System vs Syllabus: a comparison between Meyer’s 1560 and 1570 rappier
texts
As a professional educator as well as a long-time amateur martial arts instructor, one of the issues
that fascinates me about the historical fighting manuscripts is their approach to teaching. Broadly
speaking, there are two types of texts:
a) “Reference” texts which attempt to preserve a system of fighting
b) “Teaching” texts which attempt to sequence the teaching of a weapon or style
Reference texts aim to present everything of importance, aiming to tie ideas together, or to present
memory cues for techniques learnt through physical instruction. For instance, the early German
corpus revolves around the Lichtenhauer verses, which are mnemonic in nature. Terms in the verses
are not explained, and the verses can be broken down into sections which do not necessarily link to
ideas previously mentioned. Each subsequent author added a commentary or “glossa” to the verses,
but retained the sequence of verses. Such a reference text works well for a reader already
submerged in the art illustrated, but is not necessarily the ideal vehicle for teaching a raw beginner.
A teaching text, on the other hand, aims to present material in a sequence to facilitate learning.
Ideas are introduced in order from simple to complex, each building on the previous work. Many
works of the 16th and later centuries are built on this model, reflecting a change in mindset by the
writers from preserving an art to transmitting an art.
Both types of text have their strengths and weakenesses. In the same way I keep reference books for
mathematical operations or geological materials, a HEMA reference text covers the entirety of a
system, and gives you a lot of technical information. However, I prescribe teaching texts for my
undergrad students, as the volume of information in a reference text often obscures the important
points a student must learn. Many of the best texts incorporate both teaching and reference
material, making these essential reading for the HEMA interpreter and teacher.
Joachim Meyer’s “rappier” or sidesword texts provide an ideal example of the difference between
these two approaches. Meyer wrote several texts on the rappier during his lifetime and so it is
possible to compare and contrast the same weapons system presented in two different ways.
Whereas Meyer’s longsword texts often consciously mirror the traditional Lichtenauer corpus, the
rappier system is essentially a “new” art, without a large number of accepted technical terms, and
without a pre-existing group of practitioners. Thus, Meyer spends significant time describing actions
with the weapon, making these texts a valuable source for the interpreter.
Meyer’s 1560 rappier text: the systematic approach
Meyer’s early text on the rappier is purely systematic. A guard is defined, potential parrying
techniques are listed, and then suitable ripostes are listed. It is possible to present this material in a
synoptic chart:
Guard
Possible Parries
Cutting Off
Suppressing
Ripostes
1560 Reference
High Thrust
71 l
Low Thrust
70 l
Inside Cut
71 l (with feint)
Outside Cut
71 l
Straight Cut
70 l
High Thrust
71 r
Low Thrust
71 r
Inside Cut
72 l (with follow-up)
Outside Cut
71 r
Straight Cut
High Thrust
Low Thrust
Going Through
Inside Cut
Outside Cut
Straight Cut
Nebenhut
High Thrust
72 l
Low Thrust
Hanging
Inside Cut
72 l
Outside Cut
72 l (with feint)
Straight Cut
High Thrust
Low Thrust
Taking out with Long Edge
Inside Cut
Outside Cut
Straight Cut
After detailing the possible options from a particular guard, Meyer then gives selected examples to
illustrate the techniques (listed in the fourth column).
Thus, it is possible to use the 1560 text to summarise the rappier system as follows:
a) There are 7 guards, presented in order as:
i. Nebenhut
ii. Wechsel
iii. Right Ochs
iv. Left Ochs
v. Eisenpfort
vi. Langenort
vii. Pflug
b) There are 6 different parrying techniques listed, but some techniques are unusable from
some guards. The techniques named are:
i. Cutting Off/Away
ii. Suppressing
iii. Going Through
iv. Hanging
v. Taking out with the Long Edge from above
vi. Taking out from below with the Short or Half Edge
vii. Setting Off
c) After parrying, the follow-up strike can be one of five strikes:
i. A thrust from above
ii. A thrust from below
iii. A cut from the inside
iv. A cut from the outside
v. A vertical cut straight down
d) Attacking sequences are dealt with last
On the face of it, the system presented in the 1560 system is extremely simple, with only a limited
number of techniques to learn. In practice, however, selecting the right parrying technique and right
counter attack adds a lot of complexity to the system. For instance, if an opponent attacks while you
are in Nebenhut, your choice in technique is dictated by distance, timing, and attitude. Similarly,
choosing to counter with a thrust from below or an inside cut will depend on the circumstances.
An example of this complexity can be found in the first set of counters, those done after cutting
away the incoming attack (an attack to your left in this case). After parrying, you can immediately
counter with a thrust from below, a straight vertical cut to the head, a cut to his inside, and (with
some practice at the body mechanics), a thrust from above left. However, how do you cut to his
outside? Meyer’s example shows that he sets this cut up by threatening a cut to the inside, but then
pulling away and cutting from the outside. Thus, feints and deceptions form an integral part of the
system.
Meyer’s 1570 rappier text: the teaching syllabus
Meyer’s 1570 rappier text can be broken down into four portions: a glossary, a set of sequenced
teaching drills, an advanced commentary, and a section on rappier and dagger/cloak. Though the
glossary is of great use (especially with interpreting the 1560 text), my focus here is on the teaching
drills, presented in the second part of the treatise. Unlike in the 1560 text, Meyer does not list
guards and their appropriate techniques. Instead, Meyer presents a sequence of drills building in
complexity. Techniques are introduced one by one and discussed in detail, but all options from a
particular position are not detailed. This approach can be shown as a flowchart:
Figure 1: the first action from Straight Parrying
In the first device shown in figure 1, a simple linear sequence is given. You are attacked, you parry
and launch a counter-attacking thrust. This can be done against attacks from the left and right,
thrust or cut, provided the attacks come in at the head or upper body.
The second device (figure 2) adds another layer to the first sequence. In this device, the attack is
parried as before, but the attacker pulls away and cuts to other side before the counter attack can
be delivered. This necessitates further parrying, until the attacker tires and a countercut can be
launched. Subsequent devices (not shown) deal with attacks that come in from below, or drift down
below your hand, and involve modifying your actions to deal with these threats. Thus, Meyer details
possible counters to all possible attacks, building the sequence up.
The next layer of complexity is added when Meyer deals with the aftermath of the counter attack. In
devices following on from the basic setup, Meyer details how to maintain the attack when the
opponent parries the counterattacking thrust (figure 3). Meyer offers three ways to defeat the
opponent’s parry: turning the sword over the opponent’s blade for a high thrust, changing through
under the opponent’s blade, or feinting a change and attacking back at the first target.
Thus, the approach in the 1570 rappier text is essentially to build up the fighter’s skills
systematically. First, basic parry-riposte technique is taught, then attacking technique is taught.
Further sections detail using the cut as a counter attack, advice on avoiding deception, advice on
attacking a defensive opponent, and then a variety of different techniques to use in different
situations.
Figure 2: How to parry multiple attacks
.
Figure 3: Maintaining the initiative after a counterattack
Summary
Meyer’s two rappier texts present a very similar system, but from two very different viewpoints. The
early 1560 text allows the reader to understand the system in its entirety, where each guard allows
certain defensive actions, and each defensive action can be followed with one of five counter
attacks. The 1570 text introduces techniques in a sequence building from basic moves to more
advanced techniques, showing the skill progression a student needs to follow to master the weapon.
Hopefully this article has shown how a teacher can use these two texts to complement each other,
and I have given instructors some ideas on how best to teach the material.