Section 10 · 32 passages

Long Pike

[1] Fencing in the long pike

Field Guard. Learn from the Following figure, Field Guard with pike, do not allow the rear point to go forth. If one thrusts at you to the left, then step out to your right and thrust in likewise with him, in this thrust turn the long edge against his staff, if he thrusts at you to the right, then step out to your left in a triangle and thrust likewise with him like before. If one thrusts below at your body, then heave the rear hand upwards and let the forward point sink down towards the ground, strike out his thrust between you and he, towards your right and go quickly back upwards and thrust from your left to his face. If he wants to strike away your staff, then change through.

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[2] Note when you are positioned in the Changer or the Fool, and one thrusts at your left, then step out to his right and in this stepping, take out his thrust with your half edge upwards and thrust likewise with him.

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[3] If he will not thrust at you, then thrust with a flying thrust to his face, quickly pull the thrust back again to yourself through the forward hand back into the Field Guard, and set him off then thrust after.

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[4] Item: When you are standing in the Field Guard, then come into the Fool, namely that your tip with the point comes down to the ground just out in front of you.

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[5] Item: If one thrusts then at you, so swing the pike upwards over your shoulder and thrust after.

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[6] Item: When he will not thrust at you, then swing the pike above your shoulder, if he thrusts, then step out and thrust in likewise with him if he does not thrust, then swing the pike downwards into the Suppressing Guard, if he thrusts then, so cut it away or suppress and thrust after, if he will not be provoked to thrust, then change in further, cut him away or wrench him out, change from this into another guard so that you provoke him from his advantage.

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[7] When you are positioned in the Field Guard, so beware that you do not stand in front of him but rather provoke him with changing quickly through, once he thrusts, then note to which side he thrusts, if he thrusts to your left then set him off and spring in well under his thrust with offsetting.

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[8] Item: If he thrusts to your right, then turn away the thrust or push upwards and thrust him to the face from outside and over his staff.

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[9] Changer
Steer or High Guard

Note when one approaches you in the Steer, so position yourself in the Changer take him out strongly from his shoulder, thrust quickly after, you may also do this if you find him in another guard and he wants to take the staff off your shoulder with one blow, thus change through and let it fail, thrust him quickly after, when he allows his thrust to fail at you, then quickly spring after with the pike so you get your swing back to the thrust with setting off.

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[10] Thus when you are positioned in the Suppressing Guard and one will thrust at you, whether to the outside or inside, then fall on him with the slice onto the middle of his pike, thrust him upwards to the face.

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[11] Do the same whenever you have changed through and someone will bind on you, then allow it to happen, cut him to the other side with a Suppressing Cut as often as he goes through until you can seize him.

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[12] Whenever you find one in Steer or the Field Guard, then thrust him with a falling thrust to his right, allow your point to fall before him to the ground, if he thrusts after then turn your rear portion upwards and clear away his thrust how it is depicted here, Indes step with the right well out to your right side heave your pike high up and thrust him to the face. Counter: Turn him out like he turned yours away from you.

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[13] Goung through

Item: Bind on his staff from your left, provoke in with a threatening thrust, as soon as he thrusts, then go down and through with your rear portion out to your right side so that his point goes out to your left side how it is depicted here, then change and fall under and through with the forward portion of the pike and thrust him to the left.

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[14] Turn out (away)

Note: As often as you have been thrust at, then drive upwards with your arms and turn his thrusts away, Indes heave your pike upwards and thrust him to the face, that goes to both sides.

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[15] Item: Position yourself in the Side Guard to your right, if he thrusts at you then turn his thrust out from your left and step out* with the right to your left side and thrust likewise with him.

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[16] Turn out (away)

Item: When you have been thrust at, then drive upwards with the rear of your staff and turn the thrust away with one hand, pull the staff back to you and quickly grasp Indes with the other hand onto your pike’s staff, swing upwards with both hands into the High Guard.

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[17] Item: When you find him in the Suppressing Guard, then pay attention when he goes upwards from this Low Guard into the High Guard, then follow him gladly with a thrust after when he goes upwards.

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[18] Note when one follows after you with a thrust how you have been taught here, then step with the right foot well out to your right side and sink instantly with the point towards the ground turn him away to your left side and thrust quickly after.

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[19] Note: If you are positioned in Field Guard with the left foot forward, then allow your pike to hang a little towards the ground to your right, if he thrusts at your face, then ward off his thrust going upwards with your rear hand and out to your left side, in the parrying let go of the staff with the rear hand, (that is your right hand), and go under your staff through to the other side so that your pike comes to your left side, grasp your staff with your right in front of your left hand, push in and spring in to him and set on.

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[20] If one runs in at you with a pike in earnest and you only have a halberd or a Knebelspiess, then position yourself thusly, stand with the left foot forward and hold your weapon before you with the point towards the ground forward of your left foot, if he thrusts at you, then turn out his thrust above you and spring in well under it, if he pulls his thrust and will thrust again, then turn this out downwards from above between you and him from your right through the hanging, spring well under his pike.

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[21] Face Thrust

Item: Grasp the pike in the middle and let the point sink a little downwards, position yourself with comportment as if you will thrust, thus he will want to come at you, then wind his thrust above you, then thrust over his right arm to the face.

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[22] Item: Position yourself with earnest comportment like before, as soon as he thrusts then set off his thrust with the forward point from your right and thrust him inside to the face.

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[23] High Point

Item: Stand with the left foot forward and hold the pike in the air and to whichever side he thrusts, then step out to the other side and cut from above at the same time as he thrusts and quickly change the strike into a thrust.

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[24] Provoking

Item: Strike from above to his left, allow it to fail, instantly when he thrusts after to your opening, then wind it out with the rear of your staff upwards and step out to your right side and thrust in likewise underhanded.

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[25] Item: Strike him to the face from inside and to his forward placed arm, as soon as he parries, then drive down through and thrust him to the next opening.

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[26] Item: If you have struck at his face from over his arm, how its been taught, then as soon as he thrusts after then set him off from the right and thrust in likewise with him.

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[27] A good Stuck in pike

Item: Bind on him from your left to his right, the higher the better, drive with a strike from above down onto his staff through his fingers and face, and with the cut, change through and thrust to his face or hip to the left side, which you certainly have after to thrust in with a simultaneous step out.

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[28] Item: Bind on him like before and strike to his staff from above through his face so that the point comes to the ground, and drive with the point to the other side upwards again and also through his face, as soon as he will see you hasten away, then thrust.

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[29] Item: If he thrusts in after, then thrust immediately with him with a turning away.

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[30] Item: Bind on him from your right to his left and strike him from above down on his staff to his arm, and in this strike, drive under and through while threatening with the change, pull through again and thrust to the side that you first intended to strike.

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[31] Item: Strike him from above to the fingers, Indes change through and take him out from the other side and thrust after.

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[32] A good Provoking Stuck

Item: Lay your staff on your shoulder, position yourself with the intention to thrust, but don't actually do it, rather, change with your pike into the Low Guard, so that he is incited to strike when he thinks you have violated (your original intention), so then take out his thrust with a slicing off and thrust in likewise.

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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.