Dusack, Chapter 12: Fencing from the Arch (Bogen)

[1] How you should fence from the Arch

Chapter 12

Position yourself into this guard, which is the counterposture from below (as the portrait on the left indicates in the Figure [N] printed previously).

[2] How you should entice their strike onto your Arch and cut in response

Take note: when you thus arrive in Arch in front of your opponent, pay attention: as soon as they cut from their right toward your left at your head, turn your hanging dusack toward their strike with the long edge upward. During this and simultaneously with this counteraction, step toward them with your left foot behind your right and out away from their strike. Let their cut sweep downward on your long edge and off next to your left. Step with your right foot farther to their left and cut through their face from in front.

Or: if you have counteracted their cut upward toward your left using your Arch (as taught above), in that moment in which it glances off or beats, pull your dusack toward your left shoulder. Immediately cut from the left shoulder toward their right slant-wise through their face or arm. Furthermore, cut with Middle and Cross Cuts away from you. (Regarding this counterposture, view the small scene between the large portraits in Figure B.)

[3] Another, with which it is taught how you should cut at their face above or below their dusack, depending on whether they have moved too high or low in the counteraction

Take note: when you thus stand in front of your opponent in Arch and they cut powerfully through your counterposture, pay attention to how they rise back into their counterposture—whether they move too high or low. If they are too low in this rising upward (so that you can see their face above their dusack), Cut a Middle Cut quickly across at their face and above their dusack, before they have correctly lifted through into their counterposture. Immediately pull back around your head and cut a Cross Strike in front of you. If they lift too high after they have cut, cut immediately below their dusack across at their face in that moment in which they are still lifting.

[4] Rule: how you should let them miss and cut in response

In the Onset, position yourself into Arch and observe that you are not too close to them. As soon as you take note that they want to cut, don’t catch their strike but instead let them cut and miss. That is, in that moment in which they cut in, pull your dusack upward toward you, and yield with your front foot toward the back so that they don’t hit. In that moment in which their dusack drops toward the ground, cut quickly in response with a step forward. After you have observed that they can be hit, you can execute this responding cut from above, slantwise, across, or from below. You should also quickly follow this responding cut with Cross Cuts, unless you observe an opportunity for other sequences.

[5] How you should cut at the forearm bone, in that moment in which they want to rise upward to cut

If you find your counterpart in Arch, position yourself also [in Arch] and pay attention: as soon as they rise upward to hit: in that moment in which they lift, cut a Middle Cut through and inwardly toward their forearm bone (as you can see the same in the Figure printed previously, designated with P, in the small scene to the left side). You can also fence from outside and over their arm with Twisting Cuts, in that moment in which they rise upward.

[6] Or take note in that moment in which they rise upward: step out toward their left and let your dusack move well around in your hand. Cut next to or under their hilt inwardly at their face in that moment in which they rise upward.

[7] Counter to the Arch

If they don’t want to cut from the Arch, perform the sequence from the High Cut at them like this: cut a swift High Cut toward their face through the Weak of their dusack. You provoke them to hit with this cut. As soon as they rise upward to cut, cut their in-coming strike away from you using a Middle Cut toward their hand. Then quickly [cut] the third in response.

[8] Take note: if you stand in Arch along with your counterpart, pull your dusack toward your left shoulder. From there, move the outward flat next to their hilt and upward toward their face. You frighten them with this so that they move upward. In this sweep upward, let it move around your head, and cut the second through from your left and across toward their right arm.

[9] Item, when you arrive in Arch in the Onset, pull your dusack out of Arch into the Middle Guard toward your left. From there, move the outward flat from outside of their right arm and upward toward their face and toward your right shoulder. Complete this in a strong fluid movement, so that your dusack additionally snaps upward around your head and threaten them with the inward flat to flick out at their right ear. As soon as they swipe at this Flicking Strike, immediately pull back upward and around your head and cut across through from your right with the curved edge, toward their face or arms. This is a very good sequence. When you do it correctly, it will not fail you.

[10] The Flicking Cuts

Take note: when you stand before an opponent in Arch, if they don’t want to cut, pull upward into Watchtower. Use body language to pretend that you want to cut from above; however, don’t do that. Instead reverse (while in the air) and flick with the long edge from below at their right arm. Twist the dusack back toward your left shoulder. From there, cut back and around through their right shoulder (either below or above their arm) and through their face. Cut Cross Cuts or a straight [diagonal] Driving Cut long in front of yourself.

[11] Item: if they cut from above, counteract upward toward your left. In that moment in which they pull their dusack up from their executed cut: cut quickly through, during this, from your left toward their right, either above or below their dusack, depending on whether they lift quickly or slowly. Thus, you arrive with your dusack next to your right side at the end of the cut. From there, cut through across quickly and strongly, from below with the long edge, so that your dusack arrives back at the left shoulder. From there, cut in straight and long from above.

