An Introduction to Joachim Meyer, 1570 Instructor Jacob Norwood, SFS

ARMA Southern Knights 2004 9:00 – 11:00 Sunday, February 29th

This course is intended as an introduction to the teachings of Joachim Meyer, a Freifechter (Freefencer) in Strasburg. All of the material here is grounded in his manual from 1570, Thorough Descriptions of the Free and Knightly Art of Fencing with Various Customary Weapons with Many Beautiful and Useful Illustrated Figures Affected and Presented (illustrated by Tobias Stimmer). In putting this workshop together I have benefited most from Mike Rassmussen’s online translation at www.schielhau.org, which I recommend (and notoriously misspell). I have supplemented this with my own translations and bits-and-pieces of other translations of various passages, each of which has given me altered insights, many of which came from the Meyer E-list in early 2003. Another translation comes from http://www.st-max.org/FechtWeb/longsword.htm, although I haven’t spent as much time with this one, and I suspect that it is probably a copy of Rassumussen’s. Meyer’s Thorough Descriptions covers many weapons, including the longsword, rapier, dagger, staff, and Ringen. This workshop will focus exclusively on his longsword work, partially due to available translations, partially due to my own greatest proficiency. Perhaps the finest thing about Thorough Descriptions is the methodical fashion in which it is presented. Unlike most fechtbuch authors, Meyer is actually a pretty good technical writer, and his longsword work is clearly aimed at novices and intermediate students…in other words, it’s meant for us. What’s more is that the longsword section of Thorough Descriptions is meant for classroom use, not the battlefield, which again models our own situation as modern practitioners of historical European martial arts. Examine the opening passage of the book (translation by MR, emphasis mine):

Now, I'm divulging the Art of Fencing with these Knightly and Manly Weapons, which at the current time for us Germans is of greatest necessity, to which my best understanding and abilities are well and truly described for uptaking, and although the lesson given is obvious, that fencing with the sword is not the sole origin and wellspring for all other fencing arts, it is celebrated among other weapons for artfulness and manliness, and because of it I have what's needed for good understanding from which to make progress, and

2

thus quickly, so onward I see with clarity how with wise handling all this can be applied in other arts and disciplines.

Firstly attain your target for comprehension and skill to present, then from Mastering this art move with diligence to seek on, that one balances habit thus with curiousity to learn more shortly the fighting one wishes to understand.

Then thirdly, achieve the ability to extend the art in your own right, and from your clarity attain and exude the proper judgment in Stance and Strikes so that Youth will not have to learn this art unguided and, because of your unspoken word, ill is wrought and they thus learn wrongly to the detriment of the art. Once achieved, we need your words and thoughts in this art, first from notes you would clarify, then onto subjects important to read in training, then to other subjects you want to de velop further, so that the discipline of fencing grows on properly understood principles you have contributed to, rather than relying on mindless juggling, thus greater the difference between juggling and fencing will become, and the Knightly art of Fencing will grow from Warriors far and wide, particularly to Citizens at large, but beware the Juggler, to whom the unseemliest losses are and who is found everywhere in the world, until all are put away.

Fencing with the Sword is nothing other than a discipline, wherein your force strives together with your sword in placement so that one with the other, using care and agility, artfulness, delicacy and manliness, are at need the same both in strikes and in other handwork one is obliged to, excepting when one is not in a serious situation, thus by such discipline one will be more dangerous and more skillful, and when needing to protect one's body be more effective.

… The Last is as you are fulfilled and will, with harm neither inflicted nor received, withdraw.

Meyer then, in a characteristically organized fashion, goes about explaining all of the principles and techniques a fighter should learn. In some ways the book is a commentary on Liechtenauer’s Hauptstucke, for Meyer even quotes the “ancient fencer” in several places, however the interpretations are more detailed and potentially show a progression from the down-and-dirty fight of the earlier masters to a greater emphasis on the “art” end of things without losing a great deal of efficacy. Each in turn, Meyer discusses target openings, stances (basic and secondary), strikes (basic, secondary, and meisterhauwen), footwork, all forms of handiwork, and the best explanation of indes I’m aware of—and the book continues from there!

