Longsword, Chapter 3: The Guards

[1] About the stances or guards

Chapter 3

For the sake of increased usefulness and understanding on the part of those who intend to learn this knightly art, three primary points should rightly and properly be kept in mind in all fencing: firstly, what is the concern in fencing—namely, the opponent—and following that, with what should the fencing be carried out—which is with the sword.

Because enough has been discussed about these two matters in the two preceding chapters, the organization demands that an explanation should additionally be offered about the third part and matter, which is: in what way should the fencing be completed. This primarily occurs through the three sections—the Beginning, the Middle, and the End (as indicated above). Because the Beginning should and must be made using two different elements (as stated previously) originating in and from the stances—from which the cuts have their origin—I will explain how many of them there are and how they should be completed.

The guards or stances are a splendid (yet also necessary) positioning and comportment of the entire body with the sword, into which the fencer positions and guards themselves (if, as often occurs, the fencer arrives at the location [of combat] before their counterpart), so that the fencer is not unexpectedly overwhelmed and injured. Specifically, the fencer may pay attention and await their counterpart here, and as soon as the counterpart arrives, the fencer may attack and cut with advantage and a certain speed—and thus guard themselves against their counterpart so that the counterpart cannot cut at the fencer without injury. Instead, when the counterpart works at the fencer’s openings then the counterpart must expose themselves, and the fencer can remove the opening which the counterpart expected to have by advancing or stepping around. Or, at the very least, if the fencer is provoked from their advantage by this, they can take out the counterpart’s blade, hinder the counterpart, and spike the counterpart’s work.

As mentioned above, the stances and guards have their origin in the division of the opponent. Because, just as the opponent is divided into four quarters (high, low, right, and left) so are there four openings where the counterfencer should properly be hit. And, like the four openings, there are also likewise four Primary Stances or guards from which the others arise from and originate: the Ox, Plow, Day, and Fool; the Secondary, or those that originate from these, are the Wrath Guard, Longpoint, Change [Guard], Side Guard, Iron Gate, Hanging Point, Key, Unicorn, which will be dealt with briefly and in order.

[2] Ox

The upper part of the fencer is apportioned to the Ox, and because that has two quarters (the right and the left), a fencer can also partition the stance of the Ox into two parts like this (namely, the right and left).

The right Ox is now formed like this: stand with your left foot forward, hold the sword with the hilt next to your head high on the right side such that your front end points toward your opponent’s face.

Regarding the left Ox, position yourself contrastingly to this: namely, step forward with your right foot, hold your sword with the hilt next to your head on the left side as reported above.

Thus, you have both Ox guards or stances. [The right] stance is depicted on the left side in the Figure designated with the letter B.

[3] Plow

The lower part of the fencer is apportioned to the Plow, and being of the same configuration as the preceding [guard], has two quarters or two sides (the right and the left); therefore, the Plow is also called the right and the left. Both are, in and of themselves, nothing more than a thrust upward from below.

Complete the right Plow as follows: stand with your right foot forward, hold your weapon with the hilt next to your forward knee, turn the tip or the point into your opponent’s face (as if you wanted to thrust at them from below). Thus, you are in right Plow.

If you step forward with the left foot and execute the same at them, then you rest in the left [Plow], and the right Plow is thus also depicted on the right side in the aforementioned Figure [B].

[4] Day

The Guard of the Day, which is also otherwise named the High Guard, is completed in the following way: stand with your left foot forward, hold your sword high over your head so that the point extends straight upward (as the portrait teaches you on the left side in the Figure which is designated with the letter C).

Whatever is then worked from above here is called fencing From the Day or from the High Guard; therefore, such stances are called the Day.

[5] Fool

In my opinion, the Fool is named according to the word Alber (which means something like ‘simple-minded’) because no completely-finished strike can be achieved from this guard unless a fencer recovers with a new [strike] (after receiving their opponent’s strike by setting it off). This is truly the measure of a fool and a simple-minded person: to allow themselves to be attacked without a prepared counter strike.

It is formed like this: stand with the left foot forward, hold the sword with the point extended in front of you on the ground in front of your forward foot (so that the short edge faces upward and the long edge faces downward). Thus, you rest correctly in this guard (as you can see on the right side in the aforementioned Figure [C]).

[6] Wrath Guard

The Wrath Guard is so-named because such a stance indicates a wrathful body language and is formed like this: stand with your left foot forward, hold your sword at the right shoulder such that the blade hangs down behind you (for the planned strike).

It should be noted here that all sequences that originate from the guard of the Ox can also be fenced from the Wrath Stance, except that the fencer should manifest dissimilar body language to mislead their opponent in this quarter, so either one can quickly be used (this now, the other then). Regarding this [guard], see the Figure designated with the letter E.

[7] Longpoint

Stand with your left foot forward, hold your weapon with arms extended long in front of your face so that your front end extends toward your counterpart’s face. Thus, you rest in the guard of the Longpoint (as the portrait teaches in the Figure designated with A).

[8] Change [Guard]

This guard is completed like this: stand with your right foot forward, hold your weapon with the point or Weak extended to the ground next to your side (so that the short edge faces your opponent), as you can see the same in the portrait [on the right] in the Figure marked with D.

