Keith Farrell explains - The Cutting Mechanics of the Zwerhaw

[@penttikoivuniemi2146]

For me the big revelation to understanding how to throw the zwerhaw was to not concentrate on my arms but rather to find the correct position for the cut and just turn my body. When I do that, the blade moves where I want it to, the way I want it to.

[@stevenpremmel4116]

Keith Farrell demonstrating bad jerky movements are like my best moves on a good day.

[@FedericoMalagutti]

lol :D

[@StarBoundFables]

That was really interesting! I wonder if I'm not keeping my wrists straight enough when executing cuts... hmmm

[@lordllewellynofdarkdelight2613]

This helped a lot! Thank you!

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Here Keith explains why he prefers the "Zwerhaw" spelling compared to others: "All the different German masters spell it differently. Frustratingly, most of them spell it several different ways within the same book, sometimes even the same page. It's most commonly the Twerhau in the Rome codex, Zwerhaw in the Dresden manuscript, Zwirch or Zwirchhau in Wallerstein and Mair, and Zwerchhauw in Meyer. And Geschrenkt Ort in Talhoffer, because he just wants to be different. Der Olber in the Kolner Fechtbuch, because it's also very different. But for the earlier sources (glossing the Zedel directly), Twer and Zwer are more common than Zwerch, and in the Dresden Ringeck, -haw is more common than -hau. So that's why I spell it this way."

[@TheNapkuchen]

This was very helpful. Ty!

[@helmezulandshut]

Nice, very good explaination. 👍⚔️

[@libinzhou1285]

I am so unused to your video not starting with "hello Hema friends"

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Ah! Next time I'll fix that too ;-)

[@libinzhou1285]

@@FedericoMalagutti Also that's how some people in China remember you. One of my friend once told me he recommends the "HEMA channel from an Italian dude who always starts with hello hema friends"

[@FedericoMalagutti]

@@libinzhou1285 ahahahahahah!!!

[@someonewithsomename]

8:20 I'm sorry, what? A squat in a fight? This is some video game techniques right here! You can only do that trick, standing above a fallen enemy.

[@felix.der.ritter]

Also we made a Martin Fabian Attack on Titan reverence in our Podcast :D ;). Sigi

[@ookamiwarrior]

This is absolutely amazing. Everyone says to thumb the blade, but nobody I've ever worked with has told me WHY we thumb the blade. Now I know, and I am deeply empowered through this knowledge. Thank you!

[@FedericoMalagutti]

You are welcome!

[@janchodkiewiczENSIFER]

Exelent work. Base on cutting mechanics are solid foundation. Regards from Gdańsk.

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Thanks Jan!

[@jasonbaldwin273]

I would love to see the combined techniques against an opponent with commentary on where/how each combo is best applied.

[@vladislavlutz3748]

Excellent drills demonstration. Thank you Keith and to you Federico.

[@FedericoMalagutti]

You are welcome:-)

[@porta_di_ferro]

Super! Exellent set of exersises.

[@Vindrows]

👍

[@Druid_Ignacy]

This one and Martin's ,,the best nachshlag" go really nicely together

[@JohnGilbert-l5l]

Excellent video !

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Thanks!

[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

Very cool! My club does the footwork a bit differently, but this is still relevant is helping me get it together.

[@KaVeikiaSimas]

It's the first time I saw someone test cutting with heavy gloves. I guess that test cutting while wearing full gear would put some cutting enthusiasts in a tighter spot.

[@IamOutOfNames]

Some of these cuts look like something I would do...

[@AnthusFrostwolf]

In my school the Zwerhaw was teached in a way that you should "hide" under your hilt, so that you get some extra protection for your head and additional rotation -> reach? But cutting is extreme hard using this variant

[@jasonjames9836]

Really thorough and detailed explanation/breakdown of this cut. Very nice!

[@Crit.Happens]

This is very informative. Break downs like this show what the manuals try to describe, and as a visual learner this helps way more than reading what I am supposed to do.

[@shawnflynn2856]

Very good video, wish there were more breakdowns like this.

[@maritimeswordschoolmoncton6513]

This is great. Well done.

[@StuartMcDermid]

That was great Federico. :) Excellent video Keith! (If you are reading). I think practicing horizontally like this in the beginning is a good idea before striking to the ochs and pflug is added. I wonder if that is the progression Keith uses? Next time Keith does a video for Federico, he absolutely MUST begin it with a lovely Scots version of "Hello Hema Friends".

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Eheheh! Check on Keith's Facebook page, you can ask him directly your question in his comments section, I bet he will be happy to answer you!

[@MCmoglei]

Are you suggesting that the Zwerhauw should only be performed on a horizontal line? Cause, if you do, the source (for example, Joachim Meyer) or practitioners like Martin Fabian are disagreeing. I totally support the main premise of your ideas on Zwerhauw, but it can and, in my opinion, should be used on all of the four basic lines.

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Well I suppose that as soon as it cuts well, it works. Anyway contact Keith on FB if you want to discuss directly with him about the topic, it's not my field of study by now.

[@MCmoglei]

@@FedericoMalagutti thx for the reply. I just want the praise your work with this channel. Even so, I can't entirely agree with all your opinions, but I enjoy your content a lot. In my opinion, it has a really high production value and I envy you for the ability to produce these kinds of videos and the bravery to share your views and showcasing your fencing that openly. I plan to do something like this, and I hope that it will be an inspiration to other practitioners as your channel already is. kind regards from Berlin Germany

[@junegan723]

Is the purpose of the squatting exercise to train explosiveness?

[@FedericoMalagutti]

I think so!

[@someonewithsomename]

It's to project fear into your opponents

[@bleachedink]

I've found it difficult and awkward transitioning to thumbing the blade when executing a Zwerhaw from another cut or thrust, it is required or just considered good practice when training?

[@FedericoMalagutti]

It is better to have the thumb on the flat surface of the sword, either the handle or the blade. Otherwise the arms have to work in another way. Anyway in my experience, blade manipulation is a matter of habit, the best advice I can give you is to not focus on thumbing itself, but rather in the “middle step” motion which Keith does while raising the sword, that’s the key for thumbing, not thumbing itself! ;-)

[@bleachedink]

@@FedericoMalagutti I see! Thank you, back to training for me and to get it right 💪 thank you for your videos they're a huge help!

[@FedericoMalagutti]

@@bleachedink you are welcome!!! I wish you good training :-)

[@bleachedink]

@@FedericoMalagutti and for you as well!

[@LafayetteCCurtis]

No, it's not required. The thumb should be _under_ the blade (as in the glosses' description of the Ochs) but that's it -- there's no need to focus too much on the exact positioning of the thumb as long as it's somewhere underneath the blade.