User:Christian Trosclair/Translations/Nicolaüs

An examination of the Knightly Art of Fighting by Andre Paurnfeindt, Freifechter of Vienna, Austria, towards a clear comprehension and concise understanding thereof.

To the Sublime Magnificent Prince and Lord, Sir Matthäus of the Holy Roman See, Cardinal of St. Angelo, Papal Legate, Bishop of Gurk, Coadjuctor of the Diocese of Salzburg etc; Andre Paurnfeindt, Freifechter and his Magnificence the Cardinal's loyal bodyguard, offers his humble service.

O' Sublime in God the Father, Magnificent Prince and Merciful Lord; after a great deterioration and lack of attention became apparent to me, for this reason, in the name of impressionable youth amid daily practice, I have decided to concisely record the Knightly Art of Fighting and thoroughly explain the Zettel in order to avoid gambling, debauchery, bad company, etc. Such an explanation I wish to accredit and dedicate to your Princely Grace. With this, I prostrate myself before your Magnificence in all humility.

In short, I have formulated three chapters in which the Lore and Essence of Fighting is concisely summarized, not for the elder fencers, but for the young students, so that enjoyment and practice grows daily in them. From all of this I have briefly proposed twelve rules from which expertise, subtlety and agility can develop in you. In this way, you learn from a master of the sword or from a sworn Freifechter and not from misbegotten fencers, like when one blind man leads the other and both fall into a ditch.

If leaf and grass grew As fast as envy and hate Then sheep and cattle would have A good winter this year.

Do not let yourself scoff at these twelve rules, From them great art may sprout from you.

The First

Whichever leg stands forward, bend it. The hind one supports the body above outstretched.

The Second

Fence upright with a straight body. Drive a powerful posture from that length.

The Third

Strike and step with one another. But set your feet against one another.

The Fourth

Those who chase after cuts Are not allowed to enjoy art.

The Fifth

Note what the flat is. Do not fence left if you are right.

The Sixth

Seek weak and strong Indes, note this word precisely.

The Seventh

Recognize soft or hard. Pursuing is your companion.

The Eighth

Strike before and after. Do not be hasty to rush in.

The Ninth

Fence at the body from close. Do not omit the stingers.

The Tenth

Step close in the bind. Otherwise you will be wounded.

The Eleventh

[That which is] in front of the hand is called the long edge. Seldom guide an act of parrying to the short.

The Twelfth

If you frighten easily, Do not learn to fence.

The first chapter teaches how one should employ expertise in the long sword, whichever is used with both hands, such as the battle sword, riding sword, estoc, and many others which I will for brevity's sake leave out.

A Zettel fencer I proclaim myself, Indomitable in Sword and Messer. In strength, weakness, short and long, I do violence to my opponent. Indes, pay attention! Understand me correctly. Hit them before they strike their position

Then I have another one on top of that. With this, my art sells quite expensively. Now I conduct my work unhindered, Right in smoothly to the body, toward the blade To make slice, strike, thrust; then right back out. If you wish to learn thoroughly, come to me.

The first resting place is named High Point or Ox as the elders will and it will be assumed hereon.

Whoever makes a descending cut at you The point of wrathcut threatens them If they become aware of it Then abscond above without concern Be strong in turn Wind. Stab. If they see it, then take it below Precisely note this. Cut, thrust, position, soft or hard Indes and before and after Without collision your war is not to be hasty Whoever hunts the war Above, will be exposed below. In all windings Cut, thrust, slice learn to apply Also with that you shall Gauge cut, thrust or slice In all encounters Of the masters, if you wish to weaken them.

The wing cut Undertake the wing cut from the upper guard or high point. The first strike to the left ear from the roof, the second from below with a step to your left side, the third strike to the head from behind.

Break If the opponent initiates a wing cut, parry the first from the roof. The second, pin down with the long edge from below and grab their sword's pommel with your left hand, then you throw them over their sword.

Wrathcut Crook and Cross, If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter, The Fool parries. Pursuing, Overrunning, places the attack Disengage, Suddenly withdraw, Rush through, cut off, press the hands Tilt and Turn to uncover with Slash, catch, sweep, thrust to clash with

Crown cut Step and strike through to the opponent's ear from above with the long edge. The second step and strike down from above to the right ear with the short edge. The third, strike from behind with the long edge.

