Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Stephen Cheney 2018 SS

Here begins the gloss and the interpretation of the zettel of the art of combat fencing

It was composed and made by Johannes Liechtenauer, he a high master in the art, God be gracious to him, and the art about this belongs to princes and lords, knights and squires, so that they shall know and learn. He has thus let the same art be specially written with obscure and disguised words, therefore commoners shall not hear nor understand them, as you will find them written hereafter, and has done because of the reckless fencing masters, who show little regard for their art, so that his art shall not be public or common from the same. Such people can’t progress to behold the art, as those to whom the art pertains. And the same obscure and disguised words of combat fencing, they stand explained and interpreted as such hereafter in the gloss, so that anyone may well hear and understand, if they can otherwise fence.

Here begins the foreword

	Young knight learn  To have love for god, honor to women
	Thus your honor grows  chivalry and learn
	Art which adorns you  And in war, honor your master
	Wrestle well, grappler  Lance, spear, sword and knife
	Valiantly wield  And make useless in others’ hands
	Hew in and hurry there  Rush in, hit, or let go
	So that the wise  hate that one sees praise
	Grasp yourself upon this  arts have distance and moderation

This is the text and the gloss of a common lesson in combat

1	Whoever dismounts  Begins to fence on foot

Gloss: Note, this is a lesson: One may fence in armor on foot and on horseback, thereafter as one wills the two, and also whatever correctly reveals that, and if it were the case that you shall strike or fence with someone on horseback, and tricks you so that he was too prudent or too powerful with it, then dismount on foot, and fight with him from the art written hereafter.

This is the text and the gloss about two stances

2	He arranges his spear  Two stances, wielding correct weapons

Gloss: Note, this is when you have dismounted from the horse, you shall first meanwhile know to raise two stances by hand. The first stance is how you shall arrange yourself with the lance in combat. The second is how you shall arrange yourself with the sword. You shall also know two particular stances with the lance. The first stance is and pertains to him if he remains on the horse. The second stance pertains to him if he also dismounts. You shall also know to correctly drive the plays against the two stances, which will be explained to you hereafter nearest.

This is the first play

Note, arrange yourself with the first play as follows: When you have dismounted from the horse and he does not want to dismount, then stand with the left foot forward, and set your lance to your right side into the ground, and hold the point against him, to whichever side he then rides to you. On the same side, turn yourself always against him, and lead his lance away with yours, and plant to him with it.

Again a play

When you have dismounted on foot, if he then remains on the horse, then stand with the left foot forward and hold your lance in the middle with both hands athwart in front of you, so that the front point is longer than the back. If he then rides upon you with the lance, then sweep firmly with the front part of your lance to his right side to his, and plant to him with it with a step out onto his side.

Again a play

Note, when you have dismounted on foot, if he then remains on the horse, then hold your lance next to your right side in the lower guard with the point against him. If he then rides upon you with the lance to your left side, then set aside with the lance also to your left side, and jump onto your right side and plant to him.

Again another play

Note, when you have dismounted on foot, if he then rides upon you with the sword, then stab him with the lance to the openings, and assess if you may [have] planted to him, and do that with jumping out onto a side.

Again another play

Note, when you have dismounted, if he remains on the horse and rides upon you with the sword, then set your lance with the point onto the furthest in front of you into the ground, and when he rides upon you, move with the lance to his horse between the front legs, and jump onto a side, and attempt if you may overturn him as such together with the horse.

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  The “before” stab, stab without apprehension

Gloss: Note, this is the second stance, when he has also dismounted, and holds his lance, and you do yours, arrange yourself against him as follows: stand with the left foot forwards, and hold your lance next to your right side in the lower guard, and assess that you always stab to him before he to you.

Or, hold your lance with the right hand over your head to prepare to throw, and step to him as such, and assess that you throw before he [does], and follow quickly after the throw to him with the sword against the lance, which will be explained to you hereafter in other plays.

This is the text and the gloss about planting and about jerk with the lance in combat

4	Jump, wind, correctly plant  If he wards, jerk, that defeats him

Gloss: Note, this is another, when you both have dismounted on foot, and each has his lance. If you then do not want to throw as stands written before, then hold you lance next to your right side in the lower guard, and go to him as such, and stab him artfully to the face from stretched arms. If he then stabs in equally with you, then rise with your lance at his in the upper hanging, and jump to him with it, and plant to him above. If he then rises with the arms and wards the upper stab, then jerk, and set the point under his left armpit to the opening, or otherwise, where you may, and force through him in front of you.

