Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Christian Trosclair 2022

Here the gloss and the explanation of the Zettel of the long sword begins,

which Johannes Liechtenauer, may God be merciful to him, who was known to be a high master of the art, had versified and produced. And that is the reason this art belongs to princes and lords, knights and squires that they should learn and know this. For this reason, he had allowed it to be written in cryptic and misleading words, so that no one could recognize and comprehend it. And he had this done in light of the half-baked masters of defense, whose art amounts to little, so that his art would not be revealed nor become coarsened by these masters. These same cryptic and misleading words of the Zettel are clarified and laid straight in the glosses hereafter in such a way that anyone that can already otherwise fence can recognize and comprehend them.

Here, precisely note whatever is written in red in the beginning of the written plays hereafter. This is the text of the cryptic words of the Zettel of the long sword. The subsequent black writing, this is the gloss and the explanation of the cryptic and misleading words of the Zettel.

This is the forward.

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

This is a general lesson of the long sword in which much good art is held

Text

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

Gloss: Note this is the foremost art of the long sword, that above all you should learn to cut correctly. That is, if you wish to otherwise fence strongly. Look at it like this. When you stand with your left foot forwards and cut from your right side, if you then do not accompany the cut with the ingress of your right foot, then this cut is erroneous and incorrect. When your right side remains behind it, the cut becomes too short thereby and its correct path down to the other side in front of the left foot cannot happen.

Or if you stand with your right foot forwards and cut from the left side, if you do not then also accompany the cut with your left foot, then the cut is again erroneous. Therefore, see to it that when you cut from the right side that you always accompany the cut with the right foot. Do exactly the same when you cut from the left side so that your body brings itself correctly into balance with it. In this way, the cuts become long and are conducted correctly.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

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

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

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

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

Gloss: Note this means when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, from that point, whatever you wish to fence, conduct that with the entire strength of the body and in this fashion toward their head and toward their body from close proximity and remain with the point in front of their face or their breast so that they cannot disengage in front of the point. If they parry with strength and let their point go off away from you to the side, then give them a wound on the arm.

Or if they rise up high with the arms with an act of parrying, then strike below with a free cut to their body and with that, immediately step back. Thus are they struck before they become aware of it.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

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

Gloss: Note this is a lesson that hits upon two people, a righty and a lefty and it is also how you shall cut so that one cannot win the weak of your sword with the first cut. Look at it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if you are a righty, then do not cut the first cut from the left side by choice because it is weak and with it you cannot hold fast when they cleave in with you strongly. Therefore, cut from the right so you can stay in contact with full strength and work whatever you wish at the sword. In the same way if you are lefty, then also do not cut the first cut from the right side because it is quite undependable art for a lefty to initiate from the right side. It is also the same for a righty from the left side.

This again is the text and the gloss about a lesson

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

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

Here note what is here called the before.

This means that you should always come before, be it with a cut or with a stab, before the opponent does. And when you preempt them with a cut or what have you so that they must parry you, then Indes work swiftly for yourself in their act of parrying with your sword or whatever, with other plays so that they cannot come to any work.

Here note what is here called the after.

The after, these are the breaks against all plays and cuts that one conducts upon you and look at it like this. When the opponent preempts you with a cut so that you must parry them, then Indes work swiftly to the nearest opening during your act of parrying using your sword so that you break their before with your after.

Here note the weak and the strong of the sword.

The weak and the strong, look at it like this. On the sword, from the hilt to the midpoint of the blade, this is the strong of the sword and further past the midpoint to the point of the sword is the weak. And how you shall work with the strong of your sword according to the weak of their sword will be explained to you hereafter.

This is the text and the gloss of the five cuts.

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

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

23	Wrathcut Crook and Cross, If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter,
24	The Fool parries. Pursuing and Overrunn, places the attack
25	Disengage, Suddenly withdraw, Rush through, Cut off, Press the hands
26	Tilt and Turn to uncover with Slash, catch, sweep, stab to clash with

Gloss: Note here the correct chief components of the Zettel of the long sword have been named for you as they are each designated with its name so that you can better recognize and understand them. The first, these are the five cuts as they are specifically named:

Item: The first is called the wrathcut
Item: The second, the crooked cut
Item: The third, the crosswise cut
Item: The fourth, the cockeyed cut
Item: The fifth, the part cut

Now note the components

The first, these are the four guards
The second, the four parries
The third, the pursuing
The fourth, the overruning
The fifth, the displacing
The sixth, is the disengaging
the seventh, is the withdrawing suddenly
The eighth, the rushing through
The ninth, the cutting off
The tenth is the hand pressing
The eleventh, these are the hangings
The twelfth, these are the windings

And what you should fence from the components and how you should acquire yourself openings by hanging and the winding, you will find these written hereafter one after the other in the order above.

Here the text and the gloss begin

The first is about the wrathcut with its plays

27	Whoever makes a descending cut at you The point of wrathcut threatens them

Gloss: Note the wrathcut interrupts any descending cut with the point and is yet nothing other than a simple peasant strike. Conduct it like this: when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if they subsequently cleave in at your head from high from their right side, then you wrathfully cleave in with them from high from your right side as well, atop their sword without any act of parrying. (marginalia: into the weakness of their sword) If they are then soft against your sword, then shoot the point in at them long, straight ahead and stab them in the face or breast, then lodge against them.

This is the text and the gloss of another play of the wrathcut

28	If they become aware of it Then abscond above without concern

Gloss: Note this is when you cleave in with the wrathcut, then shoot the point in long into their face or breast as was written before. Then if they become aware of the point and parry strongly and press your sword to your side, then with your sword against their sword's blade, rise high off upwards, away from their sword and cut back in at the opponent's head again on the other side against their blade. This is called absconding above.

