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User:Christian Trosclair/Translations/Pauernfeyndt

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An examination of the Knightly Art of Fighting by Andre Paurnfeindt, Freifechter of Vienna, Austria, towards a clear comprehension and concise understanding thereof.

To the Sublime Magnificent Prince and Lord, Sir Matthäus of the Holy Roman See, Cardinal of St. Angelo, Papal Legate, Bishop of Gurk, Coadjuctor of the Diocese of Salzburg etc; Andre Paurnfeindt, Freifechter and his Magnificence the Cardinal's loyal bodyguard, offers his humble service.

O' Sublime in God the Father, Magnificent Prince and Merciful Lord; after a great deterioration and lack of attention became apparent to me, for this reason, in the name of impressionable youth amid daily practice, I have decided to concisely record the Knightly Art of Fighting and thoroughly explain the Zettel in order to avoid gambling, debauchery, bad company, etc. Such an explanation I wish to accredit and dedicate to your Princely Grace. With this, I prostrate myself before your Magnificence in all humility.

In short, I have formulated three chapters in which the Lore and Essence of Fighting is concisely summarized, not for the elder fencers, but for the young students, so that enjoyment and practice grows daily in them. From all of this I have briefly proposed twelve rules from which expertise, subtlety and agility can develop in you. In this way, you learn from a master of the sword or from a sworn Freifechter and not from misbegotten fencers, like when one blind man leads the other and both fall into a ditch.

If leaf and grass grew As fast as envy and hate Then sheep and cattle would have A good winter this year.

Do not let yourself scoff at these twelve rules, From them great art may sprout from you.

The First

Whichever leg[1] stands forward, bend it. The hind one supports the body above outstretched.

The Second

Fence upright with a straight body. Drive a powerful posture from that length.

The Third

Strike and step with one another. But set your feet against one another.

The Fourth

Those who chase after cuts Do not allow themselves to enjoy the art.

The Fifth

Note what the flat is. Do not fence left if you are right.

The Sixth

Seek weak and strong Indes, note this word precisely.

The Seventh

Recognize soft or hard. Pursuing is your application.

The Eighth

Strike before and after. Do not be hasty to rush in.

The Ninth

Fence at the body from close. Do not omit the stingers.[2]

The Tenth

Step close in the bind. Otherwise you will be wounded.

The Eleventh

[That which is] in front of the hand is called the long edge. Seldom guide an act of parrying to the short.

The Twelfth

If you frighten easily, Do not learn to fence.

The first chapter teaches how one should employ expertise in the long sword, whichever is used with both hands, such as the battle sword, riding sword, estoc, and many others which I will for brevity's sake leave out.

A Zettel fencer I proclaim myself, Indomitable in Sword and Messer. In strength, weakness, short and long, I do violence to my opponent. Indes, pay attention! Understand me correctly. Hit them before they strike their position

Then I have another one on top of that. With this, my art sells quite expensively. Now I conduct my work unhindered, Right in smoothly to the body, toward the blade To make slice, strike, thrust; then right back out. If you wish to learn thoroughly, come to me.

The first resting place is named High Point or Ox as the elders will and it will be assumed hereon.

Whoever makes a descending cut at you The point of wrathcut threatens them If they become aware of it Then abscond above without concern Be strong in turn Wind. Stab. If they see it, then take it below Precisely note this. Cut, thrust, position, soft or hard Indes and before and after Without collision your war is not to be hasty Whoever hunts the war Above, will be exposed below. In all windings Cut, thrust, slice learn to apply Also with that you shall Gauge cut, thrust or slice In all encounters Of the masters, if you wish to weaken them.

The wing cut Undertake the wing cut from the upper guard or high point. The first strike to the left ear from the roof, the second from below with a step to your left side, the third strike to the head from behind.

Break If someone initiates a wing cut, parry the first from the roof. The second, pin down with the long edge from below and grab their sword's pommel with your left hand, then you throw them over their sword.

Wrathcut Crook and Cross, If the Eye Cocker keeps with the Parter, The Fool parries. Pursuing, Overrunning, places the attack Disengage, Suddenly withdraw, Rush through, cut off, press the hands Tilt and Turn to uncover with Slash, catch, sweep, thrust to clash with

Crown cut Step and strike through to the opponent's ear from above with the long edge. The second step and strike down from above to the right ear with the short edge. The third, strike from behind with the long edge.

Break When someone executes a crown cut, catch the first. For the second, situate your short edge against their neck so that they injure themselves themself.

Failer Undertake the failer from the high point. Cut short to the opponent's left ear explosively and step towards their right side with your left foot. And hammer in the second strike long to the right ear. Keep high with good

Break Cut from above from the ox against the opponent, down through the roses and land your short edge in their face. Veer off short and make a followup strike with the long edge.

