Meyer's longsword 101 - Chapter 11 - Fencing from the stances: High guard (Oberhut, Tag)

The stances (or guards) in fencing aren’t meant to be held for long. They exist mainly to help you understand how to respond when you're preparing to strike.

When you lift your sword for a High Cut, you reach a position called the Day—the highest point in your sword’s path.

If your opponent attacks you while you're lifting your sword, you should immediately redirect your sword from that high point to counter them.

If they don’t attack, you can go ahead and finish your High Cut as planned.

Skilled fencers sometimes pause briefly at the Day, not to hesitate, but to evaluate whether to continue with the planned strike or switch to a better one, like a Crosswise Cut.

This brief pause is strategic—it lets you observe your opponent’s actions and choose the best response.

That’s the real purpose of stances: not to stay in them, but to use them as decision points.

Here are some examples will follow to show how to respond from the Day, whether your opponent attacks or not.

For simplicity, I've only put the basic versions of the plays into tables. I've used names of techniques to make it easier to explain the actions. I've been negligent in footwork, so I only mention footwork some of the time. You will need to experiment, but usually a cut from the left means a step to the right and vice versa. These cuts will make the most sense if you are familiar with these three posts:

• Meyer's longsword 101 - Chapters 1-4: Openings, guards and cuts

• Meyer's Longsword 101 - Chapters 5 & 6 - Parrying, handworks and the withdrawal

• Longsword drills: Cutting patterns and parrying

Play 1: If they attack you with a zorn

#	You	Opponent
1	Raise sword into Tag
2		Cut right Zorn
3	Prelhau (flat zorn) to their sword, maybe hitting their head with the tip or flat. Leap right.
4		Parry* left
5	Unterhau from left, to right arm. Step left and duck behind sword
6		Parry right**
7	Flick a Scheilhau from your right to their left ear
8		Parry left
9	Run off (let their parry miss) and Zwerch or Scheilhau from your left, to their right ear
10		Parry right
11	Exit with Zwerch

*Assume a basic parry, like slicing off or similar

**If they follow your unterhau closely:

• Slice at their arms as they lift off your blade.

Play 2: If they cut an Upward Cut from Your Left

#	You	Opponent
1	Raise sword into Tag
2		Cut right unterhau
3	Supressing cut on their blade, and flick an aufstreichen (false edge cut from below) at their left ear
4		Parry left
5	Zwerch from left to right ear, stepping left and keeping crossguard high
6		Parry right and then raise arms to strike
7	Fall on their arms with slicing off
8		Retreat, tyring to free themself
9	Stay on arms and follow them, then attack with you have opportunity

Play 3: If they Cut at Your Right from High Guard

#	You	Opponent
1	Raise sword into tag
2		Cut a left Zorn
3	Supressing cut, run off and cut Schielhau to their head
4		Parry right
5	Hang, run off and cut Schielhau to top of head, with step right
6		Parry left
7	Zwerch from right to left ear, retreating with left foot
8		Parry right
9	Exit with more cuts

Play 4: Sequence from the Guard of the Day (When Opponent Hesitates)

#	You	Opponent
1	Raise sword into tag
2		Does nothing
3	Plunging cut into crossed ox, feinting a thrust
4	Cut a Round to the left, swing sword all around the head and cut a Zwerch from the right to their left ear, while stepping in
5		Parry left
6	Cut a low Zwerch or Unterhau from left, to their lower right
7		Parry right
8	Don't let them parry. Run off and cut two Scheilhaus, first from right then from left
9		Attempt parry
10	Cut unterhau from right to their arm while you retreat

If they cut a low cut at your left as you retreat:

• Step in (left foot), drop short edge with crossed hands onto their sword to block their cut. (Krumphau with inverting)

• If they pull their sword up:

  • Wrench your sword left with crossed hands.

• If they strike again:

  • Parry with your outward flat, sweeping horizontally from left to right.

  • Let sword fly around your head, hands crossing again.

• Step right, keep hands high, and drop half edge in a circular motion near their right ear.

• Finish with a long cut and retreat.

Play 5: 'Another'

#	You	Opponent
1	Raise sword into tag
2		Does nothing
3	Hang blade to your left, step and cut a mittelhau from your right to their left temple
4		Parry left
5	Cut mittelhau to from left to their right neck
6		Parry right
7	Cut a Round to your right, wrenching or beating aside their sword with your flat or short edge, and cut a flat to their right ear from your left
8		Attempt a parry
9	Run off and cut a Zorn from your left
10	Exit while cutting away

Play 6: Breaking the Guard of the Day using Schlussel (key)

#	You	Opponent
1		Standing Tag
2	Move to Key guard, on your right
3	Cut two unterhaus, one from each side
4		Moves out of Tag
5	Cut a Zwerch from your right to their left ear
6		Parry left
7	Cut two unterhaus, one from each side
8		Attempts a parry
9	Cut a Zwerch from your left to their right ear
10		Parry right
11	Exit with more cuts

If opponent rises from a lower guard:

1. Immediately follow with two strong Low cuts from either side.

2. Then cut with the half edge from both sides deeply at their head.

3. Bind quickly on their blade.

4. If they lift up, follow their movement.

5. If they stay, then:

6. Wind, yank out, or perform whatever technique fits best from that position.