Break When the opponent executes a crown cut, catch the first. For the second, situate your short edge against their neck so that they injure themselves themself.

Failer Undertake the failer from the high point. Cut short to the opponent's left ear explosively and step towards their right side with your left foot. And hammer in the second strike long to the right ear. Keep high with good

Break Cut from above from the ox against the opponent, down through the roses and land your short edge in their face. Veer off short and make a followup strike with the long edge.

About the 4 openings Know the four openings Take aim so that you strike quite wisely Without any fear Without doubt however they are situated

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

Hurling Undertake hurling from the upper guard. Cut against the opponent to their left ear with your long edge. If they parry that, act as if you will suddenly withdraw and remain on their left ear with your short edge. Suddenly withdraw and hurl onto their right ear with the flat.

Break If the opponent starts to hurl at you, let the first strike detach and parry the second down from above with the long edge so that you can pin it down or suppress it.

Shooting though You can also undertake shooting through from the high point. Cut down from above and with the short edge and inverted hand, down through the roses and into the opponent's face. Let it briefly run off and follow up with the long edge.

Break When the opponent shoots through, and will lay the short edge against you so that you cannot otherwise work, take your sword by the point and strike your cross against their head.

Iron Door The third resting place is named the iron door or the cross according to the elders.

The cross seizes Whatever arrives from the roof Cross with the strong Note your work with it. Cross to the plow Yoke hard to the ox Whoever crosses themselves well Endangers the head by springing The failer misleads Wounding from below according to desire The inverter constrains Slipping through and also wrestles with it. Take the elbow surely Spring into their stance Double the failer If they make contact, make the slice with it Double further Stride in left and be not lax

From the roof Position yourself in the iron door with braced hands. If the opponent strikes you from the roof, thake their strike from the roof with your short edge and step after them with the long edge.

Break Conduct the failer against them. If they lie in the iron door, then they are driven out in vain and uncover themselves.

Overshooting Position yourself as before with braced hands, step in with the short edge shot over to the opponent's left ear and make a follow up strike with the long edge.

Breaking When the opponent overshoots the short edge, turn the strike away so that you come to strike against strike and the same work.

About parrying Four are the parries That severly disrupt the positions Guard yourself from parrying If it happens by necessity, it hurts you If you are parried, Note as it happens. Heed what I advise: Break loose quickly, cut with violence. Lodge against four regions Learn to remain upon them if you wish to finish

The second resting place is named the hanging point and is duel. Crook up swiftly Throw the point onto the hands Crook. Whoever parries well Disrupts many cuts with stepping. Cut crooked to the flats Of the masters if you wish to weaken them When it sparks above Then dismount, that I will praise Don't crook, short cut With that, look for the disengage. Crook whoever tricks you The noble war bewilders them Such that they do not truthfully know Where they are without danger.

Hanging point The hanging point lands with the right foot forwards, like in the figure, with the flat below the face, entering short; and parry high whatever strike that will be struck from the roof. Let it run off short and follow up with a strike long.

Break Drive the right foot forwards from the right side. If the opponent lies still in the hanging point, position the short edge on their right ear so they are not permitted to suddenly withdraw and wherever they do withdraw, they uncover themselves.

Counter break Whenever the opponent positions the short edge against your neck, twist your hands with your sword and bar them from above with the long edge and grab their pommel with your left hand and throw them over their sword to the left side.

Whichever one now lives on the ground, They will be disgraced by no one.

Four positions alone Defend from those and eshew the common Ox, plow, fool, From-the-roof are not dispised by you

According to the old art, but according to our exquisite new art we have different names, but nonetheless is one idea. High point, Hanging point, Iron door, Plow. They are manifold.

Overgripping You can also undertake overgripping from high point. Reach over your cross with your right hand into the blade such that your finger stands on the blade. If the opponent initiates a strike, strike against them with your strong such that you overwhelm their sword, keeping threat and suddenly withdraw your flat against their right ear and veer high into your act of parrying.

