MEYER DUSSACK

- The Dussack in Motion -

2014
v.1.2

Roger Norling

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
 “With this weapon extend far and long,
hang over forward after the cut.
With your body step far as well;
send in your cuts powerfully around him.
To all four targets let them fly;
with comportment and pulling you can deceive
him.

You shall parry in the forte,

And meanwhile injure him with the foible.
Also you shall come no nearer
than where you can reach him with a step.
When he is about to run in at you,
the point drives him from you.
But if he has run in on you,
with gripping and wrestling you shall be the
first.

Pay heed to the forte and foible,

'Instantly' makes the openings apparent.
Also step correctly in the Before and After;
watch diligently for the right time,
and do not let yourself be easily unnerved.”

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PERSONAL PRESENTATION

To begin with I would like to briefly introduce myself. I am the quarterstaff instructor of
Gothenburg Historical Fencing School (GHFS) in Sweden, and I am also a member of the Meyer
Frei Fechter Guild (MFFG) and the Historical European Martial Arts Coalition (HEMAC). I am also
the Chief Editor of HROARR.com and publish most of my research there.

My personal focus is on the teachings of Joachim Meyer and by extension also the context he
lived and worked in, as well as the masters that he appears to have studied or be in the same
fencing “tree” as, like Hs. 3227a, Sigmund Ringeck, Martin Syber, Hans Talhoffer, Jörg Wilhalm,
Andres Paurñfeyndt, Johannes Leküchner and Achille Marozzo. My main focuses are the
longsword, the dusack and the quarterstaff.

This workshop article is an attempt at teaching the very basics underlying Meyer’s dusack
fencing, to give a foundation to continue working with his actual techniques from.

The illustrations have been quite crudely cropped and I apologize for it, but hope they will serve
well enough to help understand what the text attempts to describe.

ABOUT JOACHIM MEYER

Joachim Meyer was most likely born in 1537, in Basel, Switzerland. His father, Jakob may have
been a knifesmith, just as Joachim would later become. Joachim became noted as a burgher when
becoming a knifesmith of Straßburg in 1560. If he just had moved to Straßburg or grew up there
is currently unclear. He was also a fencing master in this city, teaching and arranging several
fechtschuler (tournaments) in the 1560s. Interestingly, another Basel-born knifesmith and
fencing master named Hans Jakob Meyer would also request to arrange a tournament in
Straßburg in 1564. It is currently unclear if this is a relative of Meyer, but it appears to be too
much of a coincidence.

Meyer may have had experience of war as all male burghers of his time had to both own
weapons and armour, as well as serve in the town militia as “police”, firemen, soldiers and
honour guards, according to ability. This of course required training, and since times were quite
troublesome with constant religious strife and conflict, many men would need to use their
training in real life and death situations, both in civilian or military context.

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He wrote three or four treatises with one currently being lost. The three are the Duke von Solms
treatise completed in 1560 or -68, a printed treatise in 1570 entitled “Gründliche Beschreibung
der Freyen Ritterlichen und Adeligen Kunst des Fechtens” and an uncompleted treatise in 1571,
called the Rostock Treatise or Ms Var.82.

The printed 1570 book was reprinted in 1600, 1610 and 1660 and was also copied by Jakob
Sutor in 1612, and Theodori Verolinus in 1679. In this book he directs himself towards young
men and experienced soldiers alike and it teaches the longsword, the dusack, the “war” rappier,
grappling, dagger, quarterstaff, halberd and pike.

Interestingly Meyer appears to be one of the few masters that we clearly can prove to having
studied several treatises of earlier fencing masters.

The last so called “Rostock” treatise contains copies of the fencing treatises of Martin Syber,
Sigmund Ringeck, Martein Hundtfelts, Jud Lew, Andre Liegniczer and handles the longsword,
armoured fighting, fighting on horseback, dagger, sword & buckler and war rappier.

The dagger illustrations, finally, bear a strong resemblance to the illustrations in the treatise of
Achille Marozzo and one can be quite certain that at least the illustrators had access to copies of
these.

There are several indications that Meyer may have received part of his training in the
Marxbrüder, which in his time was the only officially recognized fencing guild within the Holy
Roman Empire. However, he also appears to have been instrumental in founding of the
Freyfechter fencing guild and he includes a Freyfechter Zettel (List of verses) in his treatise.

