Unterhauw

Longsword

The unterhauw is a diagonal strike following the same line as the zornhauw, but rising up from below instead of descending.

At a Glance

• Diagonally upward cut, attacking the lower openings.
• Guard transitions: Nebenhut – Einhorn
• Advantages: Allows cuts under the arms of an attacker, can be used as a rising parry for all cuts to the upper openings.
• Disadvantages: Tends to be slightly slower and shorter reaching than cuts from above.

Execution

The canonical unterhauw is performed as follows.

Full Cut

• Begin in nebenhut, the blade beside you, true edge facing forward.
• Begin to bring the sword forward and up along the diagonal line.
• When the blade has passed the hip line passing step through, cutting upward and landing the step as the point passes the opponent’s eye line.
• Continue the movement through to einhorn.

To continue with another cut drop down to nebenhut on the side and cut another unterhauw with a step in the same way.

Abbreviated Cut

• Begin in ochs on the right
• Bring the blade up through einhorn and let the blade continue around over and beside keeping the hands high.
• Begin to bring the sword forward and up along the diagonal line.
• When the blade has passed the hip line passing step through, cutting upward and landing the step as the point passes the opponent’s eye line.
• End the movement in ochs.

Notes

The unterhauw has slightly less reach than the strikes from above because of an effect known as “shortening” of the sword; this shortening occurs because in a rising strike from below there is a larger angle between the forearm and blade, this reduces the effective reach slightly, as you can see in the figure below:

The figure on the right fights with a “shortened” sword, while the figure on the left fights “long”. The reach discrepancy is only in the order of perhaps a few inches or so, but in a fencing bout this is sufficient to make the difference between a successful strike and a miss.

Notice at the end point you are well protected against any blow from above as the sword shields you as it rises. The unterhau benefits from both horizontal and vertical momentum, as described in the zornhau.

Application

Aside from being a cut the Unterhauw is also useful as a cutting parry from below against any attacks to the high openings. From here we can thrust with the point (Stechen) to threaten the face or slice them, or we might wind back down with an arm cut in the manner of a Windthauw.

Application 1: Unterhauw Entry

In this application the cut is being used as a Hitter in the Onset. In this case the fencer is acting in the Vor at the beginning of the technique.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Ochs, left leg forward
Gathering Step slowly forward.	As soon as the teacher is in range, Passing Step forward and cut unterhauw to the lower left opening beneath his left arm.
	Withdraw (Abzug) with a high cut or gaurd.

Perform this also from the opposite side.

Application 2: Unterhauw Versetzen (Parry) with Absetzen (Setting Aside)

In this application the cut is being used as a Taker followed by a Hitter immediately in the Middle. In this case the fencer is acting in the Nach at the beginning of the technique.

Note the difference with the classic absetzen thrust. The same principles apply and this technique can equally be used from Pflug using a thrusting action.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Wechsel, left leg forward
Passing Step with the right foot, Zornhauw to the upper left opening.	Turn the body contra posto into Cross Stance with the left leg still in front, Unterhauw to parry the blade up with the long edge from below.
	As soon as contact is established rotate the sword to a thumbed position with the false edge against the opponent's blade. Step forward and right with a Passing Step, attacking with the false edge to the head in a Zwerch action (this could also be a thrust).
	Withdraw Abzug in Langort.

Perform this also from the opposite side.

Related Applications

The following applications also use or are derived from the Unterhauw.

• Winding-Strike (Windthauw)

Dussack

The low strike with the dussack follows the same rising vertical line as the longsword cut and differs very little in execution. It can be carried up to the Stier guard, or can flow through above into high guards.

Rappier

The low strike with the rappier is carried out in the same way as the longsword cut of the same name, ascending from a low position up through a rising diagonal to an ochs position. While there are variations on this cut used in Meyer's 1570 text he doesn't provide a specific name.