Pseudo-Hans Döbringer/Christian Trosclair Su 2022

Here the plays and the prescriptions of the Bloßfechten of Master Liechtenauer are reviewed and reworded with shorter and simpler speech so as to grant greater and better understanding and comprehension than what was previously written with a lack of succinctness and directness in the rhymes and glosses. This runs through that with simple phrasing.

First note and know that Liechtenauer's fencing lays entirely upon the five words: 'Before', 'After', 'Weak', 'Strong', 'Indes'. These are the foundation, the core and fundamentals of all fencing. And whatever else you know about fencing, if you just don't know the fundamentals, you will often be shamed by your own art.

And these same words were often explained before and it just comes to this: if you are in constant motion and do not slacken nor idle, the opponent cannot come to blows. Because 'before' and 'after' signify Vorschlag and Nachschlag as was often written before.

And this gets to that which is called 'Prinicipium et finis', 'beginning and end'. Because a good, earnest fencer fences with someone such that they will strike them with their art and not become struck and this cannot be done without 'beginning and end'. If they will subsequently begin well, then they will ensure that they and not the opponent will always have and win the Vorschlag. Because the person who strikes at their opponent is always surer and better prepared by reason that the opponent must take heed of and watch out for that strike.

When they [the good earnest fencer] subsequently execute and win the Vorschlag, whether they hit or miss, they shall then immediately and without pause in that same rush, execute the Nachschlag. That is, the second, the third, the fourth or fifth strikes, be it cut or thrust in such a way that they are always in motion and conduct one after another without pause so that they do not allow the opponent to ever come to blows.

Liechtenauer says about this: "I say to you truthfully, no one defends themselves without danger (and without harm). If you have understood this, then they can hardly come to blows". Just do as was often written before and be in motion.

The word 'Indes' gets at the words 'before', 'after' because when one executes the Vorschlag and the opponent wards it, 'Indes' and during the moment that opponent wards it and defends themselves, they can come to the Nachschlag well.

It also gets at the words 'weak', 'strong'. These here signify 'the feeling' because when one is on the sword with their opponent, and feels whether they are strong or weak. Thereafter they then execute according to the often written lessons.

And the fundamentals will have these principles in all confrontations: Speed, audacity, prudence, astuteness and ingenuity, etc. And also measure in all things.

Now if you win the Vorschlag, then you shall not do it so entirely forceful so that you can recover yourself for a quality Nachschlag and you shall also not step too wide so that you can recover yourself for another quality step forwards or backwards, if the situation dictates it.

As Liechtenauer spoke: "Thereupon you hold, all things have time and place". Therefore you shall not be hasty and you shall think through for yourself what you will conduct and then you shall bravely conduct and driving that swiftly to the head or to the body and never to the sword.

Because if you quite wisely hew at the head or at the body of the opponent, that is, to the four openings; you nevertheless often come to the opponent's sword without permission. If the opponent defends themselves such that they defend themselves with their sword, then in this way you arrive at their sword.

Liechtenauer says about this:

ⅺ	Do not cut to the sword,  Rather focus on the openings
ⅹⅵ	And to the head, to the body,  If you wish to remain without harm.
ⅹⅶ	You hit or miss  Then commit yourself to always target the openings
ⅹⅷ	In every lesson,  Turn the point towards the face.
ⅹⅸ	Whoever cuts around widely,  They will often be shamed severely.
ⅹⅹ	Deliver cuts or thrusts wisely  To the closest of all.
ⅼⅹ	And always withhold yourself  So that the opponent does not preempt you.
ⅼⅺ	In this way, you can stand up well  Right before a good man.