Johannes Liechtenauer/Christian Tobler LS 2021

This translation has been evolving over some time. My first pass through the process was completed in early 2003. It has seen considerable revision since then, first by Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng of the Higgins Armory Museum and much more recently by Mr. Dierk Hagedorn of Hammaborg – Historischer Schwert­kampf, the historical combat association headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Their efforts improved the translation immeasurably. This latest iteration, from 2020, includes some minor changes over the version appearing in my earlier title In Saint George’s Name (2010).

I have included the original terminology in many parts of the translation, particularly for the names of blows and guards. My philosophy has always been that any translation of such terms fails to convey all the nuances of its original meaning and that the practitioner is best served by their proper names.

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Here Begin the Notes on the Knightly Art of Combat That Was Composed and Created by Johannes Liechtenauer, Who Was A Great Master in the Art, God Have Mercy on Him; first with the long sword, then with the lance and sword on horseback, and then with the shortened sword in armoured combat. Because the art belongs to princes and lords, knights and squires, and they should know and learn this art, he has written of this art in hidden and secret words, so that not everyone will grasp and understand it, as you will find described below. And he has done this on account of frivolous fight masters who mistake the art as trivial, so that such masters will not make his art common or open with people who do not hold the art in respect as is its due.

This is the Prologue

1	Young knight, learn  to love God and revere women;
2	thus your honor will grow.  Practice knighthood and learn
3	the Art that dignifies you,  and brings you honor in wars.
4	Be a good grappler in wrestling;  lance, spear, sword, and messer
5	handle manfully,  and foil them in your opponent's hands.
6	Strike in and hasten forth;  rush to, let it hit, or go by.
7	Thus those with wisdom, the ones who  are revered, will envy him.
8	This you should grasp:  All arts have length and measure.

This is a General Teaching of the Long Sword

9	If you want to behold the art,  see that you go on the left and strike with the right.
10	And left to right,  is how you strongly want to fight.
11	He who follows the strokes,  should rejoice little in his art.
12	Strike close whatever you will,  no changer will come into your shield.
13	To the head, to the body  do not shun the tag-hits.
14	Fight with the entire body,  what you powerfully want to do.
15	Listen to what is wrong,  do not fight above on the left if you are righthanded;
16	and if you are lefthanded,  on the right you limp as well.
17	Before and after, these two things,  are to all skill a well-spring.
18	Weak and strong,  always remember the word meanwhile.
19	So you may learn  to work and defend with skill.
20	If you are easily intimidated,  no fencing should you learn.

21	Learn five strokes  from the right side against the opposition.
22	Then we promise  that your arts will be rewarded.

This is the text:

23	Wrath stroke, crooked, thwart,  squinter and scalper,
24	fool parries  chasing, overrunning gives strokes,
25	change through, pull,  run through, slice off, press the hands,
26	hang, wind with the openings;  strike, catch, slash, thrust with jabs.

The Wrath Stroke

27	Who strikes at you above,  the wrath stroke threatens him with the point.
28	If he becomes aware of it,  take it away above without fear.
29	Be strong against it;  wind, thrust. If he sees that, take it down.
30	Note this:  strike, thrust, posture, soft or hard,
31	meanwhile, and before and after.  Your war should not be in haste.
32	Who to the war tends above,  gets ashamed below.
33	In all winding  learn to find stroke, thrust, and slice.
34	Also you should  apply stroke, thrust, or slice,
35	in all encounters,  if you want to fool the masters.

The Four Openings

36	Four openings know,  aim: so you hit certainly,
37	without any danger  without regard for how he acts.

To Counter the Four Openings

38	If you want to avenge yourself,  break the four openings with skill:
39	double above,  transmute below correctly.
40	I say to you truthfully:  no one can defend himself without danger;
41	if you have correctly learned,  he will scarcely manage to strike.