About the 4 openings Know the four openings Take aim so that you strike quite wisely Without any fear Without doubt however they are situated

Breaking the four openings If you wish arrange yourself To artfully break the four openings Double high Mutate down below I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger If you have understood this, They can scarcely come to blows, etc.

Hurling Undertake hurling from the upper guard. Cut against the opponent to their left ear with your long edge. If they parry that, act as if you will suddenly withdraw and remain on their left ear with your short edge. Suddenly withdraw and hurl onto their right ear with the flat.

Break If someone starts to hurl at you, let the first strike detach and parry the second down from above with the long edge so that you can pin it down or suppress it.

Shooting though You can also undertake shooting through from the high point. Cut down from above and with the short edge and inverted hand, down through the roses and into the opponent's face. Let it briefly run off and follow up with the long edge.

Break When someone shoots through, and will lay the short edge against you so that you cannot otherwise work, take your sword by the point and strike your cross against their head.

Iron Door The third resting place is named the iron door or the cross according to the elders.

The cross seizes Whatever arrives from the roof Cross with the strong Note your work with it. Cross to the plow Yoke hard to the ox Whoever crosses themselves well Endangers the head by springing The failer misleads Wounding from below according to desire The inverter constrains Slipping through and also wrestles with it. Take the elbow surely Spring into their stance Double the failer If they make contact, make the slice with it Double further Stride in left and be not lax

From the roof Position yourself in the iron door with braced hands. If someone strikes at you from the roof, thake their strike from the roof with your short edge and step after them with the long edge.

Break Conduct the failer against them. If they lie in the iron door, then they are driven out in vain and uncover themselves.

Overshooting Position yourself as before with braced hands, step in with the short edge shot over to the opponent's left ear and make a follow up strike with the long edge.

Breaking When someone overshoots the short edge, turn the strike away so that you come to strike against strike and the same work.

About parrying Four are the parries That severly disrupt the positions Guard yourself from parrying If it happens by necessity, it hurts you If you are parried, Note as it happens. Heed what I advise: Break loose quickly, cut with violence. Lodge against four regions Learn to remain upon them if you wish to finish

The second resting place is named the hanging point and is duel. Crook up swiftly Throw the point onto the hands Crook. Whoever parries well Disrupts many cuts with stepping. Cut crooked to the flats Of the masters if you wish to weaken them When it sparks above Then dismount, that I will praise Don't crook, short cut With that, look for the disengage. Crook whoever tricks you The noble war bewilders them Such that they do not truthfully know Where they are without danger.

Hanging point The hanging point lands with the right foot forwards, like in the figure, with the flat below the face, entering short; and parry high whatever strike that will be struck from the roof. Let it run off short and follow up with a strike long.

Break Drive the right foot forwards from the right side. If someone lies still in the hanging point, position the short edge on their right ear so they are not permitted to suddenly withdraw and wherever they do withdraw, they uncover themselves.

Counter break Whenever someone positions the short edge against your neck, twist your hands with your sword and bar them from above with the long edge and grab their pommel with your left hand and throw them over their sword to the left side.

Whichever one now lives on the ground, They will be disgraced by no one.

Four positions alone Defend from those and eshew the common Ox, plow, fool, From-the-roof are not dispised by you

According to the old art, but according to our exquisite new art we have different names, but nonetheless is one idea. High point, Hanging point, Iron door, Plow. They are manifold.

Overgripping You can also undertake overgripping from high point. Reach over your cross with your right hand into the blade such that your finger stands on the blade. If someone initiates a strike, strike against them with your strong such that you overwhelm their sword, keeping threat and suddenly withdraw your flat against their right ear and veer high into your act of parrying.

Break When someone overgrips, bait them with a strike and suddenly withdraw short, make a follow up strike long or else break it with a failer or a crown cut, etc.

REMAINING Position yourself in the high guard or high point, and cut to the opponent's left ear with your long edge, and act as if you will suddenly withdraw, but remain against their left ear with your short edge, thereafter suddenly withdraw and make a follow up cut with the long edge.

Break When someone remains with their short edge against your right ear, remain on the other side as well. If they indeed pull away first, then they strike themselves the same way.

Splendid! I have already figured out myself how To displace to both places[3] I preserve the before, yet not too long. The openings will be wide open to me. No position will be good for you. I hit you in the after from a carefree spirit. With it, I come swiftly to work Just you wait until I bind you first.

About overrunning Whoever takes aim from below Overrun it, they will be shamed. When it clashes above, Then dismount, This I will praise. Make your work Or press hard twice.

