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However if he strikes at your left from below, then step quickly out to his left and strike with the long edge onto the strong of his sword, as soon as your sword moves or glides on his, twitch your sword high above yourself again and slash down with the short edge quickly and deeply to his left ear while stepping forward out to his left, he will then want to rush to displace and then drive above against it, so then strike nimbly with the long edge over again to his right ear and in this slashover step full against his right like before, yet stay with the cross high over your head, and mark as soon as he slashes over then fall further with a cut to his arm, if he is not hurt by this but would evade your work, then follow after him (staying on his arm), and when he makes the smallest extraction, then let fly to another opening and strike him away from you.
 
However if he strikes at your left from below, then step quickly out to his left and strike with the long edge onto the strong of his sword, as soon as your sword moves or glides on his, twitch your sword high above yourself again and slash down with the short edge quickly and deeply to his left ear while stepping forward out to his left, he will then want to rush to displace and then drive above against it, so then strike nimbly with the long edge over again to his right ear and in this slashover step full against his right like before, yet stay with the cross high over your head, and mark as soon as he slashes over then fall further with a cut to his arm, if he is not hurt by this but would evade your work, then follow after him (staying on his arm), and when he makes the smallest extraction, then let fly to another opening and strike him away from you.
 
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{{section|Page:Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens (Joachim Meÿer) 1570.pdf/83|2|lbl=Ⅰ.31v.2|p=1}} '''[XXXIIr]''' Kopff / und merck als bald er umbschlecht / so fall jhm mit dem Schnit abermal auff die Arm / will er den auch nit leiden / sonder will sich ledig arbeiten / so volg jhm (auff seinen Armen bleibent) nach / und wann ers am wenigsten versihet / so laß abfliegen einer andern Blöß zu / und hauw dich von jhm ab.  
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| '''The Third Part'''
 
| '''The Third Part'''
 
However, if he strikes to your right as you come to be in the High Guard, then step nimbly with your left foot to his right out of his strike, and at the same time fall from above with the long edge onto the strong of his sword and, just as you fall on his sword, thrust your pommel under your right arm, so that you slash at his head with crossed hands fully over or near his sword, if he drives above against your right then let the half edge nearly flow off and step under it full out to his left side, and strike with the long edge directly to his head from above, but twitch nimbly upward again and slash with a traverse from below to his left ear with an off set with your left foot, and then strike him away from you.
 
However, if he strikes to your right as you come to be in the High Guard, then step nimbly with your left foot to his right out of his strike, and at the same time fall from above with the long edge onto the strong of his sword and, just as you fall on his sword, thrust your pommel under your right arm, so that you slash at his head with crossed hands fully over or near his sword, if he drives above against your right then let the half edge nearly flow off and step under it full out to his left side, and strike with the long edge directly to his head from above, but twitch nimbly upward again and slash with a traverse from below to his left ear with an off set with your left foot, and then strike him away from you.
| '''Das drite stuck.'''
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| {{section|Page:Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens (Joachim Meÿer) 1570.pdf/84|2|lbl=Ⅰ.32r.2}}
HAuwet er dir aber zu deiner Rechten / wann du also in die Oberhut ankomen bist / so trit behende mit deinem Linkcen fuß gegen seiner Rechten auß seinem Hauw / und falle jhm zugleich mit Langer schneide / Oben auff die sterck seines Schwerdts / und in dem du also auff sein Schwerdt fellest / so stoß dein knopff under deinem Rechten arm durch / also das du jhm mit geschrenckten henden die kurtze schneid wol über oder neben seinem Schwerdt zum Kopff schlagest / fehret er aber mit seinem Schwerdt übersich gegen seiner Rechten / so laß die halb schneide neben derselbigen ablauffen / und trit under des wol gegen seiner Lincken / zur seiten aus / unnd hauwe mit Langer schneid gerad von Oben zu seinem Kopff / zuch aber behend wider übersich / und schlage mit einer Zwirch von Unden zu seinem Lincken ohr mit einem abtrit deines Lincken fus / als dann hauwe dich von jhm ab / rc.
 
