Armoured Fighting on Foot

[1] Of Battling and Fencing in Armour on Foot, Shortly Described

Because fighting is of various kinds, thus one can also give no fixed rule, then anyone who has been offered a fight had this advantage: that he can devise what he knows is in his service, be it with rare weapons or together with nimble advantage. Therefore, the one who is offered the fight gives the weapon and he may choose as he wants.

[2] For example, should two fight with each other and the one has a weapon on the left and the other on the right. Now the Right goes to offer the Left. So this lets the Left choose the weapon in this way. Namely, two sharp rapiers and two sharp daggers. After that, two right arm scissors - namely on the right arm because he is left[-handed] - and a sharp spike pointed inside at the bend of each arm, such that when one bends the same arm a little, he stabs himself.

[3] If they now come to the agreed place and permit the weapons, so each puts on his right arm rail on his right arm to which arm they were assigned. When they should now step into the fight then they can’t defend the right. As soon as one bends his arm, he will stab himself, therefore his left arm is open, in which he prepares to use the dagger to shoot. However, the Left holds his right arm with the dagger for displacing and defends himself with the left hand. Thus, the Right would be more damaged from him than from the point/front.

[4] From this example it is easy to note that the one who has the best advantage is the one who always chooses or gives the weapon.

[5] This, therefore, have I said so that everyone who wants to offer someone else a fight should be mindful of such a trick, and doesn't rashly show himself, but rather offers themselves graciously as such a thing may also happen in a calm manner, for both of them to fight in armour or to fight naked or with drawn weapons. But what concerns the fencing or battling with a bare body and what is advantageous and how they are to be used has been taught up to now in Rapier and other weapons and sufficiently understood now. I want to speak of only the advantage in armoured fighting such as you need it. Note that, generally, three weapons are used in armour: a spear and a sword also a dagger, or a dagger and a sabre belted around and a sword.

[6] The first order of defence is to fight in armour. Namely, a spear and a sword; and a combat sword or a dagger, or also a shield so when attacking/grappling you used the shield and spear and have worked with the spear. If someone misses the other between the legs and avoided, or have shot with the spear and followed after the guard - because shooting with the spear was in great use in the olden days - afterwards when they shot with the spear, they grabbed the sword and further the dagger or combat sword. But I want to take the other order for myself to explain, from which one will reasonably learn how it is to fight on foot, and I also want to take three advantageous, artificial weapons for myself: firstly, a sword which should be thus: above the pommel it should have four tacks next to the fifth at the top. They shouldn’t be long, rather short, so that it can cause harm in an emergency.

[7] Ittem the cross should be like a mason’s hammer, the point and blade angular and that should all be cast from solid iron and the point should be steeled.

[8] It should also be made finely supple so that one may fully choose the length at his pleasure(?).

[9] Ittem the sabre should be strong. A good edge but not too heavy.

[10] The dagger should be triple, such that three blades are in each other as if one stuck three larding needles in each other, and the tubes/pipes close on each other and be bound with springs so that if you push with one, a point would come free [and remain inside]. Then one would need it when one comes between a gap, thus one separates it, which gives a wide gap so when he presses the same first dagger, then the other point is smaller and skinnier, so he stabs the previous hole, which then wants to go deeper than the first so that he notices that he has gone into the body. He releases the spring and lets him have the sharp point strongly, which he can’t soon pull out. The dagger is used when you have thrown him.

[11]  Ittem if it pleases, he can want to make the daggers fourfold, but it should be made so that the springs are not noticeable if you bring the weapon in the lists. His opponent may not do the same. However, one should make himself used to it, then the one who gives the weapon can practise it at his pleasure and particularly look for an advantage in it which the other cannot soon see or notice in the lists. And even if the springs in the dagger are already shown, they are still made advantageous to you, that he can’t soon soon grip you. You should first of all pay good attention to whether your opponent wants to nimbly rush over you with strength or drive you [away] with force. So you should do gladly that he doesn’t rush over you with a Thunderbolt, and let him forward above, and note when he strikes you that you displace it between both your hands and see if you can pin.

[12] On the other hand, be careful that you are not pinned, but if you are pinned on your left, thusly step with your left back or put your pommel on your breast and gain/reach the point, and pin him also, and drive him from you.

[13] Ittem if he fights wide around you, thusly travel after him with the point to an opening. Note the openings are these, where you should initiate or pin: the visor, under the armpit, the knuckles in the hands. Likewise between the legs, from the outside in to the gloves, and where the armour has a joint. Note that you don’t attack another opening, if you may have a nearer opening. Lastly, loosen the finger, namely: where someone grabs you see that you can free his finger, then break him upward, Ittem break on, stab their genitals, break their leg or stab their knee.