Triangle Position yourself with braced hands in front of your face. If someone strikes the buffalo from high point, twist your hands up from below and step into a false step and shield yourself short such that they roll down your flat, thereafter make a follow up strike long with a step

Break When you have overcommitted yourself striking at your opponent, rise up with your pommel so you are also shielded. Let them roll down as well and work with them according to advantage.

About Displacing Learn to displace Skillfully disrupting cuts and thrusts Whoever thrusts at you Their point breaks From both sides You will hit every time, if you step.

Rushing through Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple. Whoever strengthens against you, Remember to rush through with it.

Rule Remember whenever you initiate a thrust, that you always wind your sword under your right shoulder using the pommel when you hit with your point.

About Disengaging Learn to disengage From both sides stabbing sharply with it Whoever binds upon you Disengaging surely finds or slices the opponent

About suddenly withdrawing Tread close in binds, So that withdrawing suddenly gives good finds. Suddenly withdraw. If they engage, suddenly withdraw again. That does them harm. Suddenly withdraw all engagements If you wish to make a fool of the masters

Combat Play Position yourself against the opponent as before. Grab the middle of your sword's blade with your left hand and thrust towards their face so that they must shield themselves and carry off your thrust. Follow them with a step and release your left hand from your sword. Reach across both of their hands with your pommel and position your edge against their neck and position them into weakness so that you throw them.

Beak When someone has lodged their sword against you and and will throw you, release your right hand from your sword and shove their left elbow from below so that they must turn themselves.

Play If someone has lodged against your breast, take hold of their sword with your left hand forward by the point and thrust your sword behind their left leg and press against them with your breast and with your left hand against their breast, shove them back backwards over your sword.

About pursuing Learn to pursue Twice or slice into the weapon Two as well to the outside Your work begins thereafter And gauge the applications Whether they are soft or hard Learn to feel Indes, this here cuts sharply Pursuing twice, If on connects, make the old slice with it.

Plow The fourth resting place is named the plow. Whatever the buffalo strikes at you, step into the triangle with the right foot and shield yourself short with your flat such that they roll off. Thereafter follow them with your left foot and make a follow up strike with your long edge.

Break When someone parries you and have overcommitted yourself attacking, yank your pommel upwards so that you are well covered and let them roll off of it in the same way conceived in Hildebrand or Lightning cuts.

About cutting off Cut off the hard ones From below in both paths Four are the slices Below two, above with it.

Play When you find someone in plow, overshoot them, be it with your short or long edge, before they come to their work. In this way, you bar them from neither yanking back nor striking. This will not fail you if you seize them in their resting position.

About the cockeyed cut The cockeyed cut breaks inside Whatever the buffalo cuts or thrusts Whoever threatens to change, The cockeyed cut robs them of it. Cock an eye. If they short change you, Disengaging defeats them. Cock an eye at the point Take the neck without fear Cock an eye at the top of the head If you wish to ruin the hands

The short and long are my reservoir They safeguard me at all times Out of which, I drive all my work Strong to the blade, smooth to the body Therein I can perceive your strength I break yours with weakness from that moment on, If you misfire, pay attention right quick To what my master has taught me.

About withdrawing suddenly Tread close in binds, So that withdrawing suddenly gives good finds. Suddenly withdraw. If they engage, suddenly withdraw again. Do work that does them harm. Suddenly withdraw all engagements If you wish to make a fool of the masters

About binding up If someone binds you from above, gauge whether they lie hard or soft. If they lie hard, then wind down through the roses towards their face, onto their left ear, so that you wind out their sword and uncover them with it. But if they suddenly withdraw and strike, veer up into your act of parrying.

Break If someone binds you from above, and lies firm such that they will not allow you to withdraw, lift your pommel upwards and let the point go in in between their hands and yank towards yourself so that they must let go.

Wrenching out If someone binds you, and lies firm in the bind against your sword, reach over both of their hands with your hilt and wrench down towards yourself, with this you uncover them and strike.

Regarding the slice, trust me against your strong. Yet remember doubling. This window can occlude well. If you wish to please me, undertake your work.

About the part cut The part cut Is a threat to the face With it's turn The breast is yet endangered. Whatever comes from them The crown removes. Slice through the crown So that you break it beautifully and hard Press the thrusts By slicing withdraw it

About rushing through Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple. Whoever strengthens against you, Remember to rush through with it.

About the speaking window Make the speaking window Stand freely, watch their situation. Strike them so that it snaps, Whoever withdraws themselves before you. I say to you truthfully No one defends themselves without danger If you have understood They cannot come to blows

A play When someone lies before you in the speaking window, reach over their hilt and between their hands with your pommel and latch onto their hilt with your left thumb and pull toward yourself so that you uncover them and strike them with that.

Another When someone lies in the speaking window, position your self in exactly the same way. If they will not work shove them with your left hand on their right hand such that they turn themselves and uncovers them with it.

