Introduction to the German Longsword
A sample from a new scholarly and
educational tool for students of the Western martial arts.
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Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng has prepared an English translation of
Joachim Meyer's Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechten (Greenhill Books, 2006). Based on that translation and on other medieval
German manuals, the Higgins Armory Sword Guild has prepared a multimedia CD-ROM containing a fully illustrated analysis of German longsword techniques.
The disc uses still images, video clips, and explanatory text to demonstrate the Guild's current best interpretation of
the medieval German longsword tradition. In addition, the disc contains a fully
illustrated syllabus and text for an introductory course on German longsword
techniques. |
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A sample of this material is available here for one of Meyer's longsword sequences.
The disc can be purchased directly from
Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng.
notes on using this
page
system requirements for the CD-ROM
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32r.1 "The Third Device" from High Ward
Facsimile
an image of the text as it appears in Meyer's edition
Transcription
and Translation
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Das dritte stuck.
HAuwet er dir aber zu deiner Rechten / wann du also in die
Oberhut ankommen bist / so trit behende mit deinem Linkcen fuß gegen seiner
Rechten auß seinem Hauw / und falle ihm zugleich mit Langer schneide / Oben auff
die sterck seines Schwerdts / unnd in dem du also auff sein Schwerdt fellest /
so stoß dein knopff under deinem Rechten arm durch / also das du jhm mit
geschrenckten Henden die kurtze schneid wol uber oder neben seinem Schwerdt zum
Kopff schlagest / fehret er aber mit seinem Schwerdt übersich gegen seiner
Rechten / so laß die halb schneide neber derselbigen ablauffen / und trit under
des wol gegen seiner Lincken / zur seiten aus / unn[d] hauwe mit Langerschneid
gerad von Oben zu seinem Kopff / zuch aber behend wider übersich / unnd schlage
mit einer Zwirch von Unden zu seinem Lincken ohr mit einem abtrit deines Lincken
fuß / als dann Hauwe dich von ihm ab / &c.
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The Third Device
Now if he cuts to your right, when you have thus come into the
High Guard, then quickly step out from his cut with your left foot toward his
right, and at the same time let your long edge fall on top of his forte. And
when you fall thus on his sword, then push your pommel through under your right
arm, so that you strike at his head with crossed hands with the short edge right
over or beside his sword. Now if he goes up with his sword toward his right,
then let the short edge run off by that side, and meanwhile step out to the side
well toward his left, and cut with the long edge straight from above at his
head. And pull quickly back up and strike with a Thwart from below at his left
ear with a back-step on your left foot; at once cut away from him, etc.
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Excerpt from the Multimedia CD-ROM
The sequence starts with Red (the Master, on the right) in
Left Ox. Black (the Student, on the
left)
starts in Right Ox.
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Black pulls up to High Guard [for a cut].
Red strikes a [Low Cut] from the left [stepping in on left foot];
Black steps out to the left, strikes the cut downward with long edge on forte.
Here Red tries to take the initiative before Black can deliver the
threatened High Cut.
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slo-mo
AVI file or
QuickTime file |
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Black pushes pommel under Right arm, strikes at [Left side of]
Red's head with crossed hands with short edge over Red's sword [with a
small step to the Right on the Right foot]. Here Black seizes the initiative offered by his position on top at
the end of the last move. [Cf. 39v.1]
Red goes up to Right [i.e. uses
his sword to bring Black's incoming blade over his head toward the Right] to
block. Black lets short edge run off downward, [gathers Left foot to
Right foot]. |
slo-mo
AVI file or
QuickTime file |
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Black pulls sword around to strike High Cut from Right with
long edge at Red's head, stepping [with Right foot] to Right;
[Red steps out to Right,
sets off with Middle Cut, with blade angled upward at 45 degrees]. Here
Black works with the momentum of Red's defense to bring the sword
around for an attack on Red's exposed Left side. Red has now
parried solidly, and is in a good position to counterattack. |
slo-mo
AVI file or
QuickTime file |
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Black pulls back up to deliver
a Thwart Cut from below at Red's Left ear, back-stepping on Left
foot; [Red cuts away].
Here, Black responds to
the possibility that Red will follow up with a counterattack by executing a
cut that defends Black's own head while offering a simultaneous threat against
Red. If Red had attacked, the Thwart would have protected Black and very
likely hit Red as well. In the event, Red chooses to break off the engagement
rather than to press on with an attack.
Black cuts away.
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slo-mo
AVI file or
QuickTime file |
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