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| <p>Note: twitch with a high strike from the right with the half edge to his left, but in the air cross over your hands and slash with the half edge to his left ear, as is shown by the top two figures in illustration C, twitch your hands again thus crosswise over you, and slash again with a traverse from below to his left ear, then again onward strike the traverse from below to his left with an advance step, twitch nimbly near your left above you, and thrust through in this off-twitch with your pommel under your right arm, and quickly again with crossed arms from your high right into his left, in this way slash with the flat below and above on the one side, that goes to both sides, and mark when you will slash to the lower right opening, which will be with the flat, long or short, then your hands will cross, but when you slash to his hight righ opening, then your hands will not always be crossed, from here mark the following example:</p>
 
| <p>Note: twitch with a high strike from the right with the half edge to his left, but in the air cross over your hands and slash with the half edge to his left ear, as is shown by the top two figures in illustration C, twitch your hands again thus crosswise over you, and slash again with a traverse from below to his left ear, then again onward strike the traverse from below to his left with an advance step, twitch nimbly near your left above you, and thrust through in this off-twitch with your pommel under your right arm, and quickly again with crossed arms from your high right into his left, in this way slash with the flat below and above on the one side, that goes to both sides, and mark when you will slash to the lower right opening, which will be with the flat, long or short, then your hands will cross, but when you slash to his hight righ opening, then your hands will not always be crossed, from here mark the following example:</p>
 
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| class="noline" | <p>Thus you understand that the third part of fencing is nothing other than the right Practice, as was reported above, the first two Lead parts in fencing, which will be taught though Practice, where you change at every opportunity, namely in the first Lead Part with the stances and strikes, flowing off, changing through, flying off, and letting miss. That such strikes can be trapped with displacement and clearing, likewise in the second Lead Part, displacement, teach the Practice of how you displace, follow after him, cut, punch, etc. Therewith you will end the strikes that he sends to you, or at the least prevent them from reaching their intended destination. And that is the sum of all Practice, namely that you firstly engage your opposing fencer through the stances, with manly strikes and without damage to your target, by showing cunning and agile misleading as can be shown, and after you then engage him to break through with the obligatory or similar handwork, from which you either securely withdraw at your pleasure, or where he must retreat from you and you follow ahead after him. Since going forward such Practice will be needed and extended in many arts to be the same both in name and in fencing, as you found fully described before here in the handwork chapter, I will now drive further to describe fencing from the stances.</p>
 
| class="noline" | <p>Thus you understand that the third part of fencing is nothing other than the right Practice, as was reported above, the first two Lead parts in fencing, which will be taught though Practice, where you change at every opportunity, namely in the first Lead Part with the stances and strikes, flowing off, changing through, flying off, and letting miss. That such strikes can be trapped with displacement and clearing, likewise in the second Lead Part, displacement, teach the Practice of how you displace, follow after him, cut, punch, etc. Therewith you will end the strikes that he sends to you, or at the least prevent them from reaching their intended destination. And that is the sum of all Practice, namely that you firstly engage your opposing fencer through the stances, with manly strikes and without damage to your target, by showing cunning and agile misleading as can be shown, and after you then engage him to break through with the obligatory or similar handwork, from which you either securely withdraw at your pleasure, or where he must retreat from you and you follow ahead after him. Since going forward such Practice will be needed and extended in many arts to be the same both in name and in fencing, as you found fully described before here in the handwork chapter, I will now drive further to describe fencing from the stances.</p>
 
