Questions about twitching

[Steve Lewis]

I have Christian Henry Tobler's book and it has created more questions than answers owning to the static nature of the photographs. One question I have is on Twitching. I don't have the book in front of me right now, so forgive any mistakes, but it seems that to twitch, you remove your blade from your opponents and strike around to the other side. But when you to that, doesn't it leave you vulnerable? There is alot of talk about being hard or soft in the bind. Is twitching a technique that would be considered soft because you are about to move off your opponent's blade? Does that make winding a hard binding technique? If you are soft in the bind because you plan to utilize some manuver should your opponent be hard in the bind in order to counter you? Is that why Liechtenauer talks about binding hard when your opponent is soft and soft when he is hard? Did I just answer my own question or do I totally not understand this? Also, if you know where I can find good video clips of these techniques please let me know. I have found video clips to be very informative, especially ARMA Northern New Jersey and the Sword Academy. Thanks for readinf this and repling.

[Richard Strey]

I have Christian Henry Tobler's book and it has created more questions than answers owning to the static nature of the photographs. One question I have is on Twitching. I don't have the book in front of me right now, so forgive any mistakes, but it seems that to twitch, you remove your blade from your opponents and strike around to the other side. But when you to that, doesn't it leave you vulnerable?

Yes, theoretically, it does. But since you are in the Vor when twitching, your opponent will get nailed trying to hit you. If in training you do get hit, you weren't in the Vor and shouldn't have twitched in the first place.

There is alot of talk about being hard or soft in the bind. Is twitching a technique that would be considered soft because you are about to move off your opponent's blade?

Yes.

Does that make winding a hard binding technique?

Winding isn't a technique (device), it is a concept of movement, manipulating the configuration of the blades while maintaining a bind. There are soft "windings" like Duplieren and hard ones like Einschiessen.

If you are soft in the bind because you plan to utilize some manuver should your opponent be hard in the bind in order to counter you?

Yes and no. This is where it gets tricky. If one has the initiative, this is the way to go: He's hard and you "snake" your blade around his. He's soft, you drive your blow/thrust/slice through.
If, however, you're in the Nach (have lost initiative), this will get you killed and you have to step it up: You're hard, he becomes soft and maneuvers his blade around yours. So you become softer, making *him* hard (in relation to you) and kill him. If you are soft and he blows through your defense, you become hard, making him soft and blowing through yourself. Fun, huh?

Is that why Liechtenauer talks about binding hard when your opponent is soft and soft when he is hard?

Exactly!

Did I just answer my own question or do I totally not understand this?

Yes. No, you are on the right track.

Also, if you know where I can find good video clips of these techniques please let me know. I have found video clips to be very informative, especially ARMA Northern New Jersey and the Sword Academy. Thanks for readinf this and repling.

Actually, you can find a video of John twitching away at a pell right here in the video section. All the way down, "Pell striking with Albion's Talhoffer". As you can see, John is all soft on the pell.

Greetings from Cologne,
Richard

[Randall Pleasant]

Steve

Take a look at the video of the pressure drill in the Members area. If possible practice this drill with a partner. If you practice alone then practice winding against your pell.

I have Christian Henry Tobler's book and it has created more questions than answers owning to the static nature of the photographs.

I too use Tobler's book. However, keep in mind that the value in the book is the translation, not the interpretation. Thus, focus on Ringeck's comments, not Tobler's comments and pictures. Tobler's interpretation, and espeically his application of techniques, is very different from that of ARMA. As soon as possible get a copy of Lindholm's book on Ringeck. Some of the best images of winding and twitching are in the Goliath manual.

...it seems that to twitch, you remove your blade from your opponents and strike around to the other side. But when you to that, doesn't it leave you vulnerable?

No, it does not. The reason is that you twitch when he is hard (has hard pressure against your blade). Thus, when you twitch, either by raising your blade up off of his or by flipping you blade to cut with your false edge, his blade keeps moving for a second in the direction he was applying pressure.

Is twitching a technique that would be considered soft because you are about to move off your opponent's blade?

It is a technique in which you go soft in response to the adversay being hard in the bind. If he is hard in the bind then go soft to attack. If he is soft in the bind then go hard to attack.

Does that make winding a hard binding technique?

Yes. When you first bind you must be hard. If you are soft he will wind your blade to the side and attack in the instance of the bind. Of course, if you are just hard in the bind then he will twitch and attack. You must be hard in the instance of the bind by winding his point off line while thrusting at him. If you wind and thrust he will be hit if he goes soft in an attempt to twitch.

If you are soft in the bind because you plan to utilize some manuver should your opponent be hard in the bind in order to counter you?

Note that when you bind you cannot be soft, else the adversary will hit you. You must be hard and you must do so by winding. The key is to force the him to be hard without winding, ie. he is focused on displacing your attack rather than on attacking you. If you go soft it must only be in response to your adversary being hard.

Is that why Liechtenauer talks about binding hard when your opponent is soft and soft when he is hard?

Yes.

Did I just answer my own question or do I totally not understand this?

Yes, you did. However, the best way to answer your own question is by practicing the technique with a partner. Winding, being soft, being hard, and feeling (if the adversary is soft or hard) become so much more clearer in practice.

Also, if you know where I can find good video clips of these techniques please let me know.

Look at the sparring videos on the ARMA side. I think there is a good video of Stew (of Utah) twitching against Tim Sheetz during Tim's prize play.