleaves in from their right side from above. So rise up with your hands high and act as if you wish to bind against their sword with the crooked cut and pass through below their sword with your point and stab them in the face or in the breast on the other side and take care that you are well covered with your hilt in front of your face. You can also break the guard of the ox with this play. Conduct it like this. When you go to them with the initiation of fencing, if they then stand facing you and hold their sword with their hilt in front of their head on their left side, then throw your sword on your right shoulder and act as if you wish to bind against their sword with the crooked cut and cut short and with that disengage below their sword and shoot your point in long to the other side under their sword into their throat so they must parry. With this you come to strikes and other work with the sword.

[Marginal note in a different hand:] against the ox

[Marginal note in a different hand:] crooked cut w. Which breaks the guard of the ox

This is again the text and the gloss of one of the plays from the crooked cut

47	Crook whoever bewilders you The noble war bewilders them
48	For they truthfully Do not know where they are without danger

Gloss: Note whenever you conduct the crooked cut, you will always make yourself open with it. Look at it like this, when you cleave in or bind against 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 your 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 that they should shield themselves from your cuts and thrusts.

Here begins the text and the gloss of the crosswise cut with its plays

49	The crosswise cut seizes Whatever arrives from the roof

Gloss: Note the crosswise cut breaks the roof guard and any cut that is hewn down from above. Conduct the crosswise cut like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your left foot forwards and hold your sword on your right shoulder. Then if they stand facing you and hold their sword with outstretched arms high over their head and threaten to cleave in from above, come with your cut before they do and spring well to your right side with your right foot and in that spring, wind your sword with your hilt in front of your head such that your thumb comes under and strike them with the short edge against their left side in the head

Or if they come before you do with their cut down from above, then spring away from their cut with your right foot, well to your right side with the previously mentioned act of parrying so that you catch their cut in your hilt and strike them with the crosswise cut on the left side of their head

Here note the break against the crosswise cut

Note when you stand facing the opponent in the roof guard, boldly cleave in at their head from above. Then if they spring away from your cut and intend to arrive first with the crosswise cut and strike you with it on the left side of your head, fall upon their sword with your long edge. Then if they strike around to your other side with the crosswise cut, 'Indes' you go forth ahead of them under their sword and in front of yourself against their neck so that they slash themselves with your sword.

Note when you have bound the opponent against your sword, if they then strike from your sword around to the other side with the crosswise cut, then fall into their hands or upon their arms with your long edge and press their arms away from you with everything you've got with a slice, and from that slice of their arms strike them on their head with your sword.

Here note the break against the upper slice into the arm

Note when you strike the opponent with the crosswise cut to their right side, if they then fall into your arm with a slice, then strike them in their mouth with your short edge from behind their sword's blade by doubling.

Again, this is the text and the gloss of a play from the crosswise cut

50	Cross with the strong Remember your work with it

Gloss: Note when you wish to strike the crosswise cut, you shall strike with the entire strength of the body and you shall always bind against their sword with the strong of your sword. With that, you secure their opening. Look at it like this: When you make a crosswise cut from your right side, if they parry and bind strongly against your sword with it, then conduct the doubling or right from of crosswise cut, knock their sword off to the side with your hilt and strike them on the other side with it.

Yet another

When you make a strong crosswise cut from your right side, if they parry and are soft against the sword, then either drive the short edge of your sword against their neck on their right side and spring behind their left foot with your right foot and drag them over it like this with your sword's blade or conduct the mutating into their lower opening.

Break it like this

When the opponent drives their sword against your neck, rise up inside of their sword with your pommel and let your blade hang down and shove their sword away from your neck and strike in at their head from above by snapping. Or strike them by doubling with your right hand up over their sword and beneath their face while they have their sword against your neck.

This is the text and the gloss of the crosswise strike to the four openings

51	Cross to the plow Yoke it hard to the ox
52	Whoever crosses themselves well Threatens the head by spinging

Gloss: Note you have heard before that the ox and the plow are either two positions or two guards, but here they indicate the four openings. The ox, which are the upper two openings, the right and the left side of the head and the plow which are the two lower, the right and the left side below the belt of the opponent. You shall turn to each of these four openings with the crosswise strike in one sortie.

