Training Curriculum

VI. Speaß(Spear)

Winden (The Winding)

Again, make an Unterstich from the Second Guard to your opponent's face (inside or outside, it doesn't matter). This time your opponent parries the thrust as before but he doesn't move his point far off line; he makes a tight parry and his point is still aimed at you in such a way that if you move your spear away from his he can thrust directly into you (this is the Nachreisen).

From this bind, simply rotate your spear up into the first guard, making sure that as you do so you move the strong of your spear, the part just ahead of your left hand, onto the weak of his (near the point). Avoid the tendency to lift the point of your spear when you do so, it should stay aimed at your opponent's face throughout the wind. Make sure your right hand is well above your left hand.

When you do this, you will notice that you are no longer in range of your opponent's face; this is because rotating your spear up pulls your spear back towards you if you're going to move out onto the weak of your opponent's spear. Therefore, to finish the technique, lunge forward (extend your left foot and follow with your right) and thrust into your opponent's face from above (an Oberstich).

This winding can be done on either an inside or outside thrust.

Figure 1 Figure 2
figure 1 figure 2

Figure 1: Hugh lunges forward to thrust at Christina's face from the Second Guard on the inside line. Christina parries Hugh's blow just far enough to her left to defend herself and remains hard in the bind.

Figure 2: Hugh feels the strength of Christina's bind and realizes he can't leave the bind or she will Nachreisen (q.v.). He therefore rotates his spear up into the First Guard, remaining am Spiess, so that his strong is on her weak. As he does so he gathers his right foot forward to prepare for the follow-on thrust.

Figure 3
figure 3 Figure 3: Remaining am Spiess, Hugh lunges forward with his strong still on Christina's weak to thrust into her face.

Note that when done on this side Christina's spear is pushed up by Hugh's forearm. Note that moving the right foot and the wind should occur simultaneously as should the movement of the left foot and the thrust and that there should be no pause between them—this should be one smooth and very fast action.