Longsword Techniques, Lesson 3: The 2 Most Important Cuts for HEMA
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 15 พ.ย. 2024
- The third installment in our Codex Döbringer (MS 3227a) series. This fight-book ends its Zornhau section with a review of some very foundational concepts. If you don't have a grasp of these, you probably won't be able to tackle more complicated techniques later on.
We are attempting to show these cuts as the author of MS 3227a recommends, but even he states that other masters do them differently. We are not trying to showcase the cutting styles of any other master or style. As always, these are our interpretations, and we welcome other opinions and insights. We encourage you to study this wonderful manuscript on your own at
wiktenauer.com/...)
We have been overwhelmed by the positive response our previous videos have received. Thank you so much! We will continue to do our best at providing useful videos for you to watch.
You guys have the best instructional videos that I've seen so far.
Love this lesson series, outstanding work gents. Thank you
Hello, without getting too much into nuances I wanted to point out an issue in the video I often see people doing in solo drills that does not work in reality. When doing the defensive oberhaus cuts at 5:41 you are lowering the cuts very low because you pull the strike to the hip which ends up pushing the weak towards the opponent's strong. If you want when you do a parry from these positions earlier in the video against a real sword you will notice you don't end in this position for this exact reason but instead end with the sword more extended from the body and pushing the strong more into the sword. This is something I notice often and just wanted to point out :). Other than this point this video is really well done and covers some fundamentals I see a lot of people look over when training :).
Thanks for the video. I like they way you go through things, and give examples. One possibility. At the end of each video perhaps giving a drill to work on what was taught.
Glad you like them! Drills are a great idea. Stay tuned.
Keep it going, you´re making a great series. Greetings form Argentina
Thanks!
Could you make a video for Alber? I cant find a lot on it. Only that it is said it's for baiting your opponent and guarding low strikes, but nothing on how to accomplish either.
Alber is widely regarded as being inefficient. Nobody is going to fall for it, and there are much better low guards
I was orginally taught when doing a Zornhau, you should cut all the way to fools guard. It looks like you guys are stopping at plough, and that makes sense because then if you miss you would still be a great position to thrust.
I know this is late, but to comment:
It has its uses. If you cut to plough, as you said, you're in a good position to thrust. But the disadvantages are that you present your sword for a bind (for which there are contingencies for); and that you lose a LOT of power if you land the hit (i.e. your cut won't be that strong). The latter is the reason why you would want to cut to fool's guard. That's how you get the powerful and valid cuts (which have their own strengths and weaknesses).
AWESOME STUFF
Thanks for the differentiation! I now see the difference. Hahah!
I'm a lefty with some ambidextrous capabilities. So, the question is, in case I would practice HEMA with longsword, is there a stance for left handed? I should also point out that I'm practicing kendo for some 4,5 years (that's where the ambidexterity comes from).
What I do with our left handed fencers is have them mirror everything I'm doing. Most of our basic actions work fine from either side, but will favor one side. A right handed fighter will have stronger attacks from the right and stronger defenses on the left. For lefties it is reversed. With a lefty versus a righty, their strengths both match up with the other's weaknesses, which makes for interesting exchanges.
I personally am left handed, but learned to fight right handed to be a better teacher. Now I could do both, but right has become natural for me.
Thanks. My path was practically the same and I grew accustomed to my right as being the "dominant" per se. However, in kendo the left hand (in a "normal" kamae stance) is the one working most of the work, so I am curious how would I manage in longsword schools of HEMA.
I am 5'4''. Is it possible for me to learn the long sword or should I just learned something else like the rapier or katana or the ninja sword?
You can certainly learn the Longsword! We have adult students your height and youth who are even smaller. You will have to adjust certain techniques to make them work for you, but so would someone who is very tall. Longswords also come in different lengths, so you should be able to find one that will work for you.
Nick, yeah that's exactly the idea.
