Longsword Drills
From Scholar Victoria
Solo Drills
Cut Drill
- Step with the right and zwerch from the right at head level.
- Step with the left and zwerch from the left at head level.
- Step with the right and cut a zornhau high right to low left.
- Reverse the blade and step with the left to cut unterhau from low left to high right
- Bring the blade around through right nebenhut and step with the right to cut unterhau from low right to high left.
- Reverse the blade and step with the left, cutting zornhau from high left to low right.
- Step forward with the right and cut krumphau from right to left.
- Step forward with the left and cut krumphau left to right.
- Stay in place and loop over into sturzhau on the right.
- Step forward with the right and sturzhau to the left.
- Step forward with the left and mittelhau from left to right
- Step forward with the right and mittelhau from right to left.
- Step forward with the right and bring the blade up and over into an oberhau straight down.
- Slash back up to vom-tag with the false edge (move from alber to longpoint to vom-tag).
Guard Transition Drill
| Guard Position | Forward Foot | Transition to Next Step |
|---|---|---|
| Zornhut | Left | Zornhau + pass forward |
| Wechsel | Right | Sturzhau (no step) |
| Ochs | Right | Unterhau + pass forward |
| Einhorn | Left | Falling false edge cut + forward |
| Vom-Tag | Right | Oberhau + pass forward |
| Alber | Left | Slash up + pass forward |
| Langort | Right | Pass forward |
| Eisenport | Left | Static parry |
| Kron | Left | Wrench left + schnappen + pass forward |
| Pflug | Right | Static parry with wind |
| Hangetort | Right | Zornhau + pass forward |
| Nebenhut | Left | Krumphau + pass forward |
| Schranckhut | Right | False edge cut to hands out + pass forward |
| Schlussel | Left | Parry high hanging + mittelhau + pass forward |
| Mittelhut | Right | Transition to zornhut (no step) and repeat other side. |
Parrying & Handwork Sets
This set of techniques comprise some simple drills intended to illustrate some of the more interesting handworks in Meyer's system. They are not directly described as devices in the text, but are useful for practicing simple Meyer fencing/handworks.
Deceptions/entries
- Verfliegen (Flying off)
- Fehlen (Failing)
- Zucken (Pulling)
- Durchwechseln (Changing Through)
- Nachreissen (Chasing)
Partner Drills - Zornhauw
Defense Against an Opponent Who Cuts a Single Zornhauw
Parries against a zornhauw.
Oberhauw as a Parry
- M and S stand in Vom Tag, S right forward
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S triangle steps right and cuts and oberhauw to the blade into Eisenport
- M cuts around with a Zornhauw to the other side
- S cuts a false edge to the opponent's head (a krumphauw/sturtzhauw)
- Withdraw with an Oberhauw
Zornhauw as a Parry
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- S Thrusts to the Face
- Withdraw with a tight Oberhauw/Zornhauw through the zirckel on your right side
Against an Opponent Who Cuts Around after the Parry
Parries against a zornhauw which the opponent follows with another zornhauw or zwerch. These are fundamentally identical to the previous drills but now we use the second cut to defend.
Oberhauw as a Parry
- M and S stand in Vom Tag, S right forward
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S triangle steps right and cuts and oberhauw to the blade into Eisenport
- M cuts around with a Zornhauw to the other side
- S cuts a false edge to the blade (a krumphauw)
- Withdraw with an Oberhauw
Zornhauw as a Parry
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- S Thrusts to the Face
- M lifts a hanging parry point low right and cuts around a zornhauw from their left
- S krumphauw to the blade, running off to the right side (zirckel)
- Withdraw with a tight Oberhauw/Zornhauw
Zornhauw Drills based on Early Canonical Sources
Against Someone Soft at the Sword in the Parry
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- Maintain the bind for a few moments, M goes soft
- S immediately thrusts to the face
Against Someone Strong at your Weak (Durchwechseln)
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- M parries offline but on S’ weak
- Maintain the bind for a few moments, M goes strong
- S changes through and thrusts, turning the long edge up against them
Against Someone Strong at the middle of your Sword (Zucken)
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- M parries hard on S’ middle
- Maintain the bind for a few moments, the M goes strong/pushes across
- S slides up along the blade, keeping their own blade covering across their centreline
- S cuts back down across their arms
A Counter to the Previous Drill
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- M parries to the Middle of S' blade.
- Maintain the bind for a few moment, M parries hard offline
- S slides up along the blade, keeping their own blade covering across their centreline
- As soon as the tip clears M steps forward left and moves to extended right pflug
- As S cuts down, slice away the blow and thrust/cut
A Counter Deception in Your Play
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- M parries to the Middle of S' blade.
- Maintain the bind for a few moment, M parries hard offline
- S slides up along the blade, keeping their own blade covering across their centreline
- As S hits M's weak schielhauw/zwerch hard with a triangle step out to the right
Against Someone Strong at your Strong (Duplieren Variation/Blendthauw)
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- Maintain the bind for a few moments, M parries strong offline on S' strong
- S gathers forward right, Krumphauw at their head behind their blade
Against Someone Who Guards High Against This
- M stands in Vom Tag, S likewise
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance
- Intermittently, M cuts with a Zornhauw
- Immediately S steps back cutting a zornhauw against his strike
- Maintain the bind for a few moments, M parries strong offline on S' strong
- M goes high with the long edge or crossguard (kron)
- Change through below in an ochs, thrust to the lower openings
Partner Drills - The Bind
All drills have two people, Meister (M) and Lehrling/Student (S); wherein S is demonstrating their knowledge to M. Unless otherwise stated the movements begin with the right leg forward.