  
 
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| '''The Fourth Part'''
 
| '''The Fourth Part'''
 
Mark in Pre-Fencing when you have come to hold your sword high above in the guard of the Roof to beware that he not then rush to strike, so that you can stay in the Before, cross your hands over your head, (the right over the left) so that it appears as if you would stab to his face, step under this toward him with your right foot and twitch your sword then to your left over your head and strike him thus with the short edge through a crafty traverse from your right to his left ear, twitch nimbly back off again and drive against his lower right opening with a long traverse, let it not stay but twitch above you again in the same flight and let the third flow off deep to his left ear with the short edge, and slash the short edge again with crossed hands into to his right ear, as soon as this hits, step back with the left foot and strike with the long edge from below to his left arm to be as shown by the figure fighting against the right in the left background of illustration G above, mark here when you step off in this Understrike if he would strike to your lower left opening, then step to him with your left foot and fall with crossed hands and the short edge onto his sword, strike him thus an Understrike as shown in the other figure fighting against the right in the just considered picture. Now mark further just as he then pulls his sword over himself again, then pull your sword with crossed hands full to your left and, just as he slashes again, take his oncoming strike from your left against his right with your outward flat, high traverse out strongly so that your sword flies overhead in full flight and your hands cross over each other in the air while your sword flies, then step full against his right, but still keep your hands high and let the half edge flow off in a twitch near his right ear (as this hits or grazes), and just then strike long with an off step. I have described this part in particular as still many good moves can be taken and be fought from here, therefore you should learn not just this alone, but think forward with diligence. Thus I will describe yet another part with a different start.
 
Mark in Pre-Fencing when you have come to hold your sword high above in the guard of the Roof to beware that he not then rush to strike, so that you can stay in the Before, cross your hands over your head, (the right over the left) so that it appears as if you would stab to his face, step under this toward him with your right foot and twitch your sword then to your left over your head and strike him thus with the short edge through a crafty traverse from your right to his left ear, twitch nimbly back off again and drive against his lower right opening with a long traverse, let it not stay but twitch above you again in the same flight and let the third flow off deep to his left ear with the short edge, and slash the short edge again with crossed hands into to his right ear, as soon as this hits, step back with the left foot and strike with the long edge from below to his left arm to be as shown by the figure fighting against the right in the left background of illustration G above, mark here when you step off in this Understrike if he would strike to your lower left opening, then step to him with your left foot and fall with crossed hands and the short edge onto his sword, strike him thus an Understrike as shown in the other figure fighting against the right in the just considered picture. Now mark further just as he then pulls his sword over himself again, then pull your sword with crossed hands full to your left and, just as he slashes again, take his oncoming strike from your left against his right with your outward flat, high traverse out strongly so that your sword flies overhead in full flight and your hands cross over each other in the air while your sword flies, then step full against his right, but still keep your hands high and let the half edge flow off in a twitch near his right ear (as this hits or grazes), and just then strike long with an off step. I have described this part in particular as still many good moves can be taken and be fought from here, therefore you should learn not just this alone, but think forward with diligence. Thus I will describe yet another part with a different start.
| '''Das vierde stuck.'''
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MErck wann du also im zufechten mit deinem Schwerdt in die höhe komest / in die Hut des Tags / und wirst aldo gewahr das er dir nicht so eilends zuhauwet / also das du dein stuck im Vor wol anfangen kanst / so verschrencke deine hend ob deinem Kopff / (die Recht uber die Linck) also das es scheinet als woltestu im zu seinem gesichte stechen / trit under des mit deinem Rechten fus zu jhm / und zuck dein Schwerdt gleich mit / gegen deiner Lincken umb deinen Kopff / und hauwe jhm also von deiner Rechten mit kurtzer schneide durch ein Zwirch / krefftiglich zu seinem Lincken ohr / zuck behend wider ab zu ruck / und trauwe jhm mit langer Zwirch gegen seiner Rechten undern Blöß / laß aber nicht rühren / sonder verzuck in dem selbigen flug dein schwerdt wider ubersich / und laß zum dritten die kurtze schneid dieff gegen seinem Lincken ohr ablauffen / und schlage jhm demnoch mit geschrenckten henden die kurtz schneid zu seinem Rechten ohr dieff hinein / als bald solches trifft / so trit mit dem Lincken fuß zu ruck unnd '''[XXXIIIrv]''' Hauwe mit Langer schneide von Unden gegen seinem Lincken arm / so stehestu wie das Bild zur Lincken an der kleinern obern bossen gegen der Rechten handt / in der Figur G. anzeigt / hie mercke wann dir im abtretten ein solcher Underhauw nach deiner Lincken undern Blösse gehauwen würde / so trit mit dem Lincken fuß zu jhm / unnd fall jm mit geschrenckten henden und kurtzer schneide auff sein Schwerdt / steck jhm also den Underhauw wie solchs an dem andern Bild in obgedachten bossen gegen der Rechten handt zu sehen / Unnd merck weiter / in dem er als dann sein Schwerdt wider zu jhm ubersich zeucht / so rucke dein Schwerdt also mit kreutzigten henden vollen gegen deiner Lincken / und in dem er wider herschlecht / so nime jhm denselbigen herfliegenden Hauw mit deiner auswendiger flech / von deiner Lincken gegen seiner Rechten / überzwerch starck aus / also das dein Schwerdt oberhalb dem Kopff in vollem flug wider umbfliege / und das sich deine hend in der lufft wider ubereinander schrencken dieweil aber dein Schwerdt also Oben umbfleuget / so trit wol gegen seiner Rechten / bleib aber gleichwol mit den henden hoch / und laß die halb schneide durch ein Zürck neben seinem Rechten or (doch das dieselbige treffen oder anschürpffe) ablauffen / hauwe als dann mit einem abtrit lang nach / Diß stuck hab ich darumb so eigentlich beschriben dieweil sonst vil guter stuck hieraus genomen und gefochten können werden / derhalben magstu es nich allein sol lernen / sonder dem auch ferner fleissig nach dencken. Wie ich dir dan auf dise art noch ein stuck mit einem andern anfang setzen will / also.
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| '''A Second'''
 
