[Greg Coffman]

I have really enjoyed all of the reports on test cutting with various swords and other reviews. It is very beneficial to see peoples' reactions to how the different swords handle and function when used in full swing. I do not yet own anything beyond an assortment of wasters and have not had the opportunity to do test cutting myself.

I am wondering if anyone has attempted cuts other than the overhands. An overhand being the strongest cut, I am wondering how effective are the less strong cuts such as the zwerchau, krumphau, other underhands, or cuts without follow through such as cutting to pflug or cutting to ochs.

Has anyone attempted these and what do you think about test cutting with these cuts?

[Jean Henri Chandler]

[Bill Grandy]

Hi Greg,
Good question. I practice cutting with every single technique that I would practice. And let me tell you, a zwerchau is one of the more powerful strikes you can do... in fact, none of the strikes you listed would be strikes I would really consider "less powerful" necessarily. It would depend on the context of the situation.

That said, some of the strikes don't work as well on things like water-filled plastic jugs as they would on a realistic target, and that needs to always be taken into account. The zwerchau, for instance, does not have quite as much "draw" on the cut, and has a tendency to send a water jug flying rather than cutting cleanly if you don't do it quite right. What most people misunderstand about test cutting, though, is that the goal is not to bisect your stationary target. The goal is to practice proper form and see if you are getting proper edge alignment and follow through.

So with that in mind, don't think of certain cuts as being more powerful or not. Just see if you're doing them right. The tactical applications have already been outlined by the historical masters, so there's no point in doing, for instance, a schietelhau that will cleave your opponent in two clean halves if that's not what the strike is intended for.

edited to add a video of the zwerchau in action. Note that this video is about a year old, and I perform the zwerchau slightly differently at this point, but the mechanics are mostly the same.

[Jean Henri Chandler]

[Bill Grandy]