About hanging Two hangings emerge From the ground out of each place In every application Cut, Thrust, Position, Soft or Hard

About hand pressing Turn your slice To flatten, press your hands

A play When someone lies in the speaking window, position your self in the same way as well and reach over your sword with the fingers of your right hand and latch their sword to yours. With that you press their hands.

Sword disarm When you find someone in the speaking window or crosswise cut, reach over their right hand up from the outside with your left hand and position them into weakness with your left foot to the outside, across their right knee pit and draw them away from you so that they must let their sword drop.

A throw When someone rushes in at the sword and has bound high, quickly move your right arm into their left breast and position them into weakness with your right foot well behind their right knee pit and throw them down.

Another When someone rushes in, shove them on their right elbow with your left hand and step in front of their left foot with your right foot and let them plunge over it.

Holding someone prone If you throw someone onto their belly, sit atop them and step over their arm so you are able to break it.

Item. Two plays of the long sword. The first play is called: The inverter constrains Slipping through and also wrestles with it.

The other play is called: Rush through, let hang Grab with the pommel if you wish to grapple.

Eight wrestlings come from these two plays

Sword disarm Note. If someone lies high in the cross or the speaking window, release your back hand from your sword and reach between their hands with your pommel. Afterwards, retract your pommel with your hand inverted and wrench toward your left side so that you take their sword.

Another But if they lie low, reach over their haft with the pommel of your sword and take your pommel down into a clinch and wind towards your right side so that you either throw them over your sword or they must let the sword go.

A throw When someone engages high in their act of parrying and will not part, reach behind their right foot with your left foot and with your right arm into their left breast and throw them off their feet, over your left leg.

Holding someone prone If you throw someone on their belly, drop your right knee onto their back and reach forward to the top of their head, grab their hair and pull up and crank their neck so they will fall back onto their belly if they try to stand.

An upsweep play Item. When you lay in the side guard on your left side and someone makes a descending cut at you from their right shoulder, sweep up firmly up from below into their sword with your short edge. If someone stands strong and is not too high with the hands, double in between them and their sword with the short edge to their left ear.

Another When you sweep up against the opponent's sword and they hold strong back, immediately strike their left side with the crosswise cut and again, double between [them and] their sword and strike at their right ear with the long edge.

Another When you sweep up against the opponent's sword and they are weak at the sword and with their hands low, cut toward their opening above with the long edge.

Another When you sweep against the opponent's sword and they rise up high and wind, strengthen with the long edge, but if they strike with the crosswise cut, strike to their left side with a step off.

Another When you lie in the side guard or conduct the sweeps against someone, if they then hold their sword crosswise in front of themselves and will drop onto your sword and are high with their arms, sweep against their sword from below and thrust under their sword, into their breast.

Another If they are low with their hands and will rise up, then sweep through and thrust on the other side into their breast, whereupon it has disengaged.

Another When you sweep through, drop onto their sword with your long edge and wind toward your left side such that your thumb comes under and speed against the right side of the opponent's neck with your strong and spring with your right foot and back them over it.

Another When you disengage out of sweeping and come up atop their sword on the other side you can just as well conduct the plays as before with stingers and with everything as before, on all sides.

Fencing out of displacing When you fence with someone and come close to them, come into plow and conduct it swiftly by turning from one side to the other, such that your point always stays in front of yourself. From this you can conduct parrying. This is the narrows and in them you can strengthen with the long edge and from this conduct all the previous plays. You can also displace cut and thrust and break misaligned ones and seek the opening with your point.

Side Guard When you fence with someone and come close to them, stand with the left foot forward and position your sword with the point upon the ground on your right side, such that the long edge is up. This goes on both sides.

A play from side guard If someone initiates a cut from above or wherever it is, cut in crooked to their opening with a step out.

Another Drive in the inverter with your point in their face. When they bindup, strengthen with the long edge and you can conduct all the plays that are previous in the sweeps.

Explanation of the advice When you fence with someone, extend your arms long, away from you and rest your thumb up atop your sword and turn your swor with your point away from you. With this you can drive up swiftly from below to your left side and move towards the opponent. From there, you can disengage to whichever side you wish or whatever play suits you, according to advantage.

Breaking the crosswise cut When you stay in the roof guard and someone attacks you with a crosswise cut, simultaneously cut in the wrath cut and bind them strongly in the middle of their sword and if they will strike around with a crosswise cut, then crosswise cut ahead of them into their neck. You can also conduct all plays that are in the sweeps.

Another Note, when you execute a crosswise cut and someone will preempt you with a crosswise cut against your neck from below your sword, indes, drop atop their sword strongly with your long edge so that it is broken and take the next opening that becomes availble to you.

