Dusack, Chapter 10: The Wrath Guard (Zornhut)

[1] About the Wrath Guard

Chapter 10

The stance from which the strongest cut (called the Father Strike) is brought forth is also used on both sides. However, there is no other difference between this stance and between the Bull—other than that the Bull presents the thrust and the Wrath presents the cut with wrathful body language. However, as relates to the sequences that are fenced from there, you can fence from one as from the other.

Although this Wrath Guard presents one side as completely open, you can still bring forth and fence many and various swift and strong sequences from there, about which I will explain and set down a few here.

The portrait on the right side of the Figure [M] printed previously shows you how you should position yourself in this guard, from which stance you should then rebuff all strikes that are cut at you and cut in response.

[2] The first sequence teaches you how you should take their cuts (from above and below) and cut in response to the same with Twisting Cuts

Take note: in the Onset, when you move into the right Wrath Guard (with which you expose the entire left side), your counterfencer is thereby caused to fence at the same with cuts.

Therefore, take diligent note as soon as they cut at you from above: during the same, step with your right foot well to their left side and toward them, close to their side and out away from their strike. Cut simultaneously with them at their head and the hand in which they hold the weapon (however, so that your dusack arrives above their dusack in this simultaneous cutting), so that your dusack arrives next to your left in the Change [Guard] at the end of the cut. From there (if they cut at your right opening), remove their in-flying strike with the long edge strongly and upwardly toward your right. Simultaneously with this removal, step with your right foot well toward their right side and let your dusack move completely around your head (in the removal mentioned previously). Cut Twisting Cuts outwardly over their right arm.

[3] The second sequence also teaches how you should take their cut again, and additionally how you should cut in response from the same side

If you stand in the right Wrath to wait for your opponent’s attack (as before), as soon as they cut at your presented opening (whether from above or below): step out toward their left and cut their in-coming strike away from you with a Wrath Cut toward their hand. Before they recover back from the removal of that strike: cut the second quickly before they rise (as stated) and also from your left at the opening, with another leap forward of your right foot. After these two cuts, you should soon arrive back into the counterposture by means of a Low Cut upward toward their right arm.

[4] An example and sequence, how you should turn the point into their face in all hits

Furthermore, if they cut at your body from outside of your right arm (whether from above or below): during this, step with your right foot well toward their right out of their strike. In that moment in which their cut flies in: cut across above the [cut] from outside over their right arm at their head. Or cut a Suppressing Cut from above at their hand. If they turn their counterposture toward your cut: take note in that moment in which the dusacks touch and hit together, and push your front end in front of you in at their face (on their dusack or on top of their right arm). They must defend against this thrust and guide or beat your dusack outward to the sides. From whichever side they have now removed your thrust: cut quickly in at that same side, whether to the left or right (as you were also taught previously with the counters). If they guide your dusack upwards in the removal: allow it to move above your head and cut across from below through their face with the curved edge facing upward (while they are still lifting their arm up in the removal).

[5] Another: how you should turn your point in front of you, away, and into their face

In the Onset, position yourself into the Wrath Guard and take diligent note as soon as they cut at you: step and cut simultaneously with them with an extended arm towards their left at their head. As soon as the cuts touch or beat together, push your dusack straight forward with your point in front of you into their face. In this push forward, turn the long edge (including your hilt) upward toward their incoming weapon. As soon as their second strike beats on your long edge: lift your hilt up high and remain with the aforementioned hilt over your head. Indesly strike at their right arm from outside, with the inward flat and hanging dusack. As soon as they swipe in response to your hit: step backward and cut through their face from the front.

[6] How you should catch your counterpart’s cuts from the Wrath Guard using a push forward and immediately cutting in response

Position yourself in the Onset into the Wrath Guard again, and take note as soon as your counterfencer cuts at you: lift your dusack over your head under their incoming strike and catch their cut with the long edge of your dusack, so that your dusack hangs down with the point downward at the ground and toward your left when you catch their cut. Afterwards, as soon as their cut glances on your dusack, cut two fast and strong strikes upward from both sides with the curved edge, through their face from below. After these Low Cuts, cut quickly back around across with a Middle Cut, together with a straight High Cut from your right (also through their face or wherever they are open) so that you arrive on your left in Change [Guard] at the end of the last cut. From there, raise the long edge back upward into the counterposture.

[7] Another

When you move into the aforementioned Wrath Guard in the Onset and you perceive that your counterpart does not want to cut first: guide a powerful High Strike toward their head with a step forward of your right foot. During this, take diligent note as soon as they lift their dusack into Arch to counteract: don’t let your cut hit their counterposture, but instead pull your dusack back around and upward toward you. Thrust away from you with your front end, beneath their dusack at their chest (as the upper small scene shows in the Figure designated with the letter K). If you want, you can also hit the first strongly from above and afterward let your dusack snap around in the air and similarly thrust in front of the chest. As soon as they drop down on your thrust, cut quickly upward, across to their hilt, through their face.

