The Onion – Basics of European Longsword: Part 8
by Roger Norling | Jul 18, 2014 | Articles, Meyer Dagger, Meyer Halben Stangen, Meyer longsword, Meyer Rappier,Techniques & interpretation | 0 comments
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Although not originally planned to be included in this series, I decided to add an article on a topic that deserves special treatment, since to best understand several of the core teachings of this whole article series it is vital to understand this particular topic. That topic is “deception“.
Mess with the mind first, then with the body
Fighting is like sex1. First you try to seduce and woo your opponent trying to stir emotions and ideas, using any means at your disposal; physical features, moving confidently, display of skills, your voice and your wit. In your exchange you give off an impression of courage & self-reliance and you may even lie and deceive with your actions. Once those emotions and ideas are stirred, then you can more easily and safely manipulate your opponent to reach your goal. Sometimes the seduction is quick, or not even necessary, sometimes it takes more work.
The importance of being capable of deceiving one’s opponent is described as far back as the oldest known longsword treatise, ie the Hs.3227a of ca 1389AD2, where e.g. the following is noted.
Oh, all fencing requires the help of the righteous God a straight and healthy body, a complete and well-crafted sword before, after, weak, strong, indes the word you must remember, strikes, thrusts, cuts. pressing, guards, parries, shoves, feeling, pulling, winding and hanging, moving in and out, swipes, jumps, grabs, wrestles wisdom and bravery, carefulness, deceit, and wits, measure, concealment, sense, pre-anticipation, skillfulness practice and positive attitude, movement, agility, good steps.
These verses should be your foundation principles and these should permeate the whole matter of the art of fencing. You should carefully observe these and later you will especially hear or read about these, and what each of these principles mean and contain.3
The actual tactics and techniques used for deceiving an opponent are many, but can be divided into two main groups that both rely on provocation. These two groups are: Overwhelming and Baiting.
Overwhelming – overloading the senses
This is an old tactic, but still used even in modern times, as advised e.g. around the Korean War by Col. Rex Applegate:
The most basic fundamental of all is that of balance. Mental balance, or stability, is a state of mind that is necessary before physical balance can be achieved. In exciting circumstances, such as vital combat, the mental balance of the opponent can often be upset by the surprise of the attack. The use of yells, feints or deception; throwing dirt or other objects in the opponent’s face; or the use of any strategy that he does not expect forces him to take time to condition his mind to a new set of circumstances, The time necessary for the mind to adjust itself varies with the individual, but it is during this period of adjustment that the attacker can destroy his opponent’s physical balance and undertake offensive action. Surprise is as effective in man-to-man combat as it is in the strategy of armies. That is why the successful fighter conceals his true intentions, so that he never “telegraphs” his intention. He always strives to do the unexpected.4
The keys to this tactic are surprise and dominance, which naturally leads to taking the initiative by attacking first and then keeping it throughout, through the use of continuous attacks. This tactic appears to have been the most commonly advised in the early fencing treatises of the Liechtenauer tradition, even if the baitingwas advised too. In fact, it could be argued to be at the very core of the early Germanic fencing style, with the concepts of Vor, Vorschlag, Zucken & Verfliegen to the four openings of Ochs & Pflug.
Step in close in the bind the Zucken (Pulling) gives you good findings. Zuck! If it hits, pull again. Find openings to work: it hurts. Zuck in all hits If you wish to fool the masters.5
The idea here is to overload the opponent’s senses by constantly giving him input that he must manage, which here means threats to his physical integrity.
Overwhelming the opponent by attacking two targets simultaneously, pressing against the neck with the halberd while kicking the knee sideways with the foot. From Meyer’s 1570 treatise.
In several fencing treatises we are also advised to keep in frequent or constant motion, frequens motus, which here means to keep moving around your space in relation to your opponent and to keep changing guards.
This tactic of disturbing and overwhelming the opponent can be examplified by, for instance, the Krawthacke, described in the Hs.3227a
One technique is called the Krauthacke (herb hoe) and comes from the iron gate and is practiced by striking upwards from the ground directly to the man and down again. And it is a strong method for those who can do it correctly, with steps directly forward and with one upstrike with each step.6
This technique is very similar to how Meyer often initiates an attack by slashing up and down before launching the “real” attack.
In the Onset when you come within a fathom of your opponent, then slash up from your right before him through his face, once, twice, three times; and in the third slashing up before him, come into the Longpoint, yet such that you remain with your left foot forward. From there, let the foible of your blade run off toward your left, and while your blade is dropping, pull your haft up at the same time; step and cut the first from your right at his left ear…7
Additionally, you may also shout, stomp or make short or halted thrusting or cutting motions to further disturb the opponent.
While keeping yourself and your weapon in constant motion, you aim to confuse your opponent rather thanouttime, outmanouvre or overpower him. Keep in mind though, that a confused opponent can be a very dangerous thing, since he will often do stupid things, like attacking you without protecting himself. Likewise, you also need to be constantly aware of your own weaknesses as they change through your transformations, so the opponent does not surprise you by exploiting those very weaknesses.
So, if the opponent is too confused or inexperienced and thus perceives no threat, then this tactic also commonly fails, which also explains why “double-kills” are so much more common in fencing with much protective gear and among untrained fencers, as both cases mean there is commonly less fear or sense of actual danger among the fencers. In that respect this is a dangerous tactic to use against unknownopponents as you don’t know their character, training or experience level.
That said, against an opponent that shows at least a minimum of concern for his own safety this is still a perfectly good tactic, as again described in the Hs.3227, the so called Döbringer treatise.
And the foundation of the teaching needs at first the principles of courage, quickness, carefulness, deceit and wits etc. And before these, control, so that when he wins the Vorschlag, he should not do it too fast so that he may recover for the Nachschlag. — And because of this one should well take his time with considering what he can do against his opponent and then move in quickly, going for the head or the body but never to the sword. Because if one strikes surely to the head or to the body – that is to the four openings – then it often happens that he gets to the sword anyway, if the adversary protects itself by using his sword.
This is why Liechtenauer says: Never strike to the sword, always aim for the openings. To the head or to the body, if you wish to remain unhurt. May you hit or miss, aim for the openings.8
Note here especially how, as long as you are covered by your strikes, it matters not if you actually hit with your strikes. The important thing is to keep the initiative and overwhelm the opponent. Sooner or later you will break through his defense.