Mair Plate 39
English Translation (Wikitenauer)
A setup with the hilt on both sides.
When you both charge at each other with swords drawn, and your opponent strikes from above toward your head, then ride forward to his right side and turn up the long edge against his strike and parry with the cross. When you have come close you turn up the hilt with the pommel first over his sword and move the pommel over his right hand so that it comes under his pommel. If you then press down to your left when riding past him, putting your reins into the lower armour hook, you may grab his chin with your left hand and pull him away, so that he falls backwards when you ride past him. If you notice this happen to you, then put your reins into the belt hook, and grab hold with both hands on the inside of his arm, and push away hard, and you will get away.
Munich II Transcription (1540s) by Per Magnus Haaland
Habitus quo manibus ensis capulus, utrinque imponitur.
Quum ensibus strictis mutuo concurritis, et hostis ictu superno ferire conatur caput tuum, tunc contra ipsum ex latere ipsius dextro invehitor conversa acie longa contra ipsius ictum, atque ensis munimento intercipito. Inde proxime ad ipsum concurras, atque si capulum nodo porrecto retro adversarii gladium torseris supra ipsius dextram continget, ut nodus ensis tui hostilis ensis nodo supponatur. Inde supprimas sinistrorsum in progressu, et si habenas iam hamo inferiori inieceris, sinistra mentum hostis corripere poteris, atque hostem urgere, ut retrorsum concidat in progressu. Verum si id ab eo contra te fieri animadverteris, coniectis habenis in hamum, utroque brachio ipsius brachium comprehendito interne, inde si firmiter propuleris, te facillime liberum reddes.
Marc's Comments
Specifically turning the long edge up to parry echoes Meyer’s “Gerarde Versatzung” and parry advice from his 1570 text.
The “overwrap” of the pommel and push with the left hand actually most resembles a play from Fiore de Liberi’s “Flower of Battle”, which is in the Italian tradition, although similar grappling plays do show up in KdF manuals.
No footwork is mentioned, as this play is relying on the movement of the horses.
The wave-like motion mentioned by Else with facilitate the “up” on the initial bind and the “down” on the pommel hook. The forward motion of the horse will provide the “drive” need to complete this type of “hook and push through” grapple.
This play is shown in armor, although it works equally well in unarmored fighting, and many grappling plays are described in unarmored fighting manuals.
Else's Comments
The success of this play hinges on the horse's gait. NOTE: One manuscript depicts the horses in a walk; the other, in a canter.
A multi-step defense is difficult to accomplish at speed as each element takes time. A walk allows more time to incorporate all the elements of this play. The Getty Fiore also depicts this bind and similar grappling plays at a walk (MS Ludwig XV 13 Fior di Battaglia, c1404).
There is a natural wave like motion to the canter that provides upwards force. Those added motion aids in unhorsing an attacker even in a high-backed saddle. Grappling during the upward motion provides lift similar to rising up out of a knee bend when unmounted. Highly trained horses can perform a very slow canter at an almost walk speed.
Once grappling commences both attacker and defender drop their reins on to a hook. Steering comes from the seat and resulting weight shifts. Using the hook allows the rider to recover the reins after a successful pass.
The defender is advised to reach with the left hand and pull the attackers chin. This twisting motion will likely first add weight to right seat bone (pelvis). As the torso un-twists, the defender will pick the weight off of the right seat bone and move the left seat bone down and perhaps back. This weight shift will send the defender's horse to the left adding leverage for unhorsing the attacker to the side (as in plate 19 above) Riders in war saddles are more susceptible to unhorsing to the side than front to back.
The initial attacker pushing off with both hands is likely interrupt the measure of the play that depends on timing for success.
Demonstration of the Technique
The canter is a three beat gait. As the horse carries more and more of his weight on his haunches and takes higher and shorter steps, the canter begins to resemble the two beat version depicted in the manuscripts. In this video, Mousse is doing a very elevated version of the canter. The wave like motion of both the horse and the rider becomes apparent. This up-down wave impacts the success of attacks, especially those targeting a potential unhorsing.
"[17] You will lose your sword because of this catch
Or you will go to the ground without any defense.
This is the fourth play, in which the student strikes his opponent in the head and then takes his sword in the manner shown here."(Wiktenauer)
Similar sword bind performed at a walk from the Getty Fiore