This is the text and the gloss about a lesson, how one shall jerk

5	If you want to stab before  Learn to break wards with jerking

Gloss: Note, this is when you want to stab him before he you, or otherwise come before with the stab. If he parries the stab, then you shall know indes how you shall change through or jerk, so that he doesn’t plant to you while you jerk through, and hear it as follows: If he parries the stab strongly with the lance and lets the point go out next to you beside, then jerk quickly and stab him to the other side.

Or, if he remains in the parry with the point in front of the face, then don’t jerk through, remain with your lance at his, and work to the opening thereafter as you sense whether he has bound hard or soft.

This is the text and the gloss, how one shall break the jerk

6	Note, if he wants to draw  From sheath, and he wants to flee
7	Then you shall near to him  catch, yet wisely ward

Gloss: Note, this is if he comes before with the stab, so that you must parry him, then parry so that your point does not go out wide next to him beside, but rather remain near to him with it in front of the face or the chest. If he then jerks or changes through it, don’t parry him, and follow after him with the point, and plant to him while he jerks through. If you then land your hit correctly with the plant, then force through him as such in front of you, and don’t let him come away from the point. If he then wants to flee back away from the point with [a] step away backwards, or jump backwards away from it, or wants to turn himself as such away from the stab, and turns to one side of you, then jump to him, and assess that you wisely and correctly grapple with arm breaking or otherwise with other wrestles.

This is the text and the gloss about wrestling in combat

8	If you want to wrestle  Learn to correctly jump behind leg
9	Lock before shooting  Artfully locking the front leg before

Gloss: Note, this is if you want to wrestle with him, then you shall, before all cases, know how you shall correctly jump behind his front foot, and you shall lock and trap the same foot with the art, which will be explained to you hereafter.

This is a wrestle

Note, when you attack him with wrestling, and he against you, see if he has a foot set in front or not. If he then does not have one in front, then jolt him to you or shove him from you, so he must step forward. If he then steps forward with the left foot, then jump quickly with the right foot behind his left, and bend your right knee, and press him behind with it into the back of his left knee, and jolt him over it with both hands.

Another wrestle

When you jump to him with the right foot behind his left, step in with the left foot after between both of his feet, and grasp his left knee between both of your knees, and hold firmly with it, and shove him forward with the left hand to the cap, and with the right, pull him behind onto the side, so he falls.

Another wrestle

Note, when you grasp him with wrestling, and he against you, if he then stands with the left foot forward, then jump with the right forward in front of both of his feet, and move through him with the right arm under his left behind around the body, and grasp him as such onto the right hip, and throw him in front of you.

Or, if he stands with the right foot forward, then jump with the left in front of both of his feet, and move him with the left arm behind around the body, and throw him in front of you over your left hip.

This is the text and gloss, that one shall know to drive all wrestles to both sides

10	From both hands  If you desire to end with art

Gloss: Note, this is when you want to artfully end with wrestling, you shall know to drive the wrestles from both sides, and hear it as follows: When [you] jump to him with the right foot behind his left as stands written before, if he then steps back with the left foot in the jump or while you jump, then step after him quickly with the left foot behind his right, and drive the lock and the trap, which you have heard before.

This is the text and the gloss of the plays which one shall drive with the sword against the lance

11	If it is displaced  The sword will be drawn against spear
12	Notice the stab  Jump, catch, wrestle, rush to him

Gloss: Note, this is when you have thrown your lance. If he then holds his, then observe quite precisely how he has grasped it, whether he lets the point go forward long or short in front of his front placed hand, and if he wants to stab to you above or below with it.

Here note the play

When you have a sword and he a lance, if he then has grasped it short, and stands with it in the upper guard, then lie your sword onto your left knee in the guard. If he then stabs in above to the face, then rise and parry the stab with the sword in front of your left hand against his right side, and rise with it to his lance into the upper guard, and jump to him and plant to him. If you then don’t hit correctly with the planting, then drop your sword, and rush to him, and wait for the wrestling.

