Rapier

[1] Rappier Fencing

In Rappier there are 7 guards, namely:

The Side Guard, from which you have five displacements, the first is cutting off, the other is suppressing, the third is going through, the fourth is hanging, and the fifth is taking out with long edge, from which each one has the cut, the thrust, and item, the Verfirsten cut.

[2] Item The Changer has 4 displacements: the first is taking out with the short and long edge, item cutting off and suppressing with the half edge from which each one has a cut and thrust, then the Low Thrust and High Thrust, outside and inside cuts, and the Straight Cut.

[3] The same goes for the right Ox, which has also 4 displacements, namely, hanging, suppressing, going through cutting off, together with the inside and outside cuts and from above.

The left Ox has three displacements, cutting off, suppressing, and taking out from below with the half edge.

Iron Gate has six displacements, suppressing, cutting off, going through, setting off, hanging, taking out with half edge.

Longpoint has three displacements cutting off, setting off, suppressing.

Plow: from the Plow may you set off, simultaneously strike, take out, opening strike, double thrust, single thrust, deceptive thrust.

[4] Side Guard

In the Side Guard send yourself thus; stand with your right foot forward, hold your weapon with the hilt near your right knee, the point before you to the earth, how this figure shows.

[5] When you are thus in the Side Guard and one strikes or thrusts to you whether from below or above, thus attack with your blade well from you with the long edge on the strong of his blade, and cut his strike or thrust away from you, to his right side, and in this cutting off, step with backsteps from his strike, thus you come with your Rappier in the left Changer. Instantly step quickly further on to his left side and thrust from below to his face, thus that you stand in Longpoint, when one thrusts or strikes to you thus cut all thrusts or strikes downwards from you with opposition.

[6] Item When you stand in this guard, how one cuts or thrusts at you from his right, thus cut away his blade from you to your left like before, thus you come into left Changer, in the clash of the blades, thus hold your hilt above you, and cut from above a straight Apilem or Scalp Cut through his face so that in this cut you come opposite with the hilt before the blade, that gives a freely seen cut through the Iron Gate, and rises from all the strikes with two Wrath Cuts from both sides through the cross with outstretched arms and far away from you.

[7] Item Cut his strike or thrust out from your right to your left with the long edge like before, and allow your weapon to run over next to your left side so that the blade snaps around beside your left, into the left Ox and from there thrust over hand at his face while stepping out from your left, so that you now stand in Longpoint, from this cut also in the Side Guard or else the Changer.

[8] Item Position yourself in the Side Guard like before, thus cut his strike or thrust from your right to your left like before, and wind your weapon beside your left in which the long edge cuts Instantly, before he can recover from your slicing off, thus cut with a defense strike over his weapon to his body, his legs, his hands or arms. And in this cut, then spring well to his left side with stepping after, thus you come into the Side Guard on the right.

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[10] The other displacement is Suppressing, which the cutting off is nearly equal, and almost like in the Iron Gate.

[11] Going through

Item Thus when you stand then in the Side Guard, and one thrusts or cuts to you, then drive through with your blade and with his blade, that you strike out from your left to your right, so that the blade flies around again, besides your right into a High Thrust.

[12] Item Proceed then as how it is taught and suppress his weapon to the ground with the long edge from your upper left, thrust him upwards, to the face and set him off again.

[13] Item Thus if you are in the Side Guard and he thrusts or cuts to you, take out his weapon with your flat, and with your arm outstretched so that your weapon cuts around with the point at his face and runs over shooting around into left Ox, after this, cut around your head to his right thigh.

[14] Item Take out like before, and allow it to Fly around like before, and thrust him to the face.

[15] Item Take out like before and allow your weapon to drive around your head and then cut him inside to his forward positioned thigh, thus you come again into left Changer, if he cuts or thrusts further, then set him off with the long edge, slice in at him through his weapon from your left through the Cross again at his face.

[16] Item If you are thus in the Side Guard, and he thrusts then take him out with hanging and allow it to drive around your head and cut him inside to his body from your right.

[17] Item If you are in the Side Guard, thus take him out with hanging and thrust over the hand to the face.

[18] Item Take him out with hanging and threaten to thrust him over the hand, but pull around again and cut outside to his right thigh.

