Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Mike Rasmusson 2004 SS

All raise yourself here to the analysis and interpretation of the verses on the art of combat fencing

Those composed and devised by Johannes Liechtenawer, who was the one high master of the art and well respected / and so that princes / and gentlemen / Knights and squires hear the art so that they then learn / and shall know / Thus the art has been allowed to be written with concealed / and considered words / This is so that not every man who hears it shall even understand it / and if this is done through an irresponsible fightmaster's will / then your art will be lessened because of it, similarly your art shall then not be open but vulgar, so direct the art that it not become widely heard / as in hear the art and conceal the same / and consider the words on combat fencing that stand after here / and then are clarified / In the comments / and laid out so that any man can retain well / and will understand if he knows other fencing.

Here you come to the foreword /

	Young / Knight learn / to have God's love and women / honour /
	Thus grow your honour / upon Knightlyhood / and learning /
	Art you must sieze / and honour courtesy in war /
	Wrestle well trap / Lance spear sword / and messer /
	wield skillfully / and in other hands / ruin /
	strike in / and hard there / Rush him stepping or in driving /
	That the wisdom / that one keeps sees praise /
	Thereon you retain / and have all the length and breadth of the art.

This is the text and the analysis of a general lesson in combat

1	He who dismounts begins fencing on foot

Analysis / Mark this is a lesson / one can fence in harness on foot / and on horse / And this is as you should both realise and also well know / and when it happens that you shall strike or fence with one on horse / and it appears to you that he will injure or overpower you / Then dismount onto your feet / and fight him with the art described as follows.

This is the text and the analysis of two stances.

2	He places his spear two stances to wield weapons right

Analysis / mark that when you step off of the horse / Then at first you should keep to hand two stances / The first stance is how you shall fight with the lance / The second is / how you shall resort to the sword / Also you shall know two particular stances with the lance. The first stance is taken to oppose him who stays on his horse / The second stance is taken to oppose him if he also dismounts against the two stances / You should rightly know the plays to then deploy that which will be clarified next.

This is the first play

Mark now the first play, place yourself thus / when you have dismounted from the horse / and he will not dismount / Then stand with the left foot forward / and stand your lance on the ground to your right side / and hold the point toward him to whichever side he rides to you / always orient yourself toward him on that same side / and with your lance deflect his off and thus attack him

Yet one play

When you are dismounted from the horse (and on) foot, if he then stays on his horse / Then stand with your left foot forward and hold your lance in the middle with both hands out in front of you / so that your forward end is longer than your butt end / If he rides to you with the lance / then strike close with the forward part of your lance onto the right side of his / and attack him thus with a step out to one side

Yet one play

Mark / when you are dismounted and on foot, if he then stays on his horse / Then hold your lance near your right side in the low guard with the point toward him / If he then rides to you with his lance aimed at your left side / then set it aside with your lance also to your left side / and spring to your right side / and attack him

Yet another play

Mark / when you are dismounted and on foot / If he then rides to you with the sword / Then stab to his openings with the lance / and wait to see if you can hit him / and do this with springing out to one side.

Yet another play

Mark / when you are dismounted / If he then stays on the horse / and rides to you with the sword / Then hold the lance at the farthest length out in front of you with the point to the ground and / when he rides to you / Then drive the lance between his horse's front legs / and spring to the side / and try to see if you can thus throw the horse over

This is the text and the gloss of the second stance, when you both have dismounted on foot with the lance against the lance in combat

3	Spear and point then before stabs, stab without force

Analysis / mark that this is the second stance / when he too has dismounted / and wields his lance / and you yours / Then place yourself thus against him standing with the left foot forward / and hold your lance near your right side in the low guard / and always wait so that you can stab him / when he stab you / Or hold your lance with the right hand over / your head to the shot / and then step to him / and wait so that you shoot when he stabs / and follow soon after the shot with the sword against the lance, thus the second play will now be clarified to you -

This is the text and the analysis of engaging and disengaging in fighting with the lance

4	Spring wind attack him onward disengage to face him on

Analysis: mark that this is another / when both of you have dismounted onto your feet / and each has his lance / and you will not shoot / as described above / Then hold your lance near your right side in the low guard / and thus approach him / and stab him skillfully with extended arms to the face / If he then stabs at the same time as you / Then drive your lance onto his in the high hanging / and spring with it to him / and attack him high / If he drives up then with the arms / and wards the high stab / Then disengage / and with your point attack the opening under his left shoulder / or elsewhere as you can / and force him ahead of you