| '''A Second'''
 
In the pre-fencing when you come into the Roof or High Guard, then let your blade sink down in front of you, as before, to your left side, and twitch over your head, step and strike a high traversing Middle Strike with the long edge against his left to his neck or throat, as soon as he withdraws, then twitch again over the head, and strike a second high Middle Strike traversing from your left against his right, again at his throat, as soon as it glides then strike the third, a high strike with the long edge direct from above. These three strikes shall go from one to another in a nimble flight. If you want more room then raise your pommel above to your left side, twitch thus overhead, and take your flat or short edge near your left from below through to his right against your right in a wrench out above him, so that your blade again flies over in the air, and strike with the half edge from above down with crossed hands feinting over near his right ear, you can reach further with the short edge by stepping ahead, thus let it engage and strike a strong wrath strike to his left side and following strike away from him. This is indeed a serious and strong sequence in that, since you have the Before, he can only defend.
 
In the pre-fencing when you come into the Roof or High Guard, then let your blade sink down in front of you, as before, to your left side, and twitch over your head, step and strike a high traversing Middle Strike with the long edge against his left to his neck or throat, as soon as he withdraws, then twitch again over the head, and strike a second high Middle Strike traversing from your left against his right, again at his throat, as soon as it glides then strike the third, a high strike with the long edge direct from above. These three strikes shall go from one to another in a nimble flight. If you want more room then raise your pommel above to your left side, twitch thus overhead, and take your flat or short edge near your left from below through to his right against your right in a wrench out above him, so that your blade again flies over in the air, and strike with the half edge from above down with crossed hands feinting over near his right ear, you can reach further with the short edge by stepping ahead, thus let it engage and strike a strong wrath strike to his left side and following strike away from him. This is indeed a serious and strong sequence in that, since you have the Before, he can only defend.
| '''Ein anders.'''
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IM zufechten so du in Tag oder Oberhut kommest / so laß die klingen vor dir undersich sincken wie vor / gegen deiner Lincken seiten / und zuck umb dein Kopff / trit unnd hauw einen uberzwerchen Mittelhauw / mit Langer schneid gegen seiner Lincken / zu seinem halß oder schlaff / als bald er riert / so zuck wider umb den Kopff / und hauw den andern auch ein Mittelhauw uberzwerch von deiner Lincken gegen seiner rechten / auch dem halß zu / so bald es glützt so hauw den dritten ein hohen streich mit Langer schneid gerad von Oben / Diese drey Häuw aber sollen in einem flug bhendt auff einander gohn / Mag dir denn mehr blatz werden so erhebe dein Knopff gegen deiner Lincken ubersich / zuck also umb den Kopff / und nim mit der flech oder kurtzer schneid / neben deiner Lincken von unden durch sein Rechte / gegen deiner Rechten in einem riss ubersich aus / das dein kling in den lufft wider umbflie'''[XXXIIIv]'''ge / und hauwe mit halber schneid von Oben nider mit geschrenckten henden neben seinem Rechten ohr füruber fehl / weiter kanstu jhn dann mit der kurtzen schneiden im füruber lauffen erreichen / so laß treffen / unnd hauw ein starcken Zornhauw zu seiner Lincken seiten nach / unnd hauw dich folgend von jhm wegk / Diß ist zwar ein fast ernsthaft und starck stuck / das dir keiner bald so du das Vor hast / wirt wehren können.  
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| '''Breaking the Roof Stance or Guard'''
 
