Counter-cutting an Oberhau from the Alber Ward

[Eric White]

Is it possible to counter-cut an oberhau from any ward? I'm specifically questioning how one would counter-cut an oberhau from the Alber ward. It seems as if one would have to first transition to Vom Tag and then execute a zornhau to counter the oberhau. In solo practice I'm struggling to figure this out.

[Stacy Clifford]

Yes, from alber you just cut upward with the false edge and hit it from underneath, knocking it aside or out of alignment. If you do it right you can chop the hands or forearms before the blow lands, or in knocking the blow aside you clear a nice opening for a quick downward chop of your own. I just did this in sparring a couple of hours ago. And yes, it even works against a direct vertical blow from the head with a little practice - your rising blade sideswipes his descending blade, in a sense, knocking it aside.

One point to note, there are no meisterhau originating from guards below the waist, so you're either going to strike them straight away or parry and then strike in two times from below, but there's not really a good way to strike and defend simultaneously from there in most cases just due to the angles the body tends to move along (unless they also happen to be striking from underneath, which would be fairly unusual). Nonetheless, cuts from below are very useful and I fight with them a lot.

[Eric White]

One point to note, there are no meisterhau originating from guards below the waist, so you're either going to strike them straight away or parry and then strike in two times from below, but there's not really a good way to strike and defend simultaneously from there in most cases just due to the angles the body tends to move along (unless they also happen to be striking from underneath, which would be fairly unusual). Nonetheless, cuts from below are very useful and I fight with them a lot.

So the counter-cut from the Alber uses the false edge (short edge, I think I've heard it called) to cut the opponent's hands? Is this a poweful cut? I would imagine that a cut using the false edge is not as powerful as one using the true (leading) edge.

[Stacy Clifford]

So the counter-cut from the Alber uses the false edge (short edge, I think I've heard it called) to cut the opponent's hands? Is this a poweful cut? I would imagine that a cut using the false edge is not as powerful as one using the true (leading) edge.

A false edge cut from alber isn't going to cleave anybody in half, no, but your arms and wrists are not so thick or well padded, and you can still generate quite a bit of power with good footwork. Try an experiment - get somebody to hold out a board (or a waster) horizontally and do this cut at it from below with both a simple lunging step and with a passing step and see how hard you can hit, and consider that your opponent's arms might also be descending against it. Try a similar strike diagonally from boar's tooth as well, that one can be quite powerful.

And yes, false edge and short edge are synonyms.

[Eric White]

Try a similar strike diagonally from boar's tooth as well, that one can be quite powerful.

And yes, false edge and short edge are synonyms.

I was following you until you mentioned "boar's tooth." I'm familiar with the four wards described by Ringeck and the majority of the wards described in Medieval Swordsmanship. What type of guard is "boar's tooth"?

Also, I'm going to try the unterhau waster experiment next time Peter G. and I train. Thanks for the suggestion.

[Stacy Clifford]

Sorry, looks like that one's not in the stances article either. It's not one of the five primary guards and the source of the name is Italian (posta di dente chingiale), and it's basically an outside version of alber. If your right foot is forward and you're in alber, pull your hilt back and to your left without changing the orientation of your blade (edge up and forward) until the pommel is aimed roughly at your left front pocket. It's about the same position you would end up in if you cut a high angle (more vertical) zornhau. You can also do it on the right if you switch your feet, as the sword is always in front of the trailing leg. It's known as the boar's tooth because of the angle at which it thrusts upward from the side, and it's also excellent for the aforementioned false edge cuts.