@Nick& Sword Carolina: I agree that striking to Pflug might set you up in a good position if you intend to thrust afterwards, but it does take a bit of force out of your strike. This makes it easier for an opponent to set your sword aside and continue with his own techniques. Also, going to Pflug might cause you to pull the sword back in (not all the time, but sometimes) by which you sacrifice a bit of range. Lastly, by striking into a Pflug position, you might end up *pushing* your sword into the opponent rather than *striking* him with it. Not bad if you already have the hit, but if you end up in a bind it might put you in a biomechanically weaker position. :)
I'm not saying that striking into Pflug is wrong (I tend to do it a lot myself and have only recently started to also strike into a nebenhut type position, which I noticed gave me a lot more strength in the strike without actually having to put in any more effort), but it is worth noting the advantages and disadvantages to either way of going about things. :)
Enjoying the videos, looking forward to seeing more of them! :)
vonlipwig Excellent points. I will also at times perform cuts to Alber or Nebenhut, depending on what I'm trying to accomplish. This video shows attacking with more defense in mind, and with a mind for setting up on immediate Nachschlag.
Because we are trying to keep our videos short, I greatly appreciate people like you bringing up more points in the comments. Thanks!
What can be done from Alber?
You can quickly move into defense from Alber, but it is hard to attack directly from there without first transitioning through another guard.
Hey guys, I'm having a bit of trouble finding a guide on all the different names. I got the Zornhau which i think is the "strike of wrath" but I'm unfamiliar with everything else. Is there a list or guide with these terms and definitions? Or can i find the manual online?
I only ask because i'm writing about it, for a character in a story, and i like to get the terminology correct.
+MarkDNF I encourage you to check out the Wiktenauer and get into some of the manuscripts. But here is a pretty good shorthand list: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_school_of_fencing
You guys are the best as always. Thank you i shall read it fully. Also, you looked nervous during the drills, new student's or just not used to the crowd when teaching?
p.s. what do you think of John Clements, You and he.. Uh Yeah, you and he, are the main two places i go to for sword knowledge. And so far, i found your study guide to be extremely useful. Probably the most helpful that i've seen.
+MarkDNF Maybe a bit nervous. Videoing teachings is a different animal than teaching live. But we get better by doing. Our current videos are I think much better than these early ones, though I'm still pleased with them.
I don't personally know John Clements. He is obviously very skilled and knowledgable. He apparently has some major personality issues according to the dozens of people I know who were at one point in his group. I agree with much that he teaches, but by no means all. Still, for you, gather as much information as you can.
I'd also encourage you to check out our website, if you haven't yet.
Thanks, man.
Sword Carolina Oh i need to do that. Is it just SwordCarolina.com?
Sword Carolina p.s. Any way you'd recommend beating a Rapier and catching dagger combo with a longsword?
Kind of not sure if it's possible due to the speed difference.
@Nick: going all the way down with a Zornhau, you don't end up in Alber nor in Nebenhut but in Wechsel.
True, but I usually use Alber in a loose sense, anything with the point to the ground. How else can we deal with Liechtenauer, who says that there are Only 4 guards? I tend to view the Vier Leger more as categories, which later get subdivided into more specific guards. Of course, that is my personal interpretation of the system.
Is there a reason why most people doing HEMA take large steps with the heel instead of on the balls of the feet?
Well, I can't speak for anyone but myself, and I haven't studied the topic to see if indeed most people step with the heels. I for one always advocate stepping with the balls of the feet and keeping the calves flexed, though I don't mind if the heels make contact with the ground. Of course, if you are watching a teaching video where the action is slowed down for purposes of teaching, the heel will probably land first. For instance this video, which is probably the target of your question. In our full speed cuts, the balls land first, but when slowed down the heels land first to compensate. As far as large steps, it all depends on what you're trying to accomplish, doesn't it? Thanks!
I would like to go there for a training camp or meay be you guys come here in Chile. Let me know if you are interested.
Christian E. Cristi Anytime you are in our area, you are welcome to come. If we venture down your way, we will look you up. Thanks!
what is the difference between a slice and a cut? i have never heard slice used in relation to HEMA before.
First of all, "slice" is the English word I use for "Schnitt." Others may use different English terms for the German original, so if that was the problem I apologize. Schnitt is a close-range attack done with the strong of your sword, the portion of the blade nearest your hand. It is a push or a pull with hard pressure on the edge to wound or control the opponent. The "cut" is the German "Hau" and is the fast-moving attack with the edge of the weak of the sword that we normally think of in sword fighting.
+Sword Carolina ah, i see. I'd always just heard the term push or draw cut, sorry for the misunderstanding.
Not at all. I should have made it clearer. Thanks!
+Sword Carolina i'm glad you guys are doing this series, i cant find another like it. I wish i lived a little closer!
Who is black guy? That was better way to point the difference.