[19] Item If you are in this guard, thus suppress his oncoming thrust or cut, from above onto his weapon, cut or thrust Long after.

[20] Item Slice with the long edge away from you, and cut in again through the Cross, or do the Flying thrust Long in the After.

[21] Thus however if one wishes to use handworks on you, then Pull the weapon around your head and cut a Defense strike, through his left, then your weapon comes again correctly into the Changer, or Side Guard, as soon as he drives after, thus meet him with the previously taught work, then with the cuts you provoke him to attack, with this he loses his advantage, and you thus have an example of the previously taught work.

[22] And it is to be Marked that out of this guard, four names or verses constitute:

Firstly, Going through, Suppressing, Cutting off, hanging, and like techniques.

Second, attacking with your defense strike around every displacement.

Thirdly, the work stays mostly above the hands.

Item let the thrust fly and cut to the Thigh, and cut into the Cross again.

[23] Changer

Item Take him out upwards, strongly from your left from under and gather your weapon in the air besides your left into Ox. Instantly step with your left foot around his right side, and throw him a thrust from under and through the Plow, to his right hip.

[24] Item Take out his incoming thrust with the short edge from the Changer strongly, upwards, so that your weapon flies around in the air, into the right Ox, and Instantly throw him a thrust from under through the right Plow, to his groin or forward positioned thigh.

[25] Mark If you are in left Changer, thus take him out with the Flat so that your weapon shoots around over your head, threaten him with the Heart Thrust, Pull and cut from your right through his forward positioned leg and thrust through the left Ox over hand to the face.

[26] Item Take him out with the short edge, how it is previously taught, and thrust him from above once to his face, thereupon a Cross Cut in the After.

[27] Item Take him out, upwards, strongly from you and allow it to quickly drive around the head and cut him outside to his right Thigh, then, a Suppressing Cut, long from your right, through his face and on his weapon.

[28] Item Take him out with the short edge strongly upwards, and cut through from above inside to his hand, and thrust there after, over his hands to the face.

[29] Item If one Thrusts or Cuts to you, thus slice it away with long edge, from your left to your right, cut or thrust in the After to which side you will, yet long from you it is from Below or Above, and set him off quickly again.

[30] Item When you stand in Changer, and one will cut or thrust to you thus drive upwards and displace with the long edge from below and spring well in with the left foot, and Indes grab his blade with the left reversed hand, under your blade on his hilt or pommel, and then thrust him with your pommel on his Joints, thus you take his weapon from his hand.

[31] Ox

When you thus stand in Ox, and one thrusts to your left, thus spring out from his thrust, to his left side, and thrust in at the same time with his, and wind the long edge against his weapon upwards to your left side, as soon as he pulls off his weapon, then cut through with the short edge from under his defense, and thrust him with the Heart Thrust.

[32] Hanging

Item If one thrusts to your chest or face, so take this out from above with the short edge or Flat from your right, between you and he, out to your left side, so that your point is taken downwards to the ground. Instantly allow a thrust to run over the hand to his face take out also the cut between he and you, through the Hanging, and thrust like before.

[33] Item If one cuts to your feet, then sink the point towards the ground and bar him with the Flat by setting off through the Bastion and thrust him over hand to the face, if one cuts or thrusts to your right thus wind the long edge against his weapon, and suppress his strike to the ground. Cut or thrust in the After.

[34] Item Pay attention when he would thrust at you from below, where he has his hand outstretched to the thrust, then cut him through to the hand and thrust him to the face.

[35] Will your opponent not Attack

Mark when one approaches you in the left Changer, and you stand in Ox, cut from your right from below, through his left to the face, so that your weapon runs around into the right Ox, [...] and then thrust him to the face.

[36] Item Step with the left to him and thrust before him a Failer that goes through and outside to your left shoulder, that your weapon comes into left Ox, take out with the short edge to your right side, so that your Rappier next comes into right Ox and thrust him to the face, then cut him outside to the right shoulder.

[37] Item If you are standing in Ox, and one will thrust to your right thus step with the left foot out from his strike to his right and follow with the right and thrust at the same time as him to the face, shoot forwards with the Iron Gate or lift your hilt above you and Grab both your blade and his blade, and wind his blade from your right to your left in a wrench Instantly step to his left and cut him through to the face besides your left and thrust him again over hand to the face.