About the wrath cut When you fence with someone and cut in with the wrath cut or however else down from above and they parry that and rise up with their arms and you both rush in on each other and they are then so circumspect that they will take your slice from below the hands into your arms, follow their sword downwards with your long edge and press down, thus you have broken them.

Another But when you arrive with your arms high and someone does as well and they rush in and want to bash you between the eyes or in the breast with their pommel through your arms from below your hands, speed downwards with your pommel, with your arms strong and heave towards yourself and strike them on their head with your sword.

Combat play Stab the opponent in the face on the inside and slip down through and stab them in the face on the outside. But if they defend that, step between both of their legs with your left foot and reach out over their left leg with your pommel into the pit of their knee and lift up with your pommel and with your left shoulder push them away from you from up high so that they fall.

Break When someone speeds into the pit of your left knee with their pommel, reach up from below and grab onto their elbow behind their left hand with your right hand and take their weight.

Combat play Stab the opponent in the face on the inside and lodge against them. If they defend that, withdraw suddenly and stab them on the other side. But if they defend that and sweep your point aside, quickly move your pommel over their right shoulder and around their neck and spring behind their left foot with your right and throw them over it.

Break When someone has slipped over your right shoulder and around your neck with their pommel, seize their right elbow with your left hand and shove them away from you so that you gain their side.

Another break When someone has slipped around your neck with their pommel, seize their right arm with your left hand and hold it firmly and turn yourself away from them to your right side and throw them over your left hip.

The distillation of the long sword

Who fully commands and correctly breaks And makes complete irrefutable judgement And breaks each one individually Into three wounders Who hangs consumately and correctly And carries out windings correctly with it And considers the eight winds With correct judgement And unites them. The windings, I differentiate trebly Thus they are twenty And four counting them individually. From both sides Learn eight windings with steps Gauge these applications As soft or hard

Do not focus on more than you understand So that you do not end up behind the wagon

Excerpt of the short sword

The short sword rightens you Whoever thrusts at you, With your shield If you wish to make them mild. Five lessons That guide with correct sense. Two upon the right, Learn to fence with these. As many on the left Compose yourself to not waver And before the opponent Do not let yourself worry If they are above, Stay below, that I will praise Learn to displace with your shield Wind in so you can disrupt the masters If they allow that Grab between their legs, don't be lax. Step, break Whatever one does, it comes to nothing. If they take target of you high Grab the sword far in the middle, they will be shamed. Go through. If they come from below, Displace, grab them by their neck, so that you can wound them. Make staff, sword wind in. Bring the pommels together, then you have won. Learn to wind in from both sides Then you can find the art. Do not hold yourself so close That you will not act Follow swiftly, then you gauge it For with that, you dupe them.

The first precept Note, If someone is high, then you are low, but if they are low, then you are high. When you are low on your right side and hold your sword in your right hand and your point in your left, if they thrust at you from above, then displace with your point, wind into their left arm with your pommel and yank them forwards. Or displace them with your point and fasten their sword to yours and with your pommel, reach up for their right arm from below and press up. Or, when you clasp the sword with their point to yours, you can also reach into the middle with your pommel and step behind them. Whoever contests this, after you have struck them together and grab the sword in your left hand and the point in your right hand, then displace with your pommel, wind inside their left arm with your point and onto the outside of their right arm with your point and yank them forward.

The second precept On the other hand, if you are high on your right side and hold your sword in your right hand and your point in your left and someone thrusts up at you from below, you can shoot through. then, if you wish, you can displace with your point and clasp their sword to yours and grab them by their neck with your pommel and step behind them. Or, when you have displaced with your point, strike at their knee with the pommel of your sword or reach behind the pit of their knee with your pommel and pull it against you or grab them by their neck with your pommel and pull them down forwards. But, if you have struck and hold your sword in your left hand and your point in your right and they thrust up at you from below, then displace with your pommel and clasp their sword to yours and grab them by their neck with your point and step backwards.

The third precept Note, When you are on the left side and are high and hold your sword in your right hand and the point in your left and someone thrusts up at you from below, parry with your half-sword such that your pommel goes down at the moment of your parry and wind inside their left arm with your pommel and onto the outside of their right arm with your pommel and yank them forwards. And when you hold your sword in your left hand and your point in your right and stand high on your left side and someone thrusts up at you from below, parry with your half-sword such that your point goes down at the moment of your parry, then wind inside their left arm with your point and onto the outside of their right arm with your pommel and yank them forward.