You should also remember that in broad terms, you should always spring out off to one side facing the opponent with each and every crosswise strike so that you can fully connect to the head and take care that you are fully covered the entire time with your hilt up in front of your head.

Here note a break against the lower crosswise strikes

Note when the opponent strikes at your head with the crosswise from their right side to your left side, parry with the long edge and keep your point in front of their breast. Then if they strike around from your sword to your lower right opening using the crosswise strike, then you also make a crosswise strike down through between you and them also against their right side and with that bind against their sword and staying in the bind, stab them 'Indes' in the lower opening

This is the text and the gloss of a play that is called the failer

53	The failer misleads It wounds according to desire from below

Gloss: The failer is a play whereby many fencers that like to parry and also those that fence to the sword and not to the openings become deceived and wounded according to desire and and are beaten.

Note when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, act as if you will strike at their head with a free descending cut and suddenly withdraw the cut and strike at the lower openings of their left or right side, whichever you wish, with the crosswise strike. And take care that you are fully covered by your hilt over your head. You can also conduct crosswise cut like this.

This is the text and the gloss of a play that is here called the inverter

54	The inverter constrains. The one who rushes through also wrestles with it.
55	Take the elbow surely Spring into their stance.

Gloss: Note the inverter is called the halfcut or the hand-turner. With it, one constrains the opponent so that you can rush through and capture with wrestling.

Conduct it like this:

When you go toward the opponent with the initiation of fencing, go with the left foot forwards and hew the halfcut from the right side with an inverted long edge over and over, up and down in time with your left foot until you arrive at the opponent. And as soon as you bind against their sword with it, then 'Indes' hang your point inward from above and stab them in the face. If they parry the thrust and rise up high with there arms, then rush through. Or if they remain with their hands low with their act of parrying, then seize their right elbow with your left hand and hold them firmly and spring in front of their right with your left foot and shove them over your foot like this.

Or if you do not wish to shove them over your foot by the elbow with your left hand as was written above, then pass your left hand back around their body and throw them in front of you across your left hip.

This is again the text and the gloss about the failer

56	The failer doubles. If they make contact, make the slice with it.
57	Double it further Step in left and do not be lazy

Gloss: Note this is called the double failer. Conduct it like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your left foot forwards and hold your sword on your right shoulder. When it is suitable to you, spring full on toward them with your right foot over to their left side and act as if you would strike them with a free crosswise strike at their head to their left side and suddenly withdraw the strike and spring to their right side with your left foot and strike them from there out into their head. If they parry and you hit their sword, then spring out off next to them on the same side and slice them in their mouth with the short edge from behind their sword by doubling.

Or fall into the slice with your sword across both their arms. In the same way, you can also successfully conduct the failer from descending cuts just like from the crosswise strikes whenever it is available to you or whenever you wish.

Here begins the cockeyed cut with it's plays

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

Gloss: Note the cockeyed cut breaks the guard here called the plow and is a good, strange and grim cut because it breaks into cuts and into thrusts with violence and goes forth with an inverted sword. This is why many masters of the sword have nothing to say about this cut.

Here note how one shall conduct the cockeyed cut

Note when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your left foot forwards and hold your sword on your right shoulder. Then if they cleave in at the head from above, twist your sword and hew against their cut up over their sword at their head with your short edge, long with extended arms. Then if they are also cunning and aborts during the cut of your sword and will disengage below, let the point shoot in forward and long during the cut so that they cannot disengage below.

Another

When you stand facing the opponent holding your sword on your right shoulder, if they then stand facing you in the guard of the plow and will initiate a thrust from below, cleave in with the cockeyed cut long from above and shoot in the point long into their breast so they cannot reach you below with their thrust.

This is the text and the gloss on a lesson from the cockeyed cut

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

Gloss: Note this lesson. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you shall sneak a glance and see whether they fence short against you. You can recognize this whenever they initiate a cut and do not extend their arms out away from themselves while cutting. Thus their sword is shortened.

Or if you lie in the guard of the fool and they will then fall upon you with their sword crooked, their sword is again shortened.

Or if they move themselves against you into the guard of the ox or the plow, their sword is again shortened. Also know that all windings of the sword ahead of the opponent are short and withdraw the sword. And against whichever fencers that conduct the windings in this way, freely disengage from your cuts and thrusts and shoot in the long point to the closest opening from this, thereby pressuring them so that they must parry and you come to your proper work.

