Section 5 · 54 passages

Dusack, Part Two

[1] In this second part follow the hews together with their explanation, and uses and customary Stucken, and a number of running in (techniques) and wrestling.

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[2] High Cut

The High Cut is a straight cut from above to the scalp, this cut breaks all other cuts. In this way, if he cuts a Wrath Strike against you, then step Indes out from his cut and cut from above strongly on his cut close by his hand, then also suppress the Middle Cuts and Low Cuts from above close to his hand, so if you want to suppress his cuts, make sure you reach them excessively long.

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[3] Wrath Cut

Wrath Cut is a diagonal cut from the shoulder, it is the strongest of all four cuts. For this reason, it is called a Battle Cut by the fighters.

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[4] Middle Cut

It is a horizontal cut, that is primarily used for taking out.

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[5] Low Cut

Low Cut and Middle Cut, although they are certainly weak, are nevertheless great and artful when done at speed, they also take both the High Cuts.

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[6] Firstly, when someone cuts a High Cut at you, then step out from his cut and cut it away from you. Then always break his strike with another cut in the After. Note however, a good rule to break the cuts, do not allow a cut to go too wide. The sooner you catch him in the air, or a Middle Cut in the distance, or an Low Cut down low, the less strength his cut has, but the further his hand gets with the cut, the stronger he is. Whoever can well understand this rule can easily break, bar and suppress all Stucken, according to his pleasure.

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[7] Secondly, every cut has three distinctions in use or in cutting, namely, a Provoker, a Taker and a Hitter, understand it like this: if he stays before you and will not strike, cut or otherwise work, and you are unable to hit him freely either, because he remains in his advantage, so then strike in with a High or Low Cut, not that you desire to hit him, but rather to Provoke him out from his advantage to counter strike at you, take this incoming strike away with another cut, that is called the Taker, and with the taking out you cause him to become open, cut at once to this opening, that is called the Hitter.

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[8] Example

If someone stands in the Bow, then cut through with a Wrath Strike on his Bow, so that you have made yourself open, as soon as he cuts in at you, then take away his strike with a Middle Cut from the left, and when he pulls up to parry, then cut in from under to the face, on this Low Cut, where it is from afar, shall one pay good attention to in all fighting.

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[9] The third you should pay attention to the Changers or cuts, to change up one cut into another. As an example, cut the first from your right diagonal through his left, strike the next from above and from your left through his right middle line, the third an Apex Cut from above, another, cut from your left from below through his right strike line, the next through his left Middle line from your right, the third from above and from your left through his right shoulder or strike line, the fourth from your right through his left away to the head.

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[10] Crooked Cut is when you cut in with a High or Middle with the short edge, as depicted in the first part.

Item: If one overruns you with High Strikes, then capture his strike in the air, Indes grab with your left hand under your blade onto his hilt and cut Crooked under and behind his shoulder to the back of his head.

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[11] Item: In the approach, grip the Dussack crooked and thrust the first from above to the face, pull the thrust back to you and cut Crooked through the middle line from your right through his left and let it to fade into a Double Round, then next cut a Roarer from your right, the third is a long Cross Cut from above.

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[12] Then the Whacker is:

When you cut in at his opening and in striking you wind the cut into a thrust as the figure for the Winding Cut shows.

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[13] Item: When you cut in with a High Cut at him and when it clashes then thrust in on his weapon, as soon as he wards off your thrust, then drive with the hilt under his parry into his head.

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[14] Item: In Zufechten allow yourself to bind on with him from below, then thrust in quickly on his bind, then immediately grab low on his Dussack together with yours and wind it from his hand out to your left side.

Note: In grabbing, the open hand should be towards you.

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[15] Roarer, this cut gets its name from the fast-rushing wind (sound) that in part, is made by the flat running through the air.

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[16] Note: When one cuts at you from above, then step out to his right side and cut outside and over his arm, spring well into his right, thrust in at his face, then cut him at once to the face.

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[17] Note: When you both come together in the Zufechten, as soon as he brings his weapon in the air to strike, then wind off or parry his strike with a Thwart Cut in front of the hand, how it is shown here. Then wind the crooked edge inwards to the face in a flick, wind through out to your left, and cut long after.

