This drill is created from a Meyer device taught to us by Jacob Norwood. It begins with a good sound Zornhau where your body travels offline while your blade travels onward to the target. This device taught to us by Jake started with a Zornhau , then was followed up with several options from the ensuing bind. We don't go through all the possibilities of the drill but instead focused specifically on the Indes needed at the Gleich time of the fight.
The drill begins with a basic Zornhau Strike. The body steps in traverse off the line and the blade goes straight at the opponent, head leaned out of the way. Zornhau
Next the zornhau is parried by the opponent Zornhau Parried, from here we could do many things, Wrench at the bind or some other handwork. We instead choose to Umbschlaggen or strike around at the opponent's other side. Zornhau Umbschlaggen. From here we could also do many handworks but instead we will revisit the Indes point of the first Parry. Now instead of being parried and having the time to continue attacking we insert a counter attack by the opponent. Now when we Zornhau and get parried the opponent strikes at us from our left side and we parry and counter with Indes. Zornhau parried with a counter attack by Opponent
Then the drill resolves itself into pure Indes back and forth for a few strikes. The imporant aspect of this drill is the Indes, after the opponent has parried we can expect the counter strike back at our left ear, but this is a drill, next we can have the opponent instead counter attack at our right ear, then in the next version of this drill we could allow the opponent full freedom to counter strike on any side or at any target. This is the variable that gives the drill its name.
Essentialy this drill takes a strike, works the form of the strike, then begins to examine what happens when that strike does not win the fight and instead is parried or stifled in some manner. Then we focus on the follow ups to the failed strike and/or the opponent's reactions to that failed strike. The attribute we are seeking to work here is the instinctual offensive and defensive actions that happen after each initial clash of the weapons. Anything in the drill can be substituted with another strike, parry or handwork.
"Everyone thinks differently from everyone else, so he behaves differently
in combat" -Joachim Meyer, Kunst des Fechten, 1570
"For as we are not all of a single nature, so we also cannot have a single style in combat, yet all must nonetheless arise and be derived from a single basis." -Joachim Meyer, Kunst des Fechten, 1570
"Who despises me and my praiseworthy craft,
I'll hit on the head that it resounds in his heart."
--Augustin Staidt, Federfechter
"The Truth in Combat is different for each individual.... Truth lies outside of All Fixed Patterns." -Bruce Lee