Break it like this

When they abscond above, then bind in against their sword from above with the long edge towards their head.

This is again the text and the gloss of the wrathcut

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

Gloss: Note that this is when you cleave in with the wrathcut. If they parry and remain strong against the sword with their act of parrying, then remain strongly in opposition with your sword against their sword and rise up high with your arms and wind against their sword with your hilt forwards, in front of your head and thrust into their face from above. If they become aware of the thrust and rise up with the arms high and parry with their hilt, then remain standing like this with your hilt in front of your head and set your point below onto their neck or onto their breast between both of their arms.

This is the text and the gloss of a lesson of the wrathcut

30	Precisely note this Cut, stab, position, soft or hard
31	Indes and before and after Without rush, your war is not hasty.

Gloss: Note this is when the opponent has bound against your sword with a cut or with a stab or however else. You should not let yourself be too hasty with the windings, because it is done this way: You precisely note first whether it is soft or hard when one sword clashes onto another. And after you have perceived that, then work Indes with the winding according to the soft and according to the hard, always to the nearest opening as will be explained and conveyed to you hereafter in the plays.

This is the text and the gloss of the war.

32	For the one whose war takes aim Above, they will be shamed below.

Gloss: Note the war, these are the winds and the work which continues into the four openings with the point. Conduct it like this: When you cleave in with the wrathcut, then as soon as they parry, rise sufficiently up with your arms and against their sword "wind" in your point to the upper opening of their left side from above. Then, if they displace your upper thrust, remain standing in the winding like this with the hilt in front of your head and still to their left side, let your point sink down to the lower opening. Then if they chase your sword with an act of parrying, seek the lower opening of their right side with your point. Then if they chase your sword further with an act of parrying, then rise up with your sword to your left side and hang in your point to the upper opening of their right side. In this way they become shamed above and below via the war if you otherwise conduct it correctly.

This is again the text and the gloss of a lesson of the wrathcut

33	In all winds Cut, stab, slice learn to apply
34	Also with that you shall Gauge cut, stab or slice
35	In all encounters Of the masters, if you wish to dishonor them.

Gloss: Note this is for when you cleave in with the wrathcut. You should be quite well practiced and quite polished with the windings because each winding has three particular plays, that is, a cut, a stab and a slice. And when you wind against the sword, then you should completely make sure that you do not conduct the incorrect play. Therefore you should not cut when you should stab and not slice when you should cut and not stab when you should slice. And you should always know which play to conduct that is rightfully called for in all encounters and binds of the sword else if you wish to dishonor or confound the masters that set themselves against you. And how you shall conduct the windings and how they are numbered, you can find that written in the last play of the Zettel that says: "Who fully commands and correctly breaks..."

This is the text and the gloss of the four openings

36	Know the four openings Take aim so that you strike wisely
37	Into any movement Without doubt however they are situated.

Gloss: Note whoever wishes to be a master of the sword, they shall know how one shall seek the openings with art, if they otherwise wish fence correctly and wisely. Above the girdle, the first opening is the right side, the second the left. Below the girdle the other two are the right and left sides. It follows that there are just two applications from which one may seek the openings. In the first one can seek them from the initiation of fencing by pursuing and by the shooting in of the long point. In the second, one shall seek them with the eight winds when one has bound the opponent against the sword. You shall understand it like this. When you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, you shall boldly, without any fear, with a cut or a stab, target whichever one of the four openings that you may best get to. And do not heed whatever it is that they conduct or fence against you. By doing this, you constrain your opponent so that they must parry you. And when they have parried, then immediately seek the nearest opening again by winding against their sword in the act of parrying. Always target the openings of the opponent in this fashion and not to the sword like in the play here which says "Lodge against four regions, Learn to remain upon them if you wish to finish"

(marginalia: with the shooting in of the long point and with pursuing, seek the openings)

This is the text and the gloss of how one shall break the four openings.

38	If you wish arrange yourself To artfully break the four openings
39	Double high Mutate down below
40	I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger
41	If you have understood this, They can scarcely come to blows, etc.

Gloss: Note when opponent cleaves in at you, if you then wish to set yourself up against them and secure the opening from them with art so that they must allow themselves to be struck without their consent, then conduct the doubling against the strong of their sword and conduct the mutating when they are weak against the sword. For I say to you truthfully, that when facing you they cannot protect themselves from strikes nor can they come to blows themselves.

Here note how you shall conduct doubling to both sides

Note when they initiate a cut from their right shoulder, then also cleave in strongly from above with them at the same time from your right to their head. If they parry and stay strong against the sword, then 'Indes', rise up with your arms and thrust your sword's pommel under your right arm using your left hand and strike them on their head with the long edge and crossed arms and from behind their sword's blade.

Note, if they cleave in from above to your head with their long edge and you do it back to them the same way, if they then stay strong against the sword, then immediately rise up with your arms and strike them on their head using your short edge and from behind their sword's blade.

(marginalia: I have taught it and war with the sword and crossing under to the other side)

Here note how one shall conduct the mutating to both sides

Note when you cleave in strongly from your right shoulder and they parry and are soft against your sword, then "wind" the short edge against their sword to your left side and rise up sufficiently with your arms and pass over their sword with your sword's blade and stab them in their lower opening.

Another

Note when when you cleave in at their head up from your left side, if they parry and are soft against your sword, then rise up with your arms and hang your point down from up over their sword and stab them in their lower opening. You may also conduct these two plays from any attack from after the point you sense weak and strong against their sword.

These are the trials of the sword and whoever wins them is worthy of praise.

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