Again a play

When you have a sword and he a lance, if he then stands against you with it in the lower guard and has grasped his lance short, then stand with your sword also against him in the lower guard. If he then stabs to you below, then set the stab aside with the sword in front of your left hand, and move him with the pommel forward to the top of his right shoulder around the neck, and jump with the right foot behind his left, and jolt him over your right knee with the pommel.

This is the text and the gloss about the parry with the left hand against the lance

13	Strike left long from hand  Jump wisely and then catch
14	If he wants to draw  From sheath, catch, and press
15	So that he annoys the openings  With sword’s point

Gloss: Note, this is when you have a sword and he a lance. If he then stands against you with it in the upper guard, and has grasped it so that the point goes out long in front of his front hand, then hold your sword against him also in a guard. If he then stabs in above to the face, then strike away his lance with the left hand beside, and grip your sword quickly again with the left hand in the middle of the blade, and jump to him, and plant to him.

Another play

Note, when you have a sword and he a lance, if he then lays the point going out long in front of the hands and stabs you below with it to the testicles, then grab his lance with the left hand and hold it firmly with it, and stab him below with the sword to the testicles. If he then jerks his lance firmly to himself, then let it go suddenly, so he opens the side. With that, grab your sword with the left hand quickly again in the middle of the blade, and follow after him with planting to the same side, or wait for the wrestling.

This is the text and the gloss about which ends you shall search for the openings on the armed man

16	Leather and glove  Correctly search for the openings under the eyes

Gloss: Note, this is where the armed man is best to win through the armor, that is under the face or under the armpit, or in the palm of the hand, or on the arm behind in the gloves, or in the backs of the knees, or below at the feet to the soles, and in the joint of the inside of the elbow, and between the legs, and at the sites in which the armor has its joints, and you shall therefore search for the openings, so that you shall not work nor stab to one far away, because you may have one nearer in front of you.

This is the text and the gloss about the forbidden wrestles, which of them those are, and how one shall drive them

Text:

17	Forbidden wrestles  Learn to bring wisely
18	Find to lock  Overcome the strong with it

Gloss: Note, this is if you may not come with the planting, because you run in with him to the previously written openings, then assess that you bring the wrestles wisely to scale, and drive those which are forbidden from all wise masters of the sword, so that one shall allow no sport fencers to learn nor see them on public competitions. Therefore, they pertain to the combat. They are arm breaks, and leg breaks, and knee shoves, and testicle bashes, and finger dislocations, and eye gouges, and a stronger person shall therefore become locked with the plays, so that he may well not relish his strength there, and note that in the next wrestle written hereafter.

The first wrestle

Note, if he attacks you above with strength and wants to jolt you to him or shove you from him, then strike your right arm outside to the top of his left forward by his hand, and press his arm to your breast with both hands, and jump with the right foot behind his left, and throw him from the foot over the knee.

This is an arm break

Note, if he falls to you with both hands to the arms and you against him, if he then does not hold you firmly, then grab his right arm with the right hand forward by his right hand or by the fingers, and hold him firmly by them, and with the left, grasp him by the right elbow, and shove it upwards, and bend his right arm over your left with the right hand, and raise his right arm upwards with the left arm, so you break his arm, or throw him in front of you.

A wrestle and an arm break

Note, if he attacks you with both hands to the arms or to the chest, if he then does not hold you firmly, then grab his right hand with your right, and pull him as such in front of you with it, and with the left, grasp him by the elbow, and step with the left foot in front of his right, and jolt him over it as such, so he falls.

Or, when you pull him in front of you with the right arm, then fall to him strongly with the chest upon it, so you break his arm.

Again a wrestle

Mark when he falls unto you with wrestling Then grasp the front of his right arm by the hand with your left hand and pull him to yourself on the left side and strike your left arm with strength over his right in the joint of his elbow and with your left hand break his right arm over your right and spring with the right foot behind his right and throw him over your right hip.

This is again a wrestle

Note, when you wrestle with him and come near to him with the body, if he then moves to you with the left arm over your right shoulder around the neck, then move with the right arm outside over his left to the top of the joint of the elbow, and come with the left hand to help your right, and press downwards with both hands, and jump with the right foot in front of his left, and turn yourself from him onto your left side, and throw him over your left [sic] hip.