[38] Mark When one thrusts to you from below, so step with the left foot to his right side and set his thrust from your left against your right from above, between you and he, through to the Bastion, step and thrust him under his weapon into the groin.

[39] Further, when one thrusts from below at you, and you thus are standing in left Ox, then step with the left foot well onto his right like before, set off his thrust from your left downwards to your right, thus you stand in right Plow. Thrust him out from the right Plow upwards to his face, this he must defend, then step and thrust him with reversed hand under his arm to the face. Pull your hilt again to you, and cut through from your left a defense strike to his right shoulder.

[40] Item If one thrusts to your face or chest, then strongly take out the thrust from below, besides your left with short edge through to his right, so that your weapon runs around above your head and cut in from the outside to his right shoulder, if he bars your cut, then thrust him quickly over the hands to the face, if he doesn’t bar this thus you come through into Changer, if he thrusts further to you, then wind the hilt upwards and take out his thrust with the Flat through the Hanging, and thrust him over the hands, to the face.

[41] Mark When one thrusts at you from above, thus wind your hilt above you into left Ox, set off his thrust upwards, and when they connect, then thrust him inside to the face. Instantly allow your point to sink towards the ground, and allow the blade where by, to run through to your left, thrust over the hands to his face Pull your hilt upwards so that the blade runs off besides your right, and cut outside from your left through his right shoulder thus you shoot into the right Changer.

[42] Item Set off his thrust how you were taught above, remain then in the Bind on his blade and Wind your blade above you against his travels, out to your left side, instantly have your hilt above you and cut from your right inside through to his right shoulder thus you come into the left Changer, if he thrusts further at you, then spring with the left foot well to his right side and thrust in from your Changer likewise with him, work further to him with the Iron Gate.

[43] Item Displace His thrusts like before, have your hilt above you in the left Ox, and take him out, with the short edge from your left through his right so that you correctly fly around your head into the right Ox cut Instantly a Third strike, downwards, through his left foot from your right, so that your weapon shoots into left Ox, take him out with the short edge, downwards from your left Ox, so that your weapon shoots through in running around again, into right Ox, allow quickly the right Ox, to run through, with this taking out besides your left, and thrust through than by a double, done over hand, come into the Iron Gate.

[44] If overall, he would not Thrust, then when you stand in right Plow thus step with your left foot to him and thrust through to the outside of your left shoulder, so that your weapon comes into the left Ox, step with your right well to his right, and thrust him outside of his right arm Line Pull around your head, and cut him through his face, thus you come into the left Changer from there take him out with the short edge.

[45] Three Ongoing Thrusts from the left Plow from one side

Thus if one approaches you in the Iron Gate or also in the left Plow, then thrust the first from the Plow outside of his right arm line so that your point on the right now runs off besides your left through into left Ox, thrust through from there quickly through your left Ox, inwards to his chest, allow instantly again the point to run off downwards and then through besides your left, and thrust the third from your left over your hand to the face, these three thrusts happen as one runs into the next, from one thrust.

[46] If one thrusts to you from above, wind off his thrust, upwards against your right into the Ox, step and thrust him outside and over his right arm line, to the face and in this thrust, then drive with your left hand from below.

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[49] ...Suppress upon from above, step and thrust on his blade above it, to the face, if he defends the thrust and drives high with his displacement, then thrust him above, on the Right Line if he displaces yet again the thrust, thus jerk your hilt upwards and thrust over the hands, from above over his displacement line, and cut him to the right leg.

[50] Cutting off

Item Suppress his oncoming strike or thrust from above, suppress like before, but in this suppressing, thus allow your blade to rest, cross wise on his blade besides you, then in a flight, thrust or cut him again from the same side line.

[51] Item If you are in the Iron Gate, and one will thrust outside to your right arm, thus take this with the short edge downwards and out to your right side out so that the blade runs over, besides your right at the same time, into the right Ox, Indes also takes others out through a Running off from your right to your left, and thrust this same with quickness over the hand together with a step to him.

[52] Item If one approaches you in the Iron Gate, then thrust him from the right Plow, inside his blade from under jointly, to the face. Instantly have your hilt above you and mutate the under into an Overthrust, cut in with a step to the next opening.