In 1570/71 he accepted a position as a fencing master at the court of the Duke of Mecklenburg in
Schwerin but while travelling there in cold winter February of 1571 he got ill and died shortly
after arriving. His last treatise was thus never completed and ends in the middle of a page.

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SPORT OR REAL MARTIAL ART?

For a long time in modern HEMA his teachings have been regarded as a sportified version of the
Liechtenauer tradition by those who focus on the earlier sources, despite Meyer himself clearly
directing himself towards soldiers and including many lethal and maiming techniques that would
never be allowed in a fechtschul or other sports contexts, like breaking of arms, thrusting into
the face and testicles, striking at hands etc, etc. All weapons that he teaches in his printed
treatise are still common on the battlefields of his time, apart from the slightly anachronistic
rondel wood dagger portrayed in his treatise. Some techniques that he mentions are also
described specifically for the battlefield. Still, large parts of his teachings would likely have been
used in a civilian context too, a context where thrusting was considered dishonorable and where
striking with the flat was a necessary skill as initially striking with the flat would prove your
intent to avoid escalating a violent conflict and therefore could mean the difference between
severe punishment and standing clear of blame and guilt.

Most controversial in Meyer’s teachings is the seeming lack of thrusting with the longsword,
which can be perceived as a break with the earlier tradition. This is all the more confusing since
he thrusts with all other weapons, and does so with the clear intent to maim and kill, but with
the longsword, the thrust is only used as a threat to cause the opponent to move in a certain
fashion so you can attack him in a created “opening”.

However, in my belief, there is a pedagogical and practical reason for this, closely tied to the
structure of teaching in the Renaissance fencing guilds. We do not have full details for how this
structure was in the Marxbrüder or the Freyfechter guilds, but the English Company of Maisters
of the Noble Science of Defense, who were strongly inspired by the German guilds and provably
used near identical ceremonies etc, follow Meyer’s treatise exactly, starting with the longsword,
continuing with the dusack, rappier, dagger and ending with the polearms. This is also the
general structure of Austrian Freyfechter Andre Paurñfeyndt’s treatise of 1516. I would suggest
this structure is tied to concerns for safety of the students, so the safer weapons are used first, i.e.
the longsword which can be better controlled with two hands than a single-hand sword, then the
dusack which has a safe wooden training sword to use. - These two are again in Meyer’s time the
two most popular weapons in his region. Then he moves on to the, in his time, increasingly more
popular war rappier, then the dagger and finally the most dangerous and hard to learn of them
all; the polearms - a weapon type that has little civilian use apart from town guard duty.

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This structure makes sense, since no master in their right mind would ask two beginners to
attempt to stab each other in the face straight away. That would leave him with precious few
students very quickly.

It has also been suggested that the longsword is no longer in use by Meyer’s time, but this is
provably wrong. It was still commonly carried both by some civilians and soldiers and can be
seen alongside of the large two-hand Schlachtschwert in battlefield illustrations well into the 30
Years War. And the Montante is taught for war and civic duty as late as in 1651 by Dom Diogo
Gomes de Figueiredo.

It is also my belief that the staff was used to train the use of the Schlachtschwert, a weapon that
for military purposes served the same function as the halberd and which is commonly seen in
contemporary depictions used with the left hand leading, just as the staff and halberd are taught.

Regardless, while Meyer thrusts rather rarely with the longsword, he does turn the winding
(Winden) into a great art by teaching many, many ways of using the bind for controlling the
opponent’s blade and striking from the bind.

Finally, Meyer adds a whole layer of tactics and strategies, working with psychology and mind
games, something which is often missing from earlier treatises. In many ways, it is reminiscent
in parts of Meyer’s near contemporaries Myamoto Musashi’s famous Book of Five rings or George
Silver’s books on fencing, only with techniques and terminology more clearly explained and
exemplified.

His tactical and strategical advice includes the following:

• Attack first
- Take the initiative and don’t wait for the opponent to attack you. It is better to force
him to respond to what you do than the opposite.

• There are three different types of cuts: Provoking – Displacing - Hitting.

- Most exchanges include at least two of these, in any order. Some strikes displace and hit
at the same time. Others just perform a single of these functions at a time, but can be
used in all three ways. Provoking is a way of controlling your opponent by giving him an
idea about what is “right” to do. That way you are ahead of your opponent already and
can treat him in whatever way you like.

