M.E.M.A.G. Medieval European Martial Arts Guild

Introduction

HEMA

The Liechtenauer Tradition

HRE
The Longsword in history
The Longsword and its parts
Liechtenauer

Choosing a ready sword
Parts of the Sword and their uses

Liechtenauer
Other Masters
The Art

Essential Equipment

Shoes
Clothing
Longsword Simulators
Pell
Sharp weapon
Cutting Targets
Translation of Primary Sources

Fundamental Concepts

How to train

Focus
Time and persistence
Dedicated practice

Progression of training

Learned reflexes and muscle memory
Start with hard movements with long intervals
Progress to fast movements with short intervals

Safety

Standing at Attention
Saluting
General Safety Rules

General Lessons

Warm-up

Stretches
Balance drills

Stance

Forward Stance
Reverse Stance

Footwork

Passing Step
Adjustment Step
Triangle Step
Springing

Gripping the Longsword

Standard Grip
Thumb Grip
Half Sword
Murder Stroke

Eye contact
- Normal Gaze
- Deceiving Gaze
Breathing
Distances

Length
Measure

Leger/Huten (Postures/Guards)
Attacking/ Defending

Haun(Cuts)

Oberhaun
Unterhaun
Mittelhaun
Tag-hits

Stechen(Stabs)

Oberstechen
Unterstechen

Schnitte(Slices)

Oberschnitte
Unterchnitte

Test Cutting
Defending
Master Kal’s Allegorical Figure

Eyes
Heart
Feet

The Five Words

Vor (Before)
Nach (After)
Schwech/Weich (Weak/Soft)
Starck/Hart (Strong/Hard)
Indes/Fühlen (While/Feeling)

Binden
Blieben
Frequens Motus
Motion
Phases of the Fight

Beginning
Middle
End

If you frighten easily, no fencing should you learn.

Hs. 3227a First Play

Disarm
Counter by winding
Counter by cutting
Counter by thrusting
Arm break/throw

Lignitzer’s Advice

Hundsfeld, Lignitzer

Hundsfeld

Counters to an Unterstich

Break over the left shoulder (unarmed)
Disarm by striking the wrist from below (unarmed)
Throw by going through and grabbing the leg (fireman, unarmed)
Break by striking the elbow from below (unarmed)
Break by wrenching the arm with one hand at the elbow (unarmed)
Disarm with the dagger on top of the wrist
Displacement with the dagger arm from above to below and wrestle

Counters to an Oberstich

Displacement with the dagger arm from below and thrust
Elbow lock from a thrust from below
Grasp with the left and thrust
Grasp with the left and throw by the leg from the inside backwards
Arm break by pulling with the dagger at the elbow

The Key (with empty hands)

Counters to an Oberstich

Lower key lock behind the back (throw optional)
Arm break over the left shoulder
Arm break over the chest
Throw over the left knee by his neck backwards with left hand

Counters to an Unterstich

Stab him in the chest with his own dagger
Arm break over the back by going through
Arm break over the left shoulder
Arm break over the chest
Throw over the left knee by his neck backwards with left hand

Lignitzer

Several Rules

Wrench and lock with the left and thrust against an Oberstich
Wrist lock from below and thrust against a failed Oberstich (thrust to the side)
Lock under the left armpit and thrust against a straight Oberstich
Arm break on the chest with the dagger against a straight thrust to the side
Wrench and lock with the left and twist to break the arm
Wrench and lock with the left, throw back over the right hip by his elbow

Masterly plays

Get into a mutual lockup (He thrusts, you grasp, you thrust, he grasps)

Counter by thrusting from the lockup
Counter by throwing him backwards over the right leg

Scissor Lock against an Oberstich

Counter by releasing the dagger and thrusting with the left hand
Counter by displacing
Counter by throwing over the right leg backward

Pull with the dagger at the elbow and throw by stepping on the foot (Oberstich)

Counter by wrapping the left hand around his neck

Break his arm over your right shoulder against an Oberstich

Counter by going through and breaking his arm over your shoulder

Hans Talhoffer, Codex Wallerstein, Paulus Kal

Talhoffer

Grasp with the right and knock with the left against an Oberstich (unarmed)
Throw over the right knee by his throat against an Oberstich (unarmed)
Displace with the pincer and elbow lock stepping behind (unarmed)