Principles The division of Man Man is divided into upper and lower, left and right. All of Meyer’s techniques are easier when the body is viewed in this fashion, and his text chastises those who think this is a foolish idea. When attacking the upper openings he tends to refer to “ears,” while he refers to the lower openings as “legs” or even “arms.” The divisions of the Sword Very basically, the sword is divided into pommel, haft, cross (together the hilt), strong, weak, and middle (which is the joining point of strong and weak, not a “zone” on the blade). The blade is further divided into the long and half edges and inner/inverted (palm-side) and outer flats. Meyer’s use of the flat is still a controversial topic, and none of the proposed explanations (including my own) are fully satisfactory yet. I will add that I refuse to believe that the “Bounce Strike,” which uses multiple hits with the flat, is a “bitch slap” of any type, and that there is no evidence to entertain such an idea. Displacement and Advantage “Before displacing guard yourself. Place yourself for advantage,” wrote Liechtenauer and quotes Meyer. Meyer discourages use of “bad parries,” which belong primarily to

any form of static block. Not only are such displacements generally bad form, but many of Meyer’s positions leave you momentarily with crossed arms, making such blocks very foolish indeed. He’s a realist, however, and notes that should you be forced to use such a parry, you should immediately step back and cover yourself so that you can again seek advantage. The preferred defenses are at best the Meisterhauwen, which deflect and attack simultaneously. Second to them are those displacements that put you in a position of immediate advantage. These should be sought after. Stepping and Footwork (three steps) Meyer’s footwork almost universally relies on moving to the sides of an opponent while striking, constantly trying to reach his flank. He outlines three kinds of steps:

1) Basic Steps. These are forward and backward, like walking.

2) Triangle Steps. These are essentially “simple” steps and pivot steps used when moving to the outside of an opponent. First is the single: the back leg stays behind and the lead foot steps or leaps to the outside. Next is the double: step as before with the lead foot to the opponent’s outside, and then

3

follow with the rear foot as above, then step again with the forward foot. This moves you to his flank.

3) Broken or Stolen Steps. This is much like a reverse of the Triangle Step. Bring the lead foot behind and to the side of the rear foot, pivoting the body opposite of what a Triangle (double) step would do.

Meyer is also quite fond of leaping about, taking great (but controlled) steps that lead to his characteristic wide stance once a body is in motion. This is not to be overlooked. Before, During, After, and Indes I’ll let Meyer speak for himself on the first three:

? “The Before (Vor) is so named as you attack the opponent with your strikes first and then drive forward that he cannot come to his intended target, so you must displace with care, as he wants to shoot before you do.” As with all the German masters, Meyer believes in a strongly offensive fight, relying on taking and retaining the Before, or the initiative.

? “The During (Gleich) is when both you and your opponent bring forth your strikes at the same time, which is also a part of the expression ‘Just As’ (Indes).” Note that During and Just As are not the same, however, although they are tightly connected.

? “The After (Nach) is, however, when you withdraw from your opponent as…where you cannot accomplish your objective….”

? Indes, or “Just As,” is more complicated. Essentially it consists of reacting very quickly to changes in your opponent. These may be changes in pressure (when winding), changes in available openings, or changes in your opponent’s attack. Understanding Indes protects you from feinting and allows you to modify your action to whatever is most advantageous at that time. The use of Indes is what allows one to steal back the initiative when lost.

Three Parts of the Fight Tightly bound to the times above are the three parts of an engagement. While these are related to issues of range, they are not the same thing.

1) Zufechten (the Approach, or “to the fight”) is the time and range leading up to an actual exchange of blows. It is in Zufechten that one relies on stances and choosing that first attack or displacement.

2) Krieg/Handarbeit/Mittel (War/Handiwork/Middel) This is the phase that striking, winding, binding, initial wrestlings, and all other attempts at really doing the other guy in take place. It is also where the above concepts of time are most important.

3) Abzug (the Withdrawal) is the phase where you try to create distance between yourself and your opponent to end or “reset” the fight, as it is both

foolish and eventually impossible to stay in Mittel for long.

Fencing to the Four Openings The real beautiful element of Meyer’s technique is the emphasis on quickly striking to each of the aforementioned four openings of man, using both edges and occasionally the flat. This is almost always accomplished by alternating long edge and short edge strikes, and by almost never striking to the same opening more than once in succession. Here issues

of grip (see below) are very, very important, as is following Meyer’s advice on stepping. The goal is to produce a flurry of attacks to overwhelm the opponent, keep you in the “Before,” and create an opening for exploitation with Indes. Meyer presents a

