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 …