Zwerchhau
Zwerchhau
Literally: crosswise hew
Also known as: Zwerchhaw
A horizontal cut to the head with the longsword, one of the five master cuts of the Liechtenauer tradition.
Quick Facts
About
Zwerchhau, literally the thwart cut, is one of the five master cuts (Meisterhau) of the German Liechtenauer longsword tradition. It is delivered with crossed hands along a horizontal path and aims chiefly at the opponent's ears and head. It catches blows from above and works at once as defence and attack against the opponent's pressure. Unlike Krumphau, delivered in an arc at the opponent's hands, Zwerchhau travels a straight horizontal path to the head. It is attested as early as the gloss of the Codex Döbringer from around 1389, and it is also described by Sigmund Ringeck (before 1508), Paulus Hector Mair in the 16th century, Jörg Wilhalm and Joachim Meyer. Wiktenauer lists it under the spelling Zwerchhaw. Who first introduced the cut, we have not been able to document; the earliest evidence is the gloss mentioned above.