Longsword, Part Two

[1] Follow the second part of the Sword Fencing in which it will be taught how to use the guards and cuts together with their associated work as taught in the first part and should also be brought into use

I will tell you much more about the Cuts and school-related things, but I will explain the rhymes that were made with hidden words by the ancients so that the art did not become too common. And about the guards, binding, shooting off, remaining, winding, chasing after, running through, and those which are subsequently described in the Indes.

[2] The First Rhyme

Since I have taught sufficiently about the Before and After, the Weak and Strong, I will solely explain the word Indes, which word has no other in it than an earnest meaning to be kept and considered. For when I strike to an opening, without first considering how I should strike the next, but rather see a cut along with it to the most conducive opening.

[3] Indes

In the word Indes stands all the art of fencing, then it decides all things as Liechtenauer's old Zedel and other Zedel say of it. As can be seen hereafter in the rhymes.

[4] Indes counters,
Indes stabs,
Indes pushes,
Indes pulls,
Indes travels after,
Indes is not too high,
Indes tests out the danger,
if he is hard or soft,
Indes goes in,
Indes seeks the opponent without fear,
Indes wrestles,
Indes constraints,
Indes does not bind on,
Indes deceives the opponent,
Indes strikes to the openings,
Indes thrusts with thrusting,
Indes with the slice
a better work one will not find,
Indes takes the sword,
Indes does what your heart desires.

[5] Indes pay attention understand me correctly
Hit him before he is in a guard

Interpretation

This is a fairly good rhyme when you are in the Zufechten, thus pay attention to when he is nearly close to you, and will position himself in a guard, don’t allow him to rest, but rather fight through to the first opening while he is taking up his guard, then act as if you would strike strongly, but don’t do it, fly away after and boldly attack once your blade is nearly halfway on his or you have it at his shoulders, now Thwart Strike around, wrench out and slice through the arms and whatever other work my become you, don’t forget the stepping, let your body go well, when you threaten to cut, then the same will deceive the opponent.

[6] Thus it is true there are many good guards, but it is better to not lay in a guard at all because you can notice how one wants to fence from the same, that in the striking it may not be seen.

[7] Ox, Plow, Fool, from the Roof, are the best guards, but the Side Guard from both sides is most safe but do not try to long with it. If you are to overtake one, then it is shadowed by the old Zedel.

[8] No guard is worth it to you
In the After you hit him from free courage
With it you come quickly to the work
So wait until I first bind you.

[9] Of the Parrying

In the whole of the Zedel there is no rhyme that is more true than this; For those who like to Parry, will be gladly defeated, a proper fencer does not parry. However from this it is taught in the first part.

[10]

Of the 4 Openings

Although I have written in the first part extensively about the 4 openings, I want to explain the contents and make them explicit. The rhyme stands in the old Zedel and the Frankfurt Zedel but there is no interpretation about what are the 4 openings, what is "taking aim", what is "to drive on against everyone", what is "how he bears". When one reads the rhymes already for so long, then one knows much about it afterwards, when he interprets the rhymes, and is showed freely with a sword, I thought a lot about it, I would like to see a master who can tell me the truth about aiming. But you should then understand the rhyme. The four openings are two above by the head and shoulders, and two by the elbows. But aiming* is when you strike to the upper openings and soon you see that the man has noticed, and does not slip after, then throw your sword in a Loop, or circle, you don’t lay on though, but rather to an opening on the arm, which you certainly have, that is called aiming. But what is; without any danger, that is when the opponent has not seen that you should strike, what is; however he acts, that is to all openings, then would the Zedel say, you hit him when his defense becomes open, he who knows well the four openings, can make wonder out of them, but the noble work can not be written in the books, one must prove it with iron.

[11] More about the four openings

The rhyme is fair and nowhere in the old Zedel are any interpretations of it, also one knows not of it in the list. Is he the one who it is done to, or is he the one who should strike, or is he the one who shall break the four openings, the word Break is written first, then after that, no one can defend, and may not even be able to strike, but I would like to hear one, who lays out the saying correctly, so you should know that the rhyme is made for the one who should strike or start his Stuck and fight it out. Then it reads: “Will you rely on yourself”, this means, you will search out the opponent with striking, “the four openings artfully break,” that is striking artfully and freely flying to all four openings, “Doubling above” that is search both openings above it goes quickly in a double, “transmute below correctly” that is striking at both elbows, that is to transmute the upper work and reverse it to the lower, when you have heard it, it is a stealthy word that many fencers do not understand, as if the Zedel would say, understand it correctly, do it correctly, so your resistance to strike may not come willingly.