| '''Breaking the Roof Stance or Guard'''
 
If you are aware that after striking outward one can, in a little flight up over the head, stay in the Guard of the Roof, then come in the pre-fencing into the Guard of the Key, from there raise both hands thus crosswise over your head, and at the same time step to him with your right foot, and while stepping strike with the short edge near your right thigh strongly from below through your opponent’s Vertex line up above you, so that the sword is above your head, flying off with an upstrike from your left to your right, keep your hands high in the displacement, just as it connects then step nimbly with your right foot to his left and strike with the short edge in a swing to his left ear. From there upstrike twice with a walk, follow the slash with a traverse to his right ear, and just then step at the same time with your right foot backward to your left, thus the Traverse goes deeper. When this happens you can strike as soon as he does.
 
If you are aware that after striking outward one can, in a little flight up over the head, stay in the Guard of the Roof, then come in the pre-fencing into the Guard of the Key, from there raise both hands thus crosswise over your head, and at the same time step to him with your right foot, and while stepping strike with the short edge near your right thigh strongly from below through your opponent’s Vertex line up above you, so that the sword is above your head, flying off with an upstrike from your left to your right, keep your hands high in the displacement, just as it connects then step nimbly with your right foot to his left and strike with the short edge in a swing to his left ear. From there upstrike twice with a walk, follow the slash with a traverse to his right ear, and just then step at the same time with your right foot backward to your left, thus the Traverse goes deeper. When this happens you can strike as soon as he does.
| '''Bruch auff das Leger oder Hut im tag.'''
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Wirstu gewar das einer gern nach dem auffstreichen uber dem Haupt / ein wenig pflegt in der Hut des Tags zu verhauren / so kom im zufechten in die Hut des Schlüssels / von dannen erhebe beide hend also kreutzweiß uber dein Haupt / und trit zugleich mit dem Rechten fuß zu jhm / und im trit streich mit kurtzer schneid neben deinem Rechten schenckel durch des Mans scheidel Lini / starck von Unden auff übersich durch / also das das schwert oberhalb deinem Haupt / widerumb von deiner Lincken zu seiner Rechten zu einem Underhauw verfliege / bleibe demnach mit den henden hoch in der versatzung / in dem es rürt so trit behend mit dem Rechten fuß zu seiner Lincken / und hauw mit kurtzer schneid dieff zu seinem Lincken ohr in einem schwung hinein / von dannen hauwe in einem lauff zwen Underhäuw / folgends schlag mit einem Zwirchhauw zu seinem Rechten ohr / und trit In des zugleich mit deinem Rechten fuß hinder deinen Lincken zurück / so gehet die Zwirch desto dieffer / wann denn solches beschehen / so kanstu dich als bald von jhm hauwen.
 
  
 
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| Or if he comes ahead to you going high, then pay attention then if he will go to the low guard, then follow him nimbly with two strong understrikes from both sides out of whatever guard or stance suits you, just as long as you strike nimbly from below. One to the other with the half edge in a nimble walk from both sides deep to the head, after this bind nimbly into his blade, if he goes off then follow after. If he stays then wind, wrench out and make your work onward to the next.
 
| Or if he comes ahead to you going high, then pay attention then if he will go to the low guard, then follow him nimbly with two strong understrikes from both sides out of whatever guard or stance suits you, just as long as you strike nimbly from below. One to the other with the half edge in a nimble walk from both sides deep to the head, after this bind nimbly into his blade, if he goes off then follow after. If he stays then wind, wrench out and make your work onward to the next.
| Oder kompt dir einer für der bald hoch auffgehet / so hab acht in dem er aus der undern Huten auffgehet / so folg jhm mit zweyen starcken Underhäuwen von beiden seiten behendt nach / aus was Huten oder Leger du willst / als bald hauw behend von Unden. Zum andern mit halber schneid behend in einem lauff von beiden seiten dieff zum Kopff / nach solchem binde jhm behend wider an sein klingen / geht er ab / so folge nach / bleibt er so Winde / reiß auß / und was dir für arbeit am nechsten werden mag.
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Revision as of 22:36, 13 April 2021

