Leignitzer Sword and Buckler Set Plays

Lignitzer’s Set-plays: Examples of two-person exercises	By Keith Myers
Set-play #1: Oberhau: Pic 1: Keith throws an Oberhau at Scott, who defends by meeting the blow in Pflug.
Pic 2: Keith then thrusts towards Scott’s face from his own Pflug position. Scott defends simply by displacing the thrust to his left side.
Pic 3: Now Keith “winds against his sword” by lifting quickly into a left Ochs position.
Pic 4: Keith follows immediately with a forward step while “snapping over” to strike at Scott’s head from the outside. Note that Keith is using his buckler to cover or trap Scott’s sword at the same time.
Set-play #2: Unterhau: Pic 1: Keith has launched an Unterhau from a right Nebenhut position. Scott has seen this and has begun to drop his buckler in defense and counter with is own Oberhau.
Pic 2: Keith responds by redirecting his strike into a left Ochs in order to “wind against him on the left side” and end up in the “paired shields” position.
Pic 3: Keith has then withdrawn his sword into a right Ochs , thus “winding at the unprotected right side”, and then thrusts towards Scott’s face. Scott defends simply by lifting his buckler to deflect the thrust.
Pic 4: Keith uses Scott’s deflecting motion to add momentum to a downward cut at Scott’s right leg.
Set-play #3: Wechselhau: Pic 1: From Vom Tag Keith has thrown a cut that starts as an Oberhau directed towards Scott’s Pflug position.
Pic 2: As Scott reacts Keith changes the cut in mid-course into an outward horizontal slice towards the head that Scott manages to block by lifting his buckler.
Pic 3: Keith’s motion flows naturally into a right Ochs position, thus “winding uncovered.” Note that he also keeps his buckler forward to provide cover.
Pic 4: Keith thrusts into the opening from Ochs which Scott defends against by deflecting outward with his buckler
Pic 5: Keith finishes by using the momentum from the deflection to strike downward at Scott’s right leg as he passes back.
Set-play #4: Mittelhau: Pic 1: Keith has launched a Mittelhau from a right Ochs position that Scott meets in Pflug to defend.
Pic 2: Keith quickly redirects his strike into a Zwerchhau with the true edge aimed at Scott’s right temple. Scott defends by lifting his sword & buckler to cover.
Pic 3: Keith then redirects his strike into another Zwerchhau to the other side using the false edge of his blade. Scott again responds by shifting his sword & buckler to cover.
Pic 4: Keith continues his barrage by changing to a Scheitelhau aimed at the top of Scott’s head. Scott responds by lifting his sword & buckler to cover.
Pic 5: Now Keith has finally out-paced Scott and put him in a very vulnerable position. He has pulled through with his downward cut while simultaneously lifting with his buckler beneath Scott’s arms to trap them. He is now in position to finish with a thrust to Scott’s torso.
Set-play #5: Sturzhau: Pic 1: From Vom Tag Keith launches a downward cut with the false edge near the tip of the blade over Scott’s Pflug position. Scott responds by lifting his sword & buckler to cover.
Pic 2: Keith redirects his strike by drawing back slightly and faking a thrust over Scott's buckler from the outside. Scott has responded by lifting his buckler to cover, and so has separated his sword & buckler.
Pic 3: Scott has made the mistake of splitting his sword & buckler and Keith tries to take advantage of this by quickly moving the point of his sword around and beneath Scott’s buckler into a left Pflug position that flows quickly into a thrust. The position that results is the left lower "wind" at the opponent’s sword.
Pic 4: Scott manages to deflect the thrust
Pic 5: Keith uses the momentum of the deflection to cut downward at Scott’s right leg. Scott is obviously in a great amount of pain at this point. :-)
Set-play #6: Halbschwert: Pic 1: Scott launches an Oberhau which Keith meets in a left winding position in a half-sword grip.
Pic 2: As Scott attempts to thrust over Keith’s defense, Keith releases his right hand from its grip on the sword and displaces the thrust outward with his sword & buckler held in his left hand. At the same time he reaches down and grabs Scott’s buckler.
Pic 3: Keith wrenches Scott’s buckler outward and out of his hand, and Scott covers up to avoid getting smacked in the head with his own buckler!
Talhoffer’s Set-plays: Set-play #1: Uberschneiden: Pic 1: Scott starts from Vom Tag, Keith from Wild Boar
Pic 2: Keith suddenly rushes forward with a straight thrust at Scott’s mid-section. Scott counters by deflecting Keith’s thrust with his buckler as he passes back.
Pic 3: Keith has over-extended himself in his thrust, exposing his sword arm. Scott takes advantage of this by cutting downward into the opening.
Set-play #2: Ubergreiffen: Variation A: Pic 1: Keith starts from Vom Tag, Scott stands ready in Pflug.
Pic 2: Keith launches an Oberhau which Scott defends against by pivoting at his sword wrist to bring his blade onto the back of his left forearm as he lifts his sword & buckler to meet the blow in Schranckhut.
Pic 3: Scott then wraps around Keith’s arm from above to trap it as he cuts downward to the top of Keith’s head.
Pic 4: Scott pulls through with his cut and will finish with a thrust to Keith’s abdomen.
Variation B: Pic 1: Keith starts from Vom Tag, but this time Scott stands ready in a left Nebenhut.
Pic 2: Keith launches an Oberhau which Scott defends by bringing both his sword and buckler forward into a Schranckhut in order to meet the blow.
Pic 3: Scott traps Keith’s arms by reaching around from above, withdraws his sword, and is prepared to finish with a thrust to Keith’s abdomen.
Set-play #3: Schiltschlage: Pic 1: Scott stands in Pflug, and Keith in a left Nebenhut.
Pic 2: Keith launches a backhand Oberhau and Scott lifts his sword and buckler to meet the blow with the flat of his blade.
Pic 3: Scott continues his previous motion to pivot smoothly into a right Ochs as he thrusts his buckler forward to strike Keith’s sword arm at the elbow.
Pic 4: The strike from Scott’s buckler has turned Keith and exposed his flank. Scott takes advantage of this by thrusting from the Ochs position.
Set-play #4: Uberschnappen: Pic 1: Scott has thrown an Oberhau which Keith has met in a left Ochs….winding at the sword in the “paired shields” position.
Pic 2: Keith quickly passes forward while snapping his blade over to the other side and hooking his pommel across Scott’s wrist. The momentum of the “snapping over” is continued into a strike to Scott’s right neck and shoulder. Keith keeps his buckler low to cover Scott’s blade.