[12]

That is when someone cuts at you from the Roof Guard, thus you have gone against him and in the air turned the edge crosswise and struck at both his hands, step with both feet well to his left side, this is how the Stuck starts.

[13]

This you must understand when one cuts at you from his upper right, then cut against him and step with your right foot well to his left side, now turn the sword crosswise with arms crossed thus you come over his sword in the Barrier Guard, now slice Indes to his jaw and neck with the long edge, hence it has noble and good works and goes with the correct Indes.

[14]

Understand this when one cuts from above at you from the Guard of the Roof, thus also cut against him from your right side but with crossed arms, thus you come with your short edge onto his flat and weaken his strike, now cut Indes the upper slice between his sword and the man, thus you come however to the previous work, and do not forget to step with the right foot to his left side, thus the higher the Stuck goes the better it is and you are parrying well.

[15]

This is the best saying in the whole Zedel, for he who understands it correctly, is a fencer, as soon as or as often as it clashes or flashes above, that is, when you see the strike is coming or has come on your sword, so move off, that is searching wrathfully, and once he is open, strike a Thwart to the left ear, correctly with the long edge, that is what drives all of fencing, when someone strikes on to your sword blade, that you move off, search for openings with the Thwarter, Slice, Strike around, wrench out into the snapping, slice secretly, Indes fly away or fail, and what openings he gives you should be considered, do not forget to step.

[16]

[17]

That stuck is nearly like the previous, then when you cut in at him from above or below, and he will do a Crooked Cut to your strike, but fails halfway to you above your sword, then position your sword under his with a thrust to his breast, step well to his right side, now seek to work from the previous stuck, that both stuck give nearly the same understanding.

[18]

That is an epitome from a saying, then where the Thwart does not defend, so it would happen from half fencing, what comes from the Roof, that takes them freely away, but there is more to it than that, as it is written hereafter in the ancient Zedel.

[19]

That is when you have bravely Thwarted, then at once search above with the Strong or Reverser, now slice, Indes push, Indes nearly in the ancient Slice or Remaining

Indes takes the sword,
Indes does what your heart desires.

[20]

When someone is positioned in the Plow, then Thwart at his Plow, so he must Get Up!

[21] To the Ox hard together

When someone stands in the Ox, so do it [Thwart] until he must start fencing from the guard, and when he first starts to work he stays in the Ox and does not want to get out of the Side Guard, thus he must defend and attack, when he has attacked, then hold yourself to the saying, “When it clashes above, move away, That I will Praise” When coming from below strike to strike, Thwart to Thwart, step to step, slice to slice, that moves forth.

[22]

That is when you spring well in the Thwarter, so is your Thwart Strike to the head of the man who fights with you, nearly dangerous, for it goes deep to the Ox.

[23]

Which then the long Failer takes correctly and steps secretly in the triangle with the right foot to the opponent’s right side, allow the failure to fly well, to hit or fail according to your wishes, because it is seldom that someone will break it or parry it.

[24]

That is called Reversing when your sword is between his sword and his body, your pommel is upwards, your short edge is on his short edge, thus you constrain the opponent so that he may not work, if you will then run through, that is, after his cut or through his right arm running forth, that is after his cut, thus you may simultaneously begin to wrestle and grab at the elbow and thereafter the man is winning, then you must take to wrestling for you then you can’t always allow yourself to wrestle and fence, like it is written in the books, because much more often happens, and therefore you must be aware of it.

[25] Failer Twice

In Zufechten, fail in deep enough at his left ear with the long edge, if he slips after, and will parry, so cast your sword in a circle and present it at his right ear, as soon as you see that you have touched swords, or hit, then you may use the ancient Slice, that is doing the (handwork) Remaining, you push your sword over both his arms with the long edge so that he cannot defend it. However, what is the saying: “Double Failer, Step left until not allowed”. It is all in a stuck, and relies on one another, that when you slice or push to the arms, then you must continue it twice, that is, you must step around well to the opponent with the left foot. That is called Stepping in Left, until not allowed, with it the rhyme means that you must go quickly, so that the opponent doesn’t also veer away, and this is called Doubling.

[26]

This is when someone strikes a Buffel Strike at you, it is a long and hard peasant’s strike from the Roof Guard, you then strike around from your right shoulder against him, however you turn your sword and strike in part together to his head and sword, now you have broken the Buffel with the Squinter, and hit with it. Now further, the stuck has just begun.