This is the text and the gloss of how one breaks long point with the cockeyed cut

61	Cock an eye at the point And take the neck without fear

Gloss: Note when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then stand facing you and hold the long point toward your face or breast, hold your sword on your right shoulder and focus your gaze on their point and act as if you will strike at it and cut strongly against their sword with your short edge using the cockeyed cut. And with that, shoot in your point into their neck using an entrance of your right foot.

This is again the text and the gloss of a play from the cockeyed cut

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

Gloss: Note this is another break for when your opponent stands in the long point facing you. Focus your gaze upon their head and act as if you will strike them there and strike them on their hands with your point from the cockeyed cut.

Here begins the text and the gloss of the part cut

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

Gloss: Note the part cut breaks the guard that is here called the fool and to that end, it is quite dangerous to the face and with it's turn, the breast.

Conduct it like this

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then move themselves against you into the guard of the fool, advance your left foot and hold your sword on your right shoulder in guard and spring into them and cut down from above at their head strongly with the long edge. Then if they parry the cut such that their point and their hilt both stand up (this is called the crown), remain high with your arms and lift your sword's pommel upwards with your left hand and sink your point over their hilt and into their breast. Then if they rise up with their sword and shove your point upwards with their hilt, then wind your sword through under their crown into their arm using the slice and press. Like this, the crown is again broken. And with the pressing, slice firmly into their arms and withdraw yourself during the slice.

This is the text and the gloss about the four positions

68	Four positions alone Defend from those and eschew the common
69	Ox, plow, fool, From-the-roof are not contemptible to you

Gloss: Note the four positions. These are the four guards that you shall fence from.

The first guard is called the ox. Put yourself together like this here: stand with your left foot forwards and hold your sword next to your right side with your hilt in front of your head such that your thumb is underneath your sword and hang your point toward their face.

Note, Put yourself in ox on the left 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 your thumb is underneath your sword and hang your point toward their face. This is the ox on both sides.

This is the second guard

Note that the second guard is called the plow. Put yourself together like this here: Set up with the left foot forwards and hold your sword with crossed hands with the pommel down by your right side at the hip such that the short edge is above and your point against their face.

Note. Put yourself in plow on the left side like this: stand with your right foot forwards and hold your sword by your right side with the pommel low at the hip such that the long edge is above and your point is in line with their face. This is the plow on both sides.

This is the third guard

Note the third guard is called the fool. Put yourself together like this here: stand with your right foot forwards and hold your sword in front of you with extended arms with the point upon the ground with your short edge turned upwards

This is the fourth guard

Note the fourth guard is called roof guard. Put yourself together like this here: stand with your left foot forwards and hold your sword on your right shoulder or with upstretched arms high over your head and stand in guard like this.

This is the text and the gloss of the four parries

70	Four are the parries Which also severely disrupt the positions

Gloss: Note you have heard before that there are four guards. You shall also know this about the four parries: they break these same four guards. Furthermore, there is no actual parrying is called for in these, because the four parries are four cuts that break them.

Note the first cut is the crooked cut which breaks the guard that here is called the ox.

Note the second cut. This is the crosswise cut which breaks the roof guard

Note the third cut. This is the cockeyed cut which breaks the guard that here is called the plow

Note the fourth cut. This is the part cut which breaks the guard that here is called the fool

And how you should break the four guards with the cuts shall be found written previously in these same cuts.

This is the text and the gloss about how one shall not parry

71	Guard yourself from parrying If this happens, it also severely beleaguers you.

Gloss. Note this is about how one shall not parry like the common fencers do. When they parry, they keep their point up in the air or to one side. This shows that they do not know to seek the four openings in the act of parrying. Therefore, they often become struck. But when you parry, parry with your cut or with your thrust and 'Indes' seek the nearest opening with the point so no master can strike you without their own harm.

This is the text and the gloss about when someone has parried you and what you should conduct against that.

72	If you are parried And as that is arriving
73	Heed what I advise: Break loose, cut quickly with violence.

Gloss. Note this is about when someone has parried you and will not withdraw themselves from your sword and intends to not allow you to come to any plays. In this case, rise up on their sword's blade with your sword as if you would abscond from their sword, but stay against their sword and cut back in against their blade directly at their head using your long edge.

