Liechtenauer transitions from a winden set-play - Be [he] Stronger against, Wind, Stab. If he sees, then take it down. - to a more general teaching on the role of the bind in the Art and how to conceptualize the fight. The Zornhau section finishes with the Duplieren and Mutieren techniques for fighting from a hard and soft bind, respectively.
In this series of blog posts, I will demo some ideas on how to practice Liechtenauer's Zettel on your own with two pells.
This precisely mark,
Hew, Stab, Leger, Soft or Hard,
Indes, and Vor, Nach,
Without haste. Your War should not be rushed.
Winden during sparring
Liechtenauer implores the student to linger long enough in the bind to determine whether the opponent is hard or soft at the sword, a skill called Fuhlen. The determination of hard or soft, along with the specific fencing situation, inform which follow-on attack to use.
Pells provide great hard binds, but can also yield softer ones as well. Try striking the pell with the strong and weak of the sword and determine whether the bind is soft or hard. Flow through the guards against the pell, focusing on your footwork and the changing feel of the bind.
Whoever enters the War
Above, he becomes ashamed below.
The Pseudo-Peter von Danzig (PPvD) gloss offers an exercise to train the War. From a bind, the fencer seeks sequential openings of the opponent, following the opponent's versetzen with Winden. The motions can be practiced on the pells:
Bind with an oberhau.
Wind into ochs and thrust to the upper left opening.
Sink the point down and thrust toward the lower left opening.
Wind to seek the lower right opening.
Continue winding to hang the point into the upper right opening.
Although this drill works best with an actual partner giving feedback, you can practice the motions against the double pells. Just bear in mind that the pells will not versetz or be displaced in the bind like an actual partner with a sword would.
This drill is taken from PPVD at p. 68 of Michael Chidester's Zettel Gloss Compilation, available at HROARR.
Pseudo-Peter von Danzig Winden Drill - Side View
Pseudo-Peter von Danzig Winden Drill - Front View
In all Winding,
Learn to find hew, stab, schnit.
Also shall you, with
Proving, hew, stab, or schnit.
In all hits
You will trick the Masters.
Example of Thrust and Hau Wounders - Side View
Example of Thrust & Hau Wounders - Front View
The zettel conceptualizes all attacks from the bind as one of three Wounders - thrust, cut (hau/hew), or schnit (pressing slice). From any bind, you should be "very well trained and entirely ready with the Winding on the sword." PPVD p. 69. Practice the three Wounders by attacking from the bind, thinking about how range affects things.
There are a ton of ways to practice the three Wounders against the double pell. To the left are two ideas - a wind with a thrust and a wind with a hau.
Apart from these, try:
Duplieren
Mutieren
Schnits from a close bind
Winding twice before executing a Wounder
Range affects the efficacy of the Wounders - use the pells to gauge when each is appropriate.
Four Openings know.
Aim so you hit knowingly
In all driving
Without confusion for how he acts
Ansetzen (Shooting In) to the Four Openings from Zufechten
Driving Wounders to the Four Openings from the Bind
Liechtenauer's four openings are, divided at the natural waist:
Upper right
Upper left
Lower right
Lower left
The PPVD gloss advises us on how to attack the openings: with Nachreisen (following after) by shooting in with the longpoint or pressing in when not in threat, and from the bind with Wounders.
Training on the Double Pell
Shoot in with the point to each opening sequentially
Make sure to wind against the pell
From a bind, attack each opening sequentially with wounders
Training to attack the four openings creates muscle memory for adversarial situations, allowing you to focus on tactics and fencing instead of execution.
Seeking the openings from the bind with the approprirate Wounder is the highest form of the Art
If you will reckon
The Four Openings artfully to break,
Above Double,
Below correctly Mutate.
I say to you truthfully,
No man protects himself without danger.
If you have understood this,
To strikes may he seldom come.
Duplieren (Doubling) and Mutieren (Mutating) are used to attack around a hard and soft bind, respectively. They're very easy to practice on the double pell!
Simulate a hard bind by situating the front pell so that your strike is stopped well before the back pell.
From the hard bind, Duplier behind the bind to drive a Wounder against the upper opening.
Simulate a soft bind by striking the front pell so it displaces somewhat.
From the soft bind, Mutier through the bind to drive a Wounder against the lower opening.
After getting the motions down, practice Duplieren and Mutieren from other binds than that of a conventional oberhau.
Another good drill is to fluidly strike in to the bind, determine with Fuhlen whether it's hard or soft, and then execute the appropriate technique. Do this as fast as you can manage while maintaining fluidity - that helps develop muscle memory for sparring.
Duplieren & Mutieren - Side View
Duplieren & Mutieren - Front View
The double pell allows you to train techniques on your own that would otherwise require a partner, over and over again. Repetition is the key to cementing the movements into your muscle memory for use on the fly at full speed in an adversarial situation.
Try throwing the rest of the hidden hews at the pell - Krumphau, Shielhau, and Shaitelhau!