[27]

So understand that one who is so lively and makes as if he would Buffel, but doesn’t do it, and rather changes or goes through, that you don’t let yourself change through in error, but he trusts his changing through, and hopes to gain something, however you have in the meantime hit him with the Squinter to the head because his changing through made him completely open, that is known as The robbing from the Squinter, from those who change through before you.

[28]

The saying is made for he who wants to change through against one who will use the Squinter Cut, that is, if he extends his arms short away from himself, so he may not well reach you, then you may easily change through, thus you come to him with stepping and thrust to his right side, that is called overcoming, it is much talked about, you come to him, and bring him out of his work and take him.

[29]

When an opponent extends his point long out towards you, which quite a few fencers have in use, so put your point at him, and position yourself as if you would cut from there, long and from above at him. but don’t do that, instead cut short and strongly thereafter, now step at once and thrust him to the neck, this is a good old thrust which also serves you well in battle, the ancient fencers have fenced much using these things, but nowadays the thrust is not favored, because of the running in, that is.

[30]

This is when the opponent holds his sword out before you, and runs against your strike with his long edge, and thus you should note, when he will strike you, then you slice through under his sword, this is almost like changing through, thus he has crowned in vain, but you must in good time change through or slice, for then he comes to you amidst the sword, he never allows you through the crown.

It is good for the fencers who want to use their heads and their work will quickly be brought about, if he runs too high with the Crown, then slice him with the lower slice to both fists, is still better.

[31]

Chasing after is an exceptionally good work, however very few are the fencers who do it correctly. Now note that this is the chasing after, when one will cut in at you from above, and as he draws up his sword to strike, so rush to him before he brings his strike, the work is all good against those who cut around too wide in the onset, then because they have their sword so far away, thus they are easier to reach, but the word Doubled means that you shall overtake me, when I have allowed my sword to fall or go nearly to the ground after the strike, so you must be cautious against the man who gladly allows his sword to fall nearly to the ground, then you must cut in at his head with the Head Strike, that is Doubling after shrewdly. In summation: when the opponent brings his sword in the air, then Chase after when he goes too far behind himself, Indes cut in the onset, then commit yourself to the chasing after, because the saying is made so well for the traveling after.

[32]

So that you shall also understand the Zedelfechter who laid out the saying for me, when you are chasing after, then go henceforth with a thrust or a winding to the face, thereafter travel into a High Cut then thrust or wind to the face or chest, do the same when you chase after one who has thrust too low and cuts, those are the “two within,” then the opponent will snap after the thrust and then wants to displace, so in the meantime you stifle his sword and just work to another opening, that is a good and masterful thing, now fall on him with the cut.

[33]

Feeling is nothing more than testing, binding on, or searching, so that feeling, testing and binding on is a thing, then the feeling is a simple word in all fencing, test whether the opponent fights hard or soft, if he cuts or pushes hard after, then pull your sword fine and softly, thus you will certainly find an opening, because the hard fencers reveal it themselves. But why is there a saying right after this “Indes the word cuts severely”, therefore, one is a gentle and fast swordsman who cuts around at once so you are there with the slices, thus it is broken.

[34]

The hard ones are nothing other than Hard strikes, both attacks are nothing other than hard strikes from both sides. So when you go in against a strong strike with the slice, and if he is skillful and strikes around to the other side however strong, then slice his strike down or away from you, some people think that this is already the Indes, and allow themselves to beat, and cut away the strike with slicing, however this is not the Indes, it is more like long edge, but some people rely on it, so if you like to cut, you must use failing, or changing through or Crooked cutting, thus you force him to defend against other thrusts.

[35] From the Stepping

Stepping breaks, what one fights, he who does not do it, it fights one to the ground as he wills it, if he does not do it correctly, he is unsuccessful, therefore the saying in the twelve rules is made and understood:

Whoever steps after cutting
Shall have little joy in his Art.

Every cut must have its step, they must go together, otherwise the stuck will not work, for much relies on stepping, then if you step too soon or too late, thus you (will be responsible for your own loss). The stepping makes it so that the opponent’s work cannot go on, but that yours’ can, you must attack the opponent in a stance or wide position, so he thinks he has you for sure but that you are further from him than you have presented yourself, if on the other hand the opponent thinks you want to step in at him, then do not hurry to the attack. There is great art and cunning in the stepping, and the right measure lies in it. About it, all fencers say, so notice when you are close to the man, then let yourself note with the cutting as if you were treading with great, wide steps, but remain with your feet near to each other, meanwhile, strike off the man secretly like one who wants to steal a step, once you think it is time, then step further with your feet and boldly attack.