Sigmund ain Ringeck/David Rawlings LS 2003

(9) The uberlaufen the overflowing.

If when coming in to attack, he strikes with a strike or cut to the lower opening, then do not deflect him. Instead, wait and cut or thrust with a strike, or a high cut to the head. This way you can defeat him, because the higher strikes or cuts have a longer range than the lower ones.

(10) The placing. (das absetzen).

You should learn to stop strikes and cuts correctly, so that his point is broken and yours hits. Practice it like this: when he stands in front of you as if he wants to aim(stab at) for the lower opening, then begin in the guard plug(plough) on your right side and open up your left side, if he then thrusts to your left hand side, twist/bind your sword against his on your left hand side and step with the right foot a step to him: This way your point strikes and his fails(misses).

The second placing.

When standing against him in the guard pflug (plough) on the left hand side, and he strikes to your upper left hand opening, then drive high to the left with the hilt before your head, take a step toward him with the right foot and stab him in the face.

(11) The changing through. (durchwechseln).

Drive it so: when he wants to bind against a blow or cut , so let the point slide through under his sword: then you will find his opening.

(12) The Jerk (Das zucken)

When you come to fence, so hit him from the right with an oberhau to the head. If he binds at the sword, then step in close to him(still binding ), jerk your sword quickly from above his and hit from the other side to his head. If he deflects it again, then strike him again to the other side, and then work cleverly to the upper opening with duplieren and other pieces.

(13) The running through (durchlaufen).

Notice: when he runs in, driving high with the arms and wants to subdue you with force from above, then drive high with your arms also and hold the pommel over your head with the left hand , so that the blade hangs down behind your back. Duck under his right arm and spring through with the right foot (Place it behind his right foot). In the spring grasp him around the breast and throw him over your hip.

A second running through:

If while you are running through, he wishes to subdue you with strength from above, then hold the pommel with the left hand and let the blade hang down behind your back. Duck under his right arm, but leave your right leg in front of his. Grab him around the back with your right hand and throw him over your hip, behind you.

A battle in the sword.

If he tries to run in, then let go of the sword with the left hand and hold it in the right. Knock his sword to the right to your right with your cross guard. Spring with the left foot in front of his right foot grab him around the middriff, take him onto your left hip and throw him to the floor.

Though make sure that you do not fail.

A second battle in the sword.

If he tries to run in, then let go of the sword with the left hand, and hold it in the right hand, knock his sword to your right side with your cross guard. spring with your left foot behind his right, grab him around the chest with your left arm and throw him behind you over your leg.

A third battle in the sword.

If you run in, then let go of the sword with your left hand and hold it in your right, then raise the pommel from the out side over his right arm, and pull him down, then grab his right elbow with your left hand, spring with your left foot in front of his right, and pull him to the right over your leg.

A fourth battle in the sword.

If he runs in, then drive with the left hand reversed over his right arm and grabs your own right arm. Push with your right arm his right over your left, and spring with the right foot behind his right and turn to the left. This enables you to throw him over your right hip.

A fifth battle at the sword.

If he runs in, then reverse your left hand and drive it over his right arm, grab his sword by the grip, between his hands and pull to your left hand side

and he will suffer.

A sword captures.

If he displaces or in some other way binds your sword, then grab the swords in the middle of with your left hand (turned down). Hold them tightly together and drive your right hand underneath to your left side, over his hands. Then, pull upwards, to your right hand side, this way you get both swords.

(14) The cutting aside.

Note, there are four slices, two lower and two upper. Do the first like this: If he runs in from your left side, driving up with both arms and wants to overpower you from above. Then twist your sword and drop with the long edge under his hilt into his arm and press him upwards with the cut. But if he runs in from your right, then drop the false edge under and into his arm and press him up as before.

The second cut.

If you bind strongly against his sword, with a blow or otherwise, and he then jerks his sword away and tries to hit your head from above, then twist your sword, work through with the cross guard in front of your head and cut him under his arm. With this cut place the point underneath against his breast.

The third and fourth cuts.

If he binds with your sword from the left and then tries to strike around to your right with a zwerchhau or some other technique, then spring with your left foot out of the blow, to his right hand side and drop with the long edge from above, over both arms. Practise this from both sides.

(15) The press with the hands.

The change of the cut: If you can run in then cut him under the arm, so that your point is pointing to his right, then push up strongly with the cut. Simultaneously spring with your left foot to his right side, and wrap the long edge of your sword up over his arms so that your point is pointing to his left, then press his arms away from you.

(16) The hanging.

Note: There are two hangings from the same side: Drive them as follows: If you bind against his sword on the left while absetzen (setting aside) an attack to the lower opening, let your sword pommel hang to the ground and stab to his face from beneath. If he then deflects your point upwards, remain on the sword and drive high also. and let the point hang into his face from above. And learn all techniques from both hangings:Blows, thrusts and cuts, depending, on whether you feel he is soft or hard in the bind.

(17) The sprechfenster.

Note: this is the sprechfenster: If he binds with your sword with a strike or defection, so remain strongly on the sword with the long edge, with the point in front of his face, stand calmly and pay attention, to what his next move is.

If he strikes around the sword to the other side with an oberhau, then stay strongly in the bind and follow his strike, with the long edge, to his head.

Or if he strikes around with the zwerch, then fall on his arms with the overcut.

Or if he pulls his sword back and tries to stab you in the lower opening. Then then follow his thrust and stab him over the sword.

But if he wants neither to pull away or strike around, then work at the sword with duplieren and other techniques. Depending on whether or not you feel he is hard or soft at the sword.

The long point

Note: If coming in to fence, then your left point forward and place your point (with outstretched arms) against his breast or face. Or if he strikes to your head wind your sword against his blow and stab him to the face.

Or if he strikes you from above or beneath and wants to beat your blade to the side, then change through and thrust to the opening on the other side.

But if he hits your sword with strength, snap it around and hit to his head.

If he runs in then wrestle or cut.

Always make sure you do not fail.

The closing lesson. In the following it is taught briefly.

Note: In the art of fencing you should always be practised and ready, so that from each break you are able to operate, with blows, with trusts, and with cuts.

You should be able to use the hanging at the sword. And to wind from the hanging. And from the hanging you are likewise to be able to strike and cut.

The hanging and the winding.

There are four sword binds, two upper and two lower. From each bind you should control two winds.

So if he binds high to your left hand side, lift your arms and wind the short edge at his sword, leave the point hanging and thrust to his face. If he sets aside the thrust, wind to your right side and let the point hang.

Likewise if he binds high to your right side, then also wind to your right, with the long edge at his sword, lift up your arms let the point hang and thrust to his face. If he sets aside the thrust with strength then let his point rest on your sword above the hanging, wind to the left and thrust. These are the four windings from bindings to the upper left and upper right side.

Likewise you should control four windings from the lower bindings. just as above. This totals eight, and imagine that you can strike, thrust and cut, from each winding, so that twenty four techniques can come from one winding. And you are to learn the eight winds in this way, from both sides. So that with each strike you test whether he is hard or soft at the sword. And you have learnt to drive through all pieces that lead to winding, if not you will be hit within each winding.