Krumphau and attacking the guards

In this post, I wanted to devote some space to two main topics: using the Vier Versetzen and attacking the fighter camped in a guard.

Guards are often seen as positions one should not linger in too long. At the same time, it is often advised that one should not attack someone who is camped in a guard. This has always seemed somewhat contradictory to me. I wanted to devote some time in this post exploring how I see guards and their use, focusing on these two points.

First of all, I wanted to give some thought to how I see the Krumphau working as a counter to Ochs. This basically means I'll try to write down what I've already been teaching in my classes, more or less. I've been drawing a lot of ideas from Ps. von Danzig lately, and my specific implementation of Krumphau versus Ochs owes a large part to that text. Coupled with this specific technique, I also wanted to discuss some points on attacking guards in general.

First off, I think it would be useful to first sum up some of the basic assumptions I have regarding the Vier Versetzen. What I always tell my students is that the Vier Versetzen negate the offensive potential of the Vier Leger. What I mean by this is that each of the Vier Leger has an attack that comes naturally from that position, and which is most often employed from that position. Vom Tag has the Obenhau, Pflug has the low thrust, Alber has the short edge Unterhau or Ansetzen, snapping up quickly with the point, and Ochs has the high thrust. My basic assumption is that each of these attacks are countered in some way by one of the Vier versetzen, enabling one to attack a guard while working around the most likely attack from said guard.

My second basic assumption is that the Vier Versetzen, or Fünf Hauen if you include the Zornhau, are named 'hidden strikes' for a number of different reasons, but one of them being is that they are hard to discern. Each of the strikes starts from a standard sword-on-the-shoulder Vom Tag, and each appears to begin as a regular old Obenhau. This makes them hard to predict, and hard to counter, and enables you to control your opponent and his reactions to your advantage.

Now, having these assumptions in the back of my mind, let's have a look at what the source text tells us on how the Krumphau breaks Ochs. Strangely, most of the older manuscripts containing Glosses of Liechtenauer's Zedel did not specify exactly how one of the Vier Versetzen were to be used in 'breaking' a guard. They merely briefly summed up wich Hau broke which guard. Luckily, Ps. von Danzig goes into a little more detail. Of the Krumphau, he tells us:

[17r] Merck der krump haw ist der vier vor setzen ains wider die vier hüten wenn do mit pricht man die hüten Die do haist der öchss vnd auch der öber vnd den vnder haw den treib also wenn du mit dem zu° vechten zw° im kumpst stet er denn gegen dir vnd helt sein swert für seinem haubt In der hu°t des ochsens auff seiner lincken seitten So setz den lincken fues vor vnd halt dein swert an deiner rechten achsel in der hu°t vnd spring mit dem rechten fuess wol auff dein rechte seitten gegen ÿm vnd slach ÿn mit der langen schneid aus gekräutzten armen vber sein hend

My interpretation of this is as follows. The main threat of Ochs is in the point, which is primed for a high thrust. One therefore would wish to avoid the point, and consequently avoid moving straight in. since the point is very maneuverable in Ochs, it would be unwise to try to simply bash it out of the way, as a Durchwechseln would be very easily made to counter this. Therefore, the intention is to flank the opponent, while giving the impression that a regular Obenhau is imminent. This would give the opponent an incentive to move forward, expecting to make a successful Absetzen. However, instead of finishing the Obenhau, the attacker jumps out of the line of the high thrust, but throws the point back towards the opponent, hitting him in the hands. Note that this version works for both an  opponent camped in a static Ochs, primed for a thrust, or for an opponent standing in, say, Pflug, expecting an Obenhau and wanting to make an Absetzen. In both cases, deception and lateral movement, while throwing the point back towards the opponent's closest target, the hands, makes the Hau work.

My interpretation of the Krumphau countering Ochs through deception can be backed up by another of Ps. von Danzig's Stücke, a second counter of Ochs. This time, the deception is that the Krumphau is clearly telegraphed to the opponent. I'll quote the text again:

[18r] Auch prichstu mit dem stuck die hu°t des ochsen Den treib also Wenn dw mit dem zw° vechten zw ÿm gest stet er denn gegen dir vnd heltt sein swert mit dem gehültz auff seiner lincken seitten vor dem haupt So wurff dein swert an dein rechte achsel vnd thue als du im mit dem krump haw an sein swert an wöllest pinden vnd haw kurtz vnd wechsel do mit vnden durch sein swert vnd schewss im deñ ort zu° der anderñ seitten lanck vnder seine~ swert ein zu° dem hals So mües er vor setzen Do mit kumpstu zw° schlegen vnd zw° ander arbait mit dem swert krumpha. _{W. der pricht die Huet des Ogsen}

If you'll remember, I said earlier that I would not advise trying to bind on the blade with the Krumphau, if trying to counter the Ochs. This Stücke advises pretending to do exactly that. If he doesn't respond, of course, like with any feint, you can proceed like you were sincere in your intentions, bind on his blade, wind, and thrust to his chest, like earlier Stücke advise doing against an Obenhau. It is, however, very likely that he will try to somehow avoid the bind, move his sword, or at least somehow move his point to counter your action. This is your cue to move off to the other side, slide your sword under his in a classic Durchwechseln, and finish with a thrust.

Notice the theme here. In both cases you can safely engage the opponent, because you can reasonably predict his responses and work around them. This is why I believe the Vier Versetzen are suitable for fighters camped in a certain guard, so long as you are able to pre-empt and draw out their predictable responses. Future posts will elaborate on this, but I think this is enough for now.