Glossary

From Fechtbuch Project

Contents 1 A 2 B 3 C 4 D 5 E 6 F 7 G 8 H 9 I 10 J 11 K 12 L 13 M 14 N 15 O 16 P 17 Q 18 R 19 S 20 T 21 U 22 V 23 W 24 X 25 Y 26 Z

This glossary contains short definitions for common terms found in the Liechtenauer Tradition. See each individual page for a more detailed description.

A

Absetzen (Setting Aside)

A defense against a strike or a thrust involving a wind to or between one of the four hangings that also ends with a thrust or a setup for a thrust.

Abnehmen (Taking Off)

A secondary strike that involves strike directly down the other other side of an opponent's blade. Performed in response to a hard bind.

Alber (Fool)

One of the four primary guards of Liechtenauer's system. Alber is held down the centerline with the hands near the the navel and the point of the weapon at the ground directly in front of the wielder. Typically held as a guard of provocation.

Arming Sword

Modern term for a medieval singe hand sword typically of a cruciform configuration.

B

Bind

The moment of opposition between two weapons.

Blossen (Opening)

A line of attack that is unguarded. Four Openings exist - one in each quadrant formed by the center- and belt-line.

Blossfechten (Open fighting)

Unarmored combat.

Buckler

A small, hand-held shield often used in conjunction with a sword or messer. Lignitzer, Ringeck, Talhoffer, Paulas Kal, and Tower Manuscript I.33 all show the use of the buckler, with the last manual being exclusively devoted to its use with the sword.

C

Centerline

The vertical bisecting line that starts at the crown and continues straight down to the ground. The protection of one's own centerline and the taking of the opponent's centerline is a primary goal of both defensive and offensive actions.

Cross, crossguard

A bar of metal formed into a variety of shapes that sits between the hilt and blade of a sword set perpendicular to the blade. The cross protects the hands and can be used in various trapping and binding actions. Also referred to as the quillons.

D

Drei Wunders (Three Wounders)

The three primary types of assualt: Strike, Slice, and Thrust.

Duplieren (Doubling)

A secondary strike from a bind involving a wind behind the opponent's blade and a continuance of the cut.

Durchlaufen (Running Through)

Moving quickly to grappling range while controlling the opponent's blade in the bind.

Durchwechseln (Changing Through)

Changing from one side of the bind to the other in a circular manner. The durchwechseln can also be performed prior to the bind in response to an opponent's attempt to bind to the sword without presenting an offensive threat.

E

Eisenforte (Iron Gate)

A low guard. Mentioned in Meyer and Talhoffer.

F

Fencing

Traditionally, the word comes from defense, or the art of defense. Essentially the art of how to fight. Notice that it comes from defense and not offense, as staying alive is the primary goal of any fighting system. Not to be confused with the more modern use of the word to denote the Olympic style of sport fencing.

Forte

Common term for the stronger half of the blade, leverage wise, from the cross to the mid-point of the blade.

Fuhlen (Feeling)

Ability or instinct to determine an opponent's position and intent based on information transmitted tactilely through the blades. One of the key skills of fencing.

G

H

Hande Drucken (Pressing the Hands)

A slicing attack against the hands and the wrists that both pushes the opponent's hands and weapon away and cuts them deeply.

Hangen (Hanging)

The principle behind the Vier Hangen, or four hangings, comprised of Ochs and Pflug on both the left and right sides. Hangen provides protection to each of the four openings while at the same time "hangs" the point in a position to offer an immediate threat. The Vier Hangen present a box contained within a circle. Any point along the circle is a Hangen and the movement between one Hangen and another is what is called Winden or winding.

Harnischfechten (Harness Fighting)

Armored combat.

Hau (Strike)

A percussive or hewing blow with the sword as opposed to a strict cutting action like slicing. One of the Drei Wunders.

I

Indes (At the moment)

The instant in fencing time where enough information is present to each opponent about the other's actions to allow a decision about one's next action. Most often, this will occur at the moment of the bind, but Indes is not tied to the bind. Indes is the moment and fuhlen the means for determining how to fight your opponent.

Initiative

The state of controlling the fight, that is being in a position to dictate the flow of combat to one's opponent.

J

K

Kron (Crown)

Secondary guard position formed by raising the hands out from the forehead with the point of the sword raised and the cross parallel to the forehead. Typically, a defensive response to an Oberhau when the defender is attacked in a low guard such as Alber.

Krumphau (Crooked Strike)

One of Liechtenauer's five strikes. The Krumphau strikes diagonally across the attacker's body with the pommel tucking under their right arm. It targets either the hands, the arm, or the blade of the attacker. If allowed to continuing, the Krump will terminate in Schrankhut.

Kunst des Fechtens (Art of Fighting)

Period term for fencing.

L

Langenort (Long Point)

An extended guard. All strikes and thrust either pass through or terminate in Langenort. When striking, the force of the blow should be concentrated at Langenort.

Leger (Guard)

A basic position to fence from or positions in which one passes through while fencing. Liechtenauer champions four guards, known as the Vier Leger: Vom Tag, Pflug, Ochs, and Alber. Leger provide no haven of safety, however, as no guard can cover all openings simultaneously.

