10.1.10 Siebenhaar's Dutch Method Parries

Christian Siebenhaar, Sergeant Fencing master of the Grenadiers and Rifles Guards Regiment of the Dutch Army was the father of a unique, and quite different, system of fencing, first published in 1858 and surviving until after his death in 1885.  This was an attempt to create a distinctly Dutch method of fencing that had Dutch language terminology and reinforced Dutch nationalism in a turbulent period in European history.  

Siebenhaar's system included seven parries in the sword (illustrated in his text with what appears to be foils).  

The Parry Left - in the normal guard (with the weight on the back leg, the point forward at eye height, hand slightly below the shoulder, the grip held in the full hand with the thumb on top) - the attack is parried down from above on the inside line, the hand turning to bring the nails a little up.

The Parry Right - the attack is parried down from above on the outside line, the hand turning to bring the nails a little down.

The Parry Low Left - the attack is parried by lowering the point, and collecting the opponent's blade to the inside with the hand is turned into supination. 

The Parry Low Right - the attack is parried by lowering the point, and collecting the opponent's blade to the outside with the nails turned a little down. 

The Parry Low Right with the Hand Inverted - the attack is parried by lowering the point, and collecting the opponent's blade to the outside with the hand inverted with the thumb down.  The illustration in Siebenhaar's book appears to be similar to the Italian first hand position with the pommel to the outside. 

The Parry High Left - the arm is extended upward above the level of the head to displace the attack to the inside, the hand inverted with the thumb down.  The illustration in Siebenhaar's book appears to be similar to the Italian first hand position with the pommel to the outside.  

The Parry High Right - the arm is extended upward at approximately the level of the head to displace the attack to the outside, the hand inverted with the thumb down.  The illustration in Siebenhaar's book appears to be similar to the Italian first hand position with the pommel to the outside.  

From the illustrations the little up and little down appear to be roughly equivalent to Italian third in fourth and second in third hand positions.

The Parries Left and Right and Low Left and Low Right are also performed as circular parries.

During the parry the point of the blade is aimed:

• at the chest in the Parry Left and the Parry Right.
• approximately the width of the palm lower than in the Parries Left and Right in the Parry Low Left and Parry Low Right.
• at the lower body in the Parry Low Right with the Hand Inverted, the Parry High Left, and the Parry High Right.

This maintains a threat for the direct riposte.

It is important to note that these parries were performed in a static position from what was essentially inside lunge distance.  In tournaments the rules forbade a fencer to retreat, and the only forward movement allowed was a lunge (a subsequent post will address movement in the Dutch Method).   

Source

Siebenhaar, Christiaan; Manual for the Instruction in the Art of Fencing; Third Improved Printing; translation by Reinier van Nort; [fencing manual]; The Heirs Doorman, The Hague, Netherlands; translated and reprinted by Reiner van Nort, Hagan, Norway; 1861 reprinted 2017.

Copyright 2020 by Walter G. Green III

Siebenhaar's Dutch Method Parries by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.