Lesson: Some cuts.
Warm-up: New cutting drill (in pairs)
Both start in Eisenport. Fencer A makes an Oberhau to B's top left opening (step left with the back foot lifting the sword into right Oberhau, cut at opponent's head or left shoulder with a step forwards onto the right foot). B parries with a hanging guard (step's left with the back foot lifting the hilt high and blocking the opponent's cut with the point down). B responds with an Oberhau to A's top left (having already stepped out with the left foot for the parry). A also parries with hanging guard (stepping out with the left foot), then responds with another Oberhau (stepping on the right foot). The two fencers go around and around until sick of it. Repeat going the other way.
Hip Cut (Hueffthauw):
- Lunge at the opponent's face. When he parries, use the impetus to swing your sword over your head ending in a cut to the other side. Works equally to both sides. Attempt this first with four steps (left,right,left,right), then with just two.
- Send an Oberhau to the top left opening. When he parries, threaten a thrust from left Ochs (with a step out on the left foot) to further draw his defence, then cut around to the other side.
These are both variants on Meyer's examples. We'll look at more precise reconstructions next week.
Neck Cut (Halsshauw):
Both fencers start in Eisenport. When the opponent lunges, bat it away with the flat of the blade (rotation of the radius-ulna) along with the usual step away on the left foot. Your blade will now be roughly horizontal with the long edge facing your opponent. Cut up and into the throat with a step forwards (right foot).
This works (somewhat surprisingly) on both sides. It works best as a kind of Slicing Off, where the opponent's thrust provides the motion along the edge of your blade.
Round Stroke (Rundstreich):
From left Ochs, Mittelhau through the face (left to right) then Mittelhau through the thigh (right to left). For this exercise the first cut was "pulled", i.e. the point was slightly withdrawn so that it did not connect (a feint) or resulted in a very shallow, uninterrupted cut. The key element is to make sure the blade follows a curved path, not stopping between the two cuts (hence "Round Stroke"). Try it first with four steps, then with two (so the two cuts happen on a single step with the right foot).
The whole should be repeatable on the other side (but we didn't do it).
Double Round Stroke:
Cut right to left at the opponent's face, pulling the cut into left Ochs, then cut left to right to left at their body (lower the head to help with pulling the sword around), pulling again into a position similar to right Ochs, then actually cut right to left into the oppenent's left. First try with a step for each cut, then with just one step for the two feinted cuts, and one for the finished cut. Executing this smoothly with the proper foot-work will take some practice!
Double Cut (Doppelhauw):
Counter an Oberhau with an Unterhau, then quickly cut back at the opponent's face with your long edge. Change through under the opponent's arm, leading with your point (point down, hilt up) then cut over his arm with a step in the direction of the Change.
I think the "Doubling" is just in the opening: following up the Unterhau (parry) with a cut (off sword) back at the opponent. The fancy Durchwechseln is a way of closing the line again after having opened it the Doppelhauw.
Next week: Revist the cutting drill and the Hip Cut, then look at devices that move between Unterhau and Ochs.