wonderful solo drill for learning to do this well, though it does require a good deal of forearm and shoulder strength and endurance. It relies on striking with alternating edges to the four openings in the order of the numbers on the chart on the left. Drill the outer ring of numbers first, then the second ring from the outside, and so on. Now drill them all again, reversing your use of long and short edges, and again with the flats if you want to be true to Meyer’s training regimen. These work phenomenally well in sparring once you get the hang of it—just keep that hilt high! Gripping the Sword (i mplied) It is also worth noting that Meyer’s grip is clearly very liquid, shifting from a standard sword/hammer grip to the now-vogue thumb grip to a sort of non-thumb sideways grip to fingering the ricasso. It is highly unfortunate that Meyer doesn’t expound more on the matter of grip, as the right grip is what makes many of his techniques possible. Try them all, and use the one that works best for any given situation. Lack of the Thrust (implied) The reason for so little thrusting in Thorough Descriptions is still a bit vague. As we know, thrusting with a steel blunt is dangerous, especially without any form of mask or armor, and so my assumption concerning this book is that the longsword was at this time a sparring tool more than not, thus thrusting was omitted for safety purposes. This does not mean that Meyer’s practice of the longsword was a “sport,” at least no more than our own sparring and HEMA practice is a sport. This view is supported by multiple references to thrusting in the listing and descriptions of various techniques throughout, in addition to a discouragement

4

against thrusting in classroom fighting. The rapier section of Thorough Descriptions does not omit thrusting, however, which presents a number of questions yet to be satisfactorily answered. Interpreting the Images (implied) A few things should be kept in mind when working from Meyer’s beautiful woodcuts. The first is that they are very good, and if any images may be taken literally, these can. The second is that every one of the figures are in motion at the time of “snap shot,” meaning that stances are wider and figures appear in positions that are not worth holding, but

which are incidental and/or transitory in nature. Prime examples include plates E (Zornhut/Wrath Guard) and F (Eisenpfort-Schrankut/Iron Door-Barrier Guard). Much becomes clearer when Meyer’s stepping instructions are followed. The third item is understanding that each image is a single variation on many, many possibilities covered by a single stance, strike, or technique. Thus Meyer depicts Pflug/Plough Stance in figure B with the thumb clearly on the flat and preparing to thrust (what? A thrust in Meyer?!?), but the text makes no mention of this —meaning that grip is secondary to function, and exists to facilitate the latter.

Stances Meyer outlines 12 stances in Thorough Descriptions, the first four of which he calls primary (and happen to line up with Liechtenauer’s primary four), and eight he calls secondary or derived. I’ve only added comments to those that are a little different from what is standard ARMA practice or otherwise noteworthy.

1) Ochs (Ox) See Fig. B. 2) Pflug (Plough) Deeper stance, lead with the right

foot as standard practice, thumb the flat with blade horizontal, not vertical, hilt by the forward knee—not the hip! This is used from thrusting and defense. See Fig. B.

3) Tag (Roof, in some translations, Day) Over the head, not the shoulder. All strikes can be done from here. See Fig. C.

4) Olber (Fool) Arms extended, finger on the ricasso. No killing strikes can be made from here, but it’s good for defense and provocations. See Fig. C.

5) Zornhut (Wrath Guard) Hilt over the shoulder, blade slopes back some. This is definitely Meyer’s favorite opening position. The figure in the drawing is in motion, probably recoiling with a Triangle Step, and not stationary. This is further supported by all the in-text references to Einhorn , which is across form Zornhut-man. See Fig. E.

6) Langort (Long Point) Arms extended (not locked) with the point at the opponent’s face or throat. This is the finishing position of a thrust from Plug or Schlüssel, or a mid-point for any full-arm cut. This may be the most important position in Meyer’s text, because all Handarbeit (Handiwork) seems to start here. See Fig. D.

7) Wechsel (Changer) This is a mid-ground between the Italian Boar’s Tooth Posta and the German Nebenhut. The short edge is directed at the opponent, the point down and to the side. A Zornhau ends in Wechsel, and many tricky attacks

originate here. This may be Ringeck’s Nebenhut on the left. See Fig. D.

8) Nebenhut (Close Guard) This is similar to the Italian “Tail Guard.” It is a natural starting position for rising long-edge cuts. (Not illustrated. See Talhoffer 1467 plate 25)

9) Eisenpfort/Schrankhut (Iron Door/Barrier Guard) Meyer mumbles through this one, but the final consensus is that these are essentially the same position. This “guard” is a natural mid-point for long-edge Unterhauwen , and is most simply understood by bringing Nebenhut out in front of the body. Schranckhut is also a natural starting and finishing position for the Krumphaw. See Fig. F.

10) Hangetort (Hanging Point) The “Hengen” that we know and love. It’s essentially the same as Ochs, but with the point sloping down and to the other side of the body somewhat. Position the wrist under the hilt (which protects the head), using a thumb grip if necessary, and catch the incoming blade with the flat. This is also the “final” striking position of many Unterhauwen and Twitch-hits. Meyer shows this only from the left side. See Fig. F.

11) Schüssel (Key) This is Ochs or Einhorn lowered down to the chest and cradled in the arms, with the short edge resting on the lead forearm. It is primarily a thrusting position used to “break” Tag.