[53] A Deceiving

Mark If one allows you to bind first on his blade from your right, thus thrust his face from under and to the inside, over the hands.

[54] Item If one thrusts to your right, thus suppress from your left against your right, thus you have come into the right Plow. Thrust him from the Plow upwards to the face, this he must defend, cut quickly in Indes, a Low Cut from your right through his left and thrust him over the hands to his face.

[55] Item If one approaches you in the Iron Gate and has bound on with you, then thrust in on his weapon upwards to the face with a running in. Instantly allow your weapon to run around besides your left and grab with the left hand in the middle of your blade and thrust him to the stomach.

[56] Changing Thrusts and Mutating

If you stand in the Iron Gate and so does your opponent, then thrust him outside and over his right arm, above the hand line, and in this thrust, allow your hilt to be well high, as soon as he wishes to defend against your thrust, thus allow your point to sink downwards, above your hand, and thrust under your arm quickly to the sky if he however travels, then thrust in again over the arm to the face, thus reverse the high thrust into a low thrust, and you may change into a cut when you want.

[57] The Ox and Plow's Merged Thrusts

Item If you encounter one in the Iron Gate, thus thrust him from the right Plow, inside his blade from under to his face, instantly have your hilt above and Mutate the Low into a High Thrust, cut to the next opening with a step to.

[58] A Deceiving

Mark when you have allowed one to be first in binding on your blade from your right, then thrust him from under, inside to his face, so that the Rappier runs around besides your right, the same as a Looping, but don't do this, instead thrust him again inside to his Body.

[59] Pay attention when one drives his point high above you in Zufechten, then act as if you may bind with him as soon as your point connects thus step and Low Cut his blade away with your left arm then thrust upwards and to the groin, if he pulls his blade however, thus guard yourself with hanging, and work to him over the hands or with taking out and cutting after.

[60] Identical Thrusting in traveling after

Item Thus the both of your stand in the Iron Gate, then pay attention as soon as he will go away from his guard, thus step out from his Thrust and follow quickly with the point to the body from where he has gone, and thrust on the same line as him.

[61] Traveling After

This is a jolly and quick work in Rappier, by as much as he drives his defenses, and holds it somewhat besides his right, as soon as he goes away with the hilt, thus Thrust him quickly there on the same line from which he went.

[62] After-cut from below

If you are in the Iron Gate, and one thrusts to your left, thus suppress him from above. Instantly have the hilt above you into the left Ox and cut quickly with the short edge from below through his face or R. There after thrust through, to a Middle Cut above the hands.

[63] Item If one thrusts at you, to you right, thus suppress from you to your right, thus you come into the right Plow, thrust him from the Plow upwards to the face, this he must defend, cut instantly and quickly a Low Cut from you right through his left and thrust him above the hands to the face.

[64] Balgen in Rappier

Balgen is an abridgement and the proper Core of both weapons: the Dussack and the Rappier put together, which is so understandable and properly divided and placed, that every one of the four cuts can only be cut long from you. May you well understand and usefully learn from it, whether he even taught a bad school rule, and firstly therein is taught the cuts are orderly placed, to and through the man, how the drawn lines reveal. Next then however; as such cuts are cut at you, and how you shall meet these with displacing and breaking, to the third, when he now also uses such displacing and how you should take up in that, the fourth and last part teaches, of those who run in or under.

[65] Item From the dissimilar weapons that when thus he has a Knebel Pike and you only a Dagger or Rappier, and how you should run under with cuts and many secret moves therewith you engage your enemy and then you can take his weapon.

[66] The First Balg Cut

Is done thus: stand with the right foot forward and cut from above and below with outstretched arm together and forth, always with the long edge through the opponent's left Wrath Line how the figure shows and mark when you will cut from above, thus distort the cut around again, into a strong Low Cut, upwards through the Forward Line with a full swing, wind then your hand in the air so that the short edge faces to the rear, and the sharp edge against the opponent, thus make a cut after your opportunity.

[67] The Second

Item Cut powerfully from your right from above like before, through the left Wrath Line, with outstretched arm so that your weapon comes to the left in the Middle Guard, from there a powerful Middle Cut through his face Thus you should make High or Low Cuts once or up to six times to his cuts.

