We tend to think of the opponent’s attack as threatening. After all, the blade is coming toward us with the intent to score, the opponent is fully committed to the action, and he or she is using every artifice at their command to get that blade on our target. Statistics…
Last week we examined attacks on preparation, so it would seem that considering the preparation itself might be only fair. Tyshler and Logvin, in the FIE’s Sports Fencing manual for coach training state that preparatory actions are “applied in order to receive immediate information on opponent’s intentions, creation of an distraction…
One of the ways to get hit in any sword or weapon sport is to be predictable. It is no different in fencing. You do the same thing the same way every time and even the opponent who is completely asleep on his or her feet will wake up and…
Over the past several blog posts we have discussed how to defeat the opponent’s actions, how to go for one more exchange, and how to recognize what the opponent is doing. Today, we are going to add one more item to the mix – what is possible? There are a…
The postings in the past two blogs have looked at simple tactical choices to defeat the attack and the defense. But what happens when the defeat is in turn defeated? Although this seems like one too many defeats, lets look at the two cases: (1) you attack, and the opponent…
You are fencing a bout, and your opponent attacks you. There is one way to deal with this – you parry and riposte. Right? And you run into his second intention parry and first counterriposte to become just another V on his line on the score sheet. But, but, but…
Just like attacks can be simple or compound or prepared, parries can be simple or compound (also called composed because they are composed of two or more parts) or prepared. Let’s dispose of everything except simple parries at the start, so that we can focus. Compound parries are parries that…
As fencers we hear the word tempo used in a variety of ways, some correct, some incorrect, and some confusing. To understand fencing you must understand tempo, what it is, what it isn’t, and how it impacts your fencing. A note – this discussion is about the mechanics and tactics…
Time makes an amazingly complex contribution to fencing. We typically think of time in two ways, available time left in the bout, and the artificial construct of tempo. But there is more, much more, for you to master about time across the spectrum of technique, tactics, and strategy. First we…
Fencing has long had a fascination with tables. Older Italian fencing manuals, in particular, were distinguished by detailed synoptic tables that laid out all conceivable actions in the various lines, along with the counteractions and even counter-counteractions. The problem, of course, is that fencing is messy with many different ways…