12) Einhorn (Unicorn) Like Ochs with the point higher. This is the natural finishing point for a committed Underhauw with the long edge from either side. See Fig. E.

5

Strikes Meyer outlines 16 strikes, the first four of which are primary (however, this time they are not Liechtenauer’s primaries), and five of which are Meisterhauwen. There is overlap in these two categories, with two of the Meisterhauwen coming from the four primary strikes, and the other three coming from the other 12 secondary and inverted strikes. As with my exposition of the stances, only those strikes that differ somewhat from what may be expected or known are commented upon. Meyer records a few general principles of striking at the end of his chapter on stances. Referencing a diagram remarkably similar to the Italian segno, he delineates cutting through each line in terms of three-stance combinations. A Schedelhauw, for example, consists of Tag, Langort, and Olber. An Underhauw comes from Schrankhut , Hangetort or Langort, and Einhorn . All strikes, he maintains, can be described in terms of three stances; also interesting is that Langort is almost always the middle stance, where the strike takes place and the foot lands. All strikes, unless otherwise noted, are made with large steps to the side that you attack. Finally, Meyer’s 16 strikes are not, as far as I can tell, really 16 different attacks, but rather 16 drills to teach you all of the possible forms of attack in Meyer’s “style.” Thus the Gliitzhauw is really just a combination of Schedelhauw or Zornhauw with the Schielhauw that relies heavily on feeling the pressure in the opponent’s sword at the bind and acting on it Indes.

1. Oberhauw/Schedelhauw (Over Strike/Vertex Strike) Standard vertical downward blow with the long edge. Later in the manual the term Oberhauw comes to mean any overhand blow, and the term Schedelhauw is reserved for the Meisterhauw end of things.

2. Zornhauw (Wrath Strike) The strongest cut, generally made from the right shoulder and targeted at the ear or shoulder (in other words, at the opponent’s upper left opening) with the long edge. The second Meisterhauw, sometimes called the Father Strike or Straight Strike.

3. Mittel oder Uberzwerchhauw (Middle or High Traversing Strike) Like the Zornhauw, but brought on horizontally with the long edge from the right and short edge from the left. Later in the text Meyer seems to use the Uberzwerchhauw and the Zwerch interchangeably. See Fig. C and G, backgrounds.

4. Underhauw (Under Strike) Meyer prefers striking with crossed arms and the long edge from the left or center up to right Ochs. He also uses a great many short-edge Underhauwen from the right, which seem to end in a pseudo-Hengetort position. See Fig. B, second from the back left.

5. Schielhauw (Glancing or Squinting Strike) This is the first of the inverted strikes, made from Tag and striking downward (diagonally somewhat) at the head or right shoulder with the short edge. I reccomned a thumb grip for this one (and for most of the inverted strikes, actually). It is the third Meisterhauw, and Meyer states that all other strikes come from combining the above five (even though this one isn’t considered “primary”). This is a high strike, not the lower anti-Pflug version from earlier treatises (although that doesn’t mean that Meyer’s

Schiller isn’t ever performed lower—it is). See Fig. G, front left; note the Triangle Step in action.

6. Krumphauw (Bend or Crooked Strike) This is a long-edge cut executed from the right (usually Zornhut) and targeted at the hands or opponent’s hilt/strong. The hands and elbows are higher than the now-frequent “windshield wiper” interpretation, although even that is found from Schranckhut. Use the thumb grip or other perpendicular grip. The Krump is the fourth Miesterhauw. See Fig. D, farthest back right.

7. Zwerch (Thwart or Traverser) Undeniably Meyer’s favorite strike, the Zwerch is performed with the short edge against the head and a thumb or perpendicular grip. It travels in horizontal or very shallow diagonal line, and the hilt stays high to protect the head. As with earlier manuals, the Zwerch is extolled as a superior defense against all attacks from above, and is listed as the fifth and final Meisterhauw. When executed from the left, the long edge leads the attack, making the Zwerch the exact inverse of the Uberzwerchhauw or Mittelhauw. See Fig. H, second from the left in back.

8. Kurtzhauw (Short Strike) There is some detail that is still a bit misty for me here. The technique as described works marvelously (and happens to mirror both Talhoffer’s completed Krump , plates 19-20, and Lekuchner’s Winkerhau with the Messer), but the context Meyer puts it in seems unlikely…meaning that we’re still missing something vital. Nonetheless, the Kurtzhauw is essentially a feinted Krump from Zornhut that passes beneath the opponent’s sword (threatening to bind with the short edge) that quickly turns over to a wicked downward short edge cut to the

6

opponent’s upper right opening. I believe that the Kurtzhauw itself is the second part, and that it can be easily executed from left Nebenhut, Wechsel, or Schranckhut—not unlike the Blendhauw, below. See Fig. B, middle row (mid background) on the left; note the full extension of the arms and the long-edge bind.

