The Zucken

"When you thrust against his face from the Zornhau and he notices this and displaces the thrust with strength, pull your sword upwards, away from his and then strike to the head from the other side, also along his blade." (Ringeck fol. 19v)

Note that others do this technique differently, but we believe this is incorrect. Our interpretation comes from looking at the pictures in Paulus Kal that show us this play. Here is his Zornhau Ort:
http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/bsb00001840/images/index.html?seite=123
And here is his Zucken:
http://daten.digitale-sammlungen.de/~db/bsb00001840/images/index.html?seite=124
Note the lack of a subsequent step, and note, too, the fact that Hugh cut the left side of his opponent's head. When Ringeck speaks of cutting to the "other side" he is referring to the other side of his opponent's sword, not the other side of his head, as Kal shows us.

Also, note that Hugh's Zucken is performed using his hands and forearms, not a big swing of his arms and shoulders. Such a large swing would make it easy for your opponent to reply. Most cutting is accomplished using a push-pull motion of the hands, not a huge swing of the arms. This generates far more than enough force to kill when done correctly.

Demonstrators: Hugh Knight and Chris Bertell. Camera: Chad Cordero.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• schlachtschule
• longsword
• hugh knight
• ringeck
• paulus kal
• zucken
• zornhau

[Schlachtschule]

@drfang68 I wish Kal had, too. The step *is* part of the Zornhau, I'm just following the blow. As with many of the techniques, you do the initial action, then step as you thrust; it's the same, for example, as the Schielhau breaking Pflug. It's just that the hands are so much faster than the feet that much of the play can happen before your feet finish stepping.

[drfang68]

I wish Kal had shown the blade actually striking-I think the main thing you have going for your interpretation would be the "also along his sword" bit and the lack of foot work.

Speaking of which-why do you step with the Zucken, but not the initial Zornhau? :-/