| class="noline" |  
 
| class="noline" |  
{{section|Page:Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens (Joachim Meÿer) 1570.pdf/80|3|lbl=Ⅰ.30r.3|p=1}} [XXXv] ein rechte Practick / der zwey ersten Hauptstuck im Fechten / durch welche Practick gelehrt wirt / wie du solche nach zufelliger gelegenheit / nemlich im ersten Hauptstuck die Leger unnd Häuw verwandlen / ablauffen durchwechseln verfliegen unnd fehlen lasset / damit dem versetzer unnd abtrager solche Häuw entführet werden / desgleichen im andern Hauptstuck des versetzens / lert dich die Practick wie du jm deine versatzung entzuckest / jhm nachreisest / schnidest / truckest etc. Damit du jhn auch umb seine häuw das er die vergebens / oder auff das wenigest zu seinem fürgenomen ziel nicht volführe noch ende. Und ist das die summa aller Practick / nemlich das du erstlich deinen gegen gegenfechter durch die Leger / mit dem hauwen manliche unnd ohn schaden / zu seinem nachtheil / mit was listigkeit unnd behender verführung das geschehen kann / angreiffest / unnd nach dem du jhn als dann angriffen / jhne ferner mit obligender oder gleicher handtarbeit jhn also trengest / auff das du demnach zum dritten sicher nach deinem gefallen eintweders abziehest / oder wo er dir weichen müste / du jhm fürsichtig nach folgest / wie ferner aber solche Practick sich erstrecke und auff wie vilerley arth dieselbigen beide in den namen und im Fechten gebraucht werden / findestu hievor im Capitel von der handtarbeit weitleuffiger beschriben / will derwegen nun fürter das Fechten aus den Legern zu beschreiben furt fahren.
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| '''Fencing from the Stances<br/>Chapt. 11'''
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| '''Fencing from the Stances'''
 +
 
 +
Chapter 11
 +
 
 
Since much now concerns the Stances, I will thus not keep you long in each for the same reason they were given still only half composed, but going onward, since you will need to know, when you present your sword and (while you are twitching off the guard he aimed to you) you would strike, as soon as you come out from the farthest point (where you have begun to pull back your sword), then from here on you should lead your sword against him again with agility, like how it will be handled from the Guard of the Roof, the Guard through which you bring about the Downstrike. Thus when you move to the Downstrike (to do such) you will then in the outermost point of this move come to be in the guard named Roof, you can now not only (just as you seek to strike) strike then and thus drive ahead with your Downstrike, but can also persist to stay. This is the reason, namely just that you not yet undertake any strike unplanned, but even as soon you have allowed the same considered strike to be drawn against them, you should now lead the strike on from even from here so that as you stay for only an eyeblink at the obvious outermost point, so consider ahead if your chosen strike can either still be led usably to fulfillment, or if through it you can attain a better opportunity applicable elsewhere, where you thus change to a second strike accordingly at the outermost point and thus conclude the Downstrike which you have drawn out with a Traverse. This is the underlying reason for the development of the Stances and is why you stay while in one Guard: to see what the other will take ahead (and then rightly know how to overtake his chosen part) and prevent such just by being certain to see here what his chosen part will be, and such waiting is a great art and experience. Because you now need to know onward how to engage your opponent’s oncoming strikes from the Roof with your Sword, I have set the following examples both of when he would strike, or stay and not strike.
 