[9] Side Guard

Position yourself in this guard like this: stand with your left foot forward, hold your sword next to the right [side] with the point on the ground (so that the pommel extends upward and the short edge faces toward you).

[10] Iron Gate

You will find more extensive information as to what is the correct Iron Gate later in the Rapier [Section]. Because thrusting with the sword has been abolished for us Germans, this guard has also completely fallen into decline and has perished, though the Italians and other nations currently use it. These days it is fundamentally the Crossed Guard and is used by the inexperienced, as they lack information about the Iron Gate.

[11] However, because there is a difference between them, I wanted to briefly explain both here. The Iron Gate is formed like this: stand with your right foot forward and hold your sword with the hilt in front of your knee with arms hanging straight down (so that your point extends upward out toward your opponent’s face). You thus have your sword in front of you for defense like an Iron Gate. Then, when you stand with your feet wide so that the body sinks down, you can remove all cuts and thrusts away from you.

[12] In contrast, the Crossed Guard is when you would hold your sword with crossed hands in front of yourself with the point on the ground (as is clear to see in the following Figure whose letter is F).

[13] Hanging Point

The portrait on the right side in the above-mentioned Figure [F] teaches how you should correctly initiate the Hanging Point (except that the arms are not shown as sufficiently straight here).

Therefore, position yourself in the aforementioned guard like this: stand with your right foot forward, hold your weapon in front of yourself with arms extended (so that the blade hangs somewhat downward toward the earth). This stance is certainly almost identical to the Ox, except that you hold the arms straight up high in the Ox. Here, however, they should be extended [forward] exactly in front of your face, and you let the sword hang toward the ground, for which reason it is then also called Hanging Point.

[14] Key

The Key is illustrated like this in the Figure which is designated with the letter D: if you stand with your left foot forward, and you hold your sword with the hilt and crossed hands in front of your chest (so that the short edge rests on top of your left arm and the point extends toward your opponent’s face), then this stance or guard is formed correctly.

[15] Unicorn

Move into the Onset with your left foot forward, wing your elbows out on both sides as if you wanted [to position] yourself in the aforementioned Key stance, and lift your crossed hands upward to your right (so that the tip extends outwardly upward). This is called the Unicorn, and you stand as you can see in the portrait on the right in the Figure marked with E.

[16] This is a brief mention about the names and the number of the stances or guards, and how each one is initiated or completed. However, in all fencing, after you cut, work, counteract, or execute whatever work you want, you ought not to tarry in one stance. Instead, you must always move from one into another and transform one into another, because it is worth your while to pay diligent attention to how the stances listed above follow one from the other, which I then want to explain in a few words with the cuts through the lines or paths.

[17] Firstly, if you execute a High Cut or Hairline Cut, then you find [yourself in] three stances: in the beginning, you rest in the Day; in the middle, in Longpoint; and at the end, in Fool. Thus, you have three guards or stances in the straight line from above downward from A to E. If you lift back up from below with crossed hands to the counteraction, then you are positioned in three stances once again: namely, in the beginning the Iron Gate; in the middle, the Hanging Point; at the end (extended fully upward), the Unicorn. If you pull your sword with the hilt in front of the chest, so that the half edge rests on top of your left arm, then you stand in the Key. Thus, you move from one stance into another by lifting and falling in the line A to E.

[18] There are two of the other lines, which pass downward obliquely through the upright line. One passes from the upper right quarter, indicated by H and D, the other extends from the upper left part to the lower right part, marked B–F. You now cut through whichever one you want (those mentioned above and all those that I wanted to briefly repeat here), so that all cuts and stances can be completed on both sides, right and left, even though they are mostly only described in one way for the sake of brevity. Thus, you move firstly or initially into the Wrath Guard (from which the cut also receives the name, as it is named the Wrath Cut due to the wrathful body language). The halfway point of the cut [is] into Longpoint, and the Change [Guard] is at the end. If you pull the strike back up from there with the long edge, then you move back through three stances, as there is the Side Guard in the beginning, Longpoint again in the middle, and upward at the end is Unicorn. If you strike through the above-mentioned line, regardless of which side, you move out of the Change [Guard] through the Longpoint into the Wrath Guard. In striking upward, you can also turn your sword into Hanging Point, from which you can lift farther upward into the guard of the Ox. Thus, you will always find at least three stances as often as you follow one of the designated lines.

[19] However, a good fencer should not become accustomed to waiting long in their stances, but instead, as soon as they can reach toward their counterpart, they should attack the same and fence through their intended sequence. [This is] because long waiting requires many counteractions, from which a fencer can only slowly move to strikes (as is discussed further below regarding the counteractions).

[20] The stances are also very useful with respect to the division of the sequences, because, if a fencer moves into a stance in the pre-striking phase without danger, they can also quickly remember from there what kind of techniques can be fenced from this [stance]. They do not merely function for elegant and proper changing from one stance into another, but also to mislead an opponent so that they become confused and cannot know what they should use to fence at you. And finally, this is also useful and good in that you can easily see and recognize the techniques of your counterpart, approximate how they can or will fence against you, and thus you can more properly counter them.

[21] Much is said about the Beginning of this art—namely, about the Onset against an opponent, which takes place by cutting through the stances. Now, the second part of the entire art follows (which still pertains to the first), which is about the cuts.