What is a Mensur?

Mensuren is a style of fencing. A relatively German style, it is most commonly found in university fraternities. The style is different from Olympic fencing in many ways.

Equipment

The equipment used in a Mensur is vastly different from Olympic fencing. No helmet as such is used. In its place, a challenger wears a pair of steel, lens-less goggles to protect the eyes and occasionally a pair that covers the nose as well. Ear guards are used. Yet, for the most part, the face is open. Heavy leather padding covers the weapon arm and most of the torso. The non-weapon hand is secured behind the back with a glove and ribbon. The weapons used are generally bell-guard and basket-hilt schlägers. Variations on attire can vary depending on region and individual bout.

Objectives

Student fencing, as Mensuren are often called, is not comparable to Olympic fencing. In a Mensur bout, a person fences with sharp blade. The body and head remain fixed in one positiion. Eyes, neck, nose, arms, chest, and most of the rest of the body are carefully protected. By imploying strict rules, the available hit surfaces are closely limited and the danger of serious injuries extremely small.

A goal of this style of fencing is not to injure the opponent. Each fencer simply tries to demonstrate good skill and training. In such a stress situation, everything requires the highest psychological and physical self-control. The goal is not to beat your opponent or to land a blow, but rather to fence admirably and honorably. A person who receives a cut can often be considered to be a winner as long as he demonstrates control, skill, and honor. A mensur is not a duel. Duels are fought when someone wants to provide satisfaction for offenses or annoyance. Often, participants in a Mensur bout have never met before. To fight a Mensur out of anger or with the intent to harm your opponent is looked down on by almost any of its participants.

A Typical Mensurtag : Burschenschaft Hilaritas in Stuttgart

Probably the largest Mensurtag (Mensur Day) which I witnessed was at the Burschenschaft Hilaritas in Stuttgart. This Mensurtag was no different than countless others I had witnessed in Heidelberg, Stuttgart or Tübingen. The traditional flow of the event was the same: a large room of gentlemen - all in suits, fraternity hats and tri-colored sashes - milling around and talking in between bouts with a beer in hand while waiting for the new bouts to begin, comparing notes about challengers, approaching and talking with fraternity members from other cities - whose colors were not as well known - smoking cigarettes, and encouraging their own challengers. As the bouts were announced by the impartial judge, voices were silenced, glasses stowed away, attention was given for the introduction of the fraternity and the challengers. Seconds announced the particulars of the bout (how many previous bouts each had fenced, how many strikes per round, any special protective equipment requested – one of these bouts involved a student from another city whose rules allowed the use of a cheek protector not commonly used in most cities). Once the introductions were finished, the Mensur was commenced with challengers being measured for height and appropriate adjustments made for the shorter challenger. The challengers were placed at the proper distance from one another, a ceremonial first round was struck (one blow - blade on blade), and the bout commenced with its first "sharp" round. Bouts for first-timers consist of 30 rounds each with 3-4 strikes per round. Subsequent bouts have 40 rounds, also with 3-4 strikes per round. Brief pauses are held between rounds, at times, seconds may request a longer pause to allow a challenger to catch his breath, adjust equipment, etc. On this particular evening there were 8 or 9 bouts, most involving parties I did not know personally. Many of the early bouts lasted for their full 30 or 40 rounds taking about 20 to 30 minutes per bout. Two of the challengers were cut badly enough to require stitches which were carried out on the premises by doctors under sterile conditions. Most were unscathed. The evening concluded with a party for all participants at which most drank merrily together no matter the color of their hat and sash.

A New Challenger's Recollection

There is no other feeling like that of fencing a Mensur. There are so many feelings coursing through your body at the same time: exhilaration, nerves, fear, pride, concentration, adrenaline. The intense preparation has fine-tuned your senses. Once one stands a Mensur with perhaps hundreds of people watching, there is not time for deep thought or consideration. Reflex is required, and actions which you have trained for months must be carried out precisely to ensure both your own safety as well as that of your "Contra". Your protective gear is strapped on in a separate room and you warm up with a dummy or a friend. The real strange part happens when your Mensur team places the goggles on your eyes and protective guards on your ears. Training has always been done until then with a helmet, no goggles or ear covers, and these can be very uncomfortable. Also, they make you very aware, how much of the rest of your head is actually exposed. Before the match, your senses are bombarded from all sides. Amidst the well-wishes from friends ("Waffenschwein") and the muffled sounds of announcement of the bout along with the introductions, tunnel vision begins to set in. Once you are ready to stand for the Mensur you have already broken a sweat and try to feel at home in these new surroundings. The weapon you are using is lighter than your training weapon, your protective gear is also different, made to stand up to sharp blades instead of the blunt training blades you have used for months. You raise your blade for the ceremonial first blow and listen to your second whisper into your ear in-between rounds. You do not talk. You do not blink. You do not think. You are a silent machine carrying out a centuries-old tradition wondering how the next round will go before you have struck the final blow of the current round. Mostly, you follow the instructions of your second ("Start with a Terz here" or "Now just high Quarts" or "Let's see a Hori – come on, you can do it"), but sometimes reflex takes over and after two atempo strikes (blade on blade) you break the tempo and add a double-strike. You can't help it, you have practiced that particular situation so often that it just happens automatically. Your Contra parries the second strike just in time, but his second flies in and protests. The impartial judge (Der Unparteiische) decides the strike was legal and the bout continues. As the fortieth round approaches, you and your Contra begin to feel at ease. You are evenly matched, equally fast, and you strike equally hard. You nearly build a feeling of trust for the Contra – you expect no surprises, the bout ends less like a fight and more like a common effort. It is not that either party eases up at all – that could be disastrous for both. Rather, it is the simple fact that after 20, 30, or 35 rounds, you have seen what your Contra has, and you know you can defend yourself. If he feels the same way, the bout will end with great success – both parties having accomplished their goal – to have stood an honorable Mensur. Should one party be cut and yet have fenced well, that too is a victory, for overcoming ones fears are an equal part of this tradition.