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Liechtenauer tradition beginner 32 states

Responding to an Oberhau

Responding to an Oberhau: The Oberhau beginsYou (Vom Tag) on the left, Opponent (Vom Tag) on the right, at long distance. Both fencers wait in Vom Tag, just outside measure. Your weight is neutral; the opponent's weight is neutral.LongYou (Vom Tag)Opponent (Vom Tag)
Both fencers wait in Vom Tag, just outside measure.
1/3

Seen from behind your right shoulder: left and right, off-line steps and blade lines are visible. Drag the scene to orbit.

  • You
  • Opponent
  • Attack line
  • Exposed opening
  • Blade contact
  • Blow landed
  • Weight: you neutral · opponent neutral

Schematic diagram: it shows position, guard, blade angle, hip and shoulder rotation and the line of attack, not exact body mechanics.

Your path

0 decisions
  1. The Oberhau begins now
Scenario map 1/32 states explored · 40 transitions · 50 complete paths
  • The Oberhau begins
  • A flat parry
  • Set aside from Ochs
  • The blades meet
  • The cut falls short
  • The Krumphau lands
  • A hard bind
  • A low bind after the Krump
  • A soft bind
  • Changed through you're hit
  • Following the miss you hit
  • Set aside and hit you hit
  • The Krump reaches the hands you hit
  • The second cut comes
  • They pull away and strike around
  • They recover to Vom Tag
  • Wound under the parry you're hit
  • A contest of strength disadvantage
  • Chasing the blade disadvantage
  • Followed after you hit
  • Over the top you hit
  • Roles reversed advantage
  • Running out of room disadvantage
  • Taking off to the other side
  • The point goes in you hit
  • Winding into Ochs
  • Zwerch against the cut around advantage
  • Taken off and landed you hit
  • The winding thrust lands you hit
  • They cover the winding
  • Doubled to the head you hit
  • Mutated to the lower opening you hit
Step 1 Tempo:

The Oberhau begins

You are both in at long distance. The opponent takes a forward and begins a diagonal from their right shoulder, aimed at your upper-left .

They are closing distance as they cut, so by the time the blade arrives they will be in . You have one tempo to act. What you do now decides the kind of exchange that follows.

Opponent's intent: Close distance and land a committed descending cut at your head.

What do you notice?

0/4 revealed

Look at the diagram first. Decide what you see for each cue, then reveal the note.

  • What did the opponent's hands do just before the cut started?
  • Which line is the cut on, and which of your openings does it threaten?
  • Is the opponent stepping as they cut, and what does that tell you?
  • Could you hit them right now, standing still?

What do you do?

Timing chips: , , .

Techniques
ZornhauAbsetzenKrumphauPassschrittVersetzen

Your path

0 decisions
  1. The Oberhau begins now
Scenario map 1/32 states explored · 40 transitions · 50 complete paths
  • The Oberhau begins
  • A flat parry
  • Set aside from Ochs
  • The blades meet
  • The cut falls short
  • The Krumphau lands
  • A hard bind
  • A low bind after the Krump
  • A soft bind
  • Changed through you're hit
  • Following the miss you hit
  • Set aside and hit you hit
  • The Krump reaches the hands you hit
  • The second cut comes
  • They pull away and strike around
  • They recover to Vom Tag
  • Wound under the parry you're hit
  • A contest of strength disadvantage
  • Chasing the blade disadvantage
  • Followed after you hit
  • Over the top you hit
  • Roles reversed advantage
  • Running out of room disadvantage
  • Taking off to the other side
  • The point goes in you hit
  • Winding into Ochs
  • Zwerch against the cut around advantage
  • Taken off and landed you hit
  • The winding thrust lands you hit
  • They cover the winding
  • Doubled to the head you hit
  • Mutated to the lower opening you hit

About this scenario

The descending cut is the attack you will meet most often, and the Liechtenauer longsword is largely organised around answering it. This exchange starts in the with the opponent stepping in to cut an at your upper-left opening.

There is no single correct answer. Each response creates a new situation that depends on the opponent's distance, timing and what they do in the bind. Explore the branches, then go back and try the others.

Learning goals

  • Recognise the cues that an Oberhau is coming and where it will land.
  • Compare four plausible responses and the situations they lead to.
  • Read a bind as soft, hard or leaving, and pick the matching follow-up.
  • See why a passive parry hands the opponent the initiative.

The schematic figures show relative position, guard, blade angle and the attack line. They do not show exact body mechanics and should not be read as a demonstration of correct form.

Terms

Click a term to see its definition without leaving the page.

Sources and interpretation