Lew/Christian Trosclair LS 2022

A short commentary of the afore pictured stances in the sword further accompanies

1	Young knight learn  To have love for god, honor maidens and women
2	Then accumulate your lessons  and learn
3	Art that decorates you  And in war exalts 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 engage  Let it hang or let it go.
7	So that one can masterfully praise  Your knowledge

Here it begins, a good general lesson of the long sword, yet there is much good, concealed art locked herein.

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

The first lesson of the long sword is that before anything you should learn to cut correctly. That is, if you wish to otherwise fence strongly. Look at it like this. When you stand with the left foot forwards and cut from your right side, this cut is then spurious and incorrect. Because 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 the right foot forwards and cut from the left side, if you do not then also follow the cut with your left foot, then the cut is again spurious. Therefore, see to it that when you cut from the right side that you always follow 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.

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 wait around for their attacks until they initiate one at you. Know that all fencers that just watch for someone's cut and then will do nothing other than parry, they allow themselves to enjoy quite little of the art, because by doing so, they become gravely struck.

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

Look at it like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing. Whatever you subsequently wish to fence, drive that with the entire strength of the body and with that, cut in at the opponent's head from close proximity and at that moment, you simultaneously constrain them so that they must parry and cannot come to any disengaging in front of that because you come too close to them with your point. If they then come strongly against your sword with an act of parrying, then give them a wound on their left arm and with that, step back before they come to their senses.

15	Hear what is bad therein  Do not fence on the left if you are a righty
16	And if you are a lefty  You also quite awkward in fencing

This is a good lesson that touches upon a lefty and a righty and know this, however you shall cut, do it such that someone cannot overcome the weakness in your sword in the initial cut and look at it like this, when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing, if you are a righty and wish to fence strongly, 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 bind you. But if you cut from the right side, then you may hold very strongly in opposition and work whatever you wish at the sword.

In the same way if you are a lefty, then again do not cut the first cut from the right side. For it is quite undependable art for a righty to drive from the left side and it is also the same for a lefty from the right side.

17	Before and After, the two things  Are the singular origin of all art.
18	Weakness and strength  Indes, note them with this word
19	So that you may learn  To work and ward with art.
20	If you frighten easily  Don't ever learn to fence.

This means that before anything you shall see and understand the two things correctly. This means the before and the after and weakness and strength and the word Indes, because the entire art of fencing comes from those. When you correctly see and understand the [two] things and do not forget the word Indes in all plays therein that you conduct, then you are indeed a good master of the sword and can teach princes and lords well so that they can keep to the proper art of the sword in play and in earnest.

Item. When you come first with your cut or whatever such that they must parry you, then work swiftly Indes with your sword in front of you or otherwise with other plays and do not let them come any further with any work.

Item. When the opponent comes first with their cut, such that you must then parry them, then Indes work swiftly with your sword or whatever during the act of parrying so that you deprive them of the before with the after, this is called before and after.

Item. Now before anything, you shall know about the weakness and strength of the sword. Look at it like this: From the hilt to the midpoint, that is the strong, from the midpoint to the point is the weak and how you should work according to the weak and with the strong at the sword, you shall find all of that written hereafter.

21	Learn five cuts  From the right hand, against the defences
22	Because we believe  In skills that pay off easily

Note there are five concealed cuts. Whoever can break them with the proper art without harm, they will be praised by other masters and is appropriate that their skills shall become better valued than the others. And how you shall execute these cuts with three plays, you will find all of these written hereafter.

23	Wrathcut Crooked and Crosswise,  If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter,
24	The Fool parries.  Pursuing, overrunning, displaces
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 the correct chief components of the art of the long sword will be named for you here as they designate each with its name so that you can see and understand all the better.

First note the five cuts

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

Item: Now note the plays after this.

The first, these are the four guards
The second, the four parries
The third, the pursuing
The fourth, the overrunning
The fifth, the displacing
The sixth, the disengaging
the seventh, the sudden withdrawal
The eighth, the slipping through
The ninth, the cutting off
The tenth, the hand pressing
The eleventh, these are the hangings
The twelfth, these are the windings.

In this way, the cuts and the plays seventeen. You will find them and what you should fence from them written identically one after the other hereafter.

Here it begins, the skills of the longsword. First, the wrathcut.

Wrathcut with its plays

27	Whoever makes a descending cut at you  The point of wrathcut threatens them
28	If they become aware of it  Then abscond above without concern

Item. now that the wrathcut breaks any descending cut with the point and is yet nothing more than a simple peasant strike. Execute it like this. When the opponent cuts at your head from above from their right side, then cut from your right side from above with them as well, wrathfully, directly and without any act of parrying, up atop their sword and let your point shoot in directly forwards into their face or breast. Then if they become aware of the point and parry with strength, then rise upwards with your sword, against their sword's blade, to the top, up off away from their sword and cut at their head. This is called absconding above.

Another

Item: When you wish to make the wrathcut, you can strike with the right hand and with the left hand fully up in from behind. Thereafter you bring down your point below with an inverted hand and go through.

Item: You can also abscond and rise up with your sword no further than just to their point. Indes, strike back in at their head.

Item: A break against the absconding

When they abscond above and cut at the right side of your head, wind your sword inward a little with your short edge on theirs, and Indes, strike at their head with the long edge.

