Dusack, Chapter 2: The Guards

[1] About the stances or guards and their use

Chapter 2

Although the stances which are commonly used for the dusack have their origin in the sword and are also considered to be not dissimilar, they still have a different use after one has changed the weapon—both in name and in fencing from them.

[2] Therefore, I considered it necessary to set those stances here no less than as previously with the sword, in the same order, and to bring to light how they are to be used specifically and beneficially. Firstly, there are five stances: namely, the Wrath Guard, the Bull, the Middle Guard, the Boar, and the Change [Guard]. As you position yourself in them on the right, you should also direct them in the work toward the left. Furthermore, you also have five straight down in front of you through the upright hair line: namely, first the Watchtower, secondly the Slice (which is the counteraction from above), the Longpoint, the Bulwark of two types. In rising again, you have the fifth, namely the Arch, which is the other counteraction from below, as you will hear in the chapter on counteractions.

Because the stances will be depicted subsequently in Figures in their assigned sequences, I considered it good to save the lecture about the stances (how you should position yourself in them) to be described most appropriately while viewing the Figures. Each stance is then marked with its specific sign, which can be found in the subsequent register.

[3] Therefore, I now want to continue to describe their use, and how they can be of service. And for the first, I really do not want you to wait in the stances for your opponent’s attack. Instead, as soon as you can reach your opponent and quickly overwhelm them, you should attack them with your sequences according to your advantage and fence from the same. However, it occurs rather often that you cannot begin your sequence in the Before, nor even carry it out usefully, without receiving injury from an opponent who fences against you. Therefore, it necessarily follows that you position yourself, cautiously and yet with grace and serious demeanor, into that stance in which they cannot cut at you without their own injury and disadvantage. Secure in your stance, you can thus observe and attack them to your advantage or wait for their cuts.

On the other hand, they are also serviceable in that you can divide all of your sequences in an orderly way using the stances, so that as often as you strike down into a stance or draw yourself up into one, you will quickly know and consider what kind of sequences you should most properly fence against them from that point and stance, such that you are not delayed by long contemplation, because you always move from one stance into another in all cuts and sequences.

Thirdly, you should learn to recognize your counterpart’s fencing from their stances, and what types of sequences they will likely fence against you, and accordingly easily derive approximately what sequences they will fence against you when they have brought their weapon high or low into a stance. Furthermore, because one is generally taught about stances, as above, one can usually trace or take note of their opponent’s fencing.

And for the fourth, you should know that you should not tarry motionless in any stance, but instead always change from one stance into another, and not solely because you mislead them in this way, but rather to confuse them [to the extent] that they cannot know what kind of sequence will be fenced at them or [what kind of sequence] they should fence at you.

Take a look in the Rapier [Section] about the use of the guards. I will now subsequently continue to the cuts, which are the correct primary subject in fencing.