Winden in Liechtenauer’s Longsword

The Four Hengen

Many of the actions in Liechtenauer’s art can be described as transitions between guards, and winden is no exception. In this case, it is a transition between the various forms of ochs and pflug. These guard positions are called the hengen (“hangings”). Each hengen can be held on either the right or the left, which gives us four hengen in total:

• Right ochs
• Left ochs
• Right pflug
• Left pflug

It is important when transitioning between these guards that you keep your point forward at all times. This results in a somewhat circular motion, hence the name “winding”.

Inner and Outer Winden

The hengen represent the ending positions of the various winden. Once we introduce the bind, we find that there are two ways to enter each hengen relative to the opponent’s blade:

Inner Winden

Transition into the hengen by turning your hilt toward the opposing sword. Your arms and sword will form a convex angle that presses against the opponent’s weapon, pushing it aside.

Outer Winden

Transition into the hengen by turning your hilt away from the opposing sword. This will cause your point to cross in behind the opponent’s blade. Your arms and sword will form a concave angle that wraps around the opponent’s weapon.

The Three Wunder

There are three types of strikes, or wunder (“wounders”) in Liechtenauer’s system:

• Thrust
• Cut
• Slice

Each winden action can be followed up by any of the three wunder.

The Twenty-Four Winden

If winden is a transition into one of the four hengen, and there are two ways to enter each hengen, and then three wunder that can follow from each transition, that gives us a total of twenty-four winden techniques:

• Inner winden into right ochs, followed by a thrust
• Inner winden into right ochs, followed by a cut
• Inner winden into right ochs, followed by a slice
• Outer winden into right ochs, followed by a thrust
• Outer winden into right ochs, followed by a cut
• Outer winden into right ochs, followed by a slice
• Inner winden into left ochs, followed by a thrust
• Inner winden into left ochs, followed by a cut
• Inner winden into left ochs, followed by a slice
• Outer winden into left ochs, followed by a thrust
• Outer winden into left ochs, followed by a cut
• Outer winden into left ochs, followed by a slice
• Inner winden into right pflug, followed by a thrust
• Inner winden into right pflug, followed by a cut
• Inner winden into right pflug, followed by a slice
• Outer winden into right pflug, followed by a thrust
• Outer winden into right pflug, followed by a cut
• Outer winden into right pflug, followed by a slice
• Inner winden into left pflug, followed by a thrust
• Inner winden into left pflug, followed by a cut
• Inner winden into left pflug, followed by a slice
• Outer winden into left pflug, followed by a thrust
• Outer winden into left pflug, followed by a cut
• Outer winden into left pflug, followed by a slice

Fülen

Fülen is your ability to sense pressure in the bind. The fencer who exerts more pressure is hard, and the fencer who exerts less is soft. This is the most important factor to consider when determining which winden technique to use.

Note in the descriptions below that these techniques correspond to various handworks described in the tradition.

If the opponent is extremely soft, they are likely pulling out of the bind. In this case, since their point is not threatening you and their blade isn’t obstructing your path, you can simply strike them directly, no winden required. This is the principle behind zorn-ort, ansetzen, and nachreisen.

If the opponent is soft, but maintains pressure and keeps their point online, you can use an outer winden to trap their sword between your blade and your hilt, then push through with a strike. This is mutieren.

If you and the opponent are equal in the bind, you can use an inner winden to slide your forte toward their foible and gain a leverage advantage. This makes you hard and the opponent soft, allowing you to strike through the bind. This corresponds to absetzen or winden am schwert.

If the opponent is hard and their point is moving offline as they push you aside, you can use an outer winden to keep your point online, even as they displace your hilt, and strike in behind their sword. This is duplieren.

If the opponent is extremely hard, such that their point will fly completely out of position when pressure is removed, winden is not necessary. Simply release the bind and strike to the most convenient opening. This is the principle behind durchwechseln, abnehmen, ablauffen, and schnappen.

Distance

Exactly which of the three wunder you use to finish a winden depends on how far you are from the opponent:

• Thrusts have the longest reach, and so are used when winding at long distances
• Cuts have a slightly shorter reach than a thrust, and so are used at medium distances
• Slices have the shortest reach, and so are used at close distances

In practice, it’s not terribly important to carry out this analysis of distance each time you perform a winden technique. If you’re close enough for a slice, you’ll naturally perform a slice; if you’re too far away, the slice will naturally extend into a cut; if you’re too far away for a cut, it will naturally extend into a thrust.