Since much now concerns the Stances, I will thus not keep you long in each for the same reason they were given still only half composed, but going onward, since you will need to know, when you present your sword and (while you are twitching off the guard he aimed to you) you would strike, as soon as you come out from the farthest point (where you have begun to pull back your sword), then from here on you should lead your sword against him again with agility, like how it will be handled from the Guard of the Roof, the Guard through which you bring about the Downstrike. Thus when you move to the Downstrike (to do such) you will then in the outermost point of this move come to be in the guard named Roof, you can now not only (just as you seek to strike) strike then and thus drive ahead with your Downstrike, but can also persist to stay. This is the reason, namely just that you not yet undertake any strike unplanned, but even as soon you have allowed the same considered strike to be drawn against them, you should now lead the strike on from even from here so that as you stay for only an eyeblink at the obvious outermost point, so consider ahead if your chosen strike can either still be led usably to fulfillment, or if through it you can attain a better opportunity applicable elsewhere, where you thus change to a second strike accordingly at the outermost point and thus conclude the Downstrike which you have drawn out with a Traverse. This is the underlying reason for the development of the Stances and is why you stay while in one Guard: to see what the other will take ahead (and then rightly know how to overtake his chosen part) and prevent such just by being certain to see here what his chosen part will be, and such waiting is a great art and experience. Because you now need to know onward how to engage your opponent’s oncoming strikes from the Roof with your Sword, I have set the following examples both of when he would strike, or stay and not strike.
| '''Auß den Legeren zufechten.<br/>Cap. 11.'''
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SO vil nun aber die Leger belanget / so will ich nicht das mann in deren einem lang verharre / dann sie seind auch solcher ursach halben nicht erfunden noch außgetheilt worden / sonder '''[XXXIr]''' darumb / auff das du wissen mögest / wann du dein Schwerdt zum streich auffzeuchst unnd dir (dieweil du also im auffzucken die Bügen zu dir zeuchst) zu gehauwen würde / wie du als bald von dem eussersten ort (dahin du mit dem auffziehen deines Schwerdts ankomen bist) herwiderumb dein Schwerdt behendiglich gegen im herführen solt / als wie hie von der Hut des Tags gehandelt wirt / welche Hut sich durch den Oberhauw verursacht / Also wann du zum Oberhauw auffzeuchst (den zu thun) so wirt das eusserste ort dahin du mit solchem auffziehen kommest der Tag genant / wirt nun dir nicht bald (in dem du noch auffzuckest zum streich) darin gehauwen / so fahrestu mit deinem Oberhauw fürt / das aber auch von den erfahrnen biß weilen in deren einem verharret wirt / ist dis die ursach / nemlich das du nit allein kein hauw noch streich unbedacht fürnimest / sondern auch nach dem du schon zur selbigen vorbedachten streich auffgezogen und dich erholet hast / und jetzt eben den streich her führen solt / das du an dem selbigen eussersten ort noch ein kleine und schier nur ein augenbliche weil verharren solt / aldo noch ferner zubedencken / ob dein fürgenomener streich zu volführen nützlich sey / oder ob dir under des ein bessere gelegenheit fürgefallen oder zustendig worden were / auff das du denselbige noch also am eussersten ort zu einem andern haw verwandeln / und das du demnoch den Oberhauw / zu welchem du auffgezogen hast / mit einer Zwirch vollendest / Dises ist die fürnemste ursach der erfindung der Leger / unnd ist darumb dem der sich bisweilen in ein Leger Hut legert / zu sehen was des andern fürnemen sei (auff das er jm dester füglicher wisse in seinen eigen stucken zufangen) solches nicht gewert / allein das er zusehe und seines fürnemen gewiß sei / dan zu solchem warten gehöret kunst unnd grosse erfahrung. Damit du nun ferner wisses haben mögest / wie und auff was weiß du dein Schwerdt von Tag / gegen deines gegenparts herfliegenden streichen brauchen solt / hab ich die volgende Exempel beide wann er hauwet / oder nicht hauwen will setzen wollen.
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| '''The First Part'''
 
| '''The First Part'''
 
And firstly when you come before your opponent and, while striking out or otherwise pulling your sword back (to downstrike) to bring it high above you, he strikes just then to your left at your head, then burst full away from his strike against his left and somewhat toward him, and strike with an outward flat against his incoming strike to meet his sword strongly on the strong so that the forward part of your blade will swing inward over his sword to his head, which is then certainly hit. When you slash at the same time as him and your sword comes to be over his, to hit or not on his strike, then twitch your sword off over yourself again, and strike diagonally upward from below to his right arm, in this strike step out with your left foot full against his right side and arc yourself with your head fully behind your sword’s blade, from there nimbly twitch again upward and flit the short edge to his left ear, if you see that he will wipe against this, then don’t let the impact fail or flow off, but soon cross your hands in the air (the right over the left) and slash him with the short edge deep to his right ear and then traverse over and pull out. Mark here when he would nimbly follow after the Understrike just taught and thus would be hard onto the roof so that you can’t come to flow off, then pay attention just then if he would twitch off from your sword, then follow after him with a cut to the arm.
 