Joachim Meyer
Born ca. 1537
Basel, Germany
Died 24 February 1571 (aged 34)
Schwerin, Germany
Spouse(s) Appolonia Ruhlman
Occupation
Citizenship Strasbourg
Patron
  • Johann Albrecht (?)
  • Johann Casimir
Movement Freifechter
Influences
Influenced
Genres Fencing manual
Language Early New High German
Notable work(s) Gründtliche Beschreibung der
Kunst des Fechtens
(1570)
Manuscript(s)
First printed
english edition
Forgeng, 2006
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations
Signature Joachim Meyer sig.jpg

Joachim Meyer (ca. 1537 - 1571)[1] was a 16th century German Freifechter and fencing master. He was the last major figure in the tradition of the German grand master Johannes Liechtenauer, and in the last years of his life he devised at least three distinct and quite extensive fencing manuals. Meyer's writings incorporate both the traditional Germanic technical syllabus and contemporary systems that he encountered in his travels, including Italian rapier fencing.[2] In addition to his fencing practice, Meyer was a Burgher and a master cutler.[3]

Meyer was born in Basel,[4] where he presumably apprenticed as a cutler. He writes in his books that he traveled widely in his youth, most likely a reference to the traditional Walz that journeyman craftsmen were required to take before being eligible for mastery and membership in a guild. Journeymen were often sent to stand watch and participate in town and city militias (a responsibility that would have been amplified for the warlike cutlers' guild), and Meyer learned a great deal about foreign fencing systems during his travels. It's been speculated by some fencing historians that he trained specifically in the Bolognese school of fencing, but this doesn't stand up to closer analysis.[5]

Records show that by 4 June 1560 he had settled in Strasbourg, where he married Appolonia Ruhlman (Ruelman)[1] and was granted the rank of master cutler. His interests had already moved beyond smithing, however, and in 1561, Meyer petitioned the City Council of Strasbourg for the right to hold a Fechtschule (fencing competition). He would repeat this in 1563, 1566, 1567 and 1568;[6] the 1568 petition is the first extant record in which he identifies himself as a fencing master.

Meyer probably wrote his first manuscript (MS A.4º.2) in either 1560 or 1568 for Otto Count von Sulms, Minzenberg, and Sonnenwaldt.[7] Its contents seem to be a series of lessons on training with long sword, dussack, and rapier. His second manuscript (MS Var.82), written between 1563 and 1570 for Heinrich Graf von Eberst, is of a decidedly different nature. Like many fencing manuscripts from the previous century, it is an anthology of treatises by a number of prominent German masters including Sigmund ain Ringeck, pseudo-Peter von Danzig, and Martin Syber, and also includes a brief outline by Meyer himself on a system of rapier fencing based on German Messer teachings. Finally, on 24 February 1570 Meyer completed (and soon thereafter published) an enormous multi-weapon treatise entitled Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens ("A Thorough Description of the Art of Combat"); it was dedicated to Johann Casimir, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and illustrated at the workshop of Tobias Stimmer.[8]

Unfortunately, Meyer's writing and publication efforts incurred significant debts (about 1300 crowns), which Meyer pledged to repay by Christmas of 1571.[1] Late in 1570, Meyer accepted the position of Fechtmeister to Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg at his court in Schwerin. There Meyer hoped to sell his book for a better price than was offered locally (30 florins). Meyer sent his books ahead to Schwerin, and left from Strasbourg on 4 January 1571 after receiving his pay. He traveled the 800 miles to Schwerin in the middle of a harsh winter, arriving at the court on 10 February 1571. Two weeks later, on 24 February, Joachim Meyer died. The cause of his death is unknown, possibly disease or pneumonia.[6]