[12] When an opponent cuts at you from above: take note Indesly as they rise and pull your weapon to your left shoulder again. Cut across with the long edge from your left simultaneously with them [their cut]. Step well out toward their right with this cut. You thus hit them and take away their cut using the Cross.

[13] A good sequence using three Middle Cuts

Cut your first Middle Cut from your right (above their hilt and through their face). The second: from your left, also strongly through (under their right arm). The third: from your right again toward their left (at their face). When you cut these correctly, one among the three will hit.

[14] Take note when you arrive in front of an opponent in the Onset and they don’t immediately strike, but instead wait for your strike: observe until you can provoke them long and greatly with your body language (until they lift and hit). During this, take diligent note: as soon as they lift and hit in, pull your dusack around your head to strike as well. Strike simultaneously in with them, such that you receive their strike on the strong of your dusack. Simultaneously and in that moment in which your dusack beats on theirs, you also hit them on their head with the outward half edge (as you can see in the two smaller portraits From there, let [it] snap quickly back around and thrust with inverted hand under their dusack in front of their chest (as, indeed, the smaller scene on the [upper] right Afterwards, cut through the cross, long and away from yourself. In the second part, you will find that which can subsequently be fenced from these two counterpostures.

[15] How you should change through, pursue, slice, and fence from the binds

Namely like this, if you (including your counterpart) stand in Arch: bind onto them in the middle of their dusack—this applies regardless of whether that occurs using the Arch or Simple Brace. Remain with the bind on their dusack and provoke them with your front end above or below their dusack, depending on how you have bound on, for as long [as it takes] until they rise upward to cut. Immediately after they pull away or around from your dusack: cut through next to their hilt, at their face or toward their arm while they are guiding their hand to cut in (and are thus still up high), with a step backward. It should be observed that in all binds (regardless of which cut was used to cause it), you can quickly rush to an opening by twisting on their dusack, as you can gather from the following rhymes which I have set here from my didactic poem. I will explain it somewhat to you (before I then describe the other stances) and it follows like this:

[16] Then, as often as your cut touches in binds,
 The point is guided to the opening by turning.
And you feel correctly to remain in all,
 Likewise, to slice off and counterslice.
You pull the cuts away straight and smoothly,
 If you move through quickly, you will correctly find them.
If you change through quickly, moving with steps,
 You will injure their chest and face greatly.

The first technique to be understood here is this: namely, as often as you bind with your dusack onto theirs (whether from above or below), you should turn your point inward toward their body in that moment in which your weapon touches theirs. Likewise, as often as two cuts hit one another, always turn the point quickly inward on their dusack (as mentioned), and likewise in that moment in which the dusacks touch together or bind. That should or can be completed in all cuts. You should apprehend that you cut in upward and bind on against a High Cut, and bind from above against the Crossing or Low Cut. Now, as often as two cuts touch one another in this way, turn your point inward (while remaining on their dusack) and thrust in at their body. If they rush at your opening during this, twist back toward their dusack and turn them away from yourself with a counter slice.

[17] To understand the second technique in the aforementioned rhyme: it teaches you how you should correctly pull the cuts away from the bind to the body, and from the body to the bind (that is, to the dusack). Namely, as often as the weapons hit together in the bind or you have received their cut with a counterposture, that you slice from the same bind with your dusack toward their body with a pulled slice, and then from the body back swiftly on their dusack with a counterslice, so that you pull the weapon to the body [and] from their body back to the weapon using the slice (as was taught previously in the Simple Brace).

[18] The third technique, about which is taught here, is the change through. This change through, even though it is also otherwise used for fencing outside of the binds, is very serviceable and clever to also to fence from the binds. This is because, as often as two cuts hit one another, you can, in that moment in which the weapons touch together or bind, move through properly under their [weapon] and step out to the other side, and fence at their weapon and their body with all kinds of sequences.

[19] The fourth is how you should suddenly withdraw [your] cuts and counterposture. Namely: when your counterfencer cuts in at you, you should let it drop in front [of you] as a miss in that moment just prior to when their cut should hit, and then cut quickly in response. I have previously spoken about this before. Or, if you guide a powerful cut in toward their opening, and as soon as they move to counteract the same, you pull back and guide the same to another opening.

[20] Finally, you should also diligently learn to correctly step and to feel, which is the best among these techniques for fencing with speed, because the word fülen is understood here [to mean] that you learn to recognize the correct and proper time for each technique.