And firstly when you come before your opponent and, while striking out or otherwise pulling your sword back (to downstrike) to bring it high above you, he strikes just then to your left at your head, then burst full away from his strike against his left and somewhat toward him, and strike with an outward flat against his incoming strike to meet his sword strongly on the strong so that the forward part of your blade will swing inward over his sword to his head, which is then certainly hit. When you slash at the same time as him and your sword comes to be over his, to hit or not on his strike, then twitch your sword off over yourself again, and strike diagonally upward from below to his right arm, in this strike step out with your left foot full against his right side and arc yourself with your head fully behind your sword’s blade, from there nimbly twitch again upward and flit the short edge to his left ear, if you see that he will wipe against this, then don’t let the impact fail or flow off, but soon cross your hands in the air (the right over the left) and slash him with the short edge deep to his right ear and then traverse over and pull out. Mark here when he would nimbly follow after the Understrike just taught and thus would be hard onto the roof so that you can’t come to flow off, then pay attention just then if he would twitch off from your sword, then follow after him with a cut to the arm.
| '''[XXXIv] Das erst stuck.'''
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| {{section|Page:Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens (Joachim Meÿer) 1570.pdf/83|1|lbl=Ⅰ.31v.1}}
UNd erstlich wann du für deinen Mann kommest / und aldo durch auffstreichen oder sonst mit auffziehen (zu einem Oberhauw) mit deinem Schwerdt in die höhe kommen werest / und er hauwet dir in dessen gegen deiner Lincken zum Kopff / so spring wol auß seinem Hauw gegen seiner Lincken / etwas zu jhm umb / und schlag mit außwendiger flech gegen seinem herfliegenden streich / das du sein Schwerdt in die sterck antreffest / unnd das also starck / auff das sich dein vordertheil deiner klingen in solchem schlag / über seinem Schwerdt zu seinem Kopff einschwinge / welche dann gewis triffst / wann du mit jhm zugleich schlechst / unnd doch mit deinem Schwerdt oberhalb des seinen kommest / auff solchen Hauw er hab getroffen oder nit / so zuck dein Schwerdt wider übersich ab / und hauwe übereck dargegen über / von Unden zu seinem Rechten Arm / in solchem Hauw trit mit deinem Lincken fuß wol aus gegen seiner Rechten / und bucke dich mit deinem Kopff wol hinder dein Schwerdts klingen / von dannen zucke behend wider übersich / und wincke jhm mit kurtzer schneide zu seinem Lincken ohr / ersihestu das er jhm nach wischet / so lasse nicht antreffen sonder fehl ablauffen / und verschrencke bald dein hend in der lufft (die Recht über die Lincke) und schlag jhm mit kurtzer schneide dieff zu seinem Rechten ohr / als bald Zwirch umb und ziech ab / unnd merck hie / wann er dir auff deinen obgelehrten Underhauw / so behend nach folgen / unnd so hart auff dem tach sein würde / also das du zu dem ablauffen nicht kommen kanst / so hab acht in dem er von deinem Schwerdt abzuckt / so folge jhm mit dein Schnit nach auff die arm.
 
  
 
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| '''The Second Part'''
 
| '''The Second Part'''
 
However if he strikes at your left from below, then step quickly out to his left and strike with the long edge onto the strong of his sword, as soon as your sword moves or glides on his, twitch your sword high above yourself again and slash down with the short edge quickly and deeply to his left ear while stepping forward out to his left, he will then want to rush to displace and then drive above against it, so then strike nimbly with the long edge over again to his right ear and in this slashover step full against his right like before, yet stay with the cross high over your head, and mark as soon as he slashes over then fall further with a cut to his arm, if he is not hurt by this but would evade your work, then follow after him (staying on his arm), and when he makes the smallest extraction, then let fly to another opening and strike him away from you.
 