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 • Transform a cut into a thrust and a thrust into a cut
- It is quicker and better to move the shortest, or the quickest way. From a cut it is better
to keep the point in line and thrust from the inside or the outside. However, from a failed
thrust it is often better to use the momentum of the opponent’s parry to strike around,
especially for one handed weapons.

• If he tends to cut wide: Void and counterattack with quick cuts or thrusts.
- For opponents who strike overly hard and wide; just step out of range and as his sword
is over-extended, then attack quickly to whatever body part you can reach.

• If he tends to void and counterattack: Provoke and feint.

- Likewise if you face an opponent who likes to fight like the above, then instead work
with provocations; threaten with thrusts and strikes in, or slightly out of range to force
the opponent to move in a certain fashion, thus revealing a new opening that he will find
it hard to defend quickly, which you then attack. Both Silver and Musashi speak of this
too, although from slightly different perspectives.

• Always cut from the sword to the body and the body to the sword.
- You always have to be ready to control the opponent’s weapon and body after you land
an attack, since you can’t trust your attack to incapacitate him immediately.

Likewise, as you strike or parry you will be revealing an opening that is difficult to
protect quickly. Consequently this is the opening that is the most attractive for your
opponent and you have to be ready to protect it.

• Withdraw with a threat

- Following from the above you also have to make sure that you not only bind your
opponent’s weapon after a successful attack, but also that you withdraw in a manner that
discourages the opponent from attacking you, either with extended sword, a thrust or a
strike.

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 • Don’t do things you can’t do in a real, dangerous situation.
- Meyer states that we all think differently and thus fights differently. There simply isn’t a
single best fighting style and there are as many styles as there are fighters. But not only
that, he also discourages us from using techniques that are difficult for us in a situation
where we need to rely on them, since not all techniques are for everyone. Our bodies,
lack of training etc will hinder us in executing some of them properly, which means it
would be suicidal to use them in a real fight.

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THE DUSACK

The dusack has often been mistaken for being no more than a wood & leather training weapon,
commonly used by Renaissance fencers, when in fact it was a weapon of war, a proto-sabre with
a complex hilt. In a way it is basically a modernized kriegsmesser (large war knife), improved
upon possibly to accommodate a growing need resulting from the intensifying wars against the
Ottoman cavalry who commonly carried sabres.

It is similar to the Italian Storta and may well have been popularized by the Swiss whose
notorious Reißläufer were a strong inspiration for the German Landsknechter, even serving as
an official role model for them and using Swiss instructors to train them. However, these soon
became common all over Europe and e.g. the Norwegian King Christian IV armed his peasants by
importing 8.000 dusacke from Switzerland in 1589. As early as in 1539, they are mentioned
alongside of Schlachtschwerter (two handed war sword) in Sweden.

Meyer himself describes the dusack as “The most common weapon among Germans, after the
longsword.” When describing it he states that it has its basis in Longsword, but that it also
teaches the Rappier. And this is part of the genius of Meyer’s teachings; how everything connects
and strengthens one another. Dagger techniques are implemented into the staff, and longsword
into the dusack, rappier and staff, back and forth.

The dusack would remain in use in the fencing guilds, alongside of all other weapons that Meyer
teaches all the way into the late 1700s, but the actual war dusack would with time transform
into a proper sabre.

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WHAT THIS CLASS IS AND ISN’T

In this class you will learn the following:

• How to use varied grips of the dusack

• How to step both in attack and defense.
• How to strike continuously both from above and below at the four openings, while training
to stay safe and quickly counter with another strike.
• How to parry continuous strikes coming from an aggressive opponent using simple
combinations of stances and cuts.
• How to step in for grappling
• How to counter grapplers

BASICS

GRIPS
There are three ways of gripping the dusack which make certain strikes and techniques easier.

NORMAL “HAMMER” GRIP

This is where you hold your dusack with a closed fist with the thumb pointing towards your
knuckles. It is simple and natural to use and allows the dusack to strike freely, but gives less
control over the dusack.