Liechtenauer

Grandfather of late Medieval Germany fencing. Codified a system of fencing that survived in one for or another through 250+ years of German history and is now being revived and reconstructed today.

M

Messer (Knife)

A common sword or hanger. The Messer was typically single edged often with a clip style point reminiscent of a falchion. It had a simple hilt of slab construction. Guards ranged from rudimentary to ones similar to swords. Often, Messers were equipped with a Nagel (Nail), a small secondary guard perpendicular to primary that helped protect the hand. A common weapon of Germany, it is proposed that it is an evolution of the traditional saex knife of Migration Era Germanic tribes.

Multieren (Mutating)

A strike that changes to a plunging thrust to the body, usually with opposition.

N

Nach (After)

The reactionary state in fencing time. To be in the Nach is to be in the position of reacting to your opponent's offensive actions and thus unable to perform your own offensive action until your opponent's assault has been dealt with. Generally considered to be an undesirable place.

Nachrisen (Traveling After)

Attacking (usually) from the Nach in response to an opponent's misapplied action. For example, a fighter attacks from out of distance thus missing his target. The one who was attacks then counter-attacks successfully, as the first fighter brought himself into the second's wide distance by his initial attack. Another example would be an attack into preparation, such as a fighter chambering a strike or thrust.

O

Oberhau (Overhand Strike)

A descending blow from high to low. One of the two primary strikes that all others are descended from.

Ochs (Ox)

The high hanging guard. One of the four primary guards described by Liechtenauer. Also one of the Vier Hangen. Ochs can be formed on the right or the left.

Opposition

The act of binding to an opponent's sword in such a way as to impose mechanical leverage against it. An action taken with opposition implies that blade contact should be maintained throughout the action and in such a manner that the actor retains mechanical advantage throughout the action.

P

Pflug (Plow)

The low hanging guard. One of the four primary guards described by Liechtenauer. Also one of the Vier Hangen. Pflug can be formed on the right or the left.

Poleaxe, Pollaxe

A knightly pole weapon that utilized a combination head, with variants that include axe/hammer and hammer/spike. These are usually combined with a top spike and occasionally a spiked butt. One manual of Burgundian origins, Le Jue de la Hache is devoted to the use of this weapon. Of the German sources, Talhoffer is the primary author describing the use of the weapon.

Q

R

Ringen (Wrestling)

Wrestling or grappling. Many sources include sections on Ringen, both in and out of armor.

S

Schielhau (Squinting Strike)

A descending Oberhau delivered with the short edge to the head or shoulder. The strike also ends with the point online thus allowing a quick, follow-up thrust. One of Liechtenauer's 5 strikes. Also one of the Vier Versetzen, breaking the guard Pflug.

Schitelhau (Part Strike)

A vertical Oberhau delivered to the top of the head. It differs from a standard Oberheau in that the hands are kept high and the pommel levered above the right hand. Depending on the distance, the Schitelahu can also endanger the face, breast, or hands. One of Liechtenauer's 5 strikes. Also one of the Vier Versetzen, breaking the guard Alber.

Schnitt (Slice)

A cutting or slicing action that relies entirely on the sharp edge of the sword instead of momentum or percussion. Usually directed at soft, vulnerable areas such as the wrists, face, neck, or hands. One of the Drei Wunders.

Schrankhut (Barrier Guard)

A secondary guard in which the hands are held out from the chest at the solar plexus with the point dropping to the ground. The end point for a Krumphau.

Stechen (Thrust)

A direct, linear attack with the point. Can be performed with or without opposition. One of the Drei Wunders.

T

U

Uberlaufen (Overrunning)

The geometric principle that strikes to the upper openings will out reach strikes to the lower openings.

Unterhau (Underhand Strike)

A rising blow from low to high. One of the two primary strikes that all others come from.

V

Versetzen (Displacement)

A basic defense using counter-attacks that both close the line of an incoming attack and presents an immediate attack. Also referred to in reference to the Vier Versetzen, using four of Liechtenauer's five strikes to assault the Vier Leger.

Vier Leger (Four Guards)

The four primary guards of Liechtenauer's system: Vom Tag, Pflug, Ochs, and Alber.

Vier Versetzen (Four Displacements)

The principle of using using four of Liechtenauer's five strikes to assault the Vier Leger. These strikes attack the primary openings left by the four guards. They are: Zwerchhau breaks Vom Tag, Krumphau breaks Ochs, Schielhau breaks Pflug, and Schitelhau breaks Alber.

W

Winden (Winding)

A transition between any of the Vier Hangens, either with or without opposition. Winden can be performed to gain mechanical leverage against the opponent's sword, to cover an open line (Absetzen), or move the point behind an opponent's blade. Eight windings exist, two for each quadrant - one inside and one outside.

X

Y

Z

Zornhau (Wrathful Strike)

A "simple peasant strike" - a powerful diagonal blow from the shoulder. The highlight of this blow comes from shooting the point at the end of the strike, known as the Zornort. One of Liechtenauer's 5 strikes.

Zornort (Wrathful Point)

A thrust from the bind after a bind from Zornhau.

Zucken (Twitching, Pulling)

Changing from one side of a bind to the other through a linear motion. The sword pulled back until the point clears the bind and then thrust forward onto the other side of the bind.