Dusack, Chapter 16: The Bulwark (Bastei)

[1] Bulwark

I consider the Bulwark to have been named by the Ancients because the lower part of the body is shielded as well as the upper part, just as a bulwark protects and shields the lower part of a city wall.

Position yourself into it like this: stand with your left foot forward. Place your dusack extended far from yourself on the ground, similar to the Fool in the Sword [Section]. However, you should move the hilt farther in front of your left foot and hang the upper part of your body towards [your dusack]. As you act with the Fool in the Sword [Section], so you will fence the same way in dusack—you set off and slice off from this guard.

The Bulwark is executed like this: namely, stand as previously, set your dusack in front of your foot with the point on the ground and your hilt vertically above. Regardless of what your opponent wants to cut at you: step out of their cut and cut simultaneously with them from above, or catch their cut on the long edge and work at the closest opening. There are many sequences to be fenced from here; however, you will find them [located] both previously and subsequently.

[2] A sequence for Running In

In the Onset, cut a High Strike from above at their head. If they counteract the cut on their Arch and rise upward, lift your hilt and drop the front end over their counterposture in at their face (as is taught above about the Awakener). By this means, you drive them higher to counteract it. Lower your body Indesly a bit with a leap forward and move with the butt end (that is, with the hilt) in under their dusack at their face. If they drop with their dusack in response, thrust over their right arm from outside again with the front end (as you can see in the small tenants on the left in the Figure printed previously, designated with the letter O). Afterwards, cut away from them using the Cross.

Or, if an opponent wants to overrun you with High Strikes, catch them (still high in the air) from below on your Arch with another leap forward under their weapon. In that moment in which it glances off or touches: thrust with the hilt under their dusack at their face. Then complete the sequence as previously.

[3] There are some who (after they have reinforced their arms with all kinds of fabric rags) are accustomed to placing their head between their arms and running at [their opponent] close under their opponent’s weapon. With regard to these: you ought to concern yourself with their attack from above and not expose yourself with any sequences; therefore, you ought to use these three techniques:

Firstly, when they run under your weapon, lift your arm simultaneously with this and remain high in your counterposture. While you have both of your arms high, hit them with a flick in their face with the curved edge.

Secondly, if they defend against this, move your point outside and around their arm and strike with the curved edge outside of their right arm on their head (as the small scene between the larger portraits show you in the Figure G printed previously).

[4] Item, remain with both hands high as well and keep your left hand above your pommel and close to their hilt. Hit them quickly under their left arm and behind at their neck before they observe it. (Regarding this, view the smaller scene on the left side in the aforementioned Figure [G].)

Accordingly, when you again approach your opponent (as now taught), you should cut short or cut them off in front, but absolutely don’t cut through unless you can then withdraw from their High Cut with a step outward.

[5] If you want to safely cut short away from them, position yourself with body language like you wanted to cut seriously through their opening in front of them. Don’t do that, but instead turn your cut in full motion into a counterposture (into Longpoint), so that the long edge is turned toward their in-flying strike (which they rush to cut at you in response). As soon as they take note that you want to cut through in front of them at their opening, they will quickly cut from above in response. Catch the same cut with the extended counterposture. As soon as it touches or beats, cut completely through in response. Withdraw using the Cross.

Or when they approach you like this, such that you both stand with arms high (as just mentioned): thrust with the front end away from you, in front at their chest (as the tenant indicates in the Figure [O] printed previously). This is called the Stork’s Beak because you extend long away from you with the thrust. If they defend against the thrust, cut long in response.

[6] If you find another [who is] stronger than you are, don’t approach them too closely and don’t let them run in at you. In addition, pay attention to where they cut from so that you catch their cut high in the air and move quickly through under their weapon. You thus change their cut with a counteraction and can hold it away and rebuff it. However, it is better if you can yield from their cuts and let their cuts miss. You should do this in the way that was taught above in the cut in response.

There now follows more about running in, so view those rhymes from my didactic poem which were included previously and which are also placed here.

[7] Also, when you approach your opponent closely,
 Attack their right with your left.
Learn both grips, straight and reversed,
 Use quick steps as a defense.
Quickly grab their unspecified [anatomical bits];
 If they reverse their hand on your chest, turn [it].
If you want more revenge on them,
 Then you can thus break their arm.

With regard to all running in, [you should] primarily pay attention to grappling, wrestling, counters, and throws, which, although there are many kinds, are briefly summed up in the above rhyming lines.

Therefore, take note about the first: as soon as you approach your opponent or have moved under their weapon: you should immediately reach with your left hand at their right arm (in which they hold their weapon) [to grab] their joint close behind their hand. Immediately rotate it [or] jerk it toward you (depending on where you consider your advantage).

You should also know that grappling is completed in two ways (as mentioned): namely, straight and reversed. Straight grips require no explanation. There are also two types of reversed grips: firstly, when you grip with the thumb inward; secondly, when you turn [it] outward in the grip. How you should use all of them will be described more fully in the Dagger [Section]. Therefore, I will only explain those sequences here that belong to running in or to throws.

[8] The first

When an opponent wants to reach past you with High Strikes, counteract the strike with a high counterposture. Quickly and simultaneously [reach] your left reversed hand under your counterposture and strongly grab onto their right hand. Rotate it away from yourself and step forward with your left foot behind their right while doing this. Thrust your hilt away from you and in front at their chest. Thus, they fall on their back.

Or, if an opponent runs over you from above, counteract high as before. During the counteraction, step with your right foot between their two legs, bend your body forward and reach with your right arm under their right [arm] and around their back from outside. Grab under their right knee with your left hand. Lift simultaneously upward and throw them.

Because I don’t exactly praise running in with the dusack, I will refrain from any more.

[9] Take note now in conclusion, when you want to fence with an opponent, pay attention. If they attack quickly with their sequences and guide their cuts wide around, direct all of your sequences [to that point] so that you will still cut them if your opponent were to go astray, and if you were to rush at the openings in that moment in which they cut falsely. Yet don’t be so eager during this that you lose your advantage.

Secondly, if your counterfencer does not want to cut first but instead is diligent to counteract and cut in response, use misleading and guide your cut up to their counterposture, but pull it back uncompleted and cut at another opening. You should also pay attention to their stance and so do not cut in at their opening to hit, but instead to bring them out of their advantage so that you can then more hit certainly with the second cut (after they have moved high or low). Take this as a small example of this: if they hold their weapon in the Arch too far to their left, cut powerfully from your left across from below toward their right arm. If they counteract with a hanging dusack (so that they expose their face), pull your hilt quickly back upward toward your left and cut from the same [location] back over their dusack at their face (as the smaller scene in Figure A shows you). You can also provoke them with body language from one point to another and cut them quickly, cunningly, and with advantage at the opening while they are thus swiping around.

If an opponent comes before you who pays attention to your lifting, and cuts at your opening (while you draw up to strike), you should deceive them about your cuts. Pull as if you already wanted to cut. Take diligent note as soon as they want to cut: turn your pulled cut into a counterposture and catch them on it. As soon as their cut touches your counterposture, you should cut in response (as you then find all types of sequences sufficiently gathered here in this work).

[10] I have dealt with this weapon extensively because the youth are generally instructed too quickly in it. This leads to the fact that it is difficult to understand if a thing is not presented accurately, especially in this art. Also, some techniques cannot be taught with an expectation of comprehension without repetition or engagement with some other techniques. Therefore, may the generous reader find favor with my services in this.

END