A downwards cut that is being performed on the right side of the shield. It can be done both as a draw cut (moving from the top down) or as a push cut (from back forwards, towards the opponent). The cut itself can strike directly down or can be slightly angled.
Halpschilt is the most basic and intuitive type of cut, and thus the most common and most expected. According to the first play, halpschilt is one of the two obsessiones that can attack prima custodia (which possibly refers to a self-defence situation).
Halpschilt is cut in many different ways
- from tertia custodia into quinta custodia (as either draw cut or push cut)
- from secunda custodia into prima custodia (as a push cut)
- from quarta custodia into quinta custodia (as a draw cut)
- from quinta custodia into prima custodia (as a push cut)
Similar, but different
The first play talks about a cut performed from prima custodia, that is similar to halpschilt, but the sword hand is confined with the shield hand. This seems to be a descending cut launched from below the shield arm, so on the left side of the shield (in contrast with classical halpschilt, that is always happening on the right side of the shield). Such cut would probably handled the same way as halpschilt would be.