Item: another break

Indes, if they abscond, then step to the side away from their strike and work with their cut to their nearest opening.

Another

Item: When you have struck from the wrathcut with your inverted hand and the opponent rises up and parries you, then pass through just so to their right side with your inverted hand against their belly and wrap your right elbow and your sword over theirs and hold firm, so that you have locked them. Or drag your right side to your left and wrench back strongly so that you take their sword from them and your point goes into their face.

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

This means when you cut in wrathfully with the opponent, if they withstand this with strength and you do not wish to abscond above, be strong in turn, and rise up to your right side with your arms, and turn the short edge against their sword and thrust in from above at their face. If they become aware of the thrust and rise up and parry, stay like this in the winding and lodge against your point against them below.

Item: If you have wound to your right side like this and the opponent has parried your thrust, then wind a little back to your left, and lodge against your point right down into their breast as well. Then if they parry your point, suddenly withdraw your sword back toward yourself and strike again at their head. Then if they parry that, abscond above or undertake other work from there.

Another

Item: When you have absconded above and the opponent has parried in this fashion for the second time and sticks with you, then rise sufficiently up with your arms and wind your short edge into the weak of their blade and stab them in their face or wind to your right side against their blade into their weak and again stab them in their face (You can also make both windings from each other) and thrust with your point.

30	Precisely note this  Cut, stab, position, soft or hard
31	Indes and before and after  And guard that your war is not hasty

This is a lesson when the opponent binds against your sword with a cut or with a thrust. You should not let yourself be too hasty with the war, that is with the windings. You then precisely note forward whether it is soft or hard when one sword clashes against another or is in the bind. And as soon as you sense this, then wind Indes and work with the war, according to the soft and according to the hard, to the nearest opening. And this is called the before and the after, which you have learned of before.

32	For the one whose war takes aim from above  They will be shamed from below.

Know that the windings and the work from them with the point to the four openings, that is called the war. Conduct it like this: When you cut in with the wrathcut, then as soon as they parry, rise up with your arms and wind your point in from above into the upper opening of their left side against their sword. Then if they displace the thrust, then remain standing with the winding like this and let your point sink back down . If they then chase your sword with an act of parrying, then seek the lower opening of their right side with your point. If they then chase your sword with another act of parrying, then rise up to your right side with your sword. In this way they will be exposed above and below, if you conduct it correctly.

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

Know that you must be quite polished with all winds on the sword, because each one of the windings has three distinct plays, that is, one cut, one thrust and one slice; and whenever you wind on the sword, you must gauge and recognize quite accurately so that you do not conduct the incorrect play that is called for in the winding so that you do not cut when you should thrust and not slice when you should cut and also not thrust when you should slice. And you shall conduct that in such a way that when the opponent parries the one, you hit with the other. Furthermore, you should always find the correct plays that are by rights appropriate to conduct in all engagement of and windings against the sword if you otherwise wish to dishonor and confound the masters that set themselves against you. And the number of windings on the sword and how you shall conduct them, you shall find them in the last chapter of the recital which says, "Who hangs well..."

Item: When you wish to make a cut and a thrust and a slice, do it like this. Hew the wrathcut in boldly from your right side. Indes, wind your point in, to their left side and thrust at the left side of their face. Indes, step to their right with your left foot and slice them across both their arms with your long edge.

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

This is when you come to the opponent with the initiation of fencing. If you subsequently wish to fence surely, then you should not expressly cut at their sword. Rather, you should target the four openings. [The first opening] this is the right side, the second, the left above the belt of the opponent. The other two openings, these are the left and right sides below the belt. Select one of these openings and boldly initiate a cut there and do not worry about what they fence against you. If they then parry, immediately work to the nearest opening in that act of parrying. In this way, focus on the body and not the sword.

38	If you wish to 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.

This means whenever the opponent cuts in earnestly, if you wish to then set yourself up against them to break the openings with artfulness so that they must allow themselves to be hit without their permission, then conduct the doubling against the strong of the sword and the mutating against the weak. For I say to you truthfully that they cannot protect themselves from strikes and therefore cannot come to blows.

Item. Execute the doubling like this: When the opponent initiates a cut from above from their right shoulder; cut in strongly from above as well in the same way from your right shoulder to their head. Then if they parry that cut with strength, then immediately rise up with your arms and shove your pommel under your right arm with your left hand and strike them upon their head from crossed arms with the long edge from behind their sword's blade.

Item. Or if you have bound their sword with your long edge from your left side, then immediately rise up with your arms and remain like this against their sword, and strike them upon their head from behind their sword's blade with your short edge.

Item. Execute the mutating on the right side like this: When you cut in strongly from above from your right shoulder, if the opponent parries and is soft at the sword, then wind the short edge against their sword to your left side and rise sufficiently up with your arms and hang your point over their sword from above, and with that move up on the arms and thrust into their other opening.

Item. The mutating on the left side: Or if you have bound against the opponent's sword with your long edge, then rise up with your arms and keep the same edge against their sword and again wind the short edge over their sword, and rise sufficiently up with your arms and hang your point over their sword from above and thrust into the lower opening of their left side. In this way, you can also conduct these two plays from all cuts after you have sensed the weakness and strength in the sword.