Pseudo-Peter von Danzig/Mike Rasmusson 2004 LS

Text

9	If you will show art, send yourself to Left and Right in striking,
10	and left with right is how you fence correctly and strongly.

Glosa Mark that this is the first tenet of the long sword, that before all things, to learn the strikes rightly, you will always fence strongly, and undertake this thus: When you stand with the left foot forward, and strike from your right side, your step with the right foot will not follow after the strike, thus making the strike weak and incorrect. When your right stays behind, onward the strike will be short.

Also don't make your right step go to the other side, putting it under yourself and ahead of your left foot, otherwise the play further from the left side shall happen with the step and strike on opposing sides.

Text of a lesson

11	He who strikes after deserves a joyless art.

Glosa That is when you come to him in fencing, then you shall not stay still and wait to see with what strike he would fight against you. Know that all fencers who wait to see the other's strike and who will do nothing but displace the other, deserve indeed less joy in their art when they are overcome and struck.

Text

12	Strike closely at him as you will, that nothing comes unto your hilt,
13	head, or body, allow no attack.
14	With the entire body fence as strongly as you can drive.

Glosa When you come to him in pre-fencing, as you would then fence, then drive with your body's full strength, and strike closely to him, one to his head, and to his body, and always keep your point ahead at his face or chest, Thus he can't change through past the point. If he displaces strongly, and your point goes off to the side, then give him a withdrawing slice to the arm,

Or if his arms go high in the displacement, then hit him with a free strike below to his body and step backward with it. Thus he is struck even as he would (strike) himself.

Text

15	Hear what is bad, fight not to left, if you are right,
16	and if you are left, the right is very limiting

Glosa This lesson is intended for two people, one right handed and one left, and regards how you should strike, that one is weak when he strikes the first strike not to engage, and this is shown thus: when you come to him in pre-fencing, and are on the right, then undertake not to strike the first strike from the left side where he is weak and does not want to engage against and strike strong with you, so onward strike from the right where you will engage strongly and work at the sword. Similarly if you are left then strike the first not from the right side, as it is wild for the leftie to drive the art entirely from the right side, similarly for the right from the left side.

Text

17	Before and After, the two things, all arts are from one spring.
18	Weak and Strong, Immediately, do mark this word,
19	thus you will learn work and weapon with Art,
20	know well that no fencing is never learned

Glosa You should first of all rightly undertake and understand two things, that is the Before and the After, and thereafter the weak and strong of the sword and then the word Immediately. From here grows the whole foundation of all fencing arts. When you undertake and understand these things rightly and not forget the word Immediately in all plays, you will drive. Thus will you be a good master of the sword and princes and nobles shall learn well with what proper art of the sword one would choose to fight best and in earnest.

What the Before is

That is that you shall always come before, be it with the strike or with the stab, as when you come to him with a strike or otherwise so that he must displace you, Immediately work ahead nimbly with the sword in the displacement or else with other plays, that he can then come to no work.

What the After is

Is to counter all plays away, and strike to drive the opponent from you, And to take this on even as he comes with the strike, so you must displace. Immediately work nimbly to the next opening and thus break his Before with your After.

Of the Weak and Strong of the Sword

Weak and Strong are taken thus, on the sword from the hilt to the middle of the blade, this is the strong of the sword, and farther past the middle to the point is the weak, and how you shall work with the weak and strong of the sword shall be clarified afterward.