Joachim Meyer: The Art of Fencing with the Dusack From the celebrated printed treatise — Strasbourg 1570

If the longsword was the crown of the German tradition, the dusack was its daily bread. It was with the dusack that fencing schools across the Empire trained: a one-handed, curved, single-edged weapon on which whole generations learned how to deliver a cut. In his Gründtliche Beschreibung des Fechtens of 1570, Joachim Meyer devoted one of the most complete sections ever written to this weapon—clear in structure, practical in approach, and remarkably systematic. It is no surprise: the dusack is a teacher. Whoever masters its hews understands the foundations of the entire German tradition.

This volume presents Meyer's teaching on the dusack in its entirety. It leads you through the fight exactly as Meyer taught it: from the onset (Zufechten), through the work in the thick of the encounter (Handarbeit), to a safe withdrawal (Abzug). You will learn the dusack guards (Stier, Eber, Wacht, Zornhut, Mittelhut, Bastei, Nebenhut, Eisenport, Wechsel) together with the complete repertoire of hews on which Meyer's system is built—from the fundamental Oberhaw, Unterhaw and Mittelhaw to celebrated techniques such as Wecker, Zwinger, Sturtzhaw, Kreutzhaw, Blendthaw and Wincker, showcasing the fast, circular work of a single hand.

The text is accompanied by Meyer's detailed illustrations: pairs of fencers captured in motion and clear diagrams of the cutting lines, allowing the geometry of every strike to be understood at a glance. A work already regarded in its own day as the pinnacle of the art now speaks again in a clear English translation, with carefully crafted typography that preserves the spirit of the Renaissance original, including decorative initials, period-inspired layout, and facsimile pages.

Because this is a digital edition, Meyer is always with you: available for immediate download after purchase, ready to open on your computer, tablet, or phone, fully searchable, and easy to take with you to seminars, training sessions, or while travelling.

What the edition contains

• Complete English translation of Meyer's teaching on the dusack (1570 treatise).
• Original illustrations and facsimile pages from the printed source.
• A complete account of the fight, from the onset (Zufechten) to the withdrawal (Abzug).
• The dusack guards and the complete repertoire of hews presented with consistent terminology.
• Carefully designed typography inspired by the original edition, optimized for comfortable on-screen reading.

Discover the weapon on which the German tradition was truly forged—and with it the hews that form the foundation of Meyer's entire art.