Antoni Rulman, Appolonia’s brother, became her legal guardian after Joachim’s death. On 15 May 1571, he had a letter written by the secretary of the Strasbourg city chamber and sent to the Duke of Mecklenburg stating that Antoni was now the widow Meyer’s guardian; it politely reminded the Duke who Joachim Meyer was, Meyer’s publishing efforts and considerable debt, requested that the Duke send Meyer’s personal affects and his books to Appolonia, and attempted to sell some (if not all) of the books to the Duke.[1]

Appolonia remarried in April 1572 to another cutler named Hans Kuele, bestowing upon him the status of Burgher and Meyer's substantial debts. Joachim Meyer and Hans Kuele are both mentioned in the minutes of Cutlers' Guild archives; Kuele may have made an impression if we can judge that fact by the number of times he is mentioned. It is believed that Appolonia and either her husband or her brother were involved with the second printing of his book in 1600. According to other sources, it was reprinted yet again in 1610 and in 1660.[9][10]

Treatises

Joachim Meyer's writings are preserved in two manuscripts prepared in the 1560s, the MS A.4º.2 (Lund) and the MS Var 82 (Rostock); a third manuscript from 1561 has been lost since at least the mid-20th century, and its contents are unknown.[11] Dwarfing these works is the massive book he published in 1570 entitled "A Thorough Description of the Free, Chivalric, and Noble Art of Fencing, Showing Various Customary Defenses, Affected and Put Forth with Many Handsome and Useful Drawings". Meyer's writings purport to teach the entire art of fencing, something that he claimed had never been done before, and encompass a wide variety of teachings from disparate sources and traditions. To achieve this goal, Meyer seems to have constructed his treatises as a series of progressive lessons, describing a process for learning to fence rather than merely outlining the underlying theory or listing the techniques. In keeping with this, he illustrates his techniques with depictions of fencers in courtyards using training weapons such as two-handed foils, wooden dussacks, and rapiers with ball tips.

The first part of Meyer's treatise is devoted to the long sword (the sword in two hands), which he presents as the foundational weapon of his system, and this section devotes the most space to fundamentals like stance and footwork. His long sword system draws upon the teachings of Freifechter Andre Paurñfeyndt (via Christian Egenolff's reprint) and Liechtenauer glossators Sigmund ain Ringeck and Lew, as well as using terminology otherwise unique to the brief Recital of Martin Syber. Not content merely to compile these teachings as his contemporary Paulus Hector Mair was doing, Meyer sought to update—even reinvent—them in various ways to fit the martial climate of the late sixteenth century, including adapting many techniques to accommodate the increased momentum of a greatsword and modifying others to use beats with the flat and winding slices in place of thrusts to comply with street-fighting laws in German cities (and the rules of the Fechtschule).

The second part of Meyer's treatises is designed to address new weapons gaining traction in German lands, the dussack and the rapier, and thereby find places for them in the German tradition. His early Lund manuscript presents a more summarized syllabus of techniques for these weapons, while his printed book goes into greater depth and is structured more in the fashion of lesson plans.[12] Meyer's dussack system, designed for the broad proto-sabers that spread into German lands from Eastern Europe in the 16th century,[13] combines the old Messer teachings of Johannes Lecküchner and the dussack teachings of Andre Paurñfeyndt with other unknown systems (some have speculated that they might include early Polish or Hungarian saber systems). His rapier system, designed for the lighter single-hand swords spreading north from Iberian and Italian lands, seems again to be a hybrid creation, integrating both the core teachings of the 15th century Liechtenauer tradition as well as components that are characteristic of the various regional Mediterranean fencing systems (including, perhaps, teachings derived from the treatise of Achille Marozzo). Interestingly, Meyer's rapier teachings in the Rostock seem to represent an attempt to unify these two weapon system, outlining a method for rapier fencing that includes key elements of his dussack teachings; it is unclear why this method did not appear in his book, but given the dates it may be that they represent his last musings on the weapon, written in the time between the completion of his book in 1570 and his death a year later.

The third part of Meyer's treatise only appears in his published book and covers dagger, wrestling, and various pole weapons. His dagger teachings, designed primarily for urban self-defense, seem to be based in part on the writings of Bolognese master Achille Marozzo[14] and the anonymous teachings in Egenolff, but also include much unique content of unknown origin (perhaps the anonymous dagger teachings in his Rostock manuscript). His staff material makes up the bulk of this section, beginning with the short staff, which, like Paurñfeyndt, he uses as a training tool for various pole weapons (and possibly also the greatsword), and then moving on to the halberd before ending with the long staff (representing the pike). As with the dagger, the sources Meyer based his staff teachings on are largely unknown.

