Name of technique? - Solved: Umbschnappen

[Roger N]

There is a certain technique for longsword that I think is used based on a similar principle for techniques both with halfsword and staff in Mair and Meyer.

For the longsword it starts from an oberhau bind, where I move my hands and hilt to the left and forward and then wrench down with the pommel onto the opponent's hands while striking or slicing to the opponents face.

For the halfsword it is done by parrying an oberhau by grabbing the blade with the left hand high and to the right and then move the pommel forward from below and wrap it around the opponent's weapon.

With a staff it is done by moving the point over the opponents staff and then down and backwords, while rotating the back point forwards for a strike, while binding the opponent's staff close to ones side. Meyer simply classifies it as Winden. Quite similar, but not exactly since he doesn't necessarily bind as much as he sets aside, Mair calls it absetzen.

Does anyone have a name for this in longsword or halfsword (or another name in staff)? I would like to put a name on it for ease of discussion...

[Hugh Knight]

There is a certain technique for longsword that I think is used based on a similar principle for techniques both with halfsword and staff in Mair and Meyer.

For the longsword it starts from an oberhau bind, where I move my hands and hilt to the left and forward and then wrench down with the pommel onto the opponent's hands while striking or slicing to the opponents face.

For the halfsword it is done by parrying an oberhau by grabbing the blade with the left hand high and to the right and then move the pommel forward from below and wrap it around the opponent's weapon.

With a staff it is done by moving the point over the opponents staff and then down and backwords, while rotating the back point forwards for a strike, while binding the opponent's staff close to ones side. Meyer simply classifies it as Winden. Quite similar, but not exactly since he doesn't necessarily bind as much as he sets aside, Mair calls it absetzen.

Does anyone have a name for this in longsword or halfsword (or another name in staff)? I would like to put a name on it for ease of discussion...

The longsword technique you're talking about seems to be what some folks call the Schnappen. Here's Ringeck's description of the play:
"If a strike of yours has been displaced, note: if an Oberhau of yours is displaced, stay in the bind, move your pommel over his forward hand and tear it down and strike him on the head Indes." (fol. 35v)
Note, however, that he doesn't give it a name.

[Roger N]

Thanks Hugh!

We do schnappen a little different, I think, but I just read a little Meyer and he calls it "umbschnappen". Closely connected to reversing your sword with a Verkehren.

"Umbschnappen ist zweyerley, das eine, wann du wie jetzt bemelt jhm mit verkeren auff sein Arm oder Klingen kommen, so halt jm sein Klingen oder Arm, mit kreutzstangen steiff under dir, unnd laß under des die klingen umbschnappen seinem Kopff zu.

Das ander, so er aber dich mit verkeren undersich getrungen hat, so weich jhm mit dem Lincken fuß gegen seiner Rechten, und greiff zugleich mit dem Knopff oben uber sein rechten Arm, ruck den undersich, und laß under seiner Klingen mit kurtzer schneid gegen seinem Kopff herfür umbschnappen, das dir dein hendt kreutzweiß uber einander kommen."

"Snapping around
Snapping around is twofold, the first is, after you have come on his arm or blade with verkehren as just described, hold his arm or blade stiffly down with the crossguard and while doing so, let the blade snap around towards his head.

The other one is, if he has pressed you down under him with verkehren, evade him with your left foot towards his right, at the same time move your pommel over his right arm from above and let (your blade) snap around towards his head under his hands so that your (own) hands cross over each other."