EXTENDED THUMB GRIP

Here, you extend the thumb forwards on top of the blade, which will give you better control over
the point of the blade, both when striking but also when parrying. It also allows the whole hand
to move a finger’s width forwards inside the grip, furthermore increasing your control. On a real
steel dusack the cross would prohibit such a grip, but many war dusacker had a thumb ring onto
which you would extend your thumb, for increased control.

SIDE GRIP

Here you let the grip twist 90 degrees in your hand so you can rest your thumb on the flat of the
blade. It allows you to strike from the side with the “short” edge of the blade, e.g. at the
opponent’s weapon in a “Krumphauw” like fashion.
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GUARDS & STANCES
The guards should not be regarded as fixed positions, but rather as crossroads for choosing
different actions, as you study how your opponent acts and reacts. They are ideal positions for
change and are where you should strive to end as you attack and as your attacks are parried. You
should not remain in them for long. Meyer states only for a “blink of an eye” and it is on your
way into a guard that you observe and decide what to do, not when you are in them.
However, you can remain in guard longer too, commonly in order to bait and fool your opponent
into attacking an opening you are giving him, thus controlling his actions through psychology.

Meyer describes all this in the following words:

1.31R
Now as regards the postures, I would not have you remain long in any of them, since
they are not invented or devised for this purpose, but so that when you draw up your
sword for a stroke, and it is time for you to cut in the middle of pulling up as you
gather your joints, you will know how to send your sword at once quickly back
against him when you reach the furthermost point in drawing up your sword.
However, this is the reason that even experienced fighters sometimes linger in a
guard, namely that you not only should undertake no cut or stroke thoughtlessly, but
also that after you have pulled up and gathered yourself for this stroke, and at that
moment shall send the stroke forth, you shall linger in that furthermost point for just
a bit, almost only for the blink of an eye, to reconsider whether it is worth completing
your intended stroke, or whether in the meantime a better opportunity has arisen for
you, so that you should change it at the furthermost point to another cut, and
complete the High cut, for which you have pulled up, with a Thwart.
This is the chief cause of the invention of the postures, and therefore he who
sometimes lies in a posture should see what the intention of the other one is, so that
he may know better how to catch him in his own devices. This does not happen unless
he observes and is sure of his intention; for this watching demands art and great
experience, etc.

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Here are the main guards. Most can be done on both sides, but generally the right foot is to be
kept forward for a right handed fencer, and the rear foot at 90 degrees to the lead foot.

GUARDS
WACHT SCHNITT LANGORT

BASTEY (Alber) WECHSELHUT (left) & EINHORN

NEBENHUT (right)

STIER EBER BOGEN

MITTELHUT ZORNHUT

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HALBSCHWERT
LEFT RIGHT

VIDILPOGE

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Stances should generally be with your weight centered over the hips and in between the feet for
best control in movement. Leaning of upper body is done to all directions for better reach or to
evade attacks, and weight can then also be shifted towards the two feet, even centering the
weight over or in front of one of them.

All guards fit into a natural flow that connect full or half cuts, cutting in the shape of an “X” - with
the “crossing point” at the target, and thrusts, and the guards thus fit into various cutting and
thrusting patterns that can be combined together. Meyer describes it with the following words:

And you shall well note here (as I have also said previously) that the postures must
be understood not merely as a position in which to wait for the opponent's fighting,
but much more as a beginning or end of the cuts and parrying. So for example when
you are standing in the Bow, if you will now strike out of the Bow, then in gathering
for the cut you come up into the Watch or Steer; and when you pull your dusack
around your head for the stroke, then in pulling around you come through the Wrath
Guard; from there the cut is first completed; then when you have completed the High
Cut, if you do not go through to the side with the cut, you come at the end of it into
the Change; if you will parry up from there, then you come into the Bow, or into the
Longpoint.
---
Now this is the chiefest reason for the invention of these postures, that when you pull
up into a posture for a cut, you can change it while you are still in the air, and turn or
send it to another opening; also when you pull up for a cut, that at the furthermost
point into which you come with pulling up, you can tarry an instant to see whether
he will cut at your opening as you cut, so that you may perceive in the air whether
you can reach him over his incoming cut by cutting simultaneously over it.
Nonetheless you shall tarry no longer in any posture than as long as it takes to
gather for the stroke, but always change off from one posture into another, until you
perceive opportunity to cut. (2.18R-2.20R)

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Some examples of this are:

