Vom Tag Device 4

The Fourth Part

Mark in Pre-Fencing when you have come to hold your sword high above in the guard of the Roof to beware that he not then rush to strike, so that you can stay in the Before, cross your hands over your head, (the right over the left) so that it appears as if you would stab to his face, step under this toward him with your right foot and twitch your sword then to your left over your head and strike him thus with the short edge through a crafty traverse from your right to his left ear, twitch nimbly back off again and drive against his lower right opening with a long traverse, let it not stay but twitch above you again in the same flight and let the third flow off deep to his left ear with the short edge, and slash the short edge again with crossed hands into to his right ear, as soon as this hits, step back with the left foot and strike with the long edge from below to his left arm to be as shown by the figure fighting against the right in the left background of illustration G above, mark here when you step off in this Understrike if he would strike to your lower left opening, then step to him with your left foot and fall with crossed hands and the short edge onto his sword, strike him thus an Understrike as shown in the other figure fighting against the right in the just considered picture. Now mark further just as he then pulls his sword over himself again, then pull your sword with crossed hands full to your left and, just as he slashes again, take his oncoming strike from your left against his right with your outward flat, high traverse out strongly so that your sword flies overhead in full flight and your hands cross over each other in the air while your sword flies, then step full against his right, but still keep your hands high and let the half edge flow off in a twitch near his right ear (as this hits or grazes), and just then strike long with an off step. I have described this part in particular as still many good moves can be taken and be fought from here, therefore you should learn not just this alone, but think forward with diligence. Thus I will describe yet another part with a different start.

Mark in Pre-Fencing when you have come to hold your sword high above in the guard of the Roof to beware that he not then rush to strike, so that you can stay in the Before, cross your hands over your head, (the right over the left) so that it appears as if you would stab to his face,

Vom tag, left foot forward, Sturtzhauw over to thrust

step under this toward him with your right foot and twitch your sword then to your left over your head and strike him thus with the short edge through a crafty traverse from your right to his left ear,

Passing Step forward, Zwerch over to his left ear

twitch nimbly back off again and drive against his lower right opening with a long traverse,

Zwerch/Unterhauw under to his lower right

let it not stay but twitch above you again in the same flight and let the third flow off deep to his left ear with the short edge,

Sturtzhauw/Zwerch over to his left ear again

and slash the short edge again with crossed hands into to his right ear, as soon as this hits,

Flow off and cut over with a crossed hands Sturtzhauw to his right ear, letting the blade fall down almost to Schranckhut

step back with the left foot and strike with the long edge from below to his left arm to be as shown by the figure fighting against the right in the left background of illustration G above,

Passing Step Back with the left foot, uncross the hands in an Unterhauw to their left under their arms.

(mark here when you step off in this Understrike if he would strike to your lower left opening, then step to him with your left foot and fall with crossed hands and the short edge onto his sword, strike him thus an Understrike as shown in the other figure fighting against the right in the just considered picture.)

Now mark further just as he then pulls his sword over himself again, then pull your sword with crossed hands full to your left and, just as he slashes again, take his oncoming strike from your left against his right with your outward flat,

Come around through to Mittelhut on the left, strike a Prellhauw with the flat to his right.

high traverse out strongly so that your sword flies overhead in full flight and your hands cross over each other in the air while your sword flies,

Zwerch around to his left

then step full against his right, but still keep your hands high and let the half edge flow off in a twitch near his right ear (as this hits or grazes),

Passing Step out to his left, Sturtzhauw past his right ear (letting it flow off below)

and just then strike long with an off step. I have described this part in particular as still many good moves can be taken and be fought from here, therefore you should learn not just this alone, but think forward with diligence. Thus I will describe yet another part with a different start.

Step back with the right leg to come online and cut through the circle (Zircke) with an Oberhauw.

What the Device Teaches Us

• That violence solves everything
• When in doubt, Zwerch and Sturtzhauw
• Combining techniques such as the Prellhauw and Zirckel

Interpretation [DP Working notes]

Meister	Lerhling
Waiting in Nebenhut, left leg forward	Waiting in Vom tag, left leg forward
Unterhauw	Step out to the right and cut Oberhauw onto the strong of their blade.
	Once you've displaced, twitch back up and Zwerch to their left ear, stepping forward to your right
Drive quickly up to a left Einhorn to defend	Zwerch over to his right ear, stepping across to the left, keeping hands high. As he...
...cuts a left Zornhauw to the upper right opening	Press your sword to his arms, and follow until he pulls away, then cut to a new opening