Pseudo-Hans Döbringer/David Lindholm In 2005

Here begins Master Liechtenauer’s art of fencing with the sword, on foot and on horseback, in armour and without. And before all things you should know and understand that the sword is only one art and it was devised and thought out hundreds of years ago. This art is the foundation and core and it was completely understood and known by Master Liechtenauer. Not that he himself devised or thought out what is described, but he travelled and searched through many lands since he wanted to learn and experience this art. And this art is quite earnest and righteous, and it goes from the nearest in search of the closest and goes straight and right when you wish to strike or thrust. So that when you want to attack someone it is as if you had a cord tied to the point or edge of your sword and this leads the point or edge to an opening. For you should strike or thrust in the shortest and nearest way possible. For in this righteous fencing do not make wide or ungainly parries or fence in large movements by which people restrict themselves. Many Masters of play fighting say that they themselves have thought out a new art of fencing that they improve from day to day. But I would like to see one who could think up a fencing move or a strike which does not come from Liechtenauer’s art. Often they want to alter or give a new name to a technique, all out of their own heads and think up wide reaching fencing and parries and often make two or three strikes when one would be enough or stepping through and thrust, and for this they receive praise from the ignorant. With their bad parries and wide fencing they try to look dangerous with wide and long strikes that are slow and with these they perform strikes that miss and create openings in themselves. They have no proper measure in their fencing and that belongs not to real fencing but only to school fencing and the exercises for their own sake. But real fencing goes straight and is simple in all things without holding back or being restricted just as if a string had been tied or as if they had been connected. When you strike or thrust at another in front of you, then no strikes or thrusts before or behind, nor besides or wide-reaching movements or many strikes will help if you hold back and lose the chance. Instead you must strike straight and direct to the man, to the head or to the body whatever is the closest and quickest. This must be done with speed and rather with one strike than with four or six which will again leave you hanging and giving the opponent a chance to hit you.

The first strike is a great advantage in the fencing as you will hear in the text. Therefore Liechtenauer says that only five strikes with other techniques should you use in real fencing. And he teaches these straight and simple and does them as quickly and as direct as possible. And you will lay under you all the drumming and new inventions by the play masters since these [five strikes] are the foundation of his art.

Note and know also that it is not possible to explain the art of fencing as well with words as one can show it with the hand. Therefore open your mind and ponder well and the more you train yourself in play the more you will think of it in earnest. For practice is better than art, your exercise does well without the art, but the art is not much good without the exercise.

Know also that a good fencer should before all things know his sword and be able to grip it well with both hands, between the cross guard and the pommel since you will then be safer than if you did grip it with one hand on the pommel. And you will also strike harder and truer, with the pommel swinging itself and turning in the strike you will strike harder than if you were holding the pommel. When you pull the pommel in the strike you will not come as perfect or as strongly. For the sword is like a scale, if a sword is large and heavy then the pommel must also be large and heavy to balance it like a scale.

Also know that when you fence with another you should step with caution and be sure in them as if you were standing on a scale and adapt accordingly if you go forward or backward as is fitting. Easy and quickly with good heart and good knowledge or sense you should go and without fear, as you will know hereafter.

You should also show measure in your fencing as is suitable and not step too wide, so that you can pull back and be ready for another step backwards or forwards. Often two shorter steps will happen before a long one. And often you must make a short leap with short steps, and often you must make a good step or leap.

And what you would try readily in earnest or in play, should be hidden from him so that he does not know what you intend to try against him. And when you close with him thinking that you have the correct measure and believe that you can reach him, and then you shall go at him quickly and with speed to the head and to the body. You will hit or miss and win the first strike, and not let him come to anything as you will hear hereafter in the true teaching.

You should always look for the upper openings rather than the lower, and go over his hilt with strikes or thrusts artfully and quickly. For you have better reach over the hilt than under it and you are also much safer in all your fencing. The upper touch is much better than the lower. But it may also happen that you are closer to the lower opening and therefore seek it, as often happens.

Also know that one should close in with him from the right-hand side in the fencing, and in all things in fencing and in wrestling you take him better like this than straight on. And if you know this technique and make use of it, then you are not a bad fencer.

Also know that when you wish to fence in earnest, then you shall have a finished piece in [your mind], any [technique or strategy] you want that is complete and correct and hold it in all seriousness and firmly in your mind when you want to close with him as if you would say “This is what I intend!”. And then you will have success with the help of God and not go wrong. You do what you should when you bravely rush the opponent with the first strike as you will know hereafter.

To all fencing
 belongs the aid of God with the right,
leap straight and sound,
 choose a ready sword,
before, after, weak, strong,
 and “In that instance”, note that word.
Strike, thrust, cut and press,
 guards, covers, stabbing, feeling, withdrawing,
turning and hanging,
 pulling back, strike, leap, grab, wrestling
knowing and daring,
 caution, cunning and wisdom,
reach and secrecy,
 reason, intuition and readiness,
practice and good cheer,
 with agility step well.
In these verses
 are fundamentals
and principles,
 and what belongs to them
are named. All the skills of fencing
 you should consider correctly,
as you
 hereafter will really
hear and read,
 all simply and after its nature.
Fencer, do this
 and the art will become clear.
From the sword,
 do good and wide covers.

Motion/movement, note that word well,
 it is to the fencing a heart and a crown,
it is the very matter
 of fencing.
All that it contains
 and all the fundamentals
will be mentioned by name
 and made well understood hereafter.
When you fence with another,
 then in this you are well taught,
and remain fast in movement,
 and do not tarry
when he starts to fence with you.
 Then make
without limit and end
 that which is skillful.
Be quick and steady
 without faltering, at once
so that he cannot strike.
 That is fortunate
and he will be hurt,
 when he cannot strike away,
as the other cannot part without being beaten.
 And after the teaching

 that is here described,
I say truly,
 that the other cannot defend without danger.
If you have understood this
 he will not come to strikes.

Here note that constant motion holds the beginning, middle and the end of all fencing according to this art and teaching. That is you should quickly do the beginning, the middle and the end without delay and without any hindrances from the opponent and not letting him strike at you. That concept comes from the two words before and after, that is the first strike and the after strike, in the middle