Oberhau

— upper stroke

The straight descending cut. The line of the Parting and the foundation of every other high stroke.

Oberhau is the bare descending cut — straight down from Vom Tag or angled slightly across. Meyer treats it as the first thing a fencer learns and the last thing they unlearn: the Zornhau is a diagonal Oberhau driven with intent, the Scheitelhau is an Oberhau aimed at the parting of the hair, the Sturzhau begins as an Oberhau and ends as a thrust. If it does not land it should finish in Alber or Langort, never in empty air.