[14] First I want to go through the armour fencing by way of examples, then explain the advantage of the aforementioned weapons. In the approach, take your sword in the Oberhut with both of [your hands] next to your head, and grip your blade with your left hand in the middle, so that the point stands in the man’s face. Step thusly in, so that your left foot stands in front at all times. Don't be too hasty, and see if you can reach his frontmost foot, make as if you want to initiatein his face, immediately let go of the haft with your right hand, and come to help with your left hand and strike him with the pommel to the head or to his left arm. If he displaces your blow between both his hands, let it drive around the head, and strike him from your right to his knee bone or ankle.

[15] Ittem, go in the Oberhut as before, and pay attention to if he wants to pin or initiate. Thusly set off in front your left hand. If he then strikes you from above, displace the blow between both your hands and thrust immediately outside over his arm, and pin the throat. As soon as you find that your point sticks [in place, in the armour] thus put both your hands under your right shoulder and don’t let him get away. Rather, drive forth.

[16] Ittem go into the Oberhut, thrust in his visor. If he defends, pin him in his left shoulder drive forth. Pay attention as soon as he wants to free himself that you rush after him with your weight with wrestling, throwing, or stabbing in the front on his visor. Note if you have pinned someone don’t let him come away, then he can’t work. In the other guard, hold your sword with the grip beside your right hip. Grasp the blade with the left hand in the middle, so that your point stands against the man, the left foot at all times forward. Approach. If he thrusts, set off from the hand. If he strikes, then receive the stroke between both your hands in the blades. Simultaneously watch out when he strikes, and step with your right, thus displace as you learnt and drive with the pommel into his knee bend. He will then want to pull his foot, so pin him under his right armpit or wherever you can, and drive him from you or drive with the pommel on his neck and step with the right behind his leg and throw him.

[17] Ittem, displace his blow out of the guard and drive up with the hilt, and thrust at the throat or to the openings by the joints. Likewise, set the thrust off, and you do the same, and as soon as you have pinned him, strike your pommel under the armpit so you secure your advantage.

[18] The pinnings are four: one in the face, [one] to the throat. Likewise on the left armpit or under the right shoulder and note when you pin him on the left, come with your left foot forward and place it under the right shoulder, then step forward with the right foot. Furthermore, when you have pinned you should always drive them upward. If he is shorter than you, sink your hilt under yourself to the hips and drive them upward. If he moves to the sides, stab into the helmet. That’s where he’s most wounded. As soon as you pin, ensure that you are placed fully in the [armour's] mail. When you pin right and drive right, thus can he not fully work.

[19] Counter

Ittem, if you are pinned, thusly thrust up over his right arm inwards under his sword and push your pommel through underneath towards the ground. As soon as it comes free, thusly shoot your sword through forwards under his right, and with your right foot behind his left, and grip with your left hand on his helmet and throw him.

[20] Ittem, thrust him in the glove on the frontmost hand, and lead him around or thrust him under his left arm up over his sword. Push with the pommel upward and pin him.

[21] Ittem, from the wrestling, take note of which side he has pinned you. Grip his blade with your left hand, drive it from you, immediately snatch it back and pull in to you and catch him with the right hand, his right hand, and pull in to yourself and grab his body and lift upward. He will lift. Strike the foot and out and throw him from yourself.

[22] Ittem, if he thrusts at you, thrust with him simultaneously in at his left side, and in the thrust catch his blade with yours and drive with your pommel under through both arms and strike upward so he must release.

[23] Ittem, pay attention to which hand you can catch him with and jerk back to yourself, and with the other hand grip his elbow(s), and Him the weight, and with all steps until not too hasty, so that you have a full stance.

[24] Ittem, if you have thrown someone and he falls, fall down with him to his right and with your right knee between both his legs and with the left hand around his neck, if you have surely secured him, then draw your dagger. If he grabs at the dagger, thrust him in the hand and pull back with another, until you have better spotted your advantage.

[25] Ittem, another: take his right arm between the leg and lie down on top of him horizontally/diagonally and hold your legs almost together and stretch yourself. Grasp his left arm with with your left hand and hold it fast and work with the combat sword that will follow hereafter.

