Please note: this glossary is not intended as a technique guide, nor as a substitute for reading the sources. Any actions described are intended to be taken as a common, plain-language example, not as *the only* canonical execution of the action.  The glossary is meant only to be an accessible English-language reference for German terms. - Leanne

Term                                        Definition

Kunst des Fechtens (KdF)                The Art of Fighting (Fencing)

Zettel                                        The Recitation - cryptic poem attributed to Liechtenauer
                                        containing the principles and techniques of KdF

Fühlen/Fuehlen                        Feeling (to feel how opponent is at the sword to determine
                                        the best action/use sensory data)

Indes                                        In-the-moment, or at-the-time (a concept key to
                                        Liechtenauer, meaning performing the correct action at the
                                        correct time using Fühlen, both manipulating and reacting
                                        to opponent’s physical action)

Vor                                        Fore/Before (acting timely and often first)

Nach                                        After (acting after opponent’s action)

Schwach (shvak)                        Weak/soft (a quality of yielding, in the bind or otherwise,
                                        often strategically; or the middle-to tip of the blade, where
                                        the wielder has less advantage if opponent binds there)

Sterk/Stark                                Strong (quality of being firm at the sword, not yielding;
                                        or the part of the blade from hilt to its middle, which gives
                                        the wielder greater leverage in a bind)

Schwach und Sterk also (or in some cases more directly) refer to the positions of the binding on the sword:

“Item. Now you shall most of all know the weak and strong of the sword. So hear this. From the hilt up to the middle, that is the strong. From the middle up to the point is the weak. How you shall work towards the weak and with the strong of the sword, that you will find written hereafter.”  

Leanne: I tried to avoid quoting sources to be generic, but if we do, we should put the cite?

** Vor und Nach, Schwach und Sterk ** are the four qualities of being in the fight.  Vor and Nach denote time.  Schwach und Sterk denote a level of force/intent, to be ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ in the bind; also where you bind (on opponent’s sword), to use fuehlen to perform the correct action.

Ort                                        Point (The point of the sword)

Zufechten                                To-Fight (the distance immediately outside of striking
                                        distance, as one enters the fight) Also: “The Onset”

Krieg                                        The War (being in the fight/fencing; no longer in zufechten)

Drei Wunder:                                The “Three Woundings”:

Haw/Hau                        Hew (a cut delivered with intent, traveling some distance)

Stich/Stoß                        Thrust

Schnitt                                Slice (when the blade is laid on a target and drawn across)

Basic pre-KDF “common fencing” hews (cuts):

        Oberhaw/Oberhau                Over-Hew (a descending cut from high to low)

Unterhaw/Unterhau                Under-Hew (ascending cut from low to high)

Mittelhaw/-hau                        Middle-hew (horizontal cut from either side)

Meisterhau                                Master-Hew - special cuts from KDF tradition

Hauptstucke                                The “Head-Plays,” the master plays at the sword. Those

                                        Named in order in the Zettel are in red:

5 Meisterhauen                The Master-Hews:

Zornhau                Wrath-Hew (a “simple peasant strike,” an oberhau which
                                intercepts opponent’s own oberhau and from which the
                                player uses Fuhlen to determine the next action if the
                                Zornhau itself did not result in a successful strike)

Krumphau                Crooked-Hew (descending cut but moving hands to the
                                side while stepping to that side and cutting forward
                                diagonally with crossed arms: to Ochs or Schrankhut)

                Zwerchhau                Thwart-Hew (high cut thrown horizontally from Vom Tag at
                                        shoulder height, can be done to either side: breaks
                                        Vom Tag)

                Schielhau                Squint-Hew (descending cut from Vom Tag, rotating blade
                                        to cut with the short edge: breaks Longpoint or Pflug)

Scheitelhau                Scalp-Hew (short oberhau to the skull from high Vom Tag:
                                breaks Alber)

        Vier Leger/Huten                The Four Lyings-In/Guards (Four main guards in KDF):

Vom Tag                From-the-Roof (high guard with tip pointed up, sword on
                                either shoulder or overhead)

Ochs                        The Ox (high guard with tip pointed at opponent, hands
                                holding the hilt on either side at shoulder or head height
                                with extended arms, like an ox’s horn)

Pflug                        The Plow (low guard with tip pointed at opponent, hands
                                holding the hilt at either hip, like a plow blade)

Alber                        The Fool (low guard w/ hands low, tip almost at the ground)

