Note that the title of this post is Parry-Riposte, not Parry then Riposte or Parry and Riposte. Readers of the blog will be familiar with the concept that defense by itself does not win bouts, except in the limited range of cases where it is preserving a lead in the…
A critical part of executing any technique on the strip or in drills is to simply get all of the parts moving in the right order at the right time. The need to do this applies to even the simplest of actions. When techniques are sequenced correctly, they can be…
In previous blog posts we have discussed the concept of distance in some depth. In today’s post I am going to review those quickly, and then focus on the questions about distance you need to ask yourself when you are fencing. So, to quickly review: (1) Traditionally there were three…
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…
Last week we talked about application of basic technique to create multiple choices for the tactical execution of the riposte. This week we go back to the roots of our theory of fencing, that all fencing is about offensive or counteroffensive action. Too often fencers think that they are not…
Before we talk about tactics, we should probably define what we mean by them. Tactics are the combination of actions and factors that allow a technique to do its job during the bout. Tactics are far more than just the technique you intend to apply to get the touch. If…
The remise? Surely there is no argument that you can make that involves a remise and preparation. A remise is the antithesis of preparation, after all it comes after the attack has been parried, not a something that prepares the attack. The definition of a remise makes that clear: a…
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…
Compound attacks are a traditional staple of fencing. Fencing has become more and more a footwork sport, and less and less dependent on skilled traditional bladework, with blade actions now far more opportunistic and likely to be executed in infighting distance and/or at angles from well outside the target box. …
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…