Scheitelhau / Parting Strike
Scheitelhau
The last of the five master strikes, a long, straight downward cut delivered with extended arms to the opponent's head or hands, traditionally aimed at defeating the Alber guard.
Quick Facts
Definition
Scheitelhau, literally the parting strike or crown strike, is the fifth and final of the master strikes of the Liechtenauer tradition, characterized by a long, straight cut delivered vertically from above with the arms nearly fully extended. Because of this maximal arm extension, scheitelhau achieves exceptional reach, making it an ideal tool against an opponent standing in the low Alber guard, whom it can reach before he rises to attack. The target is usually the crown of the head or, in a modified form, the opponent's hands holding the sword, if they are raised from Alber into the path of the strike. Fencing manuals warn that because of the full arm extension, scheitelhau leaves the fencer in a vulnerable position once completed, so a follow-up step or evasive movement should be prepared in case the strike misses. In the symbolic interpretation of the five master strikes, scheitelhau is often compared to a final, crowning strike that, with its vertical direction, completes the circle of the four basic attacking lines covered by the remaining Meisterhäue.
Related Terms
One of the four basic guards of historical German fencing, in which the sword points downward toward the ground.
Zornhau / Wrath StrikeZornhauOne of the five master strikes of the German school of fencing, a direct diagonal cut delivered from the right shoulder that typically overrides and defeats the Vom Tag guard.
Krumphau / Crooked StrikeKrumphauOne of the five German master strikes, delivered with crossed hands to the side of the opponent's wrists, used chiefly as the counter to the Ochs guard.
Schielhau / Squinting StrikeSchielhauA deceptive master strike that at first looks like a straight cut but at the last instant turns the blade into a thrust or a cut with the short edge, typically as the answer to the Pflug guard.