This is the text and the gloss about the four lodgings

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

Gloss. Note there are four lodgings that are called for in earnest combat. You shall conduct them when you wish to immediately slay or injure your opponent. Conduct them like this: When you initiate fencing with the opponent with your sword, move yourself with your sword into the guard of the ox or the guard of the plow. If they will then cleave in from above or initiate a thrust from below, note during the moment when they lift up their sword and will strike or will draw down toward themselves to thrust at you, that you go first and shoot in the long point to their nearest opening before they bring forth their cut or thrust and see if you can lodge against them. Do the same thing when they initiate an rising cut. When this happens, shoot in the point the moment before they go up with their rising cut. Conduct this to both sides. Then if they become aware of the lodging against, keep your sword against theirs and swiftly work to the nearest opening

This is the text and the gloss of the pursuing

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

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

Conduct pursuing like this

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your left foot forwards in the roof guard and watch quite attentively to what they fence against you. If they cleave in long from above, take heed that they do not reach you with their cut and not during the cut when their sword goes toward the ground, then spring in with your right foot, cleave in at their head from above before they can come up with their sword so that they are stricken.

The play written hereafter is called enticement to the outside

Note when the opponent misses their attack and you pursue into the opening with their cut, if they then rise up with their sword and come against your sword from below, remain strong upon it. Then if they firmly lift your sword upwards with theirs, spring behind their right foot with your left and strike them on the right side of their head with the crosswise cut or whatever, immediately working back around to their left side or otherwise with other plays thereafter, as you sense whether they are soft or hard at the sword.

Here note a good pursuing at the sword from rising cuts

Note when you fence against your opponent from rising cuts or from the sweeps or lay against them in the guard that is here called the fool. Then if they fall upon your sword with theirs before you can come upwards with something, stay against their sword like this with yours below and lift upwards. Then if they wind in their point into your face or breast while on your sword, do not let them get away from your sword and adhering to it and work with your point to their nearest opening. But if they strike around away from your sword then either follow behind or pursue them again with your point like before.

Note you shall pursue them from all cuts and from all guards as soon as you recognize when they miss their attack or they open themselves with their sword. But take care that you neither open yourself up nor miss your attack with your pursuing. Note this on both sides.

Precisely note here the text and the gloss about feeling and about the word that is here called Indes.

78	Learn to feel 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 and cannot perceive the term 'Indes' in it, they are in fact not a master, rather they are a buffalo of the sword. Therefore you shall quite fully study the two things for all situations so that you correctly comprehend it.

Here note the lesson about feeling and about the word that is called Indes

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

Here you shall note

That feeling and the word Indes are one thing, for one cannot be without the other. Look at it like this: When you bind against their sword, you must immediately feel whether they are soft or hard at the sword using the word Indes. And when you have felt that, then you must work 'Indes' according to the soft and according to the hard. Like this, they are nothing but one thing. And the word Indes, this is for all plays from beginning to end. Look at it like this:

	Indes doubles, Indes mutates,
	Indes disengages, Indes rushes through,
	Indes takes the slice, Indes wrestles with,
	Indes takes the sword, Indes does what your heart desires.

Indes, this is a sharp word. With it, all masters of the sword that neither know nor understand it will be carved up. This is the key of the art.

Here again note the text and the gloss about pursuing

79	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 slice firmly.

Here note the text and the gloss about the overrunning

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

Gloss. Note that this is about when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they then cut from below to the lower openings, do not parry that, rather cleave in strong at their head from above. Or if they initiate a cut with rising cuts, then before they come up with their rising cut, shoot in the 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.

Here note that this is the text and the gloss of how one shall displace thrust and cut

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

Gloss. Note the displacing. Conduct 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, then advance your left foot and setup against them in the guard of plow from your right side and offer yourself open on your left side. Then, if they thrust into that opening, wind to your left side, your short edge against their sword engaging their thrust and displace it with that and step in with your right foot with that and stab them Indes in their face or in their breast.

Another play

Note when you setup in plow from your right side, if they then cleave in from above at your head on your left side, rise up with your sword, and with that wind to your left side against their cut such that your hilt is in front of your head and also step in with it with your right foot and stab them in their face or their breast. Conduct this play to both sides from the plow.

This is the text with the gloss about how one shall disengage

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

Gloss. Note disengaging is many and varied. You shall conduct it 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.

