Zornhau

15th Century

The 15th Century Zornhau is a tactical application of the Oberhau which is accompanied by several "Plays" describing subsequent fencing actions.

Application 1 - Zornhau

The fundamental opening to the Zornhau plays is described as a "simple peasant strike" (ie. a natural Oberhau) which is used to oppose an incoming Oberhau from the opponent. Notes:

• The cut is achieved without any explicit additional parrying, and cuts across the centreline and over the blade of the opponent.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Vom tag, left leg forward, at measure
Cut an Oberhau to the upper left opening with a Passing Step of the right foot	As soon as the opponent is within range, cut an Oberhau with a turn of the hip, displacing the blade (ending with a Passing Step forward right if distance requires). The blade should either hit the opponent's upper left opening, or more readily, end on-point with the opponent.

Application 2 - Zorn-Ort Against a Soft Bind

This play follows immediately from Application 1 and begins from the bind established in that application. The term Zorn-ort is often used when referring to the technique and translates as "Wrath Point".

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Vom tag, left leg forward, at measure
Carry out Application 1	Respond as per Application 1
Is soft in the bind.	Thrust the point straight to the face in Langenort (Longpoint). If the Passing Step wasn't needed in the previous cut, step it now with the right foot as you thrust.

Application 3 - Abnehmen Against a Hard Parry

This play follows immediately from Application 1 or 2 and begins as Teacher parries strongly to the side. Notes:

• This application works most safely when the parry is strong enough that the Teacher's point goes well out to the side and is not an immediate threat.
• The "sliding up" action on the blade can be performed as a direct pulling up, or with a lift of the hands almost like an Ablauffen. The former is quicker but the latter offers additional safety against a counter (and also leads to some of Lew's alternatives not listed here).
• The final cut is sometimes performed to the Teacher's upper left opening, but Lew is specific about the upper right.
• No specific type of cut is defined, however an Oberhau is the obvious choice.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Vom tag, left leg forward, at measure
Carry out Application 1 or 2	Respond as per Application 1 or 2
Parry hard to the side such that your point goes out past the Student's right shoulder	Keeping in contact with the Teacher's sword, slide up it with your own until you clear the point.
	Cut with the long edge to the opponent's head in the Upper Right opening, covering across the line against their sword. No step is specified but a Passing Step may be used (or a hip turning action if not).

Application 4 - Counter to Abnehmen

This play follows immediately from Application 3, and swaps the roles of the Teacher and Student in the play so that the Teacher has now performed Application 3 and the Student is countering it. Notes:

• The exact cut is not name, however the Long Edge is specified so a descending Zwerchau from the left or a short Oberhau is most appropriate.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Vom tag, left leg forward, at measure
Carry out Application 1 to 3 in the Student Role	Respond as per Application 1 to 3 in the Teacher Role
	As the teacher performs the Abnehmen cut around the long edge over their blade to their head. This is accompanied with a Passing Step or Hip turning action to power the cut.

Application 5 - Krieg Against a Hard Parry

This play follows immediately from Application 1 or 2 and begins as Teacher parries strongly to the side. Notes:

• Unlike Application 3, this application works even when the Teacher's parry doesn't go completely offline.
• The "winding upward" action on the blade is the subject of some contention as fencers very often wind to the upper left hanging in the movement. Lew however admonishes us to:

"drive up with the arms to your right side and Wind the short edge on his sword, and stab him above into his face. "

As such we'll wind to the upper right.

Teacher	Student
Vom tag, left leg forward	Vom tag, left leg forward, at measure
Carry out Application 1 or 2	Respond as per Application 1 or 2
Parry hard to the side such that your point goes out but not past the Student's right shoulder.	Keeping in contact with the Teacher's sword, wind up to the right, turning the false edge onto their blade and catching it with the crossguard before your head, thrusting in to their face.
	The winding may be accompanied by a Passing Step of the left foot, or a contropposto turn of the hips to achieve the correct structure.

16th Century

In Meyer's text this is written as the Zornhauw and is a more generic usage of a diagonal cut. It is still used as a simultaneous parry-strike, however it is not accompanied by a set of strictly canonical plays emerging from it.