Additional Resources

  • Kiermayer, Alex. Joachim Meyers Kunst Des Fechtens. Gründtliche Beschreibung des Fechtens, 1570. Arts of Mars Books, 2012. ISBN 978-3981162738
  • Meyer, Joachim. Joachim Meyer 1600: Transkription des Fechtbuchs 'Gründtliche Beschreibung der freyen Ritterlichen und Adelichen kunst des Fechtens’. TAT. Wolfgang Landwehr, 2011. ISBN 978-3932077371
  • Meyer, Joachim. The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570. Trans. Jeffrey L. Forgeng.
    • 1st edition. London: Greenhill Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-85367-643-7
    • 1st edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. ISBN 1-4039-7092-0
    • 2nd edition. London: Frontline Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-84832-778-8
  • Meyer, Joachim. The Art of Sword Combat: A 1568 German Treatise on Swordmanship. Trans. Jeffrey L. Forgeng. London: Frontline Books, 2016. ISBN 9781473876750

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dupuis, Olivier. Joachim Meyer, escrimeur libre, bourgeois de Strasbourg (1537 ? - 1571). In Maîtres et techniques de combat. Dijon: AEDEH, 2006.
  2. Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century. London: George Bell and Sons, 1885. pp 74 - 76.
  3. Naumann, Robert. Serapeum. Vol. 5. T.O. Weigel, 1844. pp 53-59.
  4. According to his wedding certificate.
  5. His dagger teachings do, however, show some evidence of influence by Achilles Marozzo's printed treatise.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Van Slambrouck, Christopher. "The Life and Work of Joachim Meyer". Meyer Frei Fechter Guild, 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  7. Norling, Roger. "The history of Joachim Meyer’s fencing treatise to Otto von Solms". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  8. Whose members included Christoph Maurer and Hans Christoffel Stimmer.
  9. Schaer, Alfred. Die altdeutschen fechter und spielleute: Ein beitrag zur deutschen culturgeschichte. K.J. Trübner, 1901. p 76.
  10. Pollock, W. H., Grove, F. C., and Prévost, C. Fencing. London and Bombay: Longmans, Green, and co, 1897. pp 267-268.
  11. Jens P. Kleinau. "1561 Joachim Meyer dedicated a fencing book to the Pfalzgrafen of Pfalz-Veldenz". Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau. 04 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  12. Roberts, James. "System vs Syllabus: Meyer’s 1560 and 1570 sidesword texts". Hroarr.com, 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  13. Roger Norling. "The Dussack - a weapon of war". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. Norling, Roger. "Meyer and Marozzo dagger comparison". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  15. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  16. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  17. The "st" ligature is inverted.
  18. Typo, should be "wolt, könne".
  19. Originally printed "abzutzest", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  20. Originally printed "verhauren", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  21. Corrected from Im, the first stroke of the “m” has been cancelled.
  22. Spitz uber- is clearly copied twice, this is probably an eye-skip.
  23. 23.00 23.01 23.02 23.03 23.04 23.05 23.06 23.07 23.08 23.09 23.10 23.11 23.12 23.13 23.14 23.15 23.16 23.17 23.18 23.19 23.20 23.21 23.22 23.23 23.24 23.25 23.26 23.27 23.28 23.29 23.30 23.31 indes
  24. palm up
  25. Illegible deletion.
  26. oberhauw
  27. ‘right’ is originally written, ‘left’ is written above it
  28. short edge
  29. “Degen”, lit. dagger, could either refer to a sword or dagger.
  30. short edge
  31. Unleserliche Streichung. Illegible deletion.
  32. Unleserliche gestrichen Einfügung oberhalb der Zeile. Crossed out illegible insertion above the line.
  33. Die Schlaufe des »h« trägt ein Diärese. The loop of the “h” carries a diaeresis.
  34. Korrigiert aus »mitelhauw«. Corrected from “mitelhauw”.
  35. Leicht unleserlich. Slightly illegible.
  36. Überschriebens »vom«. Overwritten “vom”.
  37. Inserted by means of a special mark.
  38. Word inserted next to the text.
  39. Inserted nest to the text.
  40. Zwei Worte am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Two words inserted at the margin.
  41. Wort am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Word inserted at the margin.