Parries in LL system can be broken down into:
Common parries: not used if you can help it, but probably necessary to train against in order to learn LL system and practice its plays, and useful in times of need.
Vier Versetzen (4 strikes): the four basic strikes.
Secret strikes: some are used as parries.
Absetzen: thrusting parries.
Common parries
The Zettel and Gloss warns us not to use common parries. These are described as parries with the point held high or out to the side. This is describing what I have called 'blocking' parries and 'straight parries' in other posts on this blog. I will therefore not discuss the mechanics of these types of parries in detail.
Blocking parries
There are roughly seven 'blocking' parries your opponent will use. These are made with the blade held with the point up or down. The parries are:
Kron (middle, above head)
Inside parry (left, breast or hip height)
Outside parry (right, breast or hip height)
Inside low parry
Outside low parry
Hanging parry on the left
Hanging parry on the right
These look something like this, with blade held as high or low as needed:
The parries always aim to catch the weak of the attackers strike on the strong of the defender's blade.
So why does LL system not use these parries? They form the foundation for some cut-centric fencing systems, such as 19th century sabre, and allow for fast cutting ripostes after the parry. I believe the answer is that, if your opponent uses a parry like this, you should simply not allow your strike to hit their blade, and should 'fail' and strike to the other side. You can do this because they are not threatening you with the point, and people often need the stimulus of a parry to know "Now it is time to riposte". If you don't give them blade contact, they probably won't riposte. However, if you do make blade contact, beware! Your opponent will likely riposte.
The right hanging parry can be easier and quicker to get into than right Ox, but a skilled opponent will attack you to the arms (as the Zettel says, "when they go high, shame them below").
Straight parries
Straight parries are where you parry with the point out to the side. I provide an explanation of these here. A typical example would be, if I am striking in with an Oberhau, you parry this by striking across my blade and turn into my strike. This puts you in a very strong overbind, and a very strong parry, but your point is not pointing at me, it is pointing well out to the side somewhere.
Many of the binding actions in LL's system that are done when you are 'weak' in the bind seem (to me at least) to be to a counter to the straight parry, including the disengage under, and the 'pulling off' (a disengage over).
Fencing from the sweeps
Not a core part of the system, but mentioned. This is a short edge rising cut made diagonally upwards from the left side. It can be used to parry a strike made to our left side by cutting 'behind' the incoming cut and deflecting it towards our right. It can also be turned into a straight parry for cuts coming in to our right side, forming an overbind on their blade.
Fencing from 'the sweeps':
Vier vertsetzen (4 strikes)
There are two variations of the 4 strikes, depending on which Gloss you read, and this seems to be based on the Gloss authors' understanding of what Liechtenauer meant in the Zettel.
Ringeck, Danzig and Lew say that the 4 strikes refer to 4 of the 5 secret strikes: Krumphau, Zwerhau, Scheilhau, Scheitelhau, some of which can be used to parry strikes. However, much of the Gloss on these strikes covers how they 'break' guards. I think 'guard breaking' and parrying can be considered two separate things. (I briefly consider the parrying potential of the Secret strikes further down in this post, but will cover them in detail in later posts.)
Dobringer, on the other hand, says that the 4 strikes are simply the same 4 strikes we have learned in the previous post: an Oberhau from the right, an Oberhau from the left, an Unterhau from the right and an Unterhau from the left. These all terminate in one of the 'four hangers' (or hangen):
Oberhaus end in Plough (which can be a 'longpoint Plough' or a shortened Plough).
Unterhau end in Ox (again, longpoint or shortened).
Oberhaus parry Oberhaus, and end with the point online:
Unterhaus parry Unterhaus, with point down, which can then be quickly raised and placed online:
An Oberhau cannot parry an Unterhau with the point online effectively. Several YouTube videos suggest that they can, but these seem to be done at low speed and with very shallow or flat Unterhaus. I demonstrated this in my post on straight parrying, where the point has to go offline to form a cross with the rising strike, but your hands are also likely to be in the way unless you step off to the side. A steep Unterhau will strike your hands if you try to parry it by going into Plough.
Lastly, an Unterhau can parry an Oberhau if the Unterhau is made to above the head, is aiming (pointing) at the opponent's head, and you catch the strike on your crossg uard or at an angle where their strike crosses your blade. If you try to strike your Unterhau directly into their strike, the two blades will slide past each other.
Secret strikes
Zornhau
This is described as 'little more than a peasant's strike'. The Zornhau is one of the most important strikes in LL system. It is an Oberhau where you cut diagonally from right to left, but importantly where you cross your body with the hilt and aim to hit the opponent with the point. If you aim to hit your opponent with the edge then you probably aren't crossing the line enough. When you cross the line, just like with Plough, your blade will intercept theirs, and your hilt will protect your hands. If you do not cross the line properly then your hands may get hit. The early Glosses clearly say that Zornhau threatens with the point. If you are too close to your opponent, you can cut the Zornhau into a shortened version, i.e. a Plough guard.
I have found that, if you strike with a Zornhau first and your opponent tries to parry you with a Zornhau in return, you can strengthen your Zornhau by directing it more to your left. This temporarily turns your Zornhau into a 'straight parry', and should defeat their Zornhau. The impact will likely redirect your point back online, or you may need to do this consciously.
Zwerchau
I will cover this in a separate post. However, as a parry this mechanically works exactly the same as the Ox vs. Oberhau example above. The only difference is how the sword got from the right shoulder into the Ox position (using a 'helicopter blade' type motion).
Krumphau
There are a few interpretations of this. It is typically considered to be a 'windshield wiper' type motion with the blade, from right to left, where your arms cross over. The Krumphau can be made directly to the blade of an incoming cut, deflecting it. I will cover it in a separate post.
Scheilhau
As a parry this mechanically works exactly the same as the Ox vs. Oberhau example above. The only difference is how the sword got from the right shoulder into the Ox position (using a false edge cut from above).
Scheitelhau
This is not a parry; or rather it can be if made straight down onto the opponent's blade, but it would result in a 'straight parry' with point offline. This is little more than a strike made directly down from above the head.
Setting aside (Absetzen)
These are parries made as a thrust rather than strike. There are two from each side.
Starting in Plough on the right, if your opponent thrusts to your left side, wind your hilt across into right Plough and thrust at the same time, making a step to the right. Do the same but opposite if you are in left Plough.
If you are in left Plough and someone cuts to your top right, wind across your body into right Ox and thrust them with the point. Do the same but opposite if you are in right Plough.
Another variation of this is if you parry in left Plough and then wind up to left Ox to drive the thrust in. Do the same but opposite if you are in right Plough.
These work more or less the same as the Vier Versetzen above, but used against thrusts rather than strikes, and so they start in the position of Plough rather than in a High guard.
Summary
Parries in LL's system primarily focus on using the same 4 strikes we use for attacking: an Oberhau and an Unterhau. These end in the guards of Plough and Ox. These guards are also used to parry thrusts. Most of the secret strikes can be used to parry, and most of these are either an Oberhau that ends in a Longpoint variation of Plough, or ends in some sort of Ox guard.
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