However if he strikes at your left from below, then step quickly out to his left and strike with the long edge onto the strong of his sword, as soon as your sword moves or glides on his, twitch your sword high above yourself again and slash down with the short edge quickly and deeply to his left ear while stepping forward out to his left, he will then want to rush to displace and then drive above against it, so then strike nimbly with the long edge over again to his right ear and in this slashover step full against his right like before, yet stay with the cross high over your head, and mark as soon as he slashes over then fall further with a cut to his arm, if he is not hurt by this but would evade your work, then follow after him (staying on his arm), and when he makes the smallest extraction, then let fly to another opening and strike him away from you.
| '''Das ander stuck.'''
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HAuwet er dir aber von Unden gegen deiner Lincken / so trit abermal gegen seiner Lincken aus / und hauwe mit Langer schneide Oben auff die sterck seines Schwerdts / als bald dein Schwerdt auff das seine rührt oder glitzt / so zuck dein Schwerdt wider übersich in die höh / und schlag mit kurtzer schneid in einem schnall wider nider / mit fernerm umbtretten gegen seiner Lincken zu seinem Lincken ohr / dieff hinein / das wirt er in solcher eil versetzen wollen / und dargegen übersich fahren / darumb hauwe behend mit Langer schneid / widerumb zu seinem Rechten or / in solchem umbschlagen trit wol gegen seiner Rechten wie vor / und bleib gleichwol mit dem kreutz hoch uber deinem '''[XXXIIr]''' Kopff / und merck als bald er umbschlecht / so fall jhm mit dem Schnit abermal auff die Arm / will er den auch nit leiden / sonder will sich ledig arbeiten / so volg jhm (auff seinen Armen bleibent) nach / und wann ers am wenigsten versihet / so laß abfliegen einer andern Blöß zu / und hauw dich von jhm ab.  
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{{section|Page:Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens (Joachim Meÿer) 1570.pdf/83|2|lbl=Ⅰ.31v.2|p=1}} '''[XXXIIr]''' Kopff / und merck als bald er umbschlecht / so fall jhm mit dem Schnit abermal auff die Arm / will er den auch nit leiden / sonder will sich ledig arbeiten / so volg jhm (auff seinen Armen bleibent) nach / und wann ers am wenigsten versihet / so laß abfliegen einer andern Blöß zu / und hauw dich von jhm ab.  
  
 
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Revision as of 15:37, 12 April 2021

Joachim Meyer
Born ca. 1537
Basel, Germany
Died 24 February 1571 (aged 34)
Schwerin, Germany
Spouse(s) Appolonia Ruhlman
Occupation
Citizenship Strasbourg
Patron
  • Johann Albrecht (?)
  • Johann Casimir
Movement Freifechter
Influences
Influenced
Genres Fencing manual
Language Early New High German
Notable work(s) Gründtliche Beschreibung der
Kunst des Fechtens
(1570)
Manuscript(s)
First printed
english edition
Forgeng, 2006
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations
Signature Joachim Meyer sig.jpg

Joachim Meyer (ca. 1537 - 1571)[1] was a 16th century German Freifechter and fencing master. He was the last major figure in the tradition of the German grand master Johannes Liechtenauer, and in the last years of his life he devised at least three distinct and quite extensive fencing manuals. Meyer's writings incorporate both the traditional Germanic technical syllabus and contemporary systems that he encountered in his travels, including Italian rapier fencing.[2] In addition to his fencing practice, Meyer was a Burgher and a master cutler.[3]

