Rappier

Revision as of 15:24, 8 July 2016

While it is tempting to translate this weapon as “rapier”, its use bears only a superficial resemblance to the classical rapiers as we now think of them. A more accurate description of this weapon would be sidesword; a cut and thrust sword popular across the continent at the time, and showing the beginnings of the complex hilts which would become a defining characteristic of rapiers.

As such the Meyer rappier syllabus is a broadly cut and thrust method which shares a large amount of common terminology with the longsword and dussack. Meyer also tells us that the rappier is a foreign art lately come to Germany, and in this respect we can make some comparisons between Meyer's system and Italian styles such as those of Marozzo or Viggiani. For such a comparison see [1]

Guards

• Nebenhut (side guard
• Wechsel (change guard)
• Ochs (ox)
• Eisenport (iron gate)
• Langort (long point)
• Pflug (plough)
• Oberhut (high guard)

Parries

• Slicing Off
• Suppressing
• Going Through
• Setting Off
• Hanging
• Taking Out (with the half edge)

Strikes

Thrusts

• Gesichstich (face thrust)
• Gurgelstich (throat thrust)
• Herzstich (heart thrust)
• Gemechstich (groin thrust)
• Verkehrter Stich (reverser thrust)
• Doppel Stich (double thrust)
• Verfierte Stich (deceitful thrust)
• Fliegender Stich (flying thrust)

Principal Cuts

• Oberhauw (high cut)
• Unterhauw (low cut)
• Mittelhauw (middle cut)
• Zornhauw (wrath cut)

Secondary Cuts

Derived from High Cut

• Schielhauw (squinting strike)
• Dempffhauw (suppressing strike)

Derived from Zornhauw

• Achselhauw (Shoulder Cut) or Wehrstreich (Defence Strike)
• Huffthauw (Hip Cut)
• Schenckelhauw (Thigh Cut)

Derived from Mittelhauw

• Halßhauw (Neck Cut)
• Gurtelhauw (Belt Cut)
• Fußhauw (Foot Cut)
• Rundstreich (Round Strike)

Other Cuts

• Handthauw (Hand Cut)
• Doppelhauw (Double Cut)