Conduct the disengaging like this

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, cleave in strongly from above. Then if they cut back at you but to your sword and not to your body, then during your cut, let your point rush through below their sword before they bind onto your sword and stab them in the breast on the other side. Then if they become aware of the thrust, and immediately chase that thrust with an act of parrying, then disengage again. Always do this when they move behind your sword with a parry.

Or

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. Conduct this against all cuts where the opponent strikes at your sword.

Precisely note,

How you should disengage in such a way that the opponent does not lodge against you while you disengage. Look at it like this: 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, 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.

Here note the text and the gloss about the withdrawing suddenly at the sword

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

Gloss. Note withdrawing suddenly is appropriate to conduct against the masters that bind strongly against the sword and remain still in the bind of the sword and await to see whether one will cut off in front of them or withdraw from the sword so that they might then pursue into the opening. To make a fool of or mislead these masters, conduct the withdrawing suddenly against them like this: Cut in strongly from above at their head from your right side. Then if they drive forwards strongly with their sword during your cut and will either parry or cut into your sword, then suddenly withdraw your sword towards yourself before they bind you and stab them on the other side. Do this against all engagements and binds of the sword.

Note another withdrawing suddenly

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 withdraw suddenly your sword towards yourself just to the mid-part 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.

Here note the text and the gloss about the runing through and about the wrestling with the sword

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

Gloss. Note rushing through and wrestling are double in the sword. For rushing through is both body wrestlings and then thereafter, the arm wrestlings and they are appropriate to conduct against the fencers that like to rush in.

Conduct the first rushing through like this

Note when the opponent rushes in on you and rises up high with their arms and wishes to overwhelm you with strength from above, rise up with your arms as well and hold your sword over your head with your left hand by the pommel and let your blade hang down behind over your back and pass your head down through their arms toward their right side and spring with your right foot behind their right and with that spring, drive ahead of them toward their left side with your right arm well around their body and fasten them like this to your right hip and throw them backwards on their head in front of yourself.

Yet another body wrestling

Note 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. These two wrestlings go to both sides.

Yet another body 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 shove 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

Yet another body 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 shove 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 hip and throw them behind you. Conduct these two wrestlings on both sides.

Now note the arm wrestlings with the sword here:

Note when the opponent rushes in on you at the sword and holds their hands low, invert your left hand and between both of their hands seize their right with it and with that drag them to your left side and using your right, strike them with your sword across their head.

Or

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.

Another arm wrestling

Note when the opponent rushes in at the sword and is low with their hands, let your left hand go from the sword and with your right crosswise out over their right hand and press down with that and seize them by 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.

Another arm wrestling

Note 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 their right arm over your left with your right hand and lift them upwards with this. Like this, you can either break their arm or throw them over your left leg in front of you, whichever you wish.

Here note a sword disarm

Note when the opponent rushes in on you at the sword, invert your left hand and pass over their right 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.

Another sword disarm

Note when the opponent parries you or otherwise binds against 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 drag them up to your right side with it, so that you keep both swords.

Here note the text and the gloss about cutting off

93	Cut off the hard ones From below in both paths

Gloss. Note 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 rising cuts or from 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 beneath with your sword against their sword's blade, away from their sword and immediately cut back in against their sword from above on the other side at their mouth

Yet 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.

Here note the text and the gloss about the four slices

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

Gloss. Note the four slices. Firstly, know that the upper two are appropriate to conduct against the fencers that like to strike around from the bind of the sword or from an act of parrying to the other side with the crosswise cut or what have you.

Break that like this

When they bind against your sword on your left side and immediately strike back around from that with their left foot on your right side, fall across both their arms from above with your long edge and press them away from you with a slice. You shall always conduct this to either side when they strike around from an act of parrying or cuts away from the sword.

Note

The two lower slices are appropriate to conduct against the fencers that like to rush in with outstretched arms. Conduct 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 drop 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 drop into their arms with your short edge below their pommel and press them upwards with your slice. These are the four slices.

Here note the text and the gloss about the transformation of the slice

95	Turn your slice To flatten, press the hands

Gloss. Note that this is how you should conduct the upper two slices from the lower two. Look at it like this: When the opponent rushes in on you with upstretched arms on your left side, invert your sword and drop into their arms with your long edge below their pommel and press firmly upwards and with that step to their right side and wind your pommel down through underneath and do not comr away from their arms with your sword. And turn your sword into the upper slice from the lower slice with your long edge across their arms.