CUTTING
WACHT SCHNITT LANGORT

BASTEY (Alber) NEBENHUT (right, but here EINHORN

depicted as left)

STIER BOGEN NEBENHUT (right, but here

depicted as left)

MITTELHUT (right, but here ZORNHUT

depicted as left)

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THRUSTING
ZORNHUT EINHORN STIER

EBER

GRAPPLING
EBER VIDILPOGE

HALBSCHWERT LEFT HALBSCHWERT RIGHT

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STEPPING
For a left handed fencer, most actions start and end with the right foot leading. However, there
are some exceptions in this, particularly with certain guards like Right Einhorn, Right Stier, Eber,
Bastey, Right Zornhut and Right Mittelhut, which all lead with the left foot instead. The tendency
seems to be to prefer to work with the guards that let you lead with the right foot though. And to
make it even more complicated, the position of the feet is not prioritized over the position of the
weapon and arms, which is natural since it is more important to protect oneself than to stand
“correctly”. Consequently, in Meyer’s treatise fencers are several times depicted leading with the
wrong foot forward, causing a “crossed” stance.

There are three basic steps forwards and backwards and they can be used both when attacking
and when defending.

THE GATHERING STEP

When advancing the rear foot is moved forwards right next to the leading foot, before stepping
forward with the lead foot. When retreating you do the opposite, and move backwards with your
leading foot before retreating the rear foot.

THE PASSING STEP

Here the rear foot passes the leading foot in a long “normal” step somewhat to the side. Try to
maintain your hips at the same height throughout the movement. This is how you step when
attacking from the Eber, Zornhut etc.

THE TRIANGLE SIDESTEP (VOLTA)

This is a small twisting of the whole body, where the rear foot is moved out to a 45 degree angle,
giving you a better “line” towards the opponent.

This step can also be quickly followed by a regular step with the leading foot to complete a wider
sidestepping.

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SINGLE DRILLS

… and when you are cutting … avoid holding your arm 'in the bosom' (as they say),
i.e. not fully extended from you; for he who fights short and holds his arms near him
is easy to deceive and hit, although the stretching out must also have its moderation
and limit according to the situation of the moment.
Therefore I particularly wish to advise you, if you want to make this book useful for
yourself, that you will above all things learn to deliver the cuts fluidly, long, and
well… (2.14V)

BODY & WEAPON’S MECHANICS

The exercises in this chapter are based on Meyer’s own description of how to work with cuts
through the vertical, diagonal and horizontal lines. He describes the first parts of this with the
following words.

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 you 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. As many cuts as you deliver forward, you shall also execute the same
number of cuts and steps backwards again; and as you have drawn the rear foot up
to the forward foot in cutting forward, so that you can step further forward with the
front foot, likewise when you will step backward in cutting, you must also give
ground with the front foot as far back as the rear one, as you pull up to the stroke;
and as you have previously stepped forward for the stroke with your right foot, so
you must now step back in cutting with your rear left one. (2.4v.1)

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NOTE
The exercises below should be done to both sides, and both advancing and retreating. Make sure
to step in good balance with your weight centered so you can stop at any time.

CUTS DIAGONALLY FROM ABOVE

1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping, shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. Let the point fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen.
4. Pull the dusack around your head into Wacht, and strike down diagonally from above
into Langort, as the step is completed.
5. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot and let the point
fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen and then up into Wacht.
6. Step forward while cutting diagonally down, making sure that you reach Langort right
when your foot lands.
7. Repeat from #5 while advancing or retreating continuously

CUTS VERTICALLY FROM ABOVE

1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping, shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. Let the point fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen.
4. Pull the dusack around your head into Wacht, and strike down diagonally from above
into Langort, as the step is completed
5. Let the strike continue all the way down by your side and up again into Stier on the other
side.
6. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to the forwards foot and let the point
drop into Bogen and make a moulinet into Wacht.
7. Cut down from the other side.
8. Repeat from #5 while advancing or retreating continuously.