Again a wrestle

Note, if he falls to you with both hands into the arms and you against him, if he then strikes you with his left arm on your right and moves through with the left under your right behind around the body, then strike him outwards with the right arm strongly down from above into the joint of his left elbow, and step with the right foot in front of his left, and turn yourself from him, and sling him onto your left side.

A wrestle and a murder shove

Note, when you have grappled him by the arms and he against you, if he has then set a foot forward and holds it stretched, then bash him with a foot onto the same knee, or bash him to the testicles, and make sure that he does not grip the same foot which you have shoved to him with.

Or, when you set a foot forwards, bend the knee in front of you, so he may not harm you with the shove to the knee.

Again a wrestle

Note, when you want to wrestle with him, if he then grips after you with stretched fingers or with open hands or grabs you with wrestling and does not hold you firmly, then assess whether you may grab him by a finger, and break it upwards, and in front of him to circle with it, you also win his side with it, and otherwise other great advantages.

This is an arm break

Note, if you throw him down and he falls onto the belly and stretches his arm from him, then knee him quickly with a knee on an arm into his joint of the elbow, and grab the same arm forward with your hand, and jolt upwards with it, so you break his arm.

An underhold and an arm break

Note, when you throw him down and he falls on the belly, then quickly sit behind onto him, and grab him by an arm, and pull it on his back, and hold it firmly with a hand, so he can’t come up.

Or, if you want to break his arm, then you hold him with the one hand, then raise the same elbow firmly upwards with the other hand, so you break his arm.

A good underhold

Note, if you throw him down and he falls on the belly, then straddle behind him near to his shoulders, and pull his right arm over your right leg to the top of your thigh, and pull his left arm over your left thigh, so he may not come up, and must therefore die under you.

Again an underhold

Note, if you throw him down and he falls on his back, then fall to him with the body across his face, and grasp him by the neck under an arm, and hold him firmly as such, and with the other hand, jolt out his arm with which he wants to help himself, so he may not come up, and work with the dagger.

This is the text and the gloss about the weapons which pertain to the combat, and how one shall work with the points to the openings

19	In all weapons  Turn the point against the opening

Gloss: Note, this is a lesson, that you shall plant the point with all weapons which pertain to combat nowhere to the armed man other than to the opening which it is the best to win, and you shall correctly know to search for the openings with the point, because there are three weapons which have four points. The first weapon, that is the lance, which has one point. The second weapon, that is the dagger, which also has one point. The third weapon, that is the sword, which has two points, the first point is the tip, the second the pommel. And how you shall work with the points, you find all of that written in the gloss from end to end.

Here note quite precisely, this is the text and the gloss of how one shall fence with the sword against sword in combat out of four guards

20	Where one from sheath  Both see sword drawing from him
21	So one shall strengthen  Correctly precisely note the compelling

Gloss: Note, this is a lesson, if you both have thrown the lance, and shall fight with the swords, then you shall, before all cases, know the four guards with the short sword. From them you shall always strongly stab him to the face. If he then stabs in equally with you or parries, then remain strong at the sword with the point in front of the face or in front of the chest, and note precisely if he is soft or hard at the sword. If he is strong, then drive the plays which belong against the strong, or if he is soft, then rather drive what pertains to the weak, as will be explained to you hereafter in the plays which one drives out of the four guards.

Here note the first guard with the short sword in combat with its plays and its arrangement

Note, this is the first guard in combat, arrange yourself with it as follows: Stand with the left foot forward and hold your sword with the right hand by the handle, and with the left hand grip the middle of the blade, and hold it next to your right side over the head, and let the point hang against his face.

Note the first play

When you stand in the upper guard, if he then stands against you in the lower guard and wants to stab to you below, [you] shall not ward nor parry that, but rather stab him to the face, or plant to him above, so he may not reach you below, because all upper plantings break and free the lower.

Or, if he stabs to you above, be it to the face or wherever it is, you shall ward that, so that he does not reach you above with planting.

Again a play

Note, when you stand in the upper guard, if he then stabs to you below, then stab down from above through between the sword and his front placed hand, and press the pommel to the ground, and wind your point to his sword’s blade below through his sword, and plant to him to his right side.

Again a play

Note, when you stand in the upper guard, stab him artfully from it to the face. If he parries with the sword in front of his left hand and remains to you with the point in front of the face and wants to plant to you, then grab his sword by the point with the left hand, and hold it firmly and stab him with the right hand with force to the testicles.