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[18] Note: When two stand in front of each other in a bind in the bow and each one of them waits on the other's cut, then sink yourself and cut in with the long edge straight forth, hard against his Dussack, so that it bounces against his weapon, with this you provoke him to cut to your opening, as soon as he moves up then capture his hilt with your left hand and cut beside his hilt to his head as depicted.

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[19] Item: When one cuts at you from above, note instantly when he draws up, then pull your weapon to your left shoulder and cut in with the half edge from your left horizontally at the same time as him, thus you meet and take his cut away how it is shown here.

Item: Short Cut, is also cutting through short.

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[20] Note: When one cuts a High Strike at you, and is still close to you, so pay attention to when he draws his hand up, then strike in with him with the half edge overhand, how it is depicted here.

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[21] When you have hit simultaneously with one, then wind Indes quickly with your hilt outside and over his right hand onto his wrist joint, jerk downwards towards your breast and break him like you see depicted here.

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[22] Item: If one cuts in with an High Cut at the same time as you, overhand, how it is taught above, then Indes and quickly grab with your left hand onto his Dussack near by his hilt wind down from his hand over his right shoulder or arm, thrust with your dussack on his elbow, step with your left behind his right and throw him over.

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[23] Item: Bind him on his parrying, how it is shown here, if he permits then cut with the short edge beside your left up from below strongly with a rush up through the scalp line, and to the jaw, then proceed above and cut a Middle from your right through his face, cut the third from your left above and through his right, the fourth cut away through his left.

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[24] A very good Stuck using three Middle Cuts by which many will be hurt

When you have bound on to him with the half edge over hand, then note whether it fairly glances or will, then snap around and do as if you would cut to his right ear with the half edge, but don't do this, rather pull your hand back around and cut the first Middle Cut from your right above his hilt through his face, the second from your left below his hand strongly through, the third from your right again in to his face.

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[25] Two types of Constrainers

The first is a taking out from your left and a turning away with the flat. The second is a strong cut from your left through his face with the long edge with a double stroke through the Cross.

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[26] Item: If you are positioned in left steer then continue stepping with the right foot, and cut strongly to his right arm, from below, with this it provokes him to cut, when he goes to cut and brings his hand into the air, then cut quickly to his face from the inside beside his hand.

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[27] An example from the Constrainer Cut

Note: In Zufechten come into the Slice, do not let him too close to you, as soon as he cuts from above at you, then pull through under his strike to your left side giving way out from his strike, cut quickly from your left over his right arm with two High Strokes to his head, thus you constrain him.

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[28] Rose Cut

Item: In the Zufechten cut from above to go through below outside his right arm, so that your Dussack comes back around in a circle over your head, Indes let it quickly run off beside your left; cut him from your right to his face.

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[29] Item: If you find one in the Bow, drive him from outside over the bow back around through the rose, and flick your point under his Bow at his mouth, if he cuts Indes, then cut simultaneously with him to the face.

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[30] Item: Stab him outside over his right arm and through so that your Dussack comes outside and over his arm, then with your left hand over your right arm, grab your blade close by the hilt, pull to your right side, thus you take his Dussack, how it is depicted here.

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[31] Failer Cut

Note when you come near to him, and both of you are high in the parrying, then cut before his weapon falls, in a Circle, as soon as he pulls his shoulders around and means to strike, then cut beside his hilt to his head.

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[32] Item: When someone cuts at you, then evade with your parrying and let him cut and miss; step and cut through at once outside his right arm without hitting, the second through his face; be quick again with the parrying.

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[33] A Stuck against a lefty

Cut through from outside to his left arm without hitting so that your Dussack comes on your left side, Indes, as soon as he cuts, then cut forth at the same time as him in at his face, step with your left well on his right.

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[34] Item: Cut through without hitting outside under his arm as before; next take away with the flat from your left through his right so that your Dussack flies around above, step and cut instantly two Winding Cuts together from your left to his right at his face.