Break When the opponent overgrips, falsely offer them a strike and suddenly withdraw short, make a follow up strike long or else break it with a failer or a crown cut, etc.

REMAINING Position yourself in the high guard or high point, and cut to the opponent's left ear with your long edge, and act as if you will suddenly withdraw, but remain against their left ear with your short edge, thereafter suddenly withdraw and make a follow up cut with the long edge.

Break When the opponent remains with their short edge against your right ear, remain on the other side as well. If they indeed pull away first, then they strike themselves the same way.

Splendid! I have already figured out myself how To displace to both places I preserve the before, yet not too long. The openings will be wide open to me. No position will be good for you. I hit you in the after from a carefree spirit. With it, I come swiftly to work Just you wait until I bind you first.

About overrunning Whoever takes aim from below Overrun it, they will be shamed. When it clashes above, Then dismount, This I will praise. Make your work Or press hard twice.

Triangle Position yourself with braced hands in front of your face. If the opponent strikes the buffalo from high point, twist your hands up from below and step into a false step and shield yourself short such that they roll down your flat, thereafter make a follow up strike long with a step

Break When you have overcommitted yourself striking at your opponent, rise up with your pommel so you are also shielded. Let them roll down as well and work with them according to advantage.

About Displacing Learn to displace Skillfully disrupting cuts and thrusts Whoever thrusts at you Their point breaks From both sides You will hit every time, if you step.

Rushing through Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple. Whoever strengthens against you, Remember to rush through with it.

Rule Remember whenever you initiate a thrust, that you always wind your sword under your right shoulder using the pommel when you hit with your point.

About Disengaging Learn to disengage From both sides stabbing sharply with it Whoever binds upon you Disengaging surely finds or slices the opponent

About suddenly withdrawing Tread close in binds, So that withdrawing suddenly gives good finds. Suddenly withdraw. If they engage, suddenly withdraw again. That does them harm. Suddenly withdraw all engagements If you wish to make a fool of the masters

Combat Play Position yourself against the opponent as before. Grab the middle of your sword's blade with your left hand and thrust towards their face so that they must shield themselves and carry off your thrust. Follow them with a step and release your left hand from your sword. Reach across both of their hands with your pommel and position your edge against their neck and position them into the weak so that you throw them.

Beak When the opponent has lodged their sword against you and and will throw you, release your right hand from your sword and shove their left elbow from below so that they must turn themselves.

Play If the opponent has lodged against your breast, take hold of their sword with your left hand forward by the point and thrust your sword behind their left leg and press against them with your breast and with your left hand against their breast, shove them back backwards over your sword.

About pursuing Learn to pursue Twice or slice into the weapon Two as well to the outside Your work begins thereafter And gauge the applications Whether they are soft or hard Learn to feel Indes, this here cuts sharply Pursuing twice, If on connects, make the old slice with it.

Plow The fourth resting place is named the plow. Whatever the buffalo strikes at you, step into the triangle with the right foot and shield yourself short with your flat such that they roll off. Thereafter follow them with your left foot and make a follow up strike with your long edge.

Break When the opponent parries you and have overcommitted yourself attacking, yank your pommel upwards so that you are well covered and let them roll off of it in the same way conceived in Hildebrand or Lightning cuts.

About cutting off Cut off the hard ones From below in both paths Four are the slices Below two, above with it.

Play When you find the opponent in plow, overshoot them, be it with your short or long edge, before they come to their work. In this way, you bar them from neither yanking back nor striking. This will not fail you if you seize them in their resting position.

About the cockeyed cut The cockeyed cut breaks inside Whatever the buffalo cuts or thrusts Whoever threatens to change, The cockeyed cut robs them of it. Cock an eye. If they short change you, Disengaging defeats them. Cock an eye at the point Take the neck without fear Cock an eye at the top of the head If you wish to ruin the hands

The short and long are my reservoir They safeguard me at all times Out of which, I drive all my work Strong to the blade, smooth to the body Therein I can perceive your strength I break yours from that moment on with weakness. Settle yourself down, pay attention right quick To what my master has taught me.