The fourth precept On the other hand, if you are low on your left side and someone thrusts at you from above and you hold your sword in your right hand and your point in your other hand, parry with your half-sword such that your point goes up at the moment of your parry, then wind inside their left arm with your pommel and onto the outside of their right arm with your point. If they let go, grab between their legs with your pommel and press up away from you. You can do this every time you wind in, just always step backwards in your winding in. But if you clasp your sword in your left hand and your point in your right and someone thrusts at you from above, parry with your half-sword such that your point goes down at the moment of your parry, then wind inside their left arm with your point and onto the outside of their right arm with your pommel and yank them forward. In the previous play, if turn your point upwards, you have both the winding in and the shooting through, below and above and if someone strikes or thrusts at you, then be ready for the wrenching down or the winding in.

Rushing in When you wish to rush in, which I firmly do not recommend, let your sword drop when you go in on someone, grab inside their right hand with your left and with your right hand grab onto the inside of their right leg and slip under their right armpit, then left them and carry them away wherever you wish.

Break When someone wishes to run in on you, drive over both of their arms with your right arm and press them firmly into you with your arms, step behind their right foot eith your right and turn yourself to your left side so they fall.

Breaking rushing in When someone wishes to run in on you at the sword, release your right hand from your sword and seize the outside of their right hand with your hand inverted and yank them into you, grab onto their elbow with your left hand and take away their balance.

Another Release your hand from your sword and with your right, drive over their right hand and press them down with it and with your left hand, take their balance away by their elbow.

Sword disarm When you have clasped their sword against yours in your left hand and they remain low with their arms, drive up over their sword in front of their right hand with your pommel and wrench to your right side, so that both sword stay with you.

The second chapter teaches how one shall use their messer advantageously and it has not declined by way of its diverse applicability and it is a predecessor and the chief basis of the other weapons that are used with one hand such as the dussack or dagger, wide dagger or short sword and many other one handed weapons which I will leave out for brevity.

The first play Position yourself against the opponent, your left side forwards such that your haft lies by your knee and your point against them. If they strike at you from high, step in the triangle or a false step and shield yourself short and make a follow up strike long

Break If someone positions themselves as in the picture, position yourself in highpoint and strike a failer at their left ear, then they shield themselves in vain and you win yourself a full strike from their strike.

Dismembering Position yourself as it is here. If someone initiates a strike, thrust your messer inwards against their arm from below such that they dismember themselves upon it. This is often used whenever you sit at a table and the opponent stands in front of it or else they are on horseback.

Break When you notice that someone will try to get you to dismember yourself, strike at them with a failer so that they respond in vain, the result of which is that they cannot attain a full strike against you.

Play Position yourself against the opponent with your left foot forwards, your point extended well away from you. Place a thrust in their face, then swiftly take it back and hammer it in long. But if they ward that strike, let it run off short and take other work according to advantage.

Break When someone lies against you in this way, come from the side and take their strong with the back of your messer and cut through. In this way you uncover them and can come to freer work.

Failer Undertake the failer from high point, your left foot forwards and your messer in the air with extended arms. Cut through to the opponent's left ear with a step and let your messer rush through a second step and strike at their right ear with the high parrying action

Break When someone executes a failer strike at you, cut down through from above such that you take their second strike away from the control of their hand with the back of your messer, clearing it so you are free to strike and uncover them.

Play When opponent initiates a cut from above, immediately cut in with them and step wth your left foot well to their right side. Let it go empty and draw the turkish pull from the hand over their right arm.

Play Position yourself with your left foot forward, such that your messer with its point lies in front of your foot. If someone initiates a strike at you, either take their strike from roof guard away with the back of your messer or shoot your point up into their face or else whip the wind stroke around your head.

Break Position yourself with your right foot forward such that your messer is against the side your breast, your thumb underneath and the edge up. If you notice that the opponent will shoot up over, then drive their strike away and out of control of their hand short, then step and make a follow up strike long.

Another Position yourself with your right foot forward, your messer against your breast, your edge up, your point towards the opponent. In this way you are either able to strike the change cut from below or above or else thrust your point into their face and swiftly take it back, thus you accumulate a parrying action along with your strike over the right arm.

Break If someone lay against you in this way, lash out at them and let your first strike rush through short, step and strike long into their face from roof guard.

Play Position yourself with your right foot forward, your messer at your knee, with your hand inverted. If someone strikes at you from roof guard, step away form their strike with your left foot and turn it away with the back of your messer and draw it over their right hand.

Play When someone meets you with a sword or pig spear and you only have a messer, position yourself as shown here. If they strike a buffalo strike from roof guard, step in the triangle and parry the strike short, in this way they err by opening themselves up, so swiftly make a follow up step and strike before they come to their senses.

Break When you have overcommited yourself, yank your pommel up such that the opponent unloads on your flat, which gains you a powerful strike upon them.

Play When someone meets you with a sword or dussack or other weapons and you do not have any weapon, take precise note of their strike and step into the triangle or into a false step and grasp the top of their right hand with your right hand and with your left hand grab their right elbow, take their momentum and sling them to the ground.