If he then jerks his sword firmly to himself and wants to jolt it out of your hand, then let go of his sword suddenly, so he opens the side. With that, grab your sword quickly again with the left hand in the middle of the blade, and follow after him to the same side with planting or with wrestling.

This is again a play

Note, when you stand in the upper guard, stab him from it to the face. If he parries the stab and presses your point onto your left side, then jump with the right foot behind his left, and move to him with the pommel forward over his right shoulder around the neck, and jolt him over his [sic] right knee with it.

The first break against the play

When he moves to you with the pommel around the neck over your right shoulder, drop your sword, and grab his right hand with the right hand, and with the left, grasp him by the right elbow, and jump with the left foot [to?] his right, and drive the arm break, or jolt him over the left leg.

A break against the break

Note, when he wants to move to you with the pommel around the neck, grab his right elbow with the left hand, and shove him from you with it, and with the right, stab him with force behind to the back.

Note, a good break

Note, when he has moved to you with the pommel over your right shoulder around the neck, grab with the left hand up from below between both of his arms, and grab his right arm with it and hold firmly, and turn yourself around from him onto your right side, and throw him over your left hip.

Again a break

When he wants to move to you with the pommel around the neck, grab his sword by the handle or by the pommel with the left hand behind his right, and press it downwards, and plant to him with your sword wherever you want.

Or, move through to him with your pommel under his right arm forward over his right hand, and jolt his hand downwards with the pommel, and plant to him.

Again a play out of the upper guard

Note, when you stab to his face out of the upper guard, if he then falls with the left hand between both of your hands in the middle of your sword’s blade, then move to him with the pommel how you want below or above to the top of his left hand, and wrench with it onto your right side, and plant to him.

Note, how you shall strike with the pommel out of the upper guard, you find that written in the back in the play which says “of the forward foot with striking, you must guard”.

Here note, this is the second guard with the short sword in combat with its plays and its arrangement

This is the second guard in combat, arrange yourself with it as follows: Stand with the left foot forward, and hold your sword with the right hand by the handle, and with the left, grip the middle of the blade, and hold it next to your right side downwards with the pommel against your right knee, and so that the point stands upwards to the man against the face or the chest.

This is the first play

When you stand in the lower guard, if he then stands against you in the upper and stabs to your face or wants to plant to you above, then stab him to his front placed hand to the opening of the palm, or set the point under his left armpit into the opening.

The second play

Note, when you stand in the lower guard and he in the upper, if he then wants to plant to you above, then grab his sword by the point with the left hand, and with the right, wind your sword with the hilt to your chest, and plant to him as such.

The third play

Note, when you stand in the lower guard, stab him certainly from it to the face. If he then stabs in equally with you, then grab his left hand with your left, and grasp him by the left elbow with the right [hand], and drive the arm break.

Break that as follows

When someone grabs your left hand with his left, move with the front part of your sword forward to the top of his left hand, and press downwards with it, and plant to him.

Or, when you press his hand down with the sword, move with the pommel over his right shoulder, and throw him over your right knee.

Break it as follows

When he moves with the pommel over your right shoulder around the neck, turn yourself against him onto your right side, and move with the pommel outwards over his right leg into the back of the knee, and raise firmly up with it, so you throw him behind you.

The fourth play

Note, when you stand in the lower guard and he in the upper, if he then wants to plant to you above, then stab through over his front placed hand, and to the sword, and press the pommel against the ground, and plant to him to his right side.

The fifth play is a break against the stab-through

Mark you stab to him from the low guard If he stabs to you from the high guard through between your forward hand and the sword and pushes the pommel toward the ground and would attack you, then mark while he pushes the pommel down Then drive out on the sword in the high guard and attack him.

This is the sixth play

Note, when you stab to him out of the lower guard, if he then stabs you out of the upper guard through between your front placed hand and the sword and presses the pommel against the ground, and wants to plant to you, then note while he pushes the pommel down, rise at the sword into the upper guard and plant to him.

The seventh play

Note, when you stand in the lower guard, stab him strongly from it inwards to the face. If he parries, then jerk through and stab him outwards to the face. If he continues to parry, and presses the point onto your left side, then step to him and shove him with the hilt under his left armpit, and move through with the front part between his legs, and raise up his left leg firmly upwards with the sword in the back of the knee with the left hand, and with the right, shove him above with the hilt firmly from you, so he falls.