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HORIZONTAL CUTS
1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. In the same movement, pull the dusack upwards with the short edge to your side
through Schnitt …
or
Let the point fall towards your side into Bogen …
… and cut towards the “head” making sure that you reach the impact point right when
your foot lands.
4. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot and raise the point
into Schnitt again, or let the point fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen
and then up through Wacht.
5. Step forward while cutting again towards the “head” making sure that you reach the
impact point right when your foot lands.
6. Repeat from #4 while advancing or retreating continuously

CUTS DIAGONALLY FROM BELOW

1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping, shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. Raise your point towards your side diagonally up with the short edge up to your side into
Schnitt.
4. Pull the dusack around your head into Wacht, and strike up diagonally from below with
the long edge, as the step is completed.
5. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot, while raising your
point towards your side diagonally up with the short edge up to your side into Schnitt.
6. Pull the dusack around your head passing through Wacht and strike diagonally up from
below, as the step is completed.
7. Repeat from #5 while advancing or retreating continuously.

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
REVERSED CUTS DIAGONALLY FROM ABOVE
1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping, shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. Let the point fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen.
4. Pull the dusack around your head into Wacht, and strike with the short edge down
diagonally from above, as the step is completed.
5. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot and while pulling
back the dusack a bit into Bogen and then continue up into Wacht.
6. Step forward while cutting diagonally down with the short edge, as the step is
completed.
7. Repeat from #4 while advancing or retreating continuously

DOUBLE CUTS DIAGONALLY FROM ABOVE

1. Start with the left foot leading and the dusack in the position of Eber or Stier.
2. Make a provoking thrust:
Without actually stepping, shift your weight forward quickly as you thrust forward and
extend as far as possible and let the rear foot slide towards your leading left foot.
3. Let the point fall with the short edge down to your side into Bogen.
4. Pull the dusack around your head into Wacht, and strike with the long edge down
diagonally from above, as the step is completed.
5. Make a new attack: Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot and while pulling
back the dusack a bit into Bogen and then continue up into Wacht.
6. Step forward while time cutting diagonally down with the short edge, making sure that
you hit when your foot lands.
7. Gather your rear foot close to your forward foot and while pulling back the dusack a bit
into Bogen and then continue up into Wacht.
8. Step forward while this time cutting diagonally down with the long edge, making sure
that you hit when your foot lands.
9. Repeat from #5 while advancing or retreating continuously

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
PARTNER EXERCISES

2.17R -2.17r.2
These two parryings are each executed in two ways, firstly by catching or
intercepting the stroke, secondly by cutting away. Now catching is simply when you
intercept and hold off your opponent's strokes with parrying, whether it be with the
Bow from the Low Cut, or with Straight Parrying from the High Cut. However, you
shall not understand this parrying as some do it, namely that they merely hold out
their weapons and let them be struck upon; but if you want to catch and parry an
opponent's stroke, then you shall send your parrying up from below with extended
arm against his High Cut in the air; for the higher you catch his cut in the air, the
more you weaken it…

These exercises are done the same way as the single drills, only with the difference that
the defender gathers the feet and moves into Schnitt or Bogen as the attacker strikes.
Also the defender needs to step back from the initial provoking thrust described above.

STATIC EXERCISES - TAKING TURNS

In this exercise you attack with one strike and then then opponent attacks, so you take turns
with a single attack. Both parties stand still when doing this first partner exercise.

1. Parry upwards with an Entrüsthauw (Armour Cut) into Bogen.

2. Add parrying into Stier or Einhorn in upwards motion

STATIC EXERCISES – ONE DEFENDING

Likewise if you wish to parry the Low Cut, then you shall go from above against the
cut, and fall on it with extended arm. Both these parryings end in the Longpoint...
(2.17R -2.17r.2)

Again, in this exercise both parties stand still. However, the attacker makes continuous strikes
that the defender parries.

1. Parrying cuts from below with an Entrüsthauw in a downwards motion into Schnitt.
2. Parry with any stance upwards or downwards.

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
DYNAMIC EXERCISES
In this exercise, both parties step while attacking and defending. At first, it is best to keep
moving in a single direction. So while both parties strikes and parries the same way, one party
will be doing it while stepping backwards.

1. Attack with Oberhauw forwards and defend in Bogen or Stier/Einhorn. Defend

backwards the same way.

CLOSING IN AND COUNTERS

Meyer doesn’t really wish for us to rush to grappling when using the dusack, which can be seen
for instance here:

However since I do not much approve of running in with the dusack, I will let it be
here for now. (2.49r.2)

However, he still teaches a few techniques on how to do it. Make sure to provoke your opponent
into giving you an opening for it by first causing him to strike from above.

