Core Concepts

Glossary

Absetzen: a thrust made in response to a cut, where the fighter winds their blade against the attack, simultaneously parrying it and attempting to strike with the thrust.

Alber: “fool’s guard” where the fighter stands with their hands low and slightly forward of the waist, without their thumb on the schilt, with their point angled toward the floor; one of the Vier Leger (“four encampments”).

Attack: an offending action such as a cut, thrust, or similar melee that threatens an opponent.

Bind: when both fencers' blades are in prolonged contact with one another. Actions for offense and defense can be taken while binding.

Counterattack: an interrupting action that both successfully strikes an opponent and protects a fencer from their opponent’s attack.

False Edge: the edge of a sword blade that is aligned with the fighter’s thumb webbing.

Feint: an action that resembles a committed attack but is, in fact, a deception meant to lure an opponent into a specific action advantageous to the fencer.

Feder: a blunt practice longsword, typically characterized by the presence of a schilt, or wider section of the blade near the crossguard. The schilt’s purpose is to help protect the thumb and hands, in addition to moving more of the sword’s mass toward the pommel to generate less impact force during cuts.

Guard: a position, either resting or active, which provides a fencer defense against incoming attacks from a specific quadrant or line.

Krumphau: “crooked cut” where the fighter cuts in a windshield-wiper motion toward their opponents’ hands or blade; used as a versetzen against the Ochs guard.

Leger: a primary guard; includes Alber, Pflug, Ochs, and Vom Tag.

Line: a term used to describe the path that can be drawn from a fencer’s blade to their opponent’s body. Lines are relative to the positions of the fencers and their swords.

Long Edge: see True Edge.

Longpoint: a guard where the fighter stands with their arms outstretched, their sword centered, and their point online.

Measure: the distance at which one or both fighters can feasibly strike one another.

Nachreisen: “following after” technique where the fighter voids their oppontent’s attack, waiting for it to pass before striking the opening left by the ineffective attack

Oberhau: any overhand, descending cut.

Ochs: “ox guard” where the fighter stands with their hands above eye level, their elbows pointed down, their thumb on the schilt, and their point on line; one of the Vier Leger (“four encampments”); similar to Armizare’s “finestra” or “window guard.”

Opposition: a blade relationship where the body structure of one fighter gives their sword a leverage advantage over the sword of their opponent.

Overbind: a blade relationship where one fighter’s blade is physically on top of the blade of their opponent; considered to be a very advantageous position for the fighter with the overbind.

Parry: an obstructing action performed with the sword, intended to intercept and block or redirect an opponent’s attack.

Pflug: “plow guard” where the fighter stands with their pommel hand at their hip on either side, their thumb on the schilt with knuckles out, and their point on line; one of the Vier Leger (“four encampments”).

Quadrants: the four main spaces from which an opponent might attack a fencer. These are divided into upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right quadrants. See "On Defense" for further details.

Riposte: an offensive action performed immediately after a parry, intent on taking advantage of the successful parry to strike the opponent.

Scheitelhau: “scalp cut” where the fighter throws a high overhand cut from Vom Tag, keeping the hands high in order to “cast” the cut at the top of their opponent’s head, without using the thumb-on-schilt grip; used as a versetzen against the Alber guard.

Schielhau: “squinting cut” where the fighter throws an overhand cut from their strong-side shoulder, cutting with the false edge, with their thumb on the schilt, ending with their hands low; used as a versetzen against the Pflug guard.

Schrankhut: a guard where the fighter stands with their hands low and before them, with their thumb on the schilt and their point 90 degrees offline and angled downward; primarily used to set up the Krumphau.

Short Edge: see False Edge.

True Edge: the edge of the sword blade which is aligned with the fighter’s knuckles.

Unterhau: any rising cut delivered from below.

Versetzen: an attack meant to counter one of the four “leger” guards.

Voiding: avoiding an attack by moving out of its way (as opposed to parrying).

Vom Tag: “day guard” where the fighter stands either with their hands over their head, thumb off the schilt, and blade angled slightly backward (“high vom tag”), or with their hands at their strong-side shoulder, blade pointed up, thumb on or off the schilt (“shoulder vom tag”); one of the Vier Leger (“four encampments”).

Winding: a technique where the fighter maintains contact between their own blade and that of their opponent and pushes both swords to a more favorable position that ideally maintains opposition and sets the fighter up to strike their opponent.

Zornhau: “wrath cut;” an overhand cut using the long edge of the sword, aimed at the opponent’s blade, with the intent of establishing strong opposition.

Zufechten: “pre-fencing;” or, movements performed prior to either fighter being in measure

Zwerchau: “cross cut” where the fighter makes a horizontally-angled cut with either the short (if thrown to the attacker’s strong side) or long (if thrown to the attacker’s weak side) edge of their sword, using the thumb-on-schilt grip; used as a versetzen against the High Vom Tag guard.