We continued our coverage of the guard of the Boar (Eber) in dussack class this week, and this was probably our most productive session with the weapon to date! We managed to review everything we had learned previously, as well as covering new material detailing the cuts used to break the Boar and how those cuts can be used most effectively.

We began class by reviewing Meyer’s fighting stance and stepping. Even though those are basic concepts that should be well understood before all the cutting and parrying begins, it is always good to review. This is what we covered:

Stance: It is very important to be neither too forward or backward weighted. While some stances clearly favor one or the other to some degree, none of them seem to place more than ~ 70% of the weight on either foot, and if more than that amount of weight is loaded on to either leg, Meyer’s stances immediately become too static and uncomfortable. If a position begins to feel like something doesn’t seem right, chances are something isn’t, and it should be fixed. We spent a fair bit of time looking at the foot placement seen in Meyer where the lead foot is often turned out slightly. My working hypothesis is that this is done so that the rear foot has a straight shot forward when doing passing steps, but we also noticed that when the lead foot is turned out it makes it almost impossible for the knee to collapse its structure and bend inward (meaning to the left if right foot and vice versa). This interests me, as keeping the toes pointed forward seems to make it somewhat easier for the knee to come out of alignment.

Weight Distribution When Stepping: The first drill we covered made it clear that we have to focus on evenly distributing the weight when using a gather step in preparation for a cut. The drill we did is described in Meyer’s text as such:

“Stand with your left foot forward and hold your dusack in the Steer, as shown by the large figure on the left in the previous image [B].

Step and cut straight from above down through the vertical line, as far as the Midpoint where the lines cross over each other; thus you stand with your arm extended in the Longpoint, concerning which see the large figure also on the left in the image on the following page [C].

From there, let the foible of your dusack drop and run off toward your left, and at the same time as your foible drops, pull your hilt up with hanging blade around your head for a stroke; meanwhile as your pull up your dusack for another cut, then at the same time also pull your rear foot up to the forward right one, so that you have another full step forward with your right foot to go with the cut you have prepared. Cut as before through the vertical line, yet no further than to the crossing of the lines, into the Longpoint. From there, gather to cut as before; and do this one cut to three or four forward.”

This drill was done both forward and back, and there were some observations to be had. One very important detail is that you have to keep your stance low even as the back foot comes forward, which requires your weight distribution to be almost perfectly equal between your legs. If you do not do this, your weight shifts toward your right leg almost entirely, making it harder for you to beat a hasty retreat if you need to (in case your opponent acted before you could complete your cut), but this also forces you to change your distance to your opponent. If I am comfortably double-weighted (50/50 weight distribution between legs) and I do a gather step, I haven’t changed my distance to you hardly at all. However, if my weight carries forward because I shift too much of it that way, I will immediately end up a few inches closer to you, and now I am slower because my weight will have to be shifted again when I go back. Along with that problem comes the issue of telegraphing; I do not want my opponent to know the precise moment of attack, but if my weight shifts too far to one side or the other, or if I pop up in my stance as I ready my cut, I have then given him a perfect tempo for attack.

Another issue we discovered was that if you pop up in your stance, the hanging dussack cannot protect you, as it is now much higher than it was previously, leaving you open for a belly cut.

Double-weighting in this prepatory posture is also quite useful because it provides a spring for you to “hop off” of if you need to change your angle of attack. If I come forward and then see you have changed your guard, I have the option of using that loaded stance to leap off to one side or other to exploit whichever opening you have presented.

This weighting detail also came in handy when we used Meyer’s drill for cutting into the Watch with the same footwork:

“Position yourself with your dusack as I have taught; from there, cut through the vertical line with extended arm, all the way through, and turn your right side well toward your left after the cut, so that in this cut your dusack runs back past your left side; and as your dusack runs back through by your left, then meanwhile pull your hilt up by your left around your head, into the Watch for another stroke; thus you stand as shown by the figure on the right in the previous Image B.

At the same time as you pull your dusack up for the stroke, as I have said, you shall pull your rear foot up as far as the forward foot, so that you have another step forward for this cut with the forward right foot, as I have just taught. Then step further forward with your right foot, and cut from the Watch straight from above as before, right through the vertical line. Do this also one cut to three or four, forward and backward, so that you will be well trained in it.”

Keeping that weight centered rather than flinging it forward with every cut was crucial to these cuts being both fast and smooth. This is an important detail to keep in mind.

Once we had covered our basic drills, we moved on to redescribing the guard of the Boar (Eber):

“You have heard something about the high postures along with their devices; now follow the postures by which the high guards are countered; for when your opponent fights you from above, then you shall fight him from below. The guard of the Boar is used only on the right side, as shown by the figure on the left in image M.”

We reviewed why it is that Meyer has us take a low guard if our opponent takes a high guard (see my previous post on the Boar for details), and from there we focused on how to break this guard, using the Brummerhauw (Roaring Cut) and the Weckerhauw (Waker Cut):

“Roarer Cut [Brummerhauw]

The Roarer Cut has this name because it goes so swiftly in its course that it sends forth a kind of bellowing wind; do it thus:

See that you drive your opponent high with his parrying; with this, turn your grip around so that you have your dusack crooked; pull your hilt around your head with hanging dusack, and cut beside your right from below across with the crooked edge under his dusack at the radius-bone of his forearm, or inside at the tendon, depending on how high he has gone, with a step out on your right foot toward his right; but let your dusack shoot back before your face for parrying.

Waker Cut [Weckerhauw]

Execute the Waker Cut thus in the Onset:

Deliver a powerful High Cut in at him; if he parries the cut, then note as soon as it clashes or hits on his parrying, and turn the cut into a thrust; thrust your dusack around on his, in at his face, as shown by the two figures on the right in this image [P]. If he goes up, then cut upward with the crooked edge through his arm, as you can see in the large figures.”

In reality it is the Oberhau breaks the Boar, as this is the cut that brings the opposing fencer out of his guard, but it is the two secondary cuts that can follow said Oberhau that allow you to harm your opponent. it is also worth mentioning that both of these cuts have an element of Indes (“Instantly”) in them, as the decision for one or the other relies on the split second decision making that happens when the dussacks clash together.

A shared characteristic these cuts have is that neither of them works very well if the opponent does not parry high enough. We noticed this with the Brummerhauw first because it became difficult to wheel the crooked edge around the opponent’s dussack if their tip was too horizontal and only at about forehead level. The Weckerhauw shared this issue because our thumbs would run into the edge of our enemy’s dussack, and that is not what we’re going for. What we discovered was that these work best when someone responds earnestly to your cut: by throwing their dussack high in the air to guard their head. This seems like an obvious detail, but unfortunately it is easy to become compliant in drills and forget that you are much more likely to make big movements when afraid. Once the opponent’s dussack came up high, then the Brummerhauw could easily wheel beneath it and tag the inside of the forearm, just as Meyer said.

The Waker (Weckerhauw) was slightly different. We were unable to pull it off adequately until one of our members decided to close his eyes while doing it. Once he did, he was able to feel where the pressure in the parry was, and this allowed his dussack to roll from the Oberhau into the Waker, the dussack moving from the opponent’s strong to their weak. This is a perfect example of fuhlen (feeling), a VERY important necessity in the bind with any weapon. The key with the Waker is to move your dussack as you do it, displacing the opponent’s blade slightly as your strong overtakes their weak. Once we understood this, the Waker became a very “alive” and useful cut!

Next week we will be reviewing this guard and these cuts that break it, and there will be even more to talk about!

Cheers.