9. Gliitzhauw (Slide Strike) Combination of any Oberhauw and a Schielhauw at the bind, described as a defense. The short edge should swing around from the bind and hit the opponent in the head. This is very, very fast and works very, very well, even against Kron.

10. Prellhauw (Bounce Strike) This is the big controversial one right here. It relies on striking with the flat, bouncing it off one side to attack the other, and potentially bouncing it off that side as well for a final strike to the head with either edge. I am of the opinion that this is a training drill for learning to twitch properly, but I have yet to fully convince even my self. This strike will not be covered as part of this workshop. See Figs. K and I, front right and front left respectively.

11. Blendhauw (Blind Strike) Bind from the right, raise your hilt (as to Kron) and tear his weapon down to your right hip, now cross your arms and hit him from your hip or knee in his left ear with the short edge. The strike here is the final portion of the Kurtzhauw in reverse. This same strike may be performed from Nebenhut on the right, or even Wechsel on the right.

12. Windthauw (Wound Strike—as in winding and binding, not bleeding) This is a tricky maneuver to get down initially, but it’s magic once you’ve gotten it. I believe that it is a direct relation to Liechtenauer’s Hende Trucken, or “Pressing the Hands.” Begin in left Wechsel, and as he cuts from above transition into Schranckhut and step widely to his right, simultaneously delivering a long-edge Underhauw against the middle -strong of his blade. As soon as it connects wind the pommel out from under your right arm and cut with the long edge to his arms, following with another cut to the same opening. The trick to this technique is making both the Underhauw and the cut to the arms one fluid motion, not two distinct movements.

13. Kronhauw (Crown Strike) From Pflug (remember the thumb grip?) or similar position raise your sword to intercept an overhead strike on the ricasso or crossguard (this is Kron). Now wind the sword by thrusting the pommel upwards to strike at his head with the short edge.

14. Kniechelhauw (Knee Hollow or Knuckle Strike) This is more of a trick than a formulated technique. Stand in Tag. When goes to do the same (as will

often happen) quickly throw an Uberzwerchhauw at his elbows or other available targets while his vision is obscured by his transitioning arms. This traversing cut should rise a little, as if attacking from beneath, should his arms go very high. As with the Windthauw, this strike reminds me of pressing the hands somewhat.

15. Sturzhauw (Plunge Strike) This appears to be a thrust, actually, and not a cut at all. It is executed by thrusting down to the face from Ochs.

16. Wechselhauw (Change Strike) Generally interpreted as simply a feint, Meyer presents a few specific variations on the Wechselhauw later in the text that not only fulfill his definitions, but also sheds light on Talhoffer’s 1467 Wechselhau from plate 2. This technique comes from Meyer’s chapter on “Fencing to the Four Openings” as instructions on how to strike repeatedly to one side by shifting from high to low and back again (which, incidentally, is Meyer’s exact definition of a Wechselhauw). Beginning in left Wechsel, strike with the short edge to the opponent’s upper right opening with uncrossed arms (this is not dissimilar to an Italian sotani riverso or mezzana riverso, I believe, and is perhaps the only example of such a thing in Meyer’s text). As he goes to defend himself quickly cross the arms and strike with the long edge to his lower right opening, putting you in Schranckhut. As always, if he doesn’t cover himself, go ahead and hit him with the initial short-edge strike.

? Schneller oder Zeckrur (Rusher or Twitch-Hit) At the end of his Chapter on Striking, Meyer introduces the Schneller or Zeckrur: The Rusher and Twitch-Hit. He writes:

Rusher or Twitch-hit is basically a thing which is actually not a strike, but if the strike should be rushed it will be completed in the middle or full work when one has enjoined, namely from above or on both sides or from below against your opponent with the flat or outer part of the blade, let the weapon snatch or rush inward in a swing over or under his blade.

Huh? What he means becomes very clear when the excersice from “Fencing to the Four Openings in the Principles section, above, is undertaken. Everything that Meyer does is really an experiment in finding ways to twitch around an opponent, dizzying his senses, until an opening is made for forceful exploitation with Indes.

All material in this introduction is ©2004 Jacob Norwood, except Meyer Translations, © 2002-2003 Mike Rassumussen and the ARMA logo, ©

2002 John Clements and the ARMA. Images taken from www.freifechter.org or www.thearma.org. All rights reserved.

7

Figures Referenced

8

9

10

11