[8] A good attack from the Wrath Cut with four cuts

In the Onset, take note when you move into the Wrath Guard, and as soon as you can reach them: lift your hand from the right shoulder and Indesly turn the point of your dusack toward their face. Threaten to thrust at them; however, pull your dusack quickly back around your head and cut the first Low Cut of your dusack upward through their face. Cut the second from your right upward through their face. Cut the third likewise through their face, slantwise from above back toward their left once again. Cut the fourth, however, from your left slantwise through toward their right arm.

Also take note: as many cuts as you cut from one side, you should step as many times with the right foot toward the same side. Step toward them according to your cuts, because you should always keep your right foot forward for stepping in these sequences.

[9] Bull and Wrath from the left

Because you have now briefly heard about these two stances on your right and what you should fence from there, it is easy to understand from this what you can safely fence from these reversed stances (without special instruction)—namely, by just reversing the sequences. However, in order that I provide a bit of instruction for this reversal, I do not want to omit setting some sequences here as examples. And, therefore, I will take these two stances together because with few exceptions, one can fence from the one as from the other.

The portrait on the right side in the previously-printed Figure (designated with L) teaches you how you should position yourself in the left Wrath. Regarding left Bull, you should remember how you aligned the work to the right previously and then set that up on the left.

[10] The first sequence from the left Wrath

In the Onset, take note when you arrive in left Wrath and carry out one cut, three, or four in close series—from above from your left, and from below your right over your forward right thigh through their face, according to the slanted hanging lines which are designated with the two letters H and B—until you perceive an opening. Cut in at the same. Afterwards, cut quickly long again and through the cross so that you protect yourself further from their cuts.

[11] A good sequence, how you should compel them down with their counterposture so that you can get to their face

Item: execute the slanted cuts over your right thigh as previously; however, guide all cuts underneath their dusack and at their arm or at their fingers. This will provoke and compel them so that they must lower their counterposture. As soon as they drop down with their cut, cut quickly and unexpectedly above their dusack, from your left toward their right and slantwise through their face. Or cut a Middle Cut from your left (above their hilt) and across toward their right and again through their face. After these, cut the second quickly through toward their left.

[12] A quick and strong sequence to fence from the left Bull, which is completed with five cuts

In the Onset, position yourself into the guard of the left Bull and take note as soon as they cut at you from the outside and toward your right side: step with your left foot well out of their cut toward their right. Cut slantwise toward their right and through their face yet also simultaneously with them (so that your dusack arrives above theirs in the cut), so that you arrive with your dusack next to your right thigh and with the point on the ground at the end of this cut. Following this, turn the long edge back upward and pull a strong Low Cut from your right toward your left (with the long edge upward) so that your dusack arrives at your left shoulder at the end of this cut. From there, cut a Low Cut strongly upward through their right side so that your dusack shoots into the guard of the right Bull at the end of this cut. From here, cut a swift cut across through their face. For the last, cut a long, powerful High Cut (directly from above) through their face with another step forward, etc.

[13] A good sequence which is fenced from both the left and right Bull

Item, powerfully execute one or three strong cuts (from both below and above) obliquely over your right thigh through your opponent’s face, and take note: when you have arrived the third time at your left shoulder, cut two Low Cuts from there (one from your left and the second from your right), both strongly upwards through their face, so that you arrive back into the left Wrath Guard after the end of the second Low Cut. From there, cut with the short edge or beat with the flat across through their face (with extended arm), so strongly that your dusack shoots into the guard of right Bull after the end of the cut. From there, step again with your right foot farther toward them and thrust toward their face from above with extended arm. Afterwards, cut the last quickly after the thrust (also from above) through their face. And in all steps, remain with your right foot forward.

[14] Rule

Item, if an opponent cuts at you toward your right (when you stand in one of the left High Guards), step outward toward their right and cut a powerful Twisting Cut, from outside and over their right arm at their head. Because as often as you arrive into these two stances, you should endeavor that you always step out of their in-coming strike and simultaneously cut at their head and above their dusack with a long extension.

[15] Counter to the Bull and Wrath [Guards] on the left

When you see them in the Onset and perceive that your counterfencer opposes you in the aforementioned left High Guards, position yourself quickly into the guard of the right Bull. From there, thrust from your right toward their face with a broad step forward. They must defend against that and beat your thrust outward. Let the [thrust] move around your head toward the side to which they have rebuffed you with their outward beat. Cut toward the other side at the opening. If you perceive that they also want to remove the same [cut] and counteract, let your dusack drop down in front on that same side as a miss. Cut at their other side.