This is the text and analysis from a lesson on how one shall disengage

5	If you will stab ahead with disengaging break the defense

Analysis / mark this is / when you will stab ahead to him as and when he comes ahead to you or otherwise with the stab / if he then displaces the stab / then you should / know just then how you should change through or disengage so that he will not attack you while you are disengaging through / and this / undertake thus / if he displaces the stab strongly with the lance / and lets the point go aside near you / then soon disengage and stab him on the other side / Or if he stays in the displacement with the point in front of your face / then don't disengage through but stay with your lance on the side / and work to the opening / after you have found whether he has bound light or hard

This is the text and analysis on how one shall counter disengages

6	Mark if he will pull back from injury and will fly
7	Then you should close to wisely deploy blocks

Mark analysis / That is / If he comes forward with a stab so that you must displace then displace so that your point does not go too far aside from him / outward / But stay close to him / in front of the face or chest, if he then disengages or changes through then don't displace him / but follow after him with the point / and meanwhile attack him as he disengages through / step to his right then with the attack / then force him thus ahead / and let him not come off of the point / if he would then fly from the point with backward steps or jumps / or will thus twist out of the stab / and twists to you on one side / Then spring to him / and see that you do so wisely / and rightly grapple with arm breaking or with other wrestling -

This is the text and analysis on wrestling in combat

8	If you would wrestle legs back rightly teach springing
9	trap before shooting That you shoot front leg artfully

Analysis / mark / that is if you would wrestle / Then before all other things you should know how you / rightly / should spring to him behind his forward foot / and you should first trap the same foot with art / and locking it will now be clarified to you.

This is one wrestling

Mark when you approach him with wrestling / and he also to you / Then see whether he has set one foot forward or has neither forward / Then pull him to you or thrust him from you so he must step / if he then steps forward with the left foot then spring soon with the right foot behind his left / and thrust your right / knee cap / and hit into his left knee hollow with it / and with both hands pull him over

Another wrestling

When you spring to him with the right foot behind his left / then stride with your left foot to him between both his feet / and trap his left knee between both your knees / and thus hold it fast / and thrust with the left hand ahead to his head / and with the right pull him behind and to the side / so that he falls

Another Wrestling

Mark when you grapple him with wrestling / and he also you / if he stands with the left foot forward / then spring with the right foot forward in front of both his feet / and drive with the right arm under his left through behind him around his body / and trap him on your right hip / and throw him in front of you / Or if he stands with the right foot forward / Then spring with the left foot in front of both his feet / and drive the left arm behind around his body / and throw him forward over your left hip

This is the text and analysis so that one shall know how to deploy all wrestlings to both sides

10	From both hands if you would conclude well with art

Analysis / mark / that is when you would artfully end the wrestling / Then you should deploy the wrestling from both sides / and undertake this thus / when he springs with the right foot behind his left / stand as written before, if he steps then in the springing or while you are springing backward with the left foot / then stride soon after to him with the left foot behind his right / and drive to trap / and then you have undertaken to lock him

This is the text and analysis of the plays where one shall strive with the sword against the lance

11	If you've been reversed the sword against spear will go seek
12	The weapon will take the stab Spring to wrestle reach to him

Analysis mark that is when you have shot your lance / and he still holds his / Then take the weapon you have reserved / if he puts the point before you long or short letting the hand go forward / and if he will stab to you high or low,

then mark the plays here…

When you have a sword / and he has a lance and holds it short / and stands with it in the high guard / Then stand in the guard with your sword over your left knee / if he stabs one high to your face / Then drive out / and with the sword displace the stab on your left hand side against his right side / and drive it onto his lance in the high guard / and spring to him / and attack him / if you don't hit right with the attack / then let your sword drop from your hand / and reach to him / and resort to wrestling

Yet one play

When you have a sword / and he a lance / If he stands then with it toward you in the low guard / and holds his lance short / Then stand with your sword also toward him in the low guard / If he stabs then low to you, then set the stab aside with the sword and your left hand ahead / and drive the pommel forward over his right shoulder around his neck / and spring with the right foot behind his left / and pull him over your right knee with the pommel

This is the text and analysis on displacing with the left hand against the lance

13	Hit long from left hand Spring wisely and then see
14	If he will seek away from injury and hit
15	so that his openings are harassed by the sword's pointt

