This Week’s Catechism Question
QUESTION – what is preparation? ANSWER – any actions taken to create the conditions for a successful final action of an attack or counterattack
Category: Counteroffense
200329 The Idea of Defense
In modern fencing we typically classify fencing actions as offense, defense, and counteroffense. The objective of offense is to hit – it includes the simple and compound attacks, the attacks on the blade and takings of the blade, the riposte, and the renewals of the attack. Defense attempts to prevent…
200119 Thinking About Envelopes
Envelopes come in all sorts of shapes and sizes and are used to convey a wide variety of things. In this post we are talking about envelopes in fencing, specifically your tactical envelope, what it is made of, and how it is used. The concept of a tactical envelope is…
190721 What Do You Need To Know?
Fencing is a complicated sport. There is a lot to know – the current United States edition of the Rule Book runs to 210 pages, the Athlete’s Handbook another 143. Surely we should know all those rules and procedures? The history of the sport is long and rich. Shouldn’t we…
190616 Dead Time and Progression
Recently, in conversation with my colleague, Maitre Gil Pezza, I was introduced to the idea of lost time. It reminded me that I have long had an interest in real time in fencing and in the relationship between efficient use of time and the ability to hit. So in this…
190609 Defeating the Counterattack
Counterattacks pose a difficult problem. You are in the midst of an attack, which means that you are committed to going forward, and suddenly the opponent attacks into your attack. Your focus is on the successful completion of the attack, not on dealing with an attempt to hit you. You…
190331 The Simple Straight Thrust
Nothing is simpler than the straight thrust, right? You just stick you arm out and hit the other fencer. No great thought, no sophistication, you go fast at the right moment and you are a touch richer and closer to being a fencing hero (with apologies to the YouTube series…
190324 The Counterattack
In the big scheme of things, absent your opponent throwing himself or herself on your point, there are essentially two ways to hit him or her, with offense or with counteroffense. Offense is the whole family of attacks, ripostes, renewals and many of the second and fourth intention actions. Counteroffense…
190210 Beating the Riposte
So there you are, the perfect attack into the opening line and all is well with the world because the next touch will be yours. And then you feel it – blade contact. You know what that means – parry – and that a riposte is on its way. What…
181028 Tactics and the Riposte Part 4
For argument’s sake, let us say that you do everything right … your choice of footwork was correct for the situation, the parry is at the right distance, your riposte is correctly executed with no extra movement, timing is superb, speed is good, etc. But somehow the opponent sees what…