Meyer was born in Basel,[4] where he presumably apprenticed as a cutler. He writes in his books that he traveled widely in his youth, most likely a reference to the traditional Walz that journeyman craftsmen were required to take before being eligible for mastery and membership in a guild. Journeymen were often sent to stand watch and participate in town and city militias (a responsibility that would have been amplified for the warlike cutlers' guild), and Meyer learned a great deal about foreign fencing systems during his travels. It's been speculated by some fencing historians that he trained specifically in the Bolognese school of fencing, but this doesn't stand up to closer analysis.[5]

Records show that by 4 June 1560 he had settled in Strasbourg, where he married Appolonia Ruhlman (Ruelman)[1] and was granted the rank of master cutler. His interests had already moved beyond smithing, however, and in 1561, Meyer petitioned the City Council of Strasbourg for the right to hold a Fechtschule (fencing competition). He would repeat this in 1563, 1566, 1567 and 1568;[6] the 1568 petition is the first extant record in which he identifies himself as a fencing master.

Meyer probably wrote his first manuscript (MS A.4º.2) in either 1560 or 1568 for Otto Count von Sulms, Minzenberg, and Sonnenwaldt.[7] Its contents seem to be a series of lessons on training with long sword, dussack, and rapier. His second manuscript (MS Var.82), written between 1563 and 1570 for Heinrich Graf von Eberst, is of a decidedly different nature. Like many fencing manuscripts from the previous century, it is an anthology of treatises by a number of prominent German masters including Sigmund ain Ringeck, pseudo-Peter von Danzig, and Martin Syber, and also includes a brief outline by Meyer himself on a system of rapier fencing based on German Messer teachings. Finally, on 24 February 1570 Meyer completed (and soon thereafter published) an enormous multi-weapon treatise entitled Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens ("A Thorough Description of the Art of Combat"); it was dedicated to Johann Casimir, Count Palatine of the Rhine, and illustrated at the workshop of Tobias Stimmer.[8]

Unfortunately, Meyer's writing and publication efforts incurred significant debts (about 1300 crowns), which Meyer pledged to repay by Christmas of 1571.[1] Late in 1570, Meyer accepted the position of Fechtmeister to Duke Johann Albrecht of Mecklenburg at his court in Schwerin. There Meyer hoped to sell his book for a better price than was offered locally (30 florins). Meyer sent his books ahead to Schwerin, and left from Strasbourg on 4 January 1571 after receiving his pay. He traveled the 800 miles to Schwerin in the middle of a harsh winter, arriving at the court on 10 February 1571. Two weeks later, on 24 February, Joachim Meyer died. The cause of his death is unknown, possibly disease or pneumonia.[6]

Antoni Rulman, Appolonia’s brother, became her legal guardian after Joachim’s death. On 15 May 1571, he had a letter written by the secretary of the Strasbourg city chamber and sent to the Duke of Mecklenburg stating that Antoni was now the widow Meyer’s guardian; it politely reminded the Duke who Joachim Meyer was, Meyer’s publishing efforts and considerable debt, requested that the Duke send Meyer’s personal affects and his books to Appolonia, and attempted to sell some (if not all) of the books to the Duke.[1]

Appolonia remarried in April 1572 to another cutler named Hans Kuele, bestowing upon him the status of Burgher and Meyer's substantial debts. Joachim Meyer and Hans Kuele are both mentioned in the minutes of Cutlers' Guild archives; Kuele may have made an impression if we can judge that fact by the number of times he is mentioned. It is believed that Appolonia and either her husband or her brother were involved with the second printing of his book in 1600. According to other sources, it was reprinted yet again in 1610 and in 1660.[9][10]

Treatises

Joachim Meyer's writings are preserved in two manuscripts prepared in the 1560s, the MS A.4º.2 (Lund) and the MS Var 82 (Rostock); a third manuscript from 1561 has been lost since at least the mid-20th century, and its contents are unknown.[11] Dwarfing these works is the massive book he published in 1570 entitled "A Thorough Description of the Free, Chivalric, and Noble Art of Fencing, Showing Various Customary Defenses, Affected and Put Forth with Many Handsome and Useful Drawings". Meyer's writings purport to teach the entire art of fencing, something that he claimed had never been done before, and encompass a wide variety of teachings from disparate sources and traditions. To achieve this goal, Meyer seems to have constructed his treatises as a series of progressive lessons, describing a process for learning to fence rather than merely outlining the underlying theory or listing the techniques. In keeping with this, he illustrates his techniques with depictions of fencers in courtyards using training weapons such as two-handed foils, wooden dussacks, and rapiers with ball tips.

