“As Above, So Below”: Defending with High and Low Guards in Liechtenauer’s Art

Christian Henry Tobler – February 2011

Introduction

The goal of this class is simple: learn how to use Master Liechtenauer’s Art of Fighting to counter attacks using a high guard, vom Tag (“From the Roof”), and a low guard, Nebenhut (“Side Guard”). We’ll do this using three of the weapon forms found in the Kunst des Fechtens – the longsword, sword and buckler, and poleaxe. And while we’ll see the fundamentals adapted to each of these three weapons, we’ll find more similarity than difference.

Part I – The Longsword

From Above:

From vom Tag, strike the Zornhau (“Stroke of Wrath”) from above against his attack:

If you he’s “soft at the sword” and you win the bind, thrust to his face (right).

If he’s strong in the bind, wind against his sword by lifting up into the guard Ochs.

If he’s overly strong in the bind, pull out and strike to his other side. This is called Abnehmen (“Taking off”) or Zucken (“pulling”).

If he’s moderately strong in the bind, wind behind his sword, performing a Duplieren (“Doubling”).

If he’s very weak, then drop your point over his sword and thrust low. This is called Mutieren (“Transmuting”).

The Schielhau (“Squinting Stroke”) can also break a powerful, over-committed, attack by striking the short edge from above against both sword and man (right). Strike as if employing a Zornhau, but turn the blow over mid-stroke.

From Below:

From the left Nebenhut, slash up with the short edge outside to his attacking sword:

If he is soft in the bind and you easily clear his sword aside, then strike down onto his head or arms.

If he binds hard, and his hands aren’t too high, then use the Duplieren with the short edge to attack behind his blade.

If he binds hard, wind into right Ochs to thrust to him. If he binds very strongly, snap around his parry and

strike him on the other side with the short edge of your sword.

If you slash his sword far aside, then Mutieren over his blade, grab your own blade, pinning his blade under your armpit (right).

Part II – Sword & Buckler

From Above:

From vom Tag, strike the Zornhau (“Stroke of Wrath”), just as with the longsword, from above against his attack, but using your buckler to provide cover for both hands:

If he’s weak in the bind, thrust. If he’s weak, wrap your buckler hand around his sword

arm from the inside (right). If he’s strong, wind against his sword. If he’s strong, separate your weapons, keeping your buckler against his sword. Bring

your sword into right Ochs, either slashing through his face or thrusting. This essentially a Duplieren. If he defends against this, strike down to his leg.

If he’s very strong, roll your sword over your buckler to strike to his other side.

If he’s very strong, then separate your weapons and bring your pommel through to the other side to hook his wrist (right). If you can’t hook the wrist, push his elbow with your buckler and do as you wish to him with your sword.

From Below:

From the left Nebenhut, slash up with the short edge against the outside of his sword:

If you clear his sword aside, strike down with the long edge to his head, just as in the longsword Nebenhut play.

If he is strong in the bind, then pull through your sword to the other side, leaving your buckler to check him, and threaten the face. Strike his leg then if he parries this.

If he is strong in the bind, push his elbow with your buckler.

From the left Nebenhut, strike up with your long edge, providing cover with sword and buckler:

If he’s weak in the bind, follow through with a thrust.

If he’s strong in the bind, wrap his arm with your left arm and thrust from right Ochs. If he parries this, strike his leg.

From left Nebenhut, cut off his attacking arm’s wrist with your long edge (right).

Part III – The Poleaxe

From Above:

As with the Zornhau with the longsword, the axe can break another stroke and thrust in opposition with his weapon.

You can wind the axe up into the guard Ochs to gain further leverage if needed.

Should he parry strongly, change through (Durchwechseln) with the tail of the axe and either thrust to his face with it or throw him forward or backward by laying it upon the back or front of his neck, respectively.

Shoot your axe’s tail through his hands behind his lead hand and take his axe away by pushing against his upper wrist and pulling against his lower wrist with your axe’s haft. Pass in conservatively with your trailing foot and then pass back out with it as you press his wrists to power the action.

You can also bring the tail under and through to press his elbow from the outside; step inside his forward leg as you do this to throw him forward to the ground.

A blow akin to the Schielhau (Squinting Stroke) may also be used to “jam” his attack.

From Below:

The axe held in the left Nebenhut can parry with the tail, allowing the head to be brought to bear against the opponent:

Catch your opponent’s stroke on your axe’s tail or between your hands. From there, thrust to his foot or hook the outside of his right knee. It may be helpful to disengage and free your axe’s tail as you do this.

If you catch the stroke high between your hands, then this will put you in a position akin to the guard Kron (Crown); from this, thrust immediately to his face or drag him down by his neck with your axe head.

If you are the one striking high, and he goes to parries in Kron, then strike short and thrust below his axe.

You can assume right Pflug (the mirror of Nebenhut with the poleaxe, a double-ended weapon) against an opponent in right vom Tag:

Thrust preemptively to his head or under the armpit, if he gives you a tempo.

If he parries this, knocking the head downward, use the head to hook his forward leg or thrust to his foot.

If he strikes first, step while bringing your axe’s tail up and forward to meet his blow. Thrust to his face as you parry, or thrust under his lead hand and either break it free or throw him.

If he sets aside your parry, then attack his other side with the head of the axe to strike, thrust, or throw him.

If you’re the one in vom Tag and he’s in Pflug, hook over his haft with your tail as you step and hook his neck with the head to throw him over your right leg.