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[35] Item: When each other have run in together and both of you have come in high in the parrying, then step quickly with your right foot between both his legs and instantly drive down below his right arm with your right behind and around his body, grab with your left hand the (crook of his right knee) heave upwards and throw him over your right hip.

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[36] Clasping the hands over each other

Item: When one approaches you in the Bow and has both hands together as is the custom now, grasp his left with your left hand, and with your hilt drive over and above his right hand, well by the wrist joint and pull them (his arms/hands) crosswise over each other as shown here.

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[37] Item: If you both run in with one another with both arms high, then grasp his left with your left, it is by the hand or behind the hand, or behind the elbow, jerk him to your left side, cut long after to his left ear.

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[38] Work in the Running In

Note: When you come near together, then work on him above over his parrying, firstly with a Crooked Cut over his parrying to the left ear.

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[39] Item: If he displaces that, then strike a Crooked Cut outside over his right arm to his right ear; if he parries that again, then cut Crooked under his right arm to his face. The fourth strike is a Thwart Cut to his left ear from below with the long edge so that your grip is well reversed. In these four strikes you should always be high with the hilt over your head to the displacing.

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[40] Item: When one will cut Crooked to your right ear, then grab with your hilt outside and over his right hand near his wrist joint, jerk downwards and then flick in with the half edge to his head.

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[41] Item: If one cuts Crooked at you over your displacement to the left ear, then push him from you with your hilt inside on his right arm to his left side, then Draw the Turkish Cut to the face.

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[42] The Driving

The first driving is as follows: stand with your right foot forward and do the High Cut and the Low Cut together so that your Dussack always flies around over your head to the Plunge.

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[43] The Second

Stand with your right forward as above, drive from your left shoulder over your right leg through the opponent’s right Stroke Line, from below and above together with strength through his face.

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[44] The Third Driving

Stand as before, drive the Middle Cut through the Middle Line from the right and left together.

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[45] The Fourth

is driving the Cross from above together strongly in upon the opponent.

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[46] The Fifth Driving

The two Low Cuts together from below with the flat through the Cross.

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[47] The Sixth Driving is the Double Changer, an excellent cut.

Do it as follows: Stand with your right foot forward and strike the first cut from your right from above through the opponent’s left Strike Line, thus you come into the left Change, slash with the half edge back from below through the same Strike through which you have come, change in the air, and cut from above from your left through his right Strike line over your right thigh, thus the point comes to the ground beside your right; drive back upwards through the same Strike through which you have come, then change back in the air and cut back from your right through the opponent’s left Strike Line.

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[48] Thus drive the cut one to six times one after another, always twice through one Strike, namely once from above and back from below with the half edge. With this Change one breaks all postures and cuts.

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[49] If one cuts a High Cut at you, so cut it away with a Middle Cut or a Wrath Cut, Indes quickly with another cut to the opening below or above.

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[50] If one cuts a Middle Cut or a Low Cut, then cut with a High Cut strongly through from above the next again to the opening, and as often as you have cut to his opening, then see that you are always quick to the parrying on his weapon or arm.

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[51] If one cuts low, then you cut high, if he cuts high, then cut in with him diagonally while stepping out (voiding), if he drives you high, then cut through the middle, if one fails in too deep, then follow him to the face from above, if he wishes to displace upwards, then pull the cut around your head and cut from below, if he swipes after your Low Cut, then pull away and cut from above.

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[52] Item: If he drives too wide to his left, then cut outside over his right arm to the head so that you, if you want one to have the left opening, then deceive to the right, thus if you want to have the right opening, then deceive to the left, also if you will have him open above, then attack low with cuts and thrusts.

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[53] Item: Pay attention as soon as he brings his hand in the air to strike, then cut in by his hand to the face. If one approaches you in bow then cut him outside to the arm with this he will be provoked to cut, as soon as he pull his hand in the air then cut the next beside his hilt to the face.

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[54] Item: If you get too close to him, thus you should use slicing, traveling after with the point, setting on, cutting over, winding over, pushing, grabbing and throwing.

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Translation by Kevin Maurer. Source: Joachim Meyer on Wiktenauer. Transcriptions and images belong to their contributors; see the source page for details.