The first part of Meyer's treatise is devoted to the long sword (the sword in two hands), which he presents as the foundational weapon of his system, and this section devotes the most space to fundamentals like stance and footwork. His long sword system draws upon the teachings of Freifechter Andre Paurñfeyndt (via Christian Egenolff's reprint) and Liechtenauer glossators Sigmund ain Ringeck and Lew, as well as using terminology otherwise unique to the brief Recital of Martin Syber. Not content merely to compile these teachings as his contemporary Paulus Hector Mair was doing, Meyer sought to update—even reinvent—them in various ways to fit the martial climate of the late sixteenth century, including adapting many techniques to accommodate the increased momentum of a greatsword and modifying others to use beats with the flat and winding slices in place of thrusts to comply with street-fighting laws in German cities (and the rules of the Fechtschule).

The second part of Meyer's treatises is designed to address new weapons gaining traction in German lands, the dussack and the rapier, and thereby find places for them in the German tradition. His early Lund manuscript presents a more summarized syllabus of techniques for these weapons, while his printed book goes into greater depth and is structured more in the fashion of lesson plans.[12] Meyer's dussack system, designed for the broad proto-sabers that spread into German lands from Eastern Europe in the 16th century,[13] combines the old Messer teachings of Johannes Lecküchner and the dussack teachings of Andre Paurñfeyndt with other unknown systems (some have speculated that they might include early Polish or Hungarian saber systems). His rapier system, designed for the lighter single-hand swords spreading north from Iberian and Italian lands, seems again to be a hybrid creation, integrating both the core teachings of the 15th century Liechtenauer tradition as well as components that are characteristic of the various regional Mediterranean fencing systems (including, perhaps, teachings derived from the treatise of Achille Marozzo). Interestingly, Meyer's rapier teachings in the Rostock seem to represent an attempt to unify these two weapon system, outlining a method for rapier fencing that includes key elements of his dussack teachings; it is unclear why this method did not appear in his book, but given the dates it may be that they represent his last musings on the weapon, written in the time between the completion of his book in 1570 and his death a year later.

The third part of Meyer's treatise only appears in his published book and covers dagger, wrestling, and various pole weapons. His dagger teachings, designed primarily for urban self-defense, seem to be based in part on the writings of Bolognese master Achille Marozzo[14] and the anonymous teachings in Egenolff, but also include much unique content of unknown origin (perhaps the anonymous dagger teachings in his Rostock manuscript). His staff material makes up the bulk of this section, beginning with the short staff, which, like Paurñfeyndt, he uses as a training tool for various pole weapons (and possibly also the greatsword), and then moving on to the halberd before ending with the long staff (representing the pike). As with the dagger, the sources Meyer based his staff teachings on are largely unknown.

Additional Resources

  • Kiermayer, Alex. Joachim Meyers Kunst Des Fechtens. Gründtliche Beschreibung des Fechtens, 1570. Arts of Mars Books, 2012. ISBN 978-3981162738
  • Meyer, Joachim. Joachim Meyer 1600: Transkription des Fechtbuchs 'Gründtliche Beschreibung der freyen Ritterlichen und Adelichen kunst des Fechtens’. TAT. Wolfgang Landwehr, 2011. ISBN 978-3932077371
  • Meyer, Joachim. The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570. Trans. Jeffrey L. Forgeng.
    • 1st edition. London: Greenhill Books, 2006. ISBN 978-1-85367-643-7
    • 1st edition. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, 2006. ISBN 1-4039-7092-0
    • 2nd edition. London: Frontline Books, 2014. ISBN 978-1-84832-778-8
  • Meyer, Joachim. The Art of Sword Combat: A 1568 German Treatise on Swordmanship. Trans. Jeffrey L. Forgeng. London: Frontline Books, 2016. ISBN 9781473876750

