We intended to quickly revise all the material we did last week, then make our way through the next sections. Instead, we found ambiguities and complexities we hadn't noticed last week, and never made our way out of the first paragraph:
How you shall intercept and counterthrust from the Straight Parrying against an opponent who cuts at you from below.
2.76r, Forgeng p196
I'm going to start by giving Forgeng's translation of Meyer's text here, so I can refer back to it:
If he thrusts or cuts at your from below or across, whether from the right or left, from whichever side he thrusts or cuts, then step out from his incoming thrust or cut with your rear foot (that is with your left) toward the other side, and send it down away from you out sideways with extended long edge. Now as soon as your weapon connects on his in this parrying, then step to him with your right foot and thrust quickly off of his blade straight at his face, before he recovers. All this, that is the parrying, step, and thrust, shall take place together in the blink of an eye. This applies to the Low Cuts that he delivers against the middle of your body or higher.
Last week we interpreted it as a simple re-statement of the barring-defense, with the counterattack made explicit. This week we looked at it a little more closely.
There are a bunch of things we hadn't addressed:
- the subject of the first sentence: in "sent it down away from you" is "it" your opponent's thrust or your weapon?
- that this applies to VERY high "low cuts" - unterhauw and mittelhauw against the middle of your body or higher
- the need to get into a position where a thrust to the FACE is a good counter (usually we've been thrusting at the body, or under the right arm, after a barring: this is described in Meyer's next section).