Outline
- Warm Ups
- Practice Cuts, Thrusts, Footwork
- Stoß / Thrusting Part 1: Structure
- Übungen: Voiding the Thrust
- Free Play (if time)
§.1. Stöße
Stoß, lit. thrust or stab, is “bringing the Klinge (blade), using the Ausfall (extension or lunge) so close to the opponent that the Spitze (point) hits the opponent in an available Bloß (opening).”
There are two primary types of Stöße: Flüchtige Stöße or direct “plain” thrusts in which the arm and blade are brought in a straight direction to the opponent. The Feste Stöße, thrusts against opposition, which are made after crossing your opponent’s sword and attacking them utilizing the correct response to the perceived Fühlen (feeling); Stark (hard) or Schwech (weak).
The secondary thrust is the HalbStoß, lit. half-thrust, known in the Sir William Hope system as the Feinted Thrust. It can also be doubled akin to Hope’s Double-Feint. In the HalbStoße the tip is targeted and the arm is extended but the body remains back and no step is taken. If your opponent attempts to ward this perceived attack, tip Durchwechseln (change through) to another Blöße (opening) and launch a Feste Stöße.
There are two timings of the Stöße: Angriffs, lit. attacking, and Nachstößen, lit. after-thrust. In the Angriffs you act your opponent’s openings in the Vor (before) timing and Nachstößen in the Nach (after), meaning that ward your opponent’s incoming attack before returning your own.
Stöße actions are governed by the components of balanced fencing: Einschätzung (judgment), Mensur (time and place), Wachsamkeit (vigilance), Fühlen (feeling) and Vorsatz (intent).
§.2. Basic Actions
When committing to a Stoß, the structure of the body should be a correct and balanced Fechtstellung: feet and weight being held in a stable way, the back remaining straight.
Ausfallen, lit. standing or stepping out, is a German style of lunging that involves a small structured forward-extended action.
It is important to remember the correct order of attacking with a thrust: First, your hand moves the tip to the intended target. Then you should extend your arm, followed by the hinging of the body by straightening your rear leg, and finally, if necessary, the foot moves no more than a normal step or so. Reverse this sequence for the Abzug (withdrawal). This order of operations should be practiced slowly at first, building towards smooth motion.
Some key points to consider:- The front toe should be facing towards your opponent.
- The arm should be well extended on both the attack and the Abzug (withdrawal) in order to remain properly protected.
- When you hinge forward with the Ausfallen, your font knee should never pass the position of your toe. Doing so will result in a slow timing, weak structure, and stress on your knees that could lead to chronic issues.
- With the Ausfallen always remember that you are pushing from the back leg using the core and the buttocks.
- In some systems, keenly the Italian and French systems, the fencer is told to throw their off-hand back and lunge, as the German Ausfallen is smaller we do not throw back our hand, instead reserving it for emergencies parries, sword-commanding and gripping/grappling actions.
- The order of thrusting is important, if you lift your foot too soon or in preparation for the Ausfall before the hand moves forward you are: creating a Bloß by telegraphing your next action, unsteady yourself leaving and risk losing balance, equally by telegraphing your action lose the opening in your opponent.
§.3. Voiding and Counters to the Thrust
The primary counters to a thrust are the void and crossing; both include a “make safe” action followed by a counter attack.
A key concern of countering a thrust is getting your body out of the line of attack, using your sword as an “insurance policy” of protection before initiating a counter attack.
Imagine a straight line between yourself and your opponent. When they attack you down that center line, you can remove your body by swiftly stepping in an oblique manner. During this action you can either displace your opponent’s sword with a true-cross then attack, or counter-attack with a laming action.
Moving backwards to avoid a thrust is not highly recommended. When stepping backwards you have only one or two steps of rapid, stable action before your opponent will gain distance and likely the advantage as the further you move backwards, the more you undermined your balance.
Some would ask about the idea of Absetzen, lit. interrupting attack committed in-time. I would argue that these actions are in fact voids with skilled timing; in order to properly protect yourself you still need to move your body offline in one direction or another to create the correct angle to locked-off your opponent’s attack.
§.3.1. The Voids Drills
The drill begins with both the Feeder and Player using “the empty hands”. At first the Player practices just voiding the attacks, iterate adding a gripping of the wrist by the Player against the Feeder.
Repeat the drills giving the Feeder a dagger, then a messer, then a longsword or staff.
- Voiding thrusts from the Fechtstellung.
- Voiding thrusts from Stier, both inside and outside.
- Voiding thrusts from Eber, both inside and outside.
§.3.2. Voids with Laming Counters
- Void to the right, cut the wrist, threaten the throat.
- Void to the right, cut to wrist, cut to the head, threaten the throat.
- Void to the left, cut to the wrist, void again, cut to the wrist again, threaten the throat.
- Void to the right, hanging to the inside, winding into a cut to the head.
- Void to the right, cut the wrist, attack the wrist.