About withdrawing suddenly Tread close in binds, So that withdrawing suddenly gives good finds. Suddenly withdraw. If they engage, suddenly withdraw again. Do work that does them harm. Suddenly withdraw all engagements If you wish to make a fool of the masters

About binding up If the opponent binds you from above, gauge whether they lie hard or soft. If they lie hard, then wind down through the roses towards their face, onto their left ear, so that you wind out their sword and uncover them with it. But if they suddenly withdraw and strike, veer up into your act of parrying.

Break If the opponent binds you from above, and lies firm such that they will not allow you to withdraw, lift your pommel upwards and let the point go in in between their hands and yank towards yourself so that they must let go.

Wrenching out If the opponent binds you, and lies firm in the bind against your sword, reach over both of their hands with your hilt and wrench down towards yourself, with this you uncover them and strike.

Regarding the slice, trust me against your strong. Yet remember doubling. This window can occlude well. If you wish to please me, undertake your work.

About the part cut The part cut Is a threat to the face With it's turn The breast is yet endangered. Whatever comes from them The crown removes. Slice through the crown So that you break it beautifully and hard Press the thrusts By slicing withdraw it

About rushing through Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple. Whoever strengthens against you, Remember to rush through with it.

About the speaking window Make the speaking window Stand freely, watch their situation. Strike them so that it snaps, Whoever withdraws themselves before you. I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger If you have understood They cannot come to blows

A play When the opponent lies before you in the speaking window, reach over their hilt and between their hands with your pommel and latch onto their hilt with your left thumb and pull toward yourself so that you uncover them and strike them with that.

Another When the opponent lies in the speaking window, position your self in exactly the same way. If they will not work shove them with your left hand on their right hand such that they turn themselves and uncovers them with it.

About hanging Two hangings emerge From the ground out of each place In every application Cut, Thrust, Position, Soft or Hard

About hand pressing Turn your slice To flatten, press your hands

A play When the opponent lies in the speaking window, position your self in the same way as well and reach over your sword with the fingers of your right hand and latch their sword to yours. With that you press their hands.

Sword disarm When you find the opponent in the speaking window or crosswise cut, reach over their right hand up from the outside with your left hand and position them into weakness with your left foot to the outside, across their right knee pit and draw them away from you so that they must let their sword drop.

A throw When the opponent rushes in at the sword and has bound high, move into their left breast with your right arm and position them in weakness with your right foot well behind their right knee pit and throw them down.

Another When the opponent rushes in, shove them on their right elbow with your left hand and step in front of their left foot with your right foot and let them plunge over it.

Holding someone prone If you throw the opponent onto their belly, sit atop them and step over their arm so you are able to break it.

Item. Two plays of the long sword. The first play is called: The inverter constrains Slipping through and also wrestles with it.

The other play is called: Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple.

Eight wrestlings come from these two plays

Sword disarm Note. If the opponent lies high in the cross or the speaking window, release your back hand from your sword and reach between their hands with your pommel. Afterwards, retract your pommel with your hand inverted and wrench toward your left side so that you take their sword.

Another But if they lie low, reach over their haft with the pommel of your sword and take your pommel down into a clinch and wind towards your right side so that you either throw them over your sword or they must let the sword go.

A throw When the opponent engages high in their act of parrying and will not part, reach behind their right foot with your left foot and with your right arm into their left breast and throw them off their feet, over your left leg.

Holding someone prone If you throw the opponent on their belly, drop your right knee onto their back and reach forward to the top of their head, grab their hair and pull up and crank their neck so they will fall back onto their belly if they try to stand.

An upsweep play Item. When you lay in the side guard on your left side and someone makes a descending cut at you from their right shoulder, sweep up firmly up from below into their sword with your short edge. If the opponent stands strong and is not too high with the hands, double in between them and their sword with the short edge to their left ear.

Another When you sweep up against the opponent's sword and they hold strong back, immediately strike their left side with the crosswise cut and again, double between [them and] their sword and strike at their right ear with the long edge.

Another When you sweep up against the opponent's sword and they are weak at the sword and with their hands low, cut toward their opening above with the long edge.

Another When you sweep against the opponent's sword and they rise up high and wind, strengthen with the long edge, but if they strike with the crosswise cut, strike to their left side with a step off.

