GFFG Basic Meyer Quarterstaff Series Techniques 02: Schnappen & Zucken

Second installment of the techniques section for the Basic Meyer Quarterstaff series, looking at Schnappen & Zucken.

Both these techniques absolutely require that you provoke the opponent into moving his staff to the right, exposing his left side. You can do this with a strike, a push or a thrust. Stepping in aggressively also protects you from a counterthrust, and in the case of Schnappen you are also somewhat covered by your own staff.

The techniques need to be performed fast and decisively using the small opportunity created. In this demonstration, the techniques are shown somewhat slower and broken into steps, for clarity's sake. In sparring the movements need to be tighter, following each other without pause.

In case he counterthrusts quickly you can also pull the staff back as you strike, parrying with back end held low, shifting towards the Nebenhut stance. This is not shown in the video though.

These were shot during a workshop held at the 4th Meyer Symposium in Iowa USA, 2016 and the video was kindly provided by the Meyer Freifechter Guild.