A step with the front foot out to the side as you act, taking your body off the line of the opponent's attack while your own blade reaches them.
Most of the counters in the German tradition are made with a step out to the side rather than straight in: the , the , the and the all step out as they cut or set aside. The step does two things at once: it takes the body out of the line the attack is travelling on, and it brings the blade onto the attack from the side. A counter made standing on the line has to beat the attack by strength and timing alone.
Your familiarity
Sources and interpretation
- Liechtenauer tradition interpretive The glosses say "step out" or "step with the right foot to the right side" without a technical term; Ausschritt is the usual modern name.