Staff

[1] Staff fencing which is a precedent and root of all long weapons such as halberd, Schefflin Knebelspieß and long pike

The staff has four parries, namely in the binding two to both sides, in setting off and slicing off and clearing away, item: one in the middle, also to both sides. Further it has eight bindings, four bindings above and below, and in front of each hand one and two in the middle of the staff.

[2] You should also pay attention to the four parts of the staff and what goes to each of the four parts in the work, as in the first part is to the cutting and to make flying thrusts, in the middle part is the striking, simultaneous thrusting, hanging and hanging over, and in the third and fourth part the windings and the running off.

[3] Fencing in the forward most part (of the staff)

Item: If you bind him at his staff's furthest point with your most forward part of your staff, from your left toward his right, then yank the staff out to the right side but do not fall too far from his staff, rather thrust this yank quickly back to his face.

[4] Yank the staff out as before, and thrust as before, as soon as he wants to parry the thrust so change through to the other side with the thrust.

[5] Item: Jerk the staff strongly out from him with your left hand as before, pull the staff in quickly to the other side, and with this strike see that you grab the staff again with your left hand, flit it again with your left hand to the displacement.

[6] Item: If you have bound with him forward on the staff so quickly pull around your head and hit him with one hand straight in from above to his head, with this strike seize the staff again with a diligence to the thrust.

[7] Item: In the binding so strike over hand a lock blow with a forward step, pull the staff back overhead and thrust with one hand to the face.

[8] Note: If one will bind on you and urges the thrust on you, then thrust hard in with him, but be soft with the step a little out from the thrust, as the next figure will teach you.

[9] Note when Binding, then pull the staff with both hands around the head and strike him from outside to his arm, if he thrusts after, then turn the thrust away with a step out and thrust in with him simultaneously.

[10] Item: When in the bind, thrust towards his feet as if you wanted to hit, but behave as if you had missed, and as soon as he thrusts in after to you, turn his thrust away with a step out and thrust in simultaneously with him.

[11] When you have bound with him in the middle, or the second part of the staff, then remain strong in the parry and note as soon as he opens himself, whether with changing through or however it happens then thrust in quickly being strong with the displacement.

[12] Item: However, if he will not thrust after to your opening, so allow the point to drop downwards, and heave the rear hand upwards, thus you stand in the hanging as soon as he then thrusts after at your opening, then turn his thrust away and thrust in simultaneously with him.

[13] ...to you, through the forward hand, and thrust with a strong (transference) from your chest to his face.

[14] Note: When you bind with one from your right, then thrust him upwards to the face but fall, and at the same time allow the point to sink downwards to his right then change through and heave your rear arm upwards and thrust from above down to his hip, pull the staff around your head and strike after or if he will thrust to your face while you are (changing through) with your forward point under his arm, so then turn away his thrust upwards and thrust after to him.

[15] Swing thrust

Note, bind on to him from your right against his left, pull your staff with both arms around your head so that the staff flies around to your left like a Zwerch with this you make your face open, then take out his thrust from your left to right so that you transfer your rear hand high above your head, and your forward point hangs down to the ground, just like the hanging, wind the thrust under your hand into his face.

[16] Item: If one strikes at your feet, then parry his strike with the point towards the ground, thrust him quickly from below to his face.

[17] Item: If one strikes at your head, then parry it between both your hands and wind your point over his staff to his face.

[18] Item: If one strikes to your shoulder or to your middle, then parry between both your hands so that your point hangs to the ground, and drive him with the rear point into his face, however if you parry his strike to your right, then step and thrust him with the forward point from below to his face.

[19] Item: You may also suppress the strike with a strike from above onto the Strong of his staff.

[20] Winding

Note If one binds hard on your staff and rests hard there in the bind by your left side, then thrust upwards strongly to his face on his staff that he must parry, Indes spring in well under the staff with a thrust and turn with your rear point over his staff and strike him crosswise to the head.

[21] Item: If you bind on him from your right then thrust upwards from his left to his face, instantly run in under his staff and with the rear of your staff, catch his staff between his arm and his staff close to his hand and wrench out to your right side, come to your own aid with the Long Point or the entire staff. You may also bind in such running in with the rear point to the face.

[22] In all winding, be careful on which side you thrust in with the Long Point. So wind with the other rear point with a running in to the other opening under or above the arm.

[23] Above the arm you may take him with the rear point around the neck and with the foot step behind and throw or other wrestling on the hand taking.

[24] If someone wants to run in at you, pull back short with the staff with a jump and let the point sink so that your rear hand is high, then your staff will come between you and him in the hanging, push him away from you on his chest.

[25] Several clarifications of good strikes with the staff: When you bind one at the forward point, jerk your hand over you and give the staff a swing with your left hand and strike him above to the head, Cross Strike is when you pull in the bind and strike with both hands to his forward arm from the other side. Round Strike I want to save for the halberd. Locker Strike is the one with an overhand. Through Strike is when you strike him through to his forward leg and back in again to the other side.