The Crooked Stroke

42	Crooked on him with nimbleness,  throw the point on the hands.
43	Who performs the crooked well,  with stepping he hinders many a stroke.
44	Strike crooked to the flats  of the masters if you want to weaken them.
45	When it clashes above,  then move away, that I will praise.
46	Don't do the crooked, strike short,  changing through show with this.
47	Strike crooked to who irritates you,  the noble war will confuse him,
48	that he will not know truthfully  where he can be without danger.

The Thwart Stroke

49	The thwart stroke takes  whatever comes from the roof.
50	Thwart with the strong,  note your work with this.
51	Thwart to the plow;  to the ox hard together.
52	He who thwarts well  with springing, he endangers the head.
53	Whoever conducts the failer  from below, he hits at his will.
54	The reverser enforces the  running through and also brings wrestling.
55	The elbow take certainly,  spring into his balance.
56	Double the failer,  if you hit, also make the slice.
57	Twice further on,  step to the left and do not be slow.

The Squinting Stroke

58	The squinter breaks into  whatever a buffalo strikes or thrusts.
59	Who threatens to change through,  the squinter robs him of it.
60	Squint when he is short against you,  changing through defeats him.
61	Squint to the point,  and take the throat without fear.
62	Squint to the head above  if you want to damage the hands.

The Scalp Cut

63	The scalper  is a danger to the face,
64	with its turn,  very dangerous to the breast.
65	Whatever comes from him,  the crown will take it.
66	Slice through the crown,  thus you will break it hard through.
67	Press the strokes,  with slices pull them away.

The Four Guards

68	Four guards alone hold;  and disdain the common.
69	Ox, plow, fool,  from the Roof should not be unknown to you.

The Four Oppositions

70	Four are the oppositions  that hurt the four guards very much.
71	Beware of parrying.  If it happens to you, it troubles you greatly.
72	If you are parried  and when that has happened,
73	hear what I advise to you:  tear away and strike quickly with surprise.
74	Set upon the four ends.  Stay upon them, learn if you want to bring it to an end.

Chasing

75	Learn the chasing  twice, or slice into the weapon.
76	Two outer intentions.  The work after that begins.
77	And test the attacks  if they are soft or hard.
78	Learn the feeling.  The word meanwhile slices sharply.
79	Chase twice,  if you hit, do the ancient slice as well.

Overrunning

80	Who wants to strike below,  overrun him, and he will be shamed.
81	When it clashes above,  then strengthen: this I truly do praise.
82	Do your work,  or press hard twice.

Setting Aside

83	Learn to set aside,  to skillfully hinder stroke and thrust.
84	Who thrusts at you,  your point hits and counters his.
85	From both sides  hit every time if you want to step.

Changing Through

86	Learn the changing through  from both sides, thrust with intent.
87	Whoever binds to you,  changing through will find him indeed.

Pulling

88	Step close in binding.  The pulling provides good finds.
89	Pull–if he meets, pull more.  Find the work that will hurt him.
90	Pull in all encounters  against the masters, if you want to fool them.

Running Through

91	Run through, let hang  with the pommel. Grasp if you want to wrestle.
92	Who comes strongly at you,  the running through then remember.

Slicing Off

93	Slice off the hard ones,  from below in both attacks.
94	Four are the slices:  two below and two above.

Pressing Hands

95	Turn your edge,  press the hands to the flats.

Two Hangings

96	There are two hangings  from one side from the ground.
97	In all attacks  strike, thrust, posture–soft or hard.

The Speaking Window

98	Do the speaking window,  stand blithely and look at his actions.
99	Strike him until he is defeated.  When he withdraws from you,
100	I say to you truthfully:  no one protects himself without danger.
101	If you have learned this,  he can scarcely manage to strike.

This Is the Conclusion of the Notes

102	Who conducts well and breaks properly  and finally makes it all right
103	and splits particularly  everything into three wounders;
104	who properly well hangs  and also executes the windings,
105	and the eight windings  views in a righteous way,
106	and each one of  those same winds I consider to be triple
107	so they are  twenty-four.
108	And count them only, from both sides.  Eight windings learn with stepping.
109	And test the bind  no more than soft or hard.