A cut shown to one opening and completed at another, to draw the opponent's parry out of the way.
Begin a cut at an opening the opponent is sure to defend, and as they move to cover it, change the cut to the opening they have just uncovered. The classic form from the gloss is a Zwerch shown to one side and turned to the other. The feint only works against an opponent who parries by chasing the blade; against one who answers with a thrust or a counter-cut it simply hands them a tempo.
Sources and interpretation
- Johannes Liechtenauer (Wiktenauer article, with the Zettel and its glosses) Article text CC BY-SA 4.0; hosted translations generally CC BY-NC-SA 4.0; the historical text is public domain The verse on the Fehler and the glosses that explain it as a deception of the openings.