How does one handle "die Buffel" opponent?

[Justin Blackford]

I am having trouble with a "Buffel" opponent in longsword training. One of my training partners is becoming quite good at striking quickly and deceptively and with maximum force, by using varying strikes of unterhau and oberhau which I am having a difficult time defending against. His unterhaus are particularly quick and powerful, and most of his power comes from the fact that he is pretty big. He stands about 6'3" and weighs close to 260 lbs(not muscle). I am about 5'9" and weigh about 170 lbs, with a lean and athletic build. So, his height advantage and longer arms seem to give him a natural advantage with the longsword. My build seems to give me the advantage in a rapier fight against him, because when we pick up rapiers, he can't come anywhere near me. The longsword fight, however, definently belongs to him (thus far).
So, how does one handle a "Buffalo" opponent who can strike so strongly and deceptively by varying between oberhaus and unterhaus?

Justin

[Jaron Bernstein]

Well, the theoretical answer (although I have a hard time making it work admittedly) is use your meisterhau and hit him indes as he swings at you.

If that doesn't work then be good at your winden and binden. For instance, when you get that zorhau (that then turns into a unterhau, don't play catch up. Bind the first strike and thrust.

You might also try half swording and see how it goes.

You can always try the Meyer Glitzhau.

[Allen Johnson]

Traverse and thrust. From Di Grassi: http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/NewManuals/DiGrassi/03001103.jpg

I really like this one and use it alot. It's a long strike and keeps you out of range.

[Jake_Norwood]

Krump. It breaks both unter and oberhauwen with the same movement. Strike to him and his openings, never to his sword, and thrust as a follow up to your stroke.

Jake

[Aaron Pynenberg]

Wear him down! Do not force a strike when he is strong, learn to stay just outside of range by moving and voiding, let him throw those strikes and he will tire-then strike him when he has slowed a bit, (and there is an opening)

[Justin Blackford]

Actually, one move that worked(only once though), was: I started in the right nebenhut and as he struck a zorhau to my left opening, I sidestepped left and brought my sword around and struck him with a left zornhau of my own. He hasn't fallen for that move since.
The krumphau suggestion sounds enticing. But, I have seen people do krumphaus both with the long edge and the short edge. Does it matter which one I use against the oberhau/unterhau movements?

Justin

[Jeffrey Hull]

All the other tactics suggested are effective.

I would only add some of my own <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

If he does Oberhau, then you Einlauffen as you catch and stifle with Kron and then Umbschlagen until he gets it, and if you fail or he realises, then Wechselstich either Unter or Ober.

Like anything else, this is but one play, which has its time and place, for dealing with the Buffel.

Good luck,

JH

[Jake_Norwood]

The krumphau suggestion sounds enticing. But, I have seen people do krumphaus both with the long edge and the short edge. Does it matter which one I use against the oberhau/unterhau movements?

I perfer the "long edge" for a number of reasons. I find it's quicker and more stable, even with a longer weapon. Ultimately, though, it's the krump's trajectory that makes the difference, not which edge you lead with. OTOH, it's generally easier to follow up with a larger number of attacks if you krump with the long edge.

Jake

[Shane Smith]

I likewise favor the long edge krump as that is consistant with Ringeck. Also, try a Sheilhau against his uberhau buffel strike to take him indes,or failing that, bind him with your own zorn thrown in opposition and then perform a schiller over the top with the false edge from the bind. For unterhau, void and counter the hands.Failing that...RUN!!! <img src="/forum/images/icons/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[Mike Cartier]

I would use the reverse triangle of Meyers and strike him in withdrawal, use good traversing action backwards and quick footwork and you will hit him as he is at full extension. Have to practice that reverse triangle though (also called the broken or stolen step)

Another answer might be the Hengen (Hengetorte in Meyer) Sit in Pflug and await his strike and use a quick hanging response to counter strike back before he can retreat.

[TimSheetz]

HI,

Most folks are not well prepped for cuts that are more horizontal in trajectory. Indes, or by voiding and cutting you can take advantage of that lack of familiarity and hit his arms/hands and followup with finishing strikes/thrusts.

Another idea is to "run away" and when he accelerates after you suddenly reverse direction, stifle his attack and kill him up close (a personal favorite of mine). Must be quick about it as you do not want him to grab you. You capitalize on his lack of prep for the sudden and dramatic range changes you put him through. Try it, I think you will like it.

Tim

[Justin Blackford]

OK, I just got back from training yesterday.
I tried to use the krumphau a few times, but it only worked one time, as he started to get wise to it. Same with the shielhau.
Man, normally one might think that just striking full force and using buffalo tactics would have exhausted him, but he has more energy than a four-year-old who's been eating pixie sticks all day long. I was having a hell of a time keeping up.
But, as we were in die fuhlen when bound several times, I noticed that he doesn't just limit his buffalo tactics to his strikes. He even parries full force, which quickly became his bane.
So, in our final round before we retired for the rest of the day, he started with another one of his famous "faint unterhau/oberhau" moves. I sidestepped his unterhau and intentionally threw a half-committed unterhau of my own on his left opening. As he parried full force on my weak strike, he stuck his blade into the ground, and we were temporarily trapped anbinden. That's when I pulled off die Schnappen and it struck him on top of the head with the short edge of my blade. (Thank God we're using foam wasters). He was baffled, because I did the move so fast that he didn't even see it, he could only feel it as it made a nice loud "THUNK" on his coronal suture.
However, we also cross-train and fight longsword against rapier. How does one void the buffalo tactics of the longsword when armed with a weapon that can only thrust and not hew?