Practice Notes: Scheitelhau, the Parting Strike, with Broken Steps

Grauenwolf's Study of Western Martial Arts

Scheitelhau, or the Parting Cut, is the last of the five Master Cuts. Like the other master cuts it begins with the Zornhau, which the ancients call the Father Stroke. And like any other cut, it it to be performed with a step.

The trick here is that step is broken. Meyer writes,

Thirdly there are the broken or stolen steps, which are done thus: act as if you intend to step forward with the one foot, and before you set it down, step backwards with it behind the other foot. Since these properly belong in the rapier I swill save it for there.

I have to admit I discovered this by accident. As I started my Zornhau I thought, “Ha! You’ve over-reached and I can void your pitiful cut by aborting my step.” While I focused on that, my Zornhau was left to its own devices. Without my body…

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