Parrying attacks to the hips/waistline

[Eric White]

John C's 14 guards (which I severely doubt he uses or would even recommend anymore) seem to be his own attempt at describing the range of positions in which one can hold the sword.

Greg,

Yes, the guards are still important. John has told me as much that the new curriculum doesn't really change any of the basic elements we've been practicing for years, it changes the context of them and how we use them. All the old guards, steps, cuts, etc. are still there.

Eric,

If you haven't already seen this article, it'll help you catch up on stances and terminology a bit.

http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm

I hadn't seen that essay yet. Thanks!

[Stacy Clifford]

Stacy,
The 14 guards presented in Medieval Swordsmanship are not the same as the historical guards that we practice. I never said that guards are not important. I said that the historical guards are the ones we should practice and not the watered down versions in Medieval Swordsmanship.

OK, I see what you mean now. I haven't looked at Medieval Swordsmanship in so long that I didn't associate "14 guards" with that book. I agree with you that the guards presented in that book are out of date with current research and should not be used for practice any longer. My misunderstanding.

[Peter Giannini]

Greg,

I have been starting to train with Eric and have many of the same questions that he has.

The strike of wrath, "zornhau" (zorn=wrath, hau=strike), is a diagonal overhand cut. When spoken of it usually refers to a right-to-left cut, but everything can be done on the opposite side. When "he displaces it," that can be understood as a counter cut. He displaces the zornhau by cutting against it.

What do you mean when you say cutting against the zornhau to displace it. Does that mean you are making a cut that interferes with your opponents blade therefore displacing it, or are you moving out of the way and counter striking in order to counter it.

[Randall Pleasant]

What do you mean when you say cutting against the zornhau to displace it.

If someone cuts a right zorn at you their blade will be coming at your left shoulder at roughly 45 degrees. If you also cut a right zorn at their head it if possible for your blade to cut through their face and into the flat of the oncoming blade. Your edge impacting the flat of the other blade will knock the other blade down and to the side so that it does not cut you. This is a single time cut that provides both offense and defense. Of course, timing is everything when counter cutting.

If your counter cut fails the cut the adversary then at the end of displaying their blade you should finish in a lower hanging with your point inches from their face. The full sequence of followup techiques are described in Ringeck and other German longsword manuals.

[Greg Coffman]

What do you mean when you say cutting against the zornhau to displace it.

If someone cuts a right zorn at you their blade will be coming at your left shoulder at roughly 45 degrees. If you also cut a right zorn at their head it if possible for your blade to cut through their face and into the flat of the oncoming blade. Your edge impacting the flat of the other blade will knock the other blade down and to the side so that it does not cut you. This is a single time cut that provides both offense and defense. Of course, timing is everything when counter cutting.

If your counter cut fails the cut the adversary then at the end of displaying their blade you should finish in a lower hanging with your point inches from their face. The full sequence of followup techiques are described in Ringeck and other German longsword manuals.

I meant exactly what Ran said. And yes, go read Ringeck.

Does that mean you are making a cut that interferes with your opponents blade therefore displacing it, or are you moving out of the way and counter striking in order to counter it.

That would be voiding and cutting in the nach.