Fuhlen, Indes, Hard and Soft, Weak and Strong

These six terms are hugely important for the middle distance when working with the bind. Most of them relate to the principle of leverage, which in turn has to do with working with different parts of the blade as described in the previous chapter. Depending on what part of the blade you are using, you then have different choices of actions, some of which will mean you change the bind to another part of the blade for a different subset of possible techniques.

From Joachim Meyer’s “Gründliche Beschreibung der Freyen Ritterlichen und Adeligen Kunst des Fechtens” (1570). Image has been colourized

The concept of leverage is theoretically simple: Having your opponent’s weak part (red & orange) pressing against your strong part (blue and green) makes you effectively stronger than the opponent. The more extreme the difference between the binding points of the two of you, the more leverage one party will have. Consequently you can wind your blade to make this more or less extreme and then thrust or cut. The older treatises seemingly focus more on thrusting from the bind, but also mention that you should always use the best option, which could theoretically mean that you should use any of the Drei Wunder (three wounders/wonders); cut, thrust or slice. With the longsword Meyer focuses on cutting from the bind, thereby turning the Winden into an extensive and quite particular art of cutting and actually expands quite a bit on the earlier rather limited range of Winden techniques. Likely, in my belief, forpractical pedagogical reasons, as the thrusting was considered too dangerous for a beginner studying his book.

Having equal or better leverage we can use techniques like e.g. Inwinden Ort, Duplieren, Windthauw, Kronhauw, Rosen, Krumphauw, Verkehren and many other similar techniques. However, if the opponent has better leverage, then we can meet strong with weak and use techniques like e.g. Schnappen, Zucken, Auswinden Ort, Mutieren and Blindthauw where we give in to the opponent’s greater leverage and use it against him/her. Preferably one should also try to maintain a bind for as long as possible and regain it as quickly as possible when we leave it, so we can again control the opponent.

This concept of working with the bind is expressed quite clearly here:

Therefore when you win the first strike [Vorschlag] then it is no matter if it is good or painful for the opponent, and you will also be sure in your steps and should do them well measured neither too long nor too short. When you now do the first strike [Vorschlag] if you hit then follow up the hit quickly, but if the other defends against the first strike [Vorschlag] whether it was a strike or a thrust and turns it away and leads with his sword, then you shall remain on the sword if you were deflected from the opening and feel if the opponent is hard [Hart] or soft [Weich] and strong [Stark] or weak [Swach] on the sword. And when you notice this, then be hard or soft against the opponent as he defends himself. And then in an instant [Indes] should you do the after strike [Nachschlag] before the opponent has a chance to come to blows, that is as soon as the opponent defends against the first strike [Vorschlag] as you do that, attack other openings [Blossen] with other techniques speedily. (3)

Thus Liechtenauer says “Strike so that he moves, if he withdraws from you”. After this teaching you understand how you will win the first strike [Vorschlag] and as soon as you have done this, then quickly and without any delay do the after strike [Nachschlag] that is the second, third or fourth strike, cut or thrust so that he cannot come to blows himself.

If you then find yourself on his sword, then be sure that you feel [Fuhlen] and do as before has been described, since this is the basic tenet of swordsmanship: that a man is always in motion and never at rest, and it is also based on feeling [Fuhlen]… (4)

… But if it is so that the opponent remains on the sword after his defence and is on the sword, and it has occurred that you remain with him on the sword and he has not done the [Nachschlag] then you shall turn [Wind] and remain with him on the sword. (5)

Fuhlen and Indes roughly mean Feeling and Instantly, respectively. Using tactile sensation is quicker than simply watching the opponent’s blade and arms move, and it also liberates your visual perception so you can watch the whole opponent without focusing on details. This quickness also means you can act more Indes, without thinking too much, and instead fight more intuitively.

However, as touched upon already, this is only one of the two basic ways of approaching the fight, with the second, and perhaps even more common way of fighting back in the day being completely different.