[26] How One Should Use the Three Aforementioned Weapons

Note: in the first Approach go into the Oberhut and introduce yourself with whatever gestures you will as if you want to initiate in his face. Don’t do it, rather strike or hew from above to below to his knee buckles. Whether you hit or not thus drive nimbly with the hands upward and strike him with the pickaxe to the head outside over his right arm, or strike him in the nearest joint that you can. Pull nimbly around your head and let the right hand drive in front of the left hand and grasp then under your left in the blade and strike with a Mittelschlag from your right to his helmet, be it with the pickaxe or a hew, or with the pommel. If he grasps your grip, [do] again with your right hands and step back again so that you can recover again, and diligently watch out that he doesn't give you a stroke. Also, don’t let yourself be pinned, rather evade in a circle as much as you can bear.

[27] The Other Device

Note: approach him in the Oberhut. Take hold of your grip near the pommel and grip with the left hand in the blade by the cross and thrust him powerfully to his visor. Pull again to yourself and thrust with strength from under to his genitals so that he can’t come near you. Pull your weapon back again and grip with the left hand in the first part of your blade. If he drives on you, evade backwards, so that you make him step in and soon strike [you]. So don’t let him reach you, rather evade. If he has struck, pay attention that he may feint you, so let go with the right hand and come thereafter to help the left and strike him in the helm or to the next gelüdt. However, if he has not struck then strike him to his knee or ankle. If he displaces it then drive up with your arms, strike him to the upper joint, and grip your both again. If you, however, can’t enter into the blow, displace the upper between both your hands in the blade. Throw the pommel simultaneously over your left shoulder and drive up with the left hand and come with the right to help the left. Thus you come to strike before he recovers.

[28] Note: when he approaches you in the Oberhut, if he thrusts or strikes thus set off from your left hand, and in the setting-off grip his blade to yours and drive with the grip under through and step with the right behind his left and throw him.

[29] Ittem if he strikes under, sink your pommel under yourself against the ground and displace between both your hands. When he draws up again, drive up with your pommel from under to the genitals, and simultaneously wind the left hand upward against his incoming stroke and set him off and drive up with the hilt and thrust him over his right arm to the face and pin him.

[30] Ittem go to the man in the Underhut and thrust him from under to the face. If he simultaneously strikes or thrusts, set it off, and let go of the grip with your right hand and throw it behind you. Come with the right to help the left and strike from under up with the pickaxe between his legs to the groin. Pull as soon as you can with both hands upward around the head and strike to the upper openings.

[31] Ittem approach him in the Underhut, pull and threaten the thrust. Simultaneously let your grip run and step around his left, grip with both hands in your blade and throw the pickaxe at him in the hip under his Burckenn forged with strength in the chainmail

[32] Ittem thrust at him out of the Underhut to his genitals. Pull again and let your grip run out of the right hand and grip thereafter in the blade. If he strikes, thusly intercept with your hilt from the right against his left. In the intercept let your hilt drive around the head and strike him to his frontmost knee bend. Take a nimble step behind yourself, thereafter you recover and grip your grip again.

[33] From these devices which have been written up to now, it is hopefully understood enough how one can bring the blows to work, and is to be noted that one should guard as much as he can against pinning and wrestling. He has then firstly extremely weakened him with Thunderbolts to the ankle, the knee bend, to the joints, on the arm bend and other openings. When he is midett and weakened with blows then grapple with pinning. You will not initiate him, rather, generally evade and delay him, unless however you see an advantage, which you must not allow to be fruitlessly wasted.

[34] Ittem step now to him with pinning with initiating out of the upper guard and thrust with power in his visor, if he guards over himself/upwards and wants to set off then pull off to the side and thrust him under his left arm. See that you stand firmly and don't overload the weight. Note that as soon as your point sticks on the mail, place your hilt under your right armpit, drive him from you or pin him under the right armpit and place the pommel under your left armpit and push from you and don't let him come away and draw the sabre with the right [hand] and work at his joints, or with lower hews.

[35] Ittem do as if you want to strike the visor with the pommel. As soon as you notice that he defends outwards between both his hands, thus pull off nimbly and [pin] him under the right armpit, and note if you grab one with pinning under the right armpit and also with yours together under your left armpit as taught before, thrust the face with such skill/a trick. Thus he may not draw his sabre - that is also the advantage with the sabre.

[36] Ittem if he strikes you to the knee, thusly displace it with your blades behind his crossguard. Grip his sword to yours and drive with the pommel in his knee. Jerk towards yourself and shove with the left hand from yourself.