Or

If the opponent rushes in on you on your right side with upstretched arms, then turn your sword into their arms and under their pommel and press firmly upwards and with that step to their left side, also let your pommel cross through below and turn your sword up over their arms with your long edge and press them away from you with that.

Here note the text and the gloss of the two lower hangings

96	Two hangings emerge From the ground out of each hand
97	In every application Cut, Thrust, Position, Soft or Hard

Gloss. Note that the two hangings from the ground, this is the plow on both sides and when you fence or wish to fence from those, you shall also have the feeling of whether they are soft or hard therein, in cuts and in thrusts and in all binds of the sword. You shall also conduct four winds from those and from each winding appropriately conduct one cut, one thrust or one slice and in other situations conduct all other applications as you would from the two upper hangings.

Here note the text and the gloss about the speaking window

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

Gloss. Note you have heard before about how you should place yourself with your sword into 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. Whoever fences from it correctly can constrain the opponent with it, such that they must allow themselves to be struck without their consent and cannot come back to neither strikes nor thrusts before your point.

Arrange yourself in the speaking window like this:

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 so that they must parry or bind on the sword. And when they have bound on, remain strong with your long edge against their sword and stand freely and watch their situation and for whatever they will fence against you. If they draw themselves back off from your sword then follow after them with your point to their opening. 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 their sword.

This is another stance

And is also called the speaking window. Note 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 conduct all plays from the long point like this.

Here note the text and the gloss of the explanation of the four hangings and the eight windings of the sword to which the Zettel adheres to.

102	Who fully commands and correctly breaks And makes complete irrefutable judgement
103	And breaks each one individually Into three wounders,
104	Who hangs consumately and correctly And delivers the winding with it
105	And considers the eight winds With correct judgement
106	And unites them. The windings, I differentiate trebly
107	Thus they are twenty And four counting them individually.
108	From both sides Learn eight windings with steps
109	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 hangings are four and Zettel for the ox above from both sides which are the two upper hangings and the plow below from both sides which are the two lower hangings. From the four hangings you shall deliver eight winds, four from the ox and four from the plow. 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.

Precisely note hereafter how you shall conduct the four winds from the two upper hangings, that is, from the ox both from the right side and from the left side.

Conduct the first two winds just from the right side like this: When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, do it with your left foot forwards and hold your sword in front of your head on your right side in the ox. If they subsequently cleave in from above from their right side, wind your short edge against their cut, your short edge against their sword, again in ox and thrust in at their face from above. This is one wind.

Note

If the opponent parries your thrust with strength and force your sword off to the side, then remain on their sword and wind back to your right side up into ox and thrust in at their face from above. These are the two winds of the sword from the upper hanging of the right side.

Here note that there are two winds from the ox on the left side. Conduct them like this:

When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, setup in ox from your left side. If they subsequently cleave in from above from their left side, wind your long edge against their sword to your right side opposing their cut and thrust in at their face from above. This is one wind.

Note

If the opponent parries the thrust and press your sword to the side, then remain on their sword and wind the long edge onto their sword back to your left side and thrust in at their face from above. These are the four winds from the two upper hangings both from the left and from the right sides.

Now you shall know

That the plow from both sides, they are the two lower hangings. When you either move yourself into them or wish to fence from them, you shall conduct four winds both from the left and from the right sides, with all of their applications as you would from the upper hangings. In this way the windings become eight. And note every time you wind, in each one of the windings, you decide on the cut or on the thrust or on the slice. In this way, the twenty four plays come from the eight winds. And how you shall conduct the twenty four plays from the eight windings, you shall find all of this written in the glosses before.

Quite precisely note here

That you cannot correctly conduct the eight windings unless they are done with stepping from both sides and also that you must quite precisely gauge ahead of time nothing more than the two applications. They are: First, when they bind against your sword, whether they are soft or hard in their application. Second, wind and work to the four openings as is written before. Also know that all fencers that wind on the sword and do not know the feeling in the sword, they become struck. Therefore educate yourself so that you fully understand feeling and the word Indes, because all the art of fencing comes from these two things.

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