Another When you lie in the side guard or conduct the sweeps against the opponent, if they then hold their sword crosswise in front of themselves and will drop onto your sword and are high with their arms, sweep against their sword from below and thrust under their sword, into their breast.

Another If they are low with their hands and will rise up, then sweep through and thrust on the other side into their breast, whereupon it has disengaged.

Another When you sweep through, drop onto their sword with your long edge and wind toward your left side such that your thumb comes under and speed against the right side of the opponent's neck with your strong and spring with your right foot and back them over it.

Another When you disengage out of sweeping and come up atop their sword on the other side you can just as well conduct the plays as before with stingers and with everything as before, on all sides.

Fencing out of displacing When you fence with the opponent and come close to them, come into plow and conduct it swiftly by turning from one side to the other, such that your point always stays in front of yourself. From this you can conduct parrying. This is the narrows and in them you can strengthen with the long edge and from this conduct all the previous plays. You can also displace cut and thrust and break misaligned ones and seek the opening with your point.

Side Guard When you fence with the opponent and come close to them, stand with the left foot forward and position your sword with the point upon the ground on your right side, such that the long edge is up. This goes on both sides.

A play from side guard If the opponent initiates a cut from above or wherever it is, cut in crooked to their opening with a step out.

Another Drive in the inverter with your point in their face. When they bindup, strengthen with the long edge and you can conduct all the plays that are previous in the sweeps.

Explanation of the advice When you fence with the opponent, extend your arms long, away from you and rest your thumb up atop your sword and turn your swor with your point away from you. With this you can drive up swiftly from below to your left side and move towards the opponent. From there, you can disengage to whichever side you wish or whatever play suits you, according to advantage.

Breaking the crosswise cut When you stay in the roof guard and the opponent attacks you with a crosswise cut, simultaneously cut in the wrath cut and bind them strongly in the middle of their sword and if they will strike around with a crosswise cut, then crosswise cut ahead of them into their neck. You can also conduct all plays that are in the sweeps.

Another Note, when you execute a crosswise cut and the opponent will preempt you with a crosswise cut against your neck from below your sword, indes, drop atop their sword strongly with your long edge so that it is broken and take the next opening that becomes availble to you.

About the wrath cut When you fence with the opponent and cut in with the wrath cut or however else down from above and they parry that and rise up with their arms and you both rush in on each other and they are then so circumspect that they will take your slice from below the hands into your arms, follow their sword downwards with your long edge and press down, thus you have broken them.

Another But when you arrive with your arms high and the opponent does as well and they rush in and want to bash you between the eyes or in the breast with their pommel through your arms from below your hands, speed downwards with your pommel, with your arms strong and heave towards yourself and strike them on their head with your sword.

Combat play Stab the opponent in the face on the inside and slip down through and stab them in the face on the outside. But if they defend that, step between both of their legs with your left foot and reach out over their left leg with your pommel into the pit of their knee and lift up with your pommel and with your left shoulder push them away from you from up high so that they fall.

Break When your opponent speeds into the pit of your left knee with their pommel, reach up from below and grab onto their elbow behind their left hand with your right hand and take their weight.

Combat play Stab the opponent in the face on the inside and lodge against them. If they defend that, withdraw suddenly and stab them on the other side. But if they defend that and sweep your point aside, slip over their right shoulder and around their neck with your pommel and spring behind their left foot with your right and throw them over it.

Break When the opponent has slipped over your right shoulder and around your neck with their pommel, seize their right elbow with your left hand and shove them away from you so that you gain their side.

Another break When the opponent has slipped around your neck with their pommel, seize their right arm with your left hand and hold it firmly and turn yourself away from them to your right side and throw them over your left hip.

The distillation of the long sword

Who fully commands and correctly breaks And makes complete irrefutable judgement And breaks each one individually Into three wounders Who hangs consumately and correctly And carries out windings correctly with it And considers the eight winds With correct judgement And unites them. The windings, I differentiate trebly Thus they are twenty And four counting them individually. From both sides Learn eight windings with steps Gauge these applications As soft or hard

Do not focus on more than you understand So that you do not end up behind the wagon

Except of the short sword