[37] Ittem thrust with him simultaneously in from your right against his left with your point fully over his sword and grip his sword to yours. Let go with the right hand and grab his left elbow. Jerk it over yourself/upwards on yours left side, step forward with your left foot - thus, he falls.

[38] Ittem approach him, conduct yourself with an attitude as if you want to initiate. However, pull to yourself and let your grip run over your left arm and strike him with a Gripstrike or strike to his right shoulder and note as soon as he drives/throws to displace fully then stroke with the left hand and grip immediately with the right hand under through your sword and grip with it his right. Pull him towards you and come with the left hand together with the sword to help the right break or throw him at your pleasure.

[39] Ittem strike him with the grip to the head. In the blow, let go with your hand and grip his right elbow with the same hand, step forward with the left foot and shove him from yourself.

[40] Ittem when you have weakened him with Thunderbolts, as taught above, grasp your sword like next/nearest in the Oberhut and thrust in above. In the thrust, let go of the grip [of the sword] with the right hand and draw the sabre. As soon as he also draws his, hew at his hand and follow soon to him with the sabre from under up at his arm and step with the right foot behind his left and stab with the pommel to his neck or at his shoulder or but foot face - thus, he falls.

[41] Ittem if you have drawn both your weapons, step fowards with the right foot and the sabre held in the right hand, your sword in the left to thrust, step and thrust in above to the face and drive with the sabre from under up between yourself and him. To the displacement pull the sword simultaneously around above and thrust at the genitals. If he grabs at the sword with the left hand, let it drive and grab his left hand with your left. Jerk it to and stab his joint with the sabre and step with the right to his left. Pivot to your left side and throw him over your right leg, or break his arm. However, if he lets go with the right hand and grabs at his sabre or at your sword, then grasp his right hand with your left. Jerk it towards you. Twist the underside around and stab with the sabre at his elbow joint and break his arm.

[42] Ittem if you would come from your sword, then go under with your sabre and grip his sword's blades with your left hand, which will be under your left armpit, or hold it firmly from you and hew at his hand. If he releases the sword and grabs at the sabre, then thrust him with the sabre outwards in the glove. Don't jerk/pull it again, rather stab/shove at his face and step behind him - thus, he falls.

[43] Ittem if you have grabbed his sword and he wants to draw the sabre, then hew at his hand or release his sword and grip his right hand. Jerk it towards you and thrust or stab his joint with the sabre's pommel.

[44] In summary, with the sword you shall sever his armour(?) with the pickaxe, or hew the knee bend or gaps, and disable with the pommel, and break and beat the joint and penis. Ittem pin with it, if however you have taken your sword or have come from it, you should work with the sabre and with wrestling to counterattack and stab under the eyes with the pommel and see that you can lock his leg or step behind.

[45] Ittem if you would come from your sword and your opponent has drawn both weapons, then hold yourself in the Underhut and wait [to see] whether you can grab his sword and, with the sabre, wait [for] his strokes and see if you can win his balance/swivel by his left elbow. You shall not jerk/draw the dagger, unless you have thrown him.

[46] When you have thrown him, catch his right arm with your left knee and with the left hand for his neck, and grab his left with the right and come to help the right hand with the left, and draw your combat sword and work between the gaps where you think it would be the most harmful. When you have severed his gaps, push a spring loose and thrust with the smaller blade(s) between the severed gaps. Ittem let the dagger completely release with all spikes/points and work with [the] small ones to the helmet where he is open. Where other openings are to be found has been taught before.

[47] Ittem if he falls on the belly, thusly fall on the joint of his arms with your knee and break his arm.

[48] Ittem fall on the back of the pelvis.

[49] Ittem if you have thrown him, then dig up some dirt and fill in his visor or cut out a piece of his surcoat and plug his visor with it.

[50] Ittem work at his genitals with the dagger or between the gaps or stab it in for his heart or to the joint where it is.

[51] Lastly, one should note, since it has happened that, so far, in several weapons comparable devices have been used for the hand, I have omitted the short half, which has been set down in one weapon, from the other. So it can happen at the disadvantage to understanding, whereby I often don't set [down] a thing in vain. Also, since fencing was established in such a way that a seasoned practitioner of this art should also see his advantage in unknown weapons, I have arranged it in this way, and written one weapon with the other so that if one wants to embark on his training and unify one weapon with another, as what devices one has learned in the sword can also be attempted in the dussack; also in rapier, and then back again from the rapier into the dussack. In armoured fencing, as well as in longer weapons such as poles, halberds, and spears, this book will become useful for those who follow this rule and my efforts will thrive. As it has done more for learning than before.