[68] The Third Balg Cut

The third is called the Cross through both Wrath Lines, cut then powerfully with outstretched arm from you, and such cuts you should always stand with the right foot forwards, and always a Balg Cut, that is a High or Low Cut of the Cross with powerful Middle Cuts made after.

[69] Item Send yourself into the Longpoint to the displacing, if he cuts against your left to the head, thus catch his strike with the long edge and pull then around your head and cut him through to his right arm and thrust him above from your right to his face, if he cuts to your right thus displace and cut his face or through his body.

[70] If he cuts quickly from both sides through the Cross or thrusts from both sides, then displace long from you and when he has done One, two, three four strikes, thus cut then with the radt powerfully always after strike for strike through the Cross and Balg Cuts how here follows:

[71] Mark If one cuts on you from his right against your left thus cut with a strong High Cut from your right thereon and cut nimbly again after from your right through his left where he is, under or above where you can work to him and you are soon again in the displacing.

[72] Item If one cuts on you the Cross Cuts, strike after strike, thus displace him with outstretched arms, one strike, four or five, and pay attention where he looks further to strike, thus cut in between his head and weapon on his strong and suppress in with a strike twice, cut then with the Radt Strike and Cross Cuts after.

[73] Item If he cuts from below, the Middle or from above, thus you come to suppress them all and cut immediately after with the Cross or Balg Cuts.

[74] If one displaces you and will not cut but wait on your cuts, then cut away his displacement from your left, he is from under or athwart, with that he is drawn away to cut immediately after he does this, thus suppress his strike from you with a strong Roof Strike on the strong of his blade the third cuts quickly after to the opening.

[75] Rule

Note when he does not want to cut at you, then you should also not meet him with the first strike, but rather show as if you intended to strike to him, then when he misjudges, thus translate with this same cut, it is from above or below, suppressing or cutting out. The same displacement, should one quickly cut after.

[76] However where he is not provoked with a strike to counter, thus cut a Cross through his displacement or two Middle cuts against one another so that his blade is cut away, then must he cut, as soon as he cuts, thus takeout and away his cut with a counter cut, more to his strong thus as soon as you feel that he is soft, thus cut quickly to his body before he recovers, that is under or over.

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[82] A Good Stuck

Mark Thus when you must defend in the After, thus to you one comes with a Knebel pike in the air, over you, and you only have a Rappier or other similar single handed weapon, then hold the weapon athwart of your left foot on the earth, if he strikes a powerful diagonal, thus drive upwards with your weapon and spring to him under his strike, guard yourself in the spring with the head out from his strike and allow his strike to clash and stay on your weapon and grab quickly with the left hand on his staff, instantly cut nimble to his hands.

[83] Item If one thrusts on you and you have your weapon like is above taught, thus drive on and set off the thrust upwards above the head, if he pulls from your displacing and thrusts again, thus wind from above out of the Ox, his other thrust, again around out from and on to your left side with a Great spring to and grab his staff like before, on this lesson, may you defend against a long pike. But such a thing is not wise to use, especially against those who will signal their Pullings, where but one is Wrathful and is pressing on you, such techniques are altogether very desirable.

[84] Item You may also send yourself in a hurry into the Ox, and from there wind through the hangings, mark however, that you nimbly should rush, to him or under his weapon, than yours has more air than his in the width from you is less, you will beat him, thus if he will then spring and thrust at you, then cutaway his thrust with a strong Wrath Cut, if he defends this, thus spring on to him with your strike.

[85] From the Cloak

Mark When to you one would rush, thus wrap your Cloak around your arm if he cuts above at your head, thus drive his strike on your cloak and thrust instantly with his from under, to his stomach, or if you will not thrust to him, thus cut him through his feet, but if he cuts from under, thus fall with your cloak on it and thrust from above to his face. And before you with the cross, you can drive against all four endings of the strikes and thrusts.

[86] Another

Item When one cuts or thrusts at you, thus displace his strike with the Rappier and again after he parries, thus fall with your cloak on his blade and hold onto him there, then cut or thrust in the meantime, nimbly, where you can get him, defend yourself again with the Cross.

[87] Item: Hold you cloak long and when he cuts at you, thus strike with the cape around his blade and spring to him with striking. Thus you yourself will fight.