[21] Since the aforementioned techniques are treated now and then in the stances, it is unnecessary to discuss them comprehensively here, and I will then only briefly discuss the most necessary

And firstly, you have heard previously in the two guards (namely the Bull and Wrath) how you should turn the point inwardly to the body; therefore, in relation to the cuts that are pulled away, take note of this example: if you find an opponent in Arch, bind on them with your Arch at the front-most part of their dusack. In that moment in which it touches, guide your front end outward around theirs and in to their body. Draw the long edge upward between their body and dusack and through their face (Figure I). Even if you move too far forward with your draw upward into the air and expose yourself, you can still hold them back and recover with downward slices or counterslices.

[22] Item, bind your Arch on theirs at the Strong. In that moment in which the weapons touch together, step forward and turn your hilt over their dusack in toward their chest. Shove your dusack hastily downward. Draw your long edge behind their dusack through their face.

[23] Item, if you bind them close to their hilt: as soon as your bind touches (if they otherwise maintain their counterposture), cut from outside and above their right arm, inwardly through their face. If they hold their counterposture high and you have bound them with an equal Arch at the middle of their dusack: turn your short edge under their dusack, inward toward their left (and remain with the bind on their dusack during this). Turn the short edge quickly back toward their right so that the short edge arrives on their head or through their face. However, pull the hilt quickly back upward toward you and cut long in response (as the smaller scene in the Figure designated with K teach you). This sequence appears to be impossible, as presented; however, when you perform it at its correct timing—which is quickly, in the first meeting of the bind—you will truly have completed it before they perceive it.

[24] Item, if an opponent binds you with their Arch on yours and is high in their counterposture: turn your short edge under their dusack again, inwardly toward their left so that you offer a front opening. When they hurry from above to this opening, slice from your right at their arm with a step outward, in that moment in which they move with their strike (as the larger tenants in the Figure designated with K teach you). From this slice, move your point quickly toward their face.

[25] Item, bind on their Arch with Simple Brace (that is, with the High Cut). In that moment in which that cut touches, turn the long edge either downward or upward (remaining on their dusack in the bind) and either toward or through their face (as you can see in the small tenants on the right side in the Figure designated with P). This will drive them upwards; therefore, cut across through their arms while they rise.

You can learn how you should slice off and counterslice at several places in this text. Namely: when an opponent cuts at you from above: cut across counter to it. In that moment in which your cut touches theirs, step quickly out to the side and toward their left during this. Draw the long edge away from their dusack toward your right through their face. If they rush to your opening during this: slice quickly back around toward their weapon. If they chase your dusack: move quickly through from below, as occurs in the change through.

[26] Regarding the change through, take note of this rule: if an opponent cuts from their right at you: cut also from your right toward their [cut]. In that moment in which the cuts should just hit together, move through under their dusack toward the other side with a wide outward step. Throw your blade from outside over their right arm at their head, etc.

Or, if they don’t want to cut, cut again toward an opening with serious body language and take diligent note. As soon as they lift their dusack to receive your cut: don’t let it hit, but instead, in that moment in which it should just touch, move through under their dusack and drop your point from outside over their right arm at their face. If they defend against this and rebuff the thrust away from them: draw the long edge inside their right arm and upward through their face. Cut quickly from your right back opposite to that. If it were to become necessary for you to drop down to counteract during this, you should not let anything prevent you from doing so.

[27] Item, if your counterpart stands before you in the Slice, cut from your right toward their left. In that moment in which it should just hit, step well to their right side and simultaneously move through below with your dusack. Thrust from outside of their right arm at their face again. If they defend against that and rise upward: move outside and around their arm with the point, to move back underneath the same and at their right chest. If they defend against that again and move downward: move the point around from outside of their right arm again and thrust again from above and from outside over the same arm at their face. You should always move your point around their arm in this way (so that you are now below, and soon above their dusack with your point facing their body).

[28] Learn pursuit with every fencing partner,
 Whether they are soft or hard in the binds,
If you pursue and follow with slices,
 Observe their arm, be quick with steps.

You have heard enough previously as to what pursuit is and that it is a special skill; therefore, I will only give you a short instruction into how you should use the Strong and the Weak in pursuit, likewise how you should fence hard and soft against it.

[29] And take note: when they are hard on your dusack in their resistance in the bind, move or change through quickly underneath, or let [your dusack] move back and snap around. (You have been taught this at length previously.) If they are not hard against you, but instead soft on your dusack in the bind: shove them away from you with one movement. You shouldn’t fall too far forward with this movement, so that you can be quick with a slice or with cuts at the opening (before they escape them again). If you have bound them on the Strong of their dusack (however that were to happen) and they strike around from there: follow them with a slice toward their arm and the opening. Observe that you don’t anticipate and move in front of their arm (if they were to move through).

You should understand all of this from both sides. You will find here and there in the sequences [instruction on] how you should pursue from the Weak with slices or pulls. These [offer] sufficient examples for understanding.