I’ve been working through my German Longsword workbook and have come to the realization that cuts from Alber can actually be quite fast.

The trick is in how you prepare for the cut. It is tempting to completely leave Alber by pulling back with both hands into something resembling Pflug or vom Tag. Not only is this slow, it also removes your defenses.

To keep my sword in front of me, I instead push my left hand while keeping my right hand in place. Depending on which line I want to cut, the push will be to the left, right, or downwards.

Then in one fluid motion, I raise my right hand to the proper height while jerking my left hand back to give power to the cut. Some of the cuts will look like a Molinello, while others are more like a quick snap. Footwork is of course important for both positioning and power generation.

I still need to experiment with a partner, but it seems that even the master cuts can be effectively thrown this way. I worry about speed though, as there may not be enough time to use this defensively.

Another interesting facet is that the preparation itself doesn’t telegraph where you are going. If push the pommel left, I could step right with a quick snap. But I could also circle around for a long-edge Zwerch along G/H while stepping to the left.