Liechtenauer tradition advanced 21 states

Provoke, take, hit: fighting with invitations

Provoke, take, hit: fighting with invitations: What do you offer?You on the left, Opponent (Vom Tag) on the right, at zufechten distance. Nothing offered yet. Choose the invitation. Your weight is neutral; the opponent's weight is neutral.ZufechtenYouOpponent (Vom Tag)
Nothing offered yet. Choose the invitation.
–
Static position

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. What do you offer? now
Scenario map 1/21 states explored · 23 transitions · 15 complete paths
  • What do you offer?
  • Attacking blind you're hit (not yet explored)
  • The blade is offered (not yet explored)
  • The head is offered (not yet explored)
  • Waiting on the hands (not yet explored)
  • A thrust past the offered blade (not yet explored)
  • Hands lifted (not yet explored)
  • Invitation declined neutral (not yet explored)
  • The beat you asked for (not yet explored)
  • The cut you asked for (not yet explored)
  • They close under cover (not yet explored)
  • They read the invitation you're hit (not yet explored)
  • Bound on the invited cut advantage (not yet explored)
  • Covered withdrawal advantage (not yet explored)
  • Hands sniped you hit (not yet explored)
  • Overrun after the snipe you're hit (not yet explored)
  • The beat finds nothing you hit (not yet explored)
  • The parry without a point disadvantage (not yet explored)
  • The prepared Absetzen you hit (not yet explored)
  • Thrown wide you're hit (not yet explored)
  • Two hits at close distance double hit (not yet explored)
Step 1

What do you offer?

You are at the edge of measure against an opponent in who has not committed to anything. Rather than guess what they will do, decide what you want them to do, and offer it.

Opponent's intent: Attack whatever looks open.

What do you notice?

0/2 revealed

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

  • Cue: Openings. What does a fencer in Vom Tag most want to see?
  • Cue: Hands. When are a fencer's hands nearest to you and least protected?

What do you do?

Timing chips: , , .

Your path

0 decisions
  1. What do you offer? now
Scenario map 1/21 states explored · 23 transitions · 15 complete paths
  • What do you offer?
  • Attacking blind you're hit (not yet explored)
  • The blade is offered (not yet explored)
  • The head is offered (not yet explored)
  • Waiting on the hands (not yet explored)
  • A thrust past the offered blade (not yet explored)
  • Hands lifted (not yet explored)
  • Invitation declined neutral (not yet explored)
  • The beat you asked for (not yet explored)
  • The cut you asked for (not yet explored)
  • They close under cover (not yet explored)
  • They read the invitation you're hit (not yet explored)
  • Bound on the invited cut advantage (not yet explored)
  • Covered withdrawal advantage (not yet explored)
  • Hands sniped you hit (not yet explored)
  • Overrun after the snipe you're hit (not yet explored)
  • The beat finds nothing you hit (not yet explored)
  • The parry without a point disadvantage (not yet explored)
  • The prepared Absetzen you hit (not yet explored)
  • Thrown wide you're hit (not yet explored)
  • Two hits at close distance double hit (not yet explored)

About this scenario

Most of the other scenarios begin with a situation. This one begins with a decision about how to create a situation. A provocation is an opening you offer on purpose, so that the attack it draws is one you have already prepared to answer: a lowered point to invite the cut you will set aside, an extended blade to invite the beat you will change through, a long point from which you snipe at the hands when they lift to chamber.

The principle is older than any single book, and the sources describe it in pieces: the guards that invite, the prepared against the invited cut, the against the beat. The risk is the same each time. An opponent who reads the invitation attacks something else.

Learning goals

  • Offer an opening that limits the opponent to the attack you want to answer.
  • Pair each invitation with its prepared counter and recognise when the counter has been read.
  • Snipe at the hands from the long point and withdraw before being overrun.

The branches here are tactical patterns rather than devices from a single gloss. They are written as modern training situations and marked interpretive.

Terms

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

Sources and interpretation

  • Liechtenauer tradition interpretive Provocation is implicit in the glosses (guards that invite, the Fehler, the long point) rather than treated as a subject of its own; the framing used here is a modern teaching convention.