Analysis mark that is / when you have a sword / and he a lance / if he stands with it toward you in the high guard / and has held it such that the point goes out long ahead of his forward hand / Then hold your sword toward him also in a guard / if he stabs then high to your face then strike his lance aside with the left hand / and soon after grip your sword with the left hand in the middle of the blade / and spring to him / and attack him

A second play

Mark that when you have a sword / and he lets the point of his lance go out long in front of his hands / and stabs low to you / then grab the lance with your left hand / and hold it fast / and with the sword stab low to his genitals, if he then pulls the lance back hard to himself / then let it drive clear / Thus he opens his side so hold the sword with the left hand again in the blade's middle / and follow after him with an attack to the same side, or resort to wrestling

This is the text and analysis on how you seek the openings on an armoured man

16	Leather and gloves under the eyes seek the openings rightly

Analysis - Mark that where the armoured man is best overcome is through the harness / that is under the face or under the shoulders / Or in the hollow of the hand or on the arms behind the gloves or in the knee hollows or below to the soles of the feet / and in the joints of the arm / and between the legs / and in the knowledge that his harness has joints / you should thus seek the openings so that onward you need not work but stab / when you next have one before you

This is the text and analysis of the forbidden wrestlings what they are and how one shall deploy them

17	Bring the forbidden wrestlings to the lesson wisely,
18	to lock find the strength to wend over with

Analysis mark that is / If you can't come to attack when you approach one to the openings just described / Then see that you bring the wrestling to task wisely / and deploy that which is forbidden by all wise masters of the sword / that which school fencers often are not allowed to learn or even see, onward these are known in the fight as the arm break and leg break / and knee thrust and testes thrust / and finger wrench and eye gouge / and with these plays one shall be a stronger grappler in that he will not need to fully leverage his strength / and mark this in the wrestling described as follows

The first Wrestling

Mark if he falls to you with strength from above / and will pull you to him / or thrust from himself / Then strike your right arm out over his hand in front of his left and punch your arms on his chest with both hands / and spring behind his left foot with your right / and throw him off his feet over the knee

This is an arm break

Mark if he falls to you with both hands on your arms and you (hold) onto his / if he does not then hold you fast / Then with the right hand grip his right arm by the hand or by the fingers / and thus hold him fast and with the left trap him by the right elbow / and then thrust him over himself / and with the right hand shove his right arm over your left / and with the left arm raise his right over yourself / Thus you break his arm or throw him ahead of yourself

A wrestling and an arm break

Mark if he falls to you with both hands on the arms or into the chest / if he does not then hold you fast / Then grasp his right hand with your right / and keep him thus before you / and with the left trap him by the elbow / and step with the left foot in front of his right / and pull him thus over so he falls / Or / when you hold him before you with the right arm / then fall out strongly with the chest / thus you break his arm

Yet a wrestling

Mark when he falls unto you with wrestling / Then grasp the front of his right arm by the hand with your left hand / and pull him to yourself on the left side and strike your left arm with strength over his right in the joint of his elbow / and with your left hand break his right arm over your right / and spring with the right foot behind his right / and throw him over your right hip

This is yet a wrestling

Mark when you wrestle with him / and come with your body near to him / if he drives then with the left arm over your right shoulder around the neck / Then drive out with the right arm over his left and over the the joint of his elbow / and bring the left hand to help the right / and punch with both hands downward / and spring with the right foot in front of his left / and twist yourself from him on your left side / and throw him over your left hip

Yet a wrestling

Mark if he falls with both hands to your arms / and you to him / if he strikes with his left arm to your right / and drives with the left arm to you under your right through behind around your body / then strike with the right arm strongly from above down outward to him / in the joint of his left elbow / and step with the right foot in front of his left / and twist yourself from him / and sling him to the left side

A wrestling and a murder thrust

Mark / when you have gripped him by the arms / and he then has set a foot forward / and stands it straight / Then thrust one foot to his same knee / Or kick to his testes / and wait to see that he does not grab the same foot with which you kicked / Or when you set one foot forward / then budge the knee ahead of you / Thus he will not want to injure the knee with the kick

Yet a wrestling

Mark / when you will grab him with wrestling and he then grabs you to wrestle with extended fingers or an open hand / and does not hold you fast / Then see if you can grasp between both his fingers / and then break them upward / and wrench them before him in a ring so that you force him to the side / and thus to great advantage

This is an arm break

Mark if you throw him down / and he falls onto his belly / and pull his arm from him / then soon knock him with your knee on the joint of his arm / and hold the same arm forward with your hand / and pull it up upward / Thus you break his arm