Indes Nachreisen (chasing after in the moment)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently takes their sword away low or high
- S immediately (indes) follows after (nachreisen) with a thrust
Indes Durchwechseln (changing through in the moment)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently pushes across with a kind of krumphauw using the weak
- S immediately (indes) changes through underneath the blade (durchwechseln) and thrusts, turning the long edge to the opponent's blade
Sperren (barring)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently attempts a thrust
- S immediately (indes) krumphauw's down, taking the thrust down and aside with the strong so that the crossguard presses down on their strong "barring" them from moving (sperren)
Duplieren (doubling)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- S intermittently does a short diagonal krumphauw with the middle of their blade
- S immediately cuts across the face of the opponent over their arms with either edge (duplieren)
Indes Winden (winding in the moment) - Low
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go weak but keeps quite online
- S immediately (indes) winds (winden) against the weak blade 'inside' their blade into extended pflug (gerade versetzung), and thrusts
Indes Durchwinden (winding through in the moment) - Low
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go weak
- S immediately (indes) winds (winden) against the weak blade 'inside' their blade, and thrusts
- M pushes the blade across hard to the other side to parry the thrust
- S immediately winds through to the other side so their blade goes 'outside' the opponent's blade, and thrusts
Indes Winden (winding in the moment) - High
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go weak but lets their tip go somewhat upward
- S immediately (indes) winds (winden) against the weak blade 'inside' their blade into ochs and thrusts
Indes Counter Winden (counter winding in the moment) - High
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- S intermittently lets their bind go weak but lets their tip go somewhat upward
- M immediately (indes) winds (winden) against the weak blade 'inside' their blade into ochs and thrusts
- S winds up to ochs on the same side, setting aside their point with the strong and thrusting beneath their blade
Indes Mutieren (mutating in the moment)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go weak but lets their tip go somewhat upward
- S immediately (indes) winds (winden) against the weak blade 'inside' their blade into ochs and thrusts
- M winds up to ochs on the same side, setting aside their point with the strong and thrusting beneath their blade
- S lets their weak go over the top of M's sword to the outside, then thrusts downward from the ochs to the lower opening outside their blade (mutieren)
Indes Zucken (pulling away in the moment)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go very strong, pushing across with the strong
- S immediately (indes) slides up their blade, off the tip, and back down the other side onto their arms (zucken)
Indes Zucken, Fehlen (pulling away in the moment with a failing)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go very strong, pushing across with the strong
- S immediately (indes) slides up their blade up to the weak (zucken)
- Once on the weak S immediately zwerchs M's blade aside, keeping contact and using their strong to push the weak of M's sword aside in the zwerch
Anbinden Schielhauw (glancing strike in the bind)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go somewhat weak
- S immediately (indes) turns their flat against M's blade, thumbing their grip, and slide down their blade, setting them aside (absetzen) with a schielhauw.
parries
Umbschnappen vs Anbinden Schielhauw (snapping around vs a glancing strike in the bind)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- S intermittently lets their bind go somewhat weak
- M immediately (indes) turns their flat against M's blade, thumbing their grip, and slide down their blade, setting them aside (absetzen) with a schielhauw.
- S immediately lifts their hilt, "rolling over" their opponent's blade with a snapping around.
Schneiden/Hendtrucken vs Umbschnappen after Anbinden Schielhauw (slicing/pressing the hands vs snapping around after a glancing strike in the bind)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently lets their bind go somewhat weak
- S immediately (indes) turns their flat against M's blade, thumbing their grip, and slide down their blade, setting them aside (absetzen) with a schielhauw.
- M immediately lifts their hilt, "rolling over" their opponent's blade with a snapping around.
- S immediately steps through, slicing under M's arms as they raise their weapon
Zirckel vs Steichen (circle vs thrusting)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- M intermittently attempts a thrust
- S immediately (indes) lifts turns their long edge up and and parries using a the long edge going up to an offline kind of einhorn (unicorn) guard
- S immediatley lets the false edge fall back down toward their opponent's right ear
- M pushes the falling strike aside
- S lets the blade fall in a circle by their right side, cutting over with a scheitelhauw with the long edge arms well out in longpoint over their head and side stepping out to the left
Zwerchauw vs Zwerch Anbinden (thwart strike vs thwart bind)
- M stands in a zwerchauw position, S stands in iron gate with the long edge inside parrying their 'zwerch', right foot forward
- M cuts around to the other side with a zwerch
- S cuts a tippy zwerch 'underneath' theirs, guarding and slicing their neck in one movement
Unterhauw Schneiden Anbinden vs Zwerch (low strike slice vs thwart bind)
- M stands in a zwerchauw position, S stands in iron gate with the long edge inside parrying their 'zwerch', left foot forward
- M cuts around to the other side with a zwerch
- S compasses around 90 degrees to their left with the righ (rear) foot, and slices up under M's arms with an unterhauw as they move around to zwerch
Verstullen vs Umbschlagen (forestalling vs slashing around)
- M and S stand in straight parrying against each other in a neutral bind.
- M moves back and forward, S must maintain the distance of the bind.
- Intermittently, M takes away from the bind to cut around to a new opening
- Immediatley S slices the forearms/presses the hands with the crossguard to stop M from being able to make his blow, thus forestalling him (verstullen)