Counter by throwing over the left leg

Grasp and throw backwards over the left leg with one hand at the elbow (unarmed)
Ball and chain and throw over the right leg on the head (unarmed)
Ein grosser wurf against an Oberstich (unarmed or armed)
Upper-shield and row disarm

Counter by inverting the thrust and throwing
Counter by striking upward from below to thrust
Counter by grasping over with both arms to throw
Catching his arm on the dagger from below and disarm

Lower-shield against an unterstich
Counter against the Scissor lock by locking his arm using the lower shield
Double-under figure-four arm break and throw over the left leg (armed and unarmed)
The inverted throw against an oberstich (similar to the elbow lock, unarmed)
Arm wrench and throw over the right arm against an unterstich
Hip throw forward over the left with the dagger on the arm against an oberstich
Displace an oberstich with the right, run through, and throw over the back

Counter with an elbow push

Thrust over his unterstich-displacement into his stomach with a straight unterstich
Heart-thrust to counter a straight unterstich
End technique (force him to the ground from the thrust)
Throw over the hip forward with the left arm around the neck against an oberstich
Elbow lock with dagger from below stepping behind

Counter with hip-throw backwards

Throw backwards over the hip with the left arm around the neck against an unterstich
Scissor lock to the neck

Counter with a throw

Displace with the Dagger arm and throw by the right leg
Free guard
Unknown thrust
Displace with the left arm and throw from behind the right leg
Choking down against an Oberstich

Codex Wallerstein

Upper-shield and row to thrust him in the face with his own dagger
Upper-shield and pull him on his face with the dagger behind his neck
Lower Key lock with the dagger from the Upper-shield
Elbow push and throw by the right ankle with the dagger against an Oberstich
Failed oberstich and testicle thrust
Displace his Oberstich into his testicles and thrust to his neck
Disarm from the lower shield against an unterstich
Disarm over the dagger against a straight oberstich

Paulus Kal

Oberschnitt against an unterstich
Unterschnitt against an oberstich
Double Scissor lock to counter a scissor lock
Over and under figure-four lock
Unarmed reverser

Gladiatoria, Meyer, Durer

Gladiatoria

Disarm with the right hand and throw over the left leg against Oberstich from his left
Upper-shield followed by a throw over the right leg with the left hand at the elbow
Lower-shield followed by a throw over the right leg with the left hand at the neck
Elbow push from the Side-shield against a thrust from his left side
Disarm using the right hand from the upper pincer (unarmed)
Disarm using the right hand from the lower pincer (unarmed)
Scissor lock against a mutual bind from Oberstichen from the left shoulder
Elbow push from displacement with the dagger hand and throw from the leg forward
A mutual bind from Oberstichen from the right shoulder, throw from the leg backward
Grasp his right arm and his right knee and throw over the left leg against an Oberstich
A mutual bind from Oberstichen from the right, wrap his arm under the left armpit
A mutual bind from Oberstichen from the right, Scissor lock to the neck
Force his arm behind his neck with the right hand, throw him with both hands forward
First Thwirch with the left hand at the knee against an Oberstich with the left foot fore

Counter with the elbow lock
Counter with the ball and chain and throw

Third Thwirch from a mutual lockup

Counter by falling down on the left knee and throw him backward

7 Pins

On his back, left arm over his neck, left knee in his groin
On his front, right knee on his back, left hand pulling up his chin
Grasped with left arm in front around his neck, fall on right knee
On his back, right knee in groin, left elbow on right shoulder, press up chin
Back, left knee outside his right, left hand through left knee, grab right wrist
Front, left knee on ass, pull his right arm back, use left for lower key to his left
Back, right knee groin, hook right foot on right shin, pull left hand behind head

Meyer

Oberhut (4 techniques)
Underhut (2 techniques)
Chief Parryings (3 techniques)
Kreutzhut (6 techniques)

Miscellaneous Techniques
Casting (1 techniques)
Taking the Dagger (4 techniques)
Wrenching (19 techniques)
Grappling (4 techniques)
Precepts (5 techniques)

Dürer

Techniques against the Messer (6)

Bouting