With empty hands When someone initiates a thrust with their dussack from below, drop your left hand on their right hand and hold it firmly and grab their messer with your right hand inverted and twist their messer up from below with their point towards their body and press against the messer from behind with your chest so that you stab them with their own weapon.

The Key This is called the key because it disarms all devices and it goes like this. When someone thrusts at you with a messer, dagger or awl and you do not have any weapon in your hands, stand still and place your hands one atop of the other crosswise in front you. From this you can disarm any device one thrusts at you, above or below.

These are the breaks from the key with empty hands When someone initiates a thrust from above with a dussack, invert your right hand and clasp their right arm up by their hand and wrench it around and with your left hand, take their balance at their elbow and slam them onto the ground

Another with empty hands When someone initiates a thrust from below, grab their arm with both hands and rush their arm through and wrench it around so that you break their arm and take their messer.

Seize their arm with both hands and wrench it around and turn yourself through to your right side and break their arm over your left shoulder.

With weaponless hands Seize their arm with both hands and step fully into them, turn yourself to your right side and break their arm atop your chest.

Or execute wrestling Quickly move your left hand against the front of their throat and step behind their right foot with your left foot and throw them over your left knee with your foot.

Another with empty hands Seize their right hand with your left and with your right seize them underneath their elbow and yank them towards you with it and with your left hand shove them away from you and spring behind their left foot with your right and throw them over your right knee with your foot.

How one shall restrain someone thrown When you throw someone, always fall on their right side with your right knee between their legs and with your left hand, fall forward into their neck and do not be too eager, so that you do not fall too far over them and then seize their weapon and work with it according to your landing.

Another If someone falls on their back, grab both of their legs below the knees with both hands and lift them up and drop between their legs onto their testicles with your knee and in this way hold both of their legs with one hand and work with your weapon with the other.

Rushing in When someone strikes a buffalo strike from roof guard, strike outward such that they don't overrun you. If they strike into your strike, take your messer in your left hand close to the point and rush under their strike in such a way that you land it in side their strike while their swing is over their head and quickly move in completely back behind the pit of their knee. Thereafter, draw them towards you such that they fall backwards on their head.

Another When someone hands over a buffalo strike to you, set the back of your messer on your left arm with strength such that they do not slam you to the ground. And spring under their strike with a high parrying action, grab their right hand with your left and break their arm from the hand. You uncover them with this and deliver a buffalo strike, etc.

Play When someone has broken your right hand, follow behind the strike and grab their right shoulder with your left hand and position them into weakness with your right foot behind the pit of their left knee and shove them away from you so that they fall.

Thrust breaking Whenever someone initiates a thrust, be it from above or below, carry it away from your face with the back of your messer and execute the wind strike upon them or other work.

Break Whenever you notice someone will break your thrust suddenly abort it so that they cannot mount you, in this way they err and open themselves up with it.

Removing the wing Set yourself up with your right foot forwards with an inverted hanging point. If someone strikes up from below into your face, step and cut under their right shoulder from below and invert your right hand with armpit slicing. Push against their right shoulder with your left hand so that they must turn and uncover themselves.

Break Whenever someone cuts into your armpit and will remove your "wing", reach over their right hand, through their arms with your messer, behind their haft and retrieve your messer near the point with your hand inverted and barred and then pull towards yourself so that you take their messer.

Messer disarm Note when someone initiates a strike such that you have misfired, wrap your arm around their dussack and force it upwards, turn yourself away from them and take it over your shoulder.

Break Fall upon them to wrestle from behind

Counter break Thrust into their genitals from through their legs.

Double thrust Thrust into their face form above such that they do not catch your thrust. Take another step, thrust with your hand turned around, also from above. With this you have a parrying action in taking it away, let it run off short, then you win a sure strike.

The third chapter summarizes expertise in the staff which is the source of many weapons, such as the long spear, javelin, boar spear, halberd, and pike. Similar ones are given many peculiar names I will not list for the sake of brevity.

Binding The staff has eight parrying actions. Four binds with two above and two below with one on each side in any hand and two in the middle of the staff.

Play When you bind their staff from above from your right side, shoot your point into their breast or work it over their staff into their right shoulder. If they ward it, strike into their right side from below with the other point of your staff or else bind against their staff from the outside and strike it out of their right hand.

Play When you bind your opponent, whichever hand it is, hold your forward hand still and swiftly yank your staff back with the other hand. With your forward hand thrust it into their breast with the other point to both sides.

Play If you bind your opponent from above, keep that point against their staff and whisk your other point below, against their arm and lift it up with force and rush completely through and throw them over your leg.

Break When someonedoes that to you, shoot your point over their staff and strike them on their head with the other point.

