Mair’s Third Sickle Play

3. A cut against the posture of a willing enemy

In this clash, if you approach more closely to the enemy, put your right hand forward, and hold the sickle against him with the right hand.  Indeed, you will apply the left hand to the left femur, then if you followed with the left foot, you will draw the sickle across the length of the foe’s head.  But if he, putting the right foot forward, wields the same against you, and you shall have held the sickle in your right hand against the foe, with the left hand applied to the left femur in the same way, you repel his strike at your right flank.  From there, however, you apply the sickle to this right arm and quickly pull in the direction of yourself.  Indeed if he tries to maintain the same tactic against you, you grab his right in your left hand, and if you remove the foe’s assault to your right side, immediately cut forth at the left side of his head, and from there retreat backward.  Indeed if the adversary should similarly retreat backward, then you drive sharply following the enemy in, and you cut the sickle forth at the foe’s right hand.

Mair’s Second Sickle Play

2. A Lower and a Higher Cut

In mutual approach, if you prepare yourself athletically for competition, remember to hold your right foot forward, and hold the grain sickle against your foe, in your right hand.  Indeed, you establish the left under the right arm, from there you concede inward with the left foot, and from a lower position you attack by cutting to the right arm of the foe.  But if, however, you shall have placed the right foot against him in the same way, and you hold the sickle in your right hand in the habit of cutting in from above, indeed with the left under the right arm, you repel his attempt at your turned left side with your sickle, meanwhile, your enemy’s right hand having been grabbed with your left, from the left side of the enemy you cut forth at his neck with the sickle.  Indeed, if he similarly advances on you from above, with the left hand held back, you apprehend his right hand, and if you avert his attempt on your left side, draw the sickle all the way down his left arm, and from there concede backward.  But if your enemy shall have receded, pursue your foe with a twin step in order to crowd in, and cut forth at his head.

Mair’s Sickle: First Play

1. A cut from on high from either side with the grain sickle

If you mutually come together with the sickle being duly ruled in the customary manner, you hold the right foot forward, you confine the sickle in your right hand next to the left side of your head, indeed with the left hand open, you extend against the enemy.  And from there it follows with the left, you cut toward the right side of his head.  But if the adversary wields the same against you, p[lacing the left foot forward, holding the sickle in the right, reclining on the left side of the head, you bring the right hand left.  Then, the right hand of the enemy having been grabbed with your left, you wound his head on the right side.  On the other hand however, if the enemy similarly approaches on you from above, with the right hand swiftly apprehended, you avert his with a shorter cut in the same rationale.  From there however, if you immediately drag yourself to the right, you will try to cut toward the enemy with the left foot forward.  Indeed if he tries the same, then with the left you overwhelm the interior of the enemy’s right elbow, and if you draw back to the right from there, with the point of the sickle, you strike his head and concede backward.

A Further Halberd Play

Another Halberd play by Paulus Hector Mair, as translated by myself.

This one is titled “Habitus inferi ictus bipennis de latere utroque”

“The posture of a low strike with the halberd from either side.”

To this posture of a low strike from either side, which soon follows, with this tactic suitable for you, put the left foot forward, the turned point verges toward the opponent from above, and suddenly align the right hand with the right hip, and the halberd turns to the face of the enemy or you strike the chest.  But if he turns away your impulse/in-strike, then rotate the halberd from his left to his right flank.  Indeed, if he shall have made use of a twin strike against your face, place the left foot ahead of you in the same habit of striking the dead, containing the halberd in your right hand and apply it to his right femur, and with the blade you break downward from your right side onto the opponent’s strike, indeed with the right foot following, in-fix/affix the anterior point of the halberd to his chest.  But if the enemy usurps the same against you, drag your left foot backward, and soon with the right taken back in the same manner, striving for equal standing, and certainly you come through with your foe, but suddenly shake his head violently with an [upward strike? Strike from above?].  If however, you remove his strike with the blade of your halberd, and if you seek his “shamefuls” with a strike, he will let you withdraw backward.

Fightin’ Words

I’ve begun translating some bits of a Renaissance German fighting manual.  ”But, Rud,” I hear you cry, “you don’t speak German!”  Not to fear, good folk.  The educated world all read and wrote in Latin, which promoted a type of international intellectualism.

Anyway, here is a translation of a brief halberd play.  The original author was one Paulus Hector Mair (1517-1579), a sporting enthusiast and commentator.  Mair might be considered something of the John Madden of his day, except for the fact that Madden actually played his sport.

Enjoy!