In the Liechtenauer longsword tradition there are four main guards, they for an unexplained reason change position after the first manual, with plough becoming fool and vice versa (fool becomes ox in another manual so it becomes even more cryptic). For ease of memorizing these positions however the Boar’s Tooth stick to the earliest resource Hanko Doebringer, we believe that the verse was created not so much to be cryptic in that it gave no direct information, but rather more cryptic that it’s information was multi layered, therefore when looking at the guards try and use the most simple logic in your holding of them and simplistic in your judgment when you come to break them.
So the guards:
Plough: The point of the sword on or toward the floor between you and the opponent, or to the side. iron doors and the like fit in this category.
Ox: Think like the horns of an ox, hands up and back by the cheek or ear, point at the face of the opponent, not with the arms extended out, rather be ready to thrust.
Fool: The point toward the face of the opponent, your hands close to your hip, think of the stick and bladder of a fool and hold it on the right side, not in the center.
The Roof guard: point upwards hands back close to the body (anywhere between hip, shoulder or above the head, as long as the point is up it’s still to the roof).
When you perform any of these guards, keep it simple, keep your hands close to you (remember you have not basket hilt) and use distance as your first defence. The same rule of recognition applies when you come to break them, keep it simple.
Dave
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