A hold down and an arm break

Mark if you throw him down / and he falls onto his belly / Then soon sit on his back / and grip him by an arm and wrench it onto his back / and hold it fast with one hand / Thus he can not come to get up / Or if you would break the arm that you are holding with the one hand / then with the other hand raise that arm's elbow well upward / thus you break his arm

A good hold down

Mark / if you throw him down / and he falls onto his belly / Then sit down on his back near his shoulders / and wrench his right arm over your right leg over your thigh / and wrench his left arm over your left thigh / Thus he can not come up / and so must die under you

Yet a hold down

Mark if you throw him down / and he falls on his back / then let your body fall with the midsection over his face / and trap his neck under one arm / and thus hold him fast / and pull his arm out with the other hand / the one with which he wants to help himself / So he won't come out / and work with the dagger

This is the text and analysis on how to resort to the weapon and how one shall work with the points to the openings

19	With all weapons turn the point to the openings

Analysis: mark this is a lesson that with all weapons you resort to in combat against an armoured man you attack with the point / when you would best win the openings / and you should know to seek the openings rightly with the point / and there are four points with three weapons / the first weapon / is the lance and it has one point / the second weapon is the dagger which also has one point / and third is the sword which has two points / one point is the tip / the other is the pommel / and all about how you work with the points you will find described from end to end in the lessons

Here mark well that this is the text and analysis on how one fights in combat with the sword from four guards

20	Where one in defense draws the sword visibly to him
21	That one shall strongly defend right mark well

Analysis: mark / this is a lesson where both have shot the lance / and shall fence with the swords / Then before all else you shall know the four guards with the shortened sword / from which you shall always stab strongly to the face / If he stabs then at the same time as you or displaces / Then stay strong on his sword with the point in front of his face or his chest / and mark if he is weak or strong at the sword / if he is strong then deploy the play against strength or if he is weak / then deploy instead what you have learned for weakness, as taught in the plays one deploys from the four guards, which will be clarified as follows

Mark here the first guard with the shortened sword in combat with its plays and your placement

Mark this is the first guard for combat / and place yourself in it thus / Stand with the left foot forward / and hold your sword with the right hand on the grip / and with the left hand in the middle of the blade / and hold it near your right side over your head / and let the point hang toward his face

Mark the first play

When you stand in the high guard / if he stands against you in the low guard / and will stab low to you, you should not defend or displace but stab to his face / Or attack him high so that he can't reach you below / as all high attacks counter / and defeat the low ones / Or if he stabs you high / be it to the face or elsewhere, you shall defend from this / so that he does not outreach you with the attack

Yet one play

Mark / when you stand in the high guard and he stabs low to you / Then stab from above down between his sword / and his forward hand / and push the pommel to the ground / and wind your point on his sword's blade through below his sword / and attack him to his right side

Yet one play

Mark when you stand in the high guard / Then stab him cunningly to the face / if he displaces with the sword in front of your left hand / and stays with the point at your face and would attack you / then with the left hand grab his sword by the point / and hold it fast, and with the right hand stab with force to his testes,

if he pulls his sword / strongly back to himself and will wrench it out of your hand / then suddenly let the sword go back / As he thus opens a side, with the left hand grip the middle of the sword's blade again / and follow after him to the same side with an attack or wrestling

This is yet one play

Mark when you stand in the high guard then stab out to his face / If he displaces the stab and punches your point to your left side / then spring with the right foot behind his left / then drive the pommel ahead over his right shoulder around his neck / and pull him over your right knee with it

The first counter against the play

When he drives the pommel around your neck over your right shoulder / Then let your sword drop and grasp his right hand with your right / and with the left hand trap him by his right elbow / and spring with the left foot to his right / and deploy the arm breaking / or pull him over the left leg

A counter against the break

Mark when he would drive the pommel around your neck / Then grasp his right elbow with your left hand / and with it thrust him from yourself and with the right hand stab behind him to the back

Mark a good counter

Mark when he has driven the pommel over your right shoulder and around your neck / Then grasp up from below with your left hand between both his arms / and grab his right arm with it and hold fast / and twist yourself from him around to your right side / and throw him over your left hip

Yet a counter

When he would drive the pommel around your neck / Then grasp with the left hand behind his right by the handle of his sword or by the pommel / and push it downward and with your sword attack him where you will /

Or drive your pommel through under his right arm forward over his right hand / and pull his hand upward with the pommel / and attack him