Not often seen, not often trained and a bit underestimated.
Messer from the Codex Wallerstein

Weapon: Langes Messer

Source: Baumanns Fechtbuch Codex Wallerstein (Cod.I.6.4º.2)

Not often seen, not often trained and a bit underestimated.
Messer in Baumanns Fechtbuch, or the so called Codex Wallerstein is not a vast compendium, but there are some nasty and nice things that it suggests to us.
It’s not really direct related to the Liechtenauer system and offers different solutions to some situations in an attack.
Some say the techniques are not always elegant, but it’s efficient – who cares as long as your opponent hits the floor and you can walk away.
So let’s dive into the ideas of this source and let’s see if it might be a good addon to our fencers’ toolbox.

Skill level of Participants: Any skill level
Needed Equipment: Mask and a Messer

About the trainer – Martin Enzi

Martin Enzi first got in touch with martial arts by practicing classical boxing, but finally found his passion when he switched to HEMA in 2001 to train longsword, wrestling, dagger and polearms.
2003 he got his hands on the first draft of the transcription of Johannes Leckuechners “Kunst des Messerfechtens”, while work was still in progress. This gave him the possibility to be one of the first persons to dig into this manuscript.
Instantly fascinated while reading the first pages of the manuscript, this was when his fascination with and passion for Messer started.
After intense studies and training, he started as a trainer for Longsword, Messer, and eventually also for the so-called “peasant weapons” like sickle, scythe or flail plus the not so common use of spear in 15th century sources.
2006 he took part in the transcription of parts of Paulus Hector Mair’s manuscript (scythe, sickle and flail) for the Higgins Armory Museum, which will be published by Jeffrey L. Forgeng.
Even though training in Liechtenauer School of longsword and the peasant weapons from PHM has always been close to his heart, his main focus and deep passion lies with the Messer according to cgm582, taking also into account other Messer-related sources like Talhoffer, Codex Wallerstein, Pauernfeindt, or Falkner.
After teaching for 20 years now at international events and martial arts gatherings, Martin Enzi was honoured to be the first European HEMA-teacher to get an invitation to Tokyo, where he held a masterclass in Messer fencing – in fact, the first Messer class based on European sources in the history of Japan.
He was also asked to contribute 3 articles to the book series “Meditations on HEMA”, and writes articles in magazines and does surveys about finds and originals in museums.
Apart from HEMA, Enzi has practiced stage fighting since 23 years, whilst next to it he coaches and trains actors and stuntmen for an SFX-Agency. Furthermore he works as a fight choreographer for movies, theatre and TV production and recently got his certificated as Master of Arms for Movie and Theatre.