200408 The Weekly Catechism Question
QUESTION – what are the zones of the strip? ANSWER – the box between the on guard lines, the two maneuvering areas between the box and the warning area, and the two warning areas.
Category: Fencing Actions
200405 More Thoughts on Distance
I have addressed distance a number of times over the years in this blog. Today I am going to summarize my current thinking and suggest how distance interfaces with tactics. First – distance is often defined in terms of how far one fencer is from another on the piste. The…
200331 This Week’s Catechism Question
QUESTION – what are the basic parries in each weapon? And what lines do they defend? ANSWER – FOIL AND EPEE – 6th outside high line, 4th inside high line, 7th inside low line, 8th outside low line ANSWER – SABRE – 3rd outside high line, 5th head and high…
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…
032120 Linking Strategy, Tactics, and Technique
If you have been around fencing for any length of time, you have heard a specific action, let’s say a disengage, described as either a strategy, tactic, or technique. Two of the three choices here for a disengage are wrong. Do you know which ones? If you have been around…
200126 Managing The Parry
Parries form the preparation for a successful riposte. As a result the selection of the parry makes a significant difference to the progress of a bout, the final score, and to your indicators, just like the preparation of any successful attack does. The same basic rules apply to the parry…
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…
200112 So, It Is Time to Attack?
What do you do? The first, and possibly least often considered step, is to determine if you can attack. The key element here is whether or not you have the initiative and whether the rules and referees recognize that initiative. Initiative belongs to the individual who moves first. For example,…
200105 Tempo and Distance
The weekly blog supporting our lessons is back. We have completed a transition to a new internet service provider and after a long illness my mind is again clear and creative. Let’s review three basic definitions. First, one tempo is the time it takes to perform one simple fencing action.…
190825 Timing
Timing is an important part of fencing. Everyone who is anyone, and even plenty of people who aren’t anyone, agree that is so. There are even words for it in other languages: scelta di tempo (Italian) and l’a propos (French). If everyone agrees this