Play When someone binds you from above with half staff, take their upper point out of their hand with your lower point, step, shove and strike, so that you can come to further work without harm.

Break When someone takes your point away, let your lower point shoot into their face and drop into a calm and confident parry. But if they thrust, turn it away from your face so that they come back into your control.

Play Position yourself into a parry, your staff on the ground in front of you, the other point in front of your face. If someone initiates a thrust, wind their staff using your staff above your hand. You uncover them with this. Accompany that thrust [with one] to their face.

Break When someone winds your staff out, recede from their thrust and throw them overhead so that you win a full strike with your parry.

Play If someone initiates a strike down to your feet or knees with their staff, then throw your staff to your left side, drive against their strike with your point to the ground and spring behind their left foot with your right so that you gain an advantage.

Play Thrust into their face form the inside. ut if they ward and turn away your thrust, quickly move your other point around their neck over their right shoulder and spring behind their left foot with your right and throw them over it.

Break When someone moves their staff around your neck, grab their right arm with your left hand and turn away form them to your right side and throw them over your left hip.

Play Position yourself with your left foot forwards, your staff in front of your face in a powerful thrust, bait them with a thrust, take it back, reach atop your staff with your right hand and strike with your hand inverted and step inside, fully into them, thus they will draw up a parry. With that, you can work further.

Break When someone strikes across your hand, do not respond to the strike with any parry, thus they misfire in proportion to it's power and that clears the opening for you to their harm.

With half staff

Position yourself with your right foot forward, your staff in both hands, gripped in the middle. If someone sets into your face with power, take it from roof guard with the back point, in this way you acquire the freedom to thrust or strike.

Break When someone intrudes with half staff and rattles you about the ears, fall back and set into their face with authority. No one comes away from you without harm.

Play If someone initiates a thrust from below, do not defend it, rather set into their face.

Break If someone sets into your face, simlutaneously thrust in with them and pay attention to their left arm.

Play Position yourself with your right foot forwards, such that your staff lies behind you ready for a strike. Yank and throw your staff to their right side from extension so that they must shield themselves from harm and must give you a swing to the left side.

Break When someone throws their staff into your sides, place your point onto the ground and turn away to both sides. Thereafter follow up with a thrust into their face or move your staff between their legs and throw them.

Play If someone thrusts into your face such that you should defend, displace their thrust with the forward point (your right hand) and set into their face.

Play When someone lets your strike miss and your strike trails off in vain or they refrained to extend, therefore you misfire; always yank your staff upwards, therefore you shield yourself and come to further work.

Break When someone has misfired and managed to accomplish their parry, thrust down from above into their face form the inside so that they must turn away your thrust. And when then defend your thrust, strengthen yourself against them, such that your point becomes wound between both their hands and their body, then you take their staff out of their hands.

Play Position yourself with your left foot forward, your staff in the air. Strike through short to the opponent's left shoulder such that they cannot catch your strike and step on in long with the second strike so that you can immediately work at their side.

Break Whenever someone strikes through short, let it flit away and intervene in the speaking window such that their strike comes between both your hands. Thereafter, thrust your point into their chest.

Play If someone were to strike to the pit of your left knee, with your right hand turn your staff towards the ground and with your left hand hold the other point in front of your face and catch their strike between both your hands and with your staff, wind it from below, up over their staff near their hands and lift up to your side so that you pull their staff from their hands.

Play When someone strikes down from above at your head with their staff, catch their strike between both of your hands with your staff and with the forward part of your staff wind down from above over their hands to your left side and firmly pull towards yourself to your left side so that you pull their staff from their hands.

If someone strikes at your forward hand with their staff, break it as you would have broken the high strike to the head above.

There is not a person alive who can please everyone.[4]

If I were wished woe, Then I would cut back bitterly

With this very excerpt of the Knightly Art of Fighting, I have been moved by many reasons to express this Knightly Art, yet in keeping that particularly diligent in mind, I have strived for conciseness in this little book which I dedicate and present to my students, to which there is no doubt they stand to be diminished, rather than growing and improving day by day, at the point I a mistake somewhere (because to err is human) being careless in obligation, of which I wholly and humbly accept about myself. So, if God bestows upon me grace and health, I will be diligent and will shortly in a new year present to you another and more serious explanation, which will prove itself to be valuable and serious, where the art will be honored daily in complete service to your reign

Cobbler, do not make judgements above the shoe.[5]

Vienna, Austria by Hieronymous Vietor[6] 1516

  1. lit: foot, but can and often mean the leg
  2. alt: flesh wounds, tag hits.
  3. alt: points, ends
  4. rephrasing of Ovid's "Cunctis qui placeat non credo quomodo vivat"
  5. rephrasing of the proverb from Pliny, "ne supra crepidam sutor iudicaret"
  6. Hieronymous Büttner