Break that play as follows

Note, when he moves forward between the legs with the front part of his sword in the back of the left knee, and raises up with it, grab his right elbow with the left hand, and shove him from you with it.

This is another play

When you have grabbed his right elbow with the left hand, then grab his right arm forward by the hand with the right, and drive the arm break, and throw him in front of you.

The eighth play

Stab him from the lower guard outwards to the face. If he parries the stab with strength, then move him with the pommel outwards into the back of his left knee, and jolt with the pommel to you, and lie with the right side above strong into him, so he falls.

Break that play as follows

When one moves with the pommel outside over your left leg into the back of the knee, grab his left [hand] with the left hand, and with the right, grab his left elbow, and drive the arm break, and throw him in front of you.

The ninth play

Note, when you stab him from the lower guard strong to the face, if he then moves through your sword below with the pommel and wants to set aside or wrench with it, then remain with the point strong in front of him, and press his right hand down with the sword while he moves through, and plant to him.

The tenth play

Note, when you stab him from the lower guard strong to the face, if he then falls with left inverted hand forward to your sword, then wind the sword with the point outside to the top of his left hand into the upper guard, and plant to him.

The 11th play is a sword taking

Note, when you stab him from the lower guard strong to the face, if he then stabs in equally with you, then grab his sword in the middle with left inverted hand, and hold them both firmly, and move through with the pommel below his sword, and jolt upwards with it onto your right side, so you take his sword.

Break that as follows

When someone grabs your sword in the middle to his with his left hand, and wants to wrench it out with the pommel below through, note while he grasps your sword into the left hand to his, then rise into the upper guard and plant to him.

The 12th play

Note, when you stand in the lower guard, stab him strong from it below to the testicles. If he then falls to your sword with the left hand, and you against him to his, then throw his sword from the left hand, and grip yours with it again in the middle of the blade, and wind the point outside to the top of his left hand into the upper guard, and plant to him.

The 13th play

Note, when you stab him from the lower guard, if he then falls with the left hand to your sword, and you against him to his, then throw your sword to him with the pommel in front of the feet, and grab his left hand with your left, and his left elbow with the right, and drive the arm break.

Or, when you have thrown your sword to him in front of the feet, shove him with the left hand forward to the chest, and grab him with the right in the back of his left knee, and jolt him to you with it, and shove with the left above from you, so he falls.

You shall also know, that you may also well strike with the pommel from the lower guard, as from the upper, when it is even to you.

Here note, this is the third guard with the short sword in combat, with its plays and arrangement

Note, arrange yourself as follows in the third guard in combat: Stand with the left foot forward, and hold your sword with the right hand by the handle, and with the left, grip the middle of the blade, and lay it athwart on top of your left knee in the guard. Break his plays from it with parry.

The first play

Note, when you have your sword on top of your left knee in the guard, if he then stabs you from the upper guard to the face, then set the stab aside with the sword in front of your left hand against his right side, and rise into the upper guard, and plant to him.

Or, parry the stab between both of your hands to the sword’s blade, and move with the pommel over his front placed hand, and jolt downwards with it, and plant to him.

Again a play

Note, when you have your sword over the left knee in the guard, if he then stabs you to the face, then move through his sword with the pommel below, and set his stab aside with it in front of his left hand, and plant to him.

Again a play

Note, when you have your sword over the left knee in the guard, if he then stabs to the face, then move through below with the pommel over his sword behind his front placed hand, and jolt his hand downwards with it, and plant to him.

Or

If he is too strong so that you may not jolt his hand from the sword, then wind the pommel up from below outside to the top of his left hand, and shove him from you, and plant to him with it.

You shall also know, that you may not continue to parry the hits with the pommel, than from the guard from the left knee, that you find written hereafter in the play which says “with his striking point…”

Here note, this is the fourth guard with the short sword in combat with its plays and its arrangement

Note, arrange yourself into the fourth guard in combat as follows: Hold your sword with the right hand by the handle, and with the left grip the middle of the blade, and hold it under your right armpit, and plant the one hilt forward firmly to the chest, and hold the point against the man.