** More guards (not described as part of the Vier Leger):

                Nebenhut                Near-guard (low guard w/ tip pointed back, hilt toward
                                        Opponent, at either hip - cut Unterhau from here)

Mittelhut                Middle-guard (guard with blade horizontal at waist level
                                with hands on either side of the body, ready for Mittelhau)

Schrankhut                Barrier-guard (similar to Fiore’s Porta di Ferro/Iron Gate;
                                Hands to either side, edge facing upwards and tip low
                                pointing sideways away the body, like a gate ready to
                                swing shut / displace opponent’s blade)

Langenort                Longpoint (hands extended in front of you, tip toward
                                opponent; Liechtenauer calls longpoint the “noblest guard”)        

Versetzen                        The Setting-aside

(The Vier Versetzen / 4 settings-aside):

• Zwerchau breaks Vom Tag
• Krumphau breaks Ochs
• Schielhau breaks Pflug
• Scheitelhau breaks Alber

Nachreisen                        The Traveling-After (e.g. hewing at opponent after avoiding
                                        their hew or after deliberately throwing a hew just out of
                                        distance as bait)

Überlaufen                        The Running-Over (a principle in KDF whereby the fencer
                                        striking at the higher target usually gains advantage; see
                                        Scheitelhau-breaks-Alber etc)

Absetzen                        The Setting-Off (performed nach and indes, player sets-off
                                        opponent’s incoming hew or thrust by catching their weak
                                        with the hilt and winding to displace their tip, resulting in a
                                        successful strike (e.g., a thrust) displacing opponent’s
                                        attack while it is happening

Ansetzen                Not in the “Hauptstücke,” but: The Setting-On (an action

performed vor and indes where player perceives a

moment of vulnerability in opponent - like changing guard while in range, or giving a huge tell for an incoming strike - and sets-on first - in the vor - e.g., with a thrust)

Durchwechseln                The Changing-Through (approaching opponent with a hew
                                        or longpoint but then as they move to parry, dipping under
                                        their blade to attack on the other side of their sword;

changes the line of attack)

Zucken                        The Pulling (from longpoint, bend the elbows to retract your
                                        blade back toward you during opponent’s incoming hew,
                                        causing them to miss and leaving you free to attack)

        Durchlaufen                        The Running-Through (a close-range technique whereby
                                        one fencer enters grappling range and uses Fuehlen/
                                        momentum to perform a throw or takedown)

Abschneiden                        The Slicing-Off (from a hand-press, execute a slice)

Haende-Druecken                The Hand-Press (various plays can offer opportunity to
                                        disengage from the bind and then place your blade against
                                        opponent’s wrists or hands, pressing down, up, or over to
                                        exert control)

        Haengen                        Hanging (from Ochs or Pflug on either side, so 4 hangings

in total; waiting in a hanging position and using Fuehlen in
        the bind to determine the best way to wind against
        opponent’s sword).

        Winden                        Winding (winding against opponent’s sword in the bind;

following are some techniques which can be executed using winding; correct usage depends on fuhlen:)

                Einwinden                Inside-Wind (to wind against opponent’s sword on the
                                        inside line / inside of their blade; use if somewhat strong

bind)

                Auswinden                Outside-Wind (on the outside of blade; use if they

over-parry)

Mutieren                Transmuting (from the bind, if opponent is weak at the

sword, drive your hilt forward so as to catch the weak of their blade, cross over their blade and stab/cut/slice below)

                Duplieren                Doubling (A cut delivered in the nach from a bind, e.g., if

opponent is very strong at the sword and parries widely, allow their parry to pull your blade as you rotate your blade against theirs in the bind with hands high, often resulting in a cut to their face on the opposite side)

**more techniques**

Oben Abgenehmen                Taking-off-Above (from the bind, if opponent is strong at the
                                sword but not parrying very wide, take the sword off above
                                and come down with a hew on the other side of opponent’s
                                blade, to their hands or forearm)(see Zornhau plays)

Sprechfenster                        The Speaking Window (from longpoint a fencer can discern
                                        from which direction, and how, opponent intends to attack -
                                        using this information to tailor their own attack or counter.
                                        Thus spending time in longpoint on purpose to assess
                                        opponent is called the ‘Speaking Window.’)

** Please excuse inconsistent spellings. There are multiple variations of spelling of these German terms in the existing transcriptions.  E.g. “hau” vs “haw,” “Überlaufen” vs “Ueberlaufen,” etc.  

*** Please visit wiktenauer.com to view transcriptions and translations of our commonly-used Liechtenauer sources, and consider making a purchase or donation if you can.