There is a growing interest in Meyer’s rappier and to aid in this, and as I also plan to study this more myself since it is basically required in order to fully understand Meyer, I decided to create this page.
If anyone wishes to collaborate with other Meyer Rappier fencers and post articles for debate here on this very topic, then let me know and I will help you get sorted. Meanwhile, here are some good articles by Chris Slee:
Meyer’s Rapier and Dagger (and Cloak)
Meyer’s Rapier Parries
Meyer’s Rapier: In the Onset
Meyer’s Rapier in One Post
Meyer’s Rapier: Attacking the Straight Parry
… and some nice clips posted by Robert Rutherfoord.
Scheitelhauw
Scheitelhauw
Dempffhauw
Schiller
Schiller
Hüffthauw
Rundhauw
Doppel Rundhauw
Halßhauw
Handthauw
Oberstich
Hertzstich
Excellent work as always Roger, I am quite jealous of those swords too, who makes them?.
Thanks for putting this up. i need to get onto the Rappier more
Thanks, but this time I deserve no credit for the work. I just embedded the videos and added the links to the great work of others. 🙂
I have no idea who made these swords, but Peter Regenyei has made some swords that are quite similar to those depicted in Meyer:
http://regenyei.sg18.net/en_feders_various.html
If you mean the swords in Rob’s videos, those are all by Darkwood Armoury – so easy for you to get, Mike!
I sent Rob an email to let him know this was posted here. Rob is a student of mine, but the Meyer work is all his own (poor guy is stuck in an Italian school), with a private group of students that meet at Forteza. I know he often feels alone in his interest in Meyer’s rappir, so the more folks to talk to, the better!
Are there any plans to cover other works in the Meyer “tradition” too, like Sutor and his ilk?
Well, the thing is that anyone can start a project on whatever HEMA-topic they like, and then try to encourage other people around the world in joining them in researching and sharing. You just have to register on HROARR and then I will give all of you rights to post articles into that category, or any other category for that matter. 🙂
So, although I am kept busy with other things, I am sure there are others who would join you. Sutor is on my own list too, of course, but later.
I was thinking of adding (my dabblings in) Sutor to this project since the similarities between his Rappier work and Meyer’s are quite obvious and a comparison between the two might help illuminate some of the more obscure points in Meyer. Maybe later when my German is better and I’ve put my thoughts in some more logical order.
I think that is a great idea! Sutor and Verolini are so distinctly tied to Meyer that understanding them can help us understand Meyer too, even if there are dangers therein too, as they may have misinterpreted Meyer in some instances. In Verolini’s case at least that is quite apparent even.
So, just register and let me know when you feel ready to post articles so I can give you rights to do so. 🙂
Keep up the good work!
Interesting, I have been reading the Sutor Rappier, and it differs quite a bit from the Meyer. Sutor’s seems to be more timely, and representative of the changes that had taken place in a twenty – thirty year period in Germany, with regards to the Stoßfechten and the newer, sleeker Rappiers. Sutor reads more in the vein of Cavalcabo, IMO. Like, Einsidell, Heussler, Schoeffer,
I think this fact, reveals to us that the state of evolution of the singlehand weapon systems in German between 1570-1620, really morphed and changed quickly. That is clearly seen in the Sutor. While he shared the traditional German Fechtschulen weapons, he also seemed to have taught the latest version of the Rappier. It looks Italian influenced to me, with the double rappier, fencing, the rappier and dagger work. Way different than the earlier Meyer. And yet through it all we see Sutor still using terms and phrases that were traditional to the German martial Art. It was right around the same time (1612) that we see other German Freyfechter, also having been exposed to, and learned this ‘foreign’ art, using the original Italian/Latin/French/Spanish words for the primary techniques, ie Guards, cuts, footwork. The Arts morphed rather quickly here, I think. And remember these were just any arts, these were the ones that got used in earnest. So within the context of the Fechtschulen weapons, was the earnest use of the sidearm of the day.
I think Meyer’s rappier represents one of the earliest indications of the use of singlehand weapons, which was seeing a total change and revision, from the traditional shorter, Messers etc. This was new, and important for the self preservation of the Germans. They saw it coming.
I also think that Sutor’s Rappier, helps to date him. And tell us who he was, or wasn’t. I have opined that we really don’t know who Sutor was. As his 1612 works don;t seem to have been commissioned by him. Or written by him in the format we see. But rather, the unscrupulous printer Wilhelm Hoffman, used this “Booklet” as he calls it. Where in the intro, Hoffman says that this was used by the Great Freyfechter from Baden, to teach students in (University?). I am thinking Jacobus Sutorious was a Warrior at one time, who in his older years, became a professor of fencing at a Univerisity there. So why do we see in 1612, the earlier traditional Fechtschulen weapons systems, but the sidearm, was the relatively recent Italian stuff? This could also mean that Hoffman, in 1612, had access to a Cavalcabo, or some other as yet undetermined Rappier instructor. And used that as the Rappier section.???
But then maybe Sutor had learned the Foreign art we see, and that was part of his curricula. IF that is the case, then it parallels the same in Meyer. And that Meyer’s Rappier signifies the reason for his teachings.
Do you have access to an English Translation of Sutor? If so, can you post a link to where I could fine it? Thanks much!
Tare some new youtube videos from SolCAL that were posted online recently. They cover some interpretations of Meyer’s Rapier.
I do not have permission to directly link the videos, so I’ll link his channel.
http://www.youtube.com/channel/UClIRd2p790-lxVxC-gH_92w
Actually, if you are registered then I can give you rights to post your clips as a proper article, which would fit very nicely with the research project. 🙂
Ah see they aren’t actually MY clips. I just happen to find them on Youtube while doing some research 🙂
BUT I do study Meyer (for the SCA) and when I get to a point that I have something to contribute, I’ll certainly let you know.