LOCKS AND CLOSING IN FOR GRAPPLING: THE ENTRÜSTHAUW & BOGEN

Example A – Block, lock and strike

1. Block or prevent an Oberhauw (High

Cut) with an Entrüsthauw (Armour
Cut) into Vidilpoge (Fiddle Bow) with
left hand supporting the blade near
your right hand.
2. Move left hand in front of your blade
and grab the opponent’s weapon or
hands or wrap your arm around it.
3. Thus locked, strike to his left side with
the blade or pommel.
4. Grapple or step out with a strike or in
Langort (Long Point).

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
 Example B – Block, lock and thrust

1. Block or prevent an Oberhauw with an

Entrüsthauw into Vidilpoge with left
hand supporting the blade near your
right hand.
2. Move left hand to the opening in
between yourself and your blade and
grab the opponent’s weapon or hands,
or wrap your arm around it.
3. Thus locked, thrust or slice to your
opponent’s face or throat from the
outside over his arm.
4. Grapple or step out with a strike or in From Albrecht Dürer’s “Fechtbuch”.
Langort.

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
COUNTERS TO GRAPPLERS
Meyer doesn’t fully approve of people who over-rely on the use of rushing in, especially those
who do it clumsily, and speaks of it with the following words:

There are some who, once they have fully protected their arms with all kinds of
clumsy work, are accustomed to take their head between their arms and run right
under the opponent's weapon. Since you must concern yourself with his falling in
from above, and dare not make yourself open with any technique, you shall use three
kinds of techniques against him. (2.48r.1-r.3)

He then offers us a few examples of how to counter such “brawlers” and gives us the following
three tips.

EXAMPLE A - ATTACK THE FACE OR SCALP

Firstly when he thus runs under your weapon, then at the same time go up with your arm also, and
remain up with parrying; and while you both have your arms up, strike with the crooked edge in a
flick at his face, Secondly if he wards this off, then send your point outside around his arm and
strike with the crooked edge outside his right arm at his head, as shown by the small figures
between the large ones in the previous Image G. (2.48r.1-r.3)

1. When the opponent parries your strike

in the Bogen and either remains or
pulls back for an Oberhauw (High Cut)
2. Then step in, control his arms and flick
your point and short edge down over
his arms towards his face with a strike
or thrust.
3. If he blocks it, then step out to the
other side, flick the blade around and
strike or thrust with the short edge to
his face on the other side over his right
arm.
4. Grapple to control him or step out with
a strike or in Langort.

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
EXAMPLE B – ATTACK THE NECK

Item, keep both hands high and hold your left over your head near his hilt; and meanwhile before
he realizes it, strike him quickly under his left arm behind at the nape of his neck. Concerning this
see the small figures on the left in the same image [G]. (2.48r.1-r.3)

1. When the opponent parries your strike

in the Bogen and either remains or
pulls back for an Oberhauw (High Cut),
step in even closer and grab his hands.
Press them back above his head to
unbalance him.
2. Lean in towards his chest and strike
around his left side towards his neck
or back of the head diagonally from
below.
3. Grapple to control him or step out with
a strike or in Langort.

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]
FINAL WORDS
This has been a very simple introduction to some of the most basic principles underlying
Joachim Meyer’s dusack fencing. For further learning I highly recommend you to get yourself a
copy of Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng’s excellent translation into English of Meyer’s 1570 treatise.
Currently the book is out of print, but at the time of writing, May 2014, a reprint is planned for
January 2015.

I would also like to thank Dr. Forgeng in particular for allowing me to so liberally quote from his
translation.

A huge thanks also to my partner in crime; Mattias Moberg. Thanks for putting up with my
fascist tendencies that pop up when teaching together.

Please don’t hesitate to send me any questions you may have regarding this article or the
associated workshop. You can reach me at [email protected]

I also strongly recommend you to follow the writings of the great authors publishing their work
at www.hroarr.com the very impressive historical fencing magazine Acta Periodica Duellatorum,
available at www.actaperiodica.org and finally the wonderful work so many people do at the
truly unique Wiktenauer.com site.

Roger Norling

May 9, 2014

Gothenburg, Sweden

This material may not be distributed in parts or in whole, in any form, without a written permission of
the author, Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School and HEMAC [email protected]