Note a good lesson

Know, you shall come to the fourth guard from all other guards with planting, hear it as follows: When you stab to him from a guard, if it is then the case that you land your hit correctly, so that your point sticks in the armor, then immediately wind the hilt to your chest into the guard, and force him in front of you as such, and don’t let him come away from the point, so he may not stab nor strike again.

This is again a lesson

Note, everything that you want to plant, set it to the face, or to the neck, or to his left shoulder, or under his left armpit, and when you have planted to him, note if he is taller than you are, then force him as such in front of you, and assess that your point rises upwards, and is set well into the ring.

Or, if he is shorter than you, then let your sword sink away downwards with the hand until onto your right hip, and so that your point stands upwards, and is set well in the armor, and force him as such in front of you.

This is the text and the gloss about the two things, the first called the “before”, the second called the “after”

22	Before and after, the two things  Test wisely, learn with jump away

Gloss: Note, this is that you, before all cases, shall know the “before” and the “after,” because from the two things go all art in combat, and note the “before,” that is that you shall always come “before,” before him, be it with the stab or with the hit, so he must parry you, and and as soon as he binds to your sword with the parry or otherwise, drive the play nimbly indes thereafter, as you test whether he is soft or hard at the sword, so he may not come to any break.

Here note what is called the “after”

The “after,” those are the breaks against all plays which one drives upon you, hear it as follows: When he comes “before” with the stab or hit before you, so that you must parry him, note as soon as your sword sparks on his with the parry, then search indes with the point for the nearest opening, or wait for the wrestling, so you win his “before” with the parry, that is with the “after.”

Here note how one shall step away in combat

Know that no more than one step away pertains to combat fencing, and one step forth, and otherwise stand firmly, so that one will not become tired in the armor, and hear it as follows: If it is the case that he has rushed over you so that you may not come to any parry with the sword or otherwise, then step quickly backwards with the front placed foot, and assess that you plant to him indes quickly against, or grapple with wrestling with a step forth of the same foot with which you have previously stepped away.

This is the text and the gloss about pursuit in combat

23	Follow all hits  To the strong, if you want to trick them
24	If he wards, then jerk  Stab, if he yet wards, jolt to him

Gloss: Note, if you want to fool or trick the strong, they who fence wide and long, and want to overpower their things with strength, and do not hold from correct art, you shall rush to the same with pursuit, and with jerking through, as will be explained to you in the next play.

Here note the play

Note, when you shall fight, if it then seems to you that your fighter wards too strong, then hold your sword in a guard, and step to him artfully, and note quite precisely when pulls his sword to himself and wants to stab or strike with the pommel. At the same time, follow after him quickly, and rush him with the point, and plant to him before he brings the stab or the hit. If he then becomes aware of the planting and moves wide in front with the sword and parries so that his point goes out next to you beside, then jerk through and stab him to the other side. If he wards that to the second time, then again jerk through, and do that as often as he parries, and jolt or rush quickly to him through with it at will. If you had not landed your hit on him correctly with the planting, then you may grapple with wrestling. Know, that is the art against all the fencers who parry long and wide, and fence to the sword and not to the openings of the body.

This is the text and the gloss, how you shall free yourself away from the sword when one has planted to you with it, and forces you with it

26	If he also grips on strong  The shooting defeats him

Gloss: Note, this is when he has planted to you, and you against him. If he then wants to overpower you with strength, then grab his left hand with your left on his sword’s blade by the fingers, and hold them firmly with it, and stab with the right hand with the sword above through between his front placed hand and his sword, and press the pommel down, and set the point against his right side into his face, and break his left hand over your sword’s blade with your left hand.

Another

Or, stab through with both hands above between the sword and his front placed hand, and press the pommel against the ground, and wind the point at his sword against his right side, and plant to him.

Again a solution

When he has planted to you and forced, stab him below in the palm of the hand, by which he holds his sword in the middle.

Or, if he has turned the hand around, then stab him in it down from above, and when the stab sticks, then in front of him to the circle with it.

Another

Or, stab him outwards of the arm, by which he holds the sword in the middle, behind in the glove, and when the stab sticks, run forwards with the hand to the circle. You also win his side with it, and other great advantages.

Again a solution

Note, if he has planted to you to your left shoulder, and you against him at his, then step backwards with the left foot, and also turn your left side from him, so your point sticks, and his does not.

Or, if he has planted to your right shoulder, and you again at his, then step backwards with the right foot, so your point sticks again, and his does not.