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Dupuis, Olivier. Joachim Meyer, escrimeur libre, bourgeois de Strasbourg (1537 ? - 1571). In Maîtres et techniques de combat. Dijon: AEDEH, 2006.
  2. Castle, Egerton. Schools and Masters of Fencing: From the Middle Ages to the Eighteenth Century. London: George Bell and Sons, 1885. pp 74 - 76.
  3. Naumann, Robert. Serapeum. Vol. 5. T.O. Weigel, 1844. pp 53-59.
  4. According to his wedding certificate.
  5. His dagger teachings do, however, show some evidence of influence by Achilles Marozzo's printed treatise.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Van Slambrouck, Christopher. "The Life and Work of Joachim Meyer". Meyer Frei Fechter Guild, 2010. Retrieved 29 January 2010.
  7. Norling, Roger. "The history of Joachim Meyer’s fencing treatise to Otto von Solms". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  8. Whose members included Christoph Maurer and Hans Christoffel Stimmer.
  9. Schaer, Alfred. Die altdeutschen fechter und spielleute: Ein beitrag zur deutschen culturgeschichte. K.J. Trübner, 1901. p 76.
  10. Pollock, W. H., Grove, F. C., and Prévost, C. Fencing. London and Bombay: Longmans, Green, and co, 1897. pp 267-268.
  11. Jens P. Kleinau. "1561 Joachim Meyer dedicated a fencing book to the Pfalzgrafen of Pfalz-Veldenz". Hans Talhoffer ~ as seen by Jens P. Kleinau. 04 July 2011. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  12. Roberts, James. "System vs Syllabus: Meyer’s 1560 and 1570 sidesword texts". Hroarr.com, 2014. Retrieved 14 February 2015.
  13. Roger Norling. "The Dussack - a weapon of war". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 6 October 2015.
  14. Norling, Roger. "Meyer and Marozzo dagger comparison". Hroarr.com, 2012. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  15. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  16. Corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  17. The "st" ligature is inverted.
  18. Typo, should be "wolt, könne".
  19. Originally printed "abzutzest", but corrected on Ⅲ.47v.
  20. Corrected from Im, the first stroke of the “m” has been cancelled.
  21. Spitz uber- is clearly copied twice, this is probably an eye-skip.
  22. 22.00 22.01 22.02 22.03 22.04 22.05 22.06 22.07 22.08 22.09 22.10 22.11 22.12 22.13 22.14 22.15 22.16 22.17 22.18 22.19 22.20 22.21 22.22 22.23 22.24 22.25 22.26 22.27 22.28 22.29 22.30 22.31 indes
  23. palm up
  24. Illegible deletion.
  25. oberhauw
  26. ‘right’ is originally written, ‘left’ is written above it
  27. short edge
  28. “Degen”, lit. dagger, could either refer to a sword or dagger.
  29. short edge
  30. Unleserliche Streichung. Illegible deletion.
  31. Unleserliche gestrichen Einfügung oberhalb der Zeile. Crossed out illegible insertion above the line.
  32. Die Schlaufe des »h« trägt ein Diärese. The loop of the “h” carries a diaeresis.
  33. Korrigiert aus »mitelhauw«. Corrected from “mitelhauw”.
  34. Leicht unleserlich. Slightly illegible.
  35. Überschriebens »vom«. Overwritten “vom”.
  36. Inserted by means of a special mark.
  37. Word inserted next to the text.
  38. Inserted nest to the text.
  39. Zwei Worte am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Two words inserted at the margin.
  40. Wort am Seitenrand nachgetragen. Word inserted at the margin.