Again a solution

Note, when he has planted to your left shoulder and you again at his, jolt your pommel forward to your chest, and force forwards as such, so you have overpowered him.

This is the text and the gloss of the parries against the hits with the pommel

27	With his striking point  If he protects himself, hit without apprehension
28	With both hands  Learn to turn the point to the eyes

Gloss: Note, the striking point, that is the pommel, if he wants to protect himself with it in front of you, and overrun you with big hits, you shall artfully parry them without any apprehension with the sword, and in the parry, always turn the point to the face with both hands, or shove and wrench with the pommel, as will be explained hereafter in the next plays.

This is the first parry against the hit with the pommel

Note, if one is strong, and he means well to strike you down with the pommel, then stand against him and hold your sword on top of your left knee in the guard. If he then strikes in with the pommel from his right shoulder above to the head, then sweep his strike away with the sword in front of your left hand from your left side against his right, and rise into the upper guard, and set the point into the face.

Or, if he strikes in with the pommel from his left side above to the head, then sweep his strike away with the sword in front of your left hand from your right side against his left, and plant to him.

Again a parry

Note, when you have your sword over the left knee in the guard, if he is then not strong and strikes in with the pommel above, then step in artfully, and catch the strike between both of your hands in the middle of the sword’s blade, and rise into the upper guard and plant to him.

Or, move to him with the pommel to the top of his front placed hand, and jolt him to you and plant to him.

Note, a parry and a sword taking

Note, when you have your sword over the left knee in the guard, if he is then not strong and strikes with the pommel to the head, then catch the strike in the middle of the blade, and move with the pommel outside over his sword nearing behind the hilt, and wrench downwards with it onto your right side, so you take his sword, and also plant to him.

Note, again a parry and a sword taking

When you have your sword over the left knee in the guard, if he then strikes with the pommel to your left knee, then turn your pommel to the ground and the point upwards, and catch the strike in the middle of your sword’s blade, and move through to him below with the pommel above to the top of his sword, nearing behind his hilt, and jolt upwards onto your right side, so you take his sword.

Again a parry

Note, when you have your sword over the left knee, or stand otherwise in another guard, if he then strikes with the pommel below to the ankle of your left foot, then hold your sword firmly in the left hand, and throw it with the pommel out of the right hand against his hit into the ground onto your left side, and jump to him with it, and wait for the arm break or otherwise other wrestles.

This is the text and the gloss, how one shall strike with the pommel

29	The front foot  You must guard with hits

Gloss: Note, the striking point, that is the sword’s pommel, you shall strike with it to his front placed limbs. You shall quite precisely aim for them, so that you correctly land a hit with it, and you shall bring the hits to scales as such:

Hold your sword in the upper guard over the head, and do as if you want to stab or plant into the face from it. With it, let go of the sword with the right hand and come with it to help the left hand in the middle of the blade, and strike him with the pommel to the knee of his front placed foot, or to his front placed hand, with which he holds the sword in the middle. You may also strike with it to the head or to the elbow or to the shoulder, when it is even to you.

Here note the work with the dagger in combat

Now you shall know that the greatest part of all combat fencing in armor comes to the last to the dagger fencing, and to the wrestling. Therefore note, when you run in with him, otherwise don’t wait when wrestling, and let your dagger stick in the scabbard, because you may not hurt him with it through the armor while he stands in front of you, and hinders you in the hand, because you shall grasp him with wrestling, or when you have thrown him, and have been powerful, then first work with the dagger to the openings of the armor which will be explained to you next, and are to be explained.

Another

Note, when you come to wrestle with him, if you then throw him on the back, then fall to him with the body on top of his face, and grasp him by the neck under an arm, thus he is pinned, and may additionally not well come up with whichever hand he then grips to you, then stab him after to the opening of the palm, or stab him under the armpit.

Or, work with the dagger below to the business, and to all joints where it seems that you may win the best.

Another

Note, if you throw him onto the belly with wrestling, then quickly sit on him and grab his right hand with your right hand, and pull it behind on his back, and hold it firmly with the left hand, and with the right, stab him into the same hand to the opening of the palm, or to the opening under the armpit.

Or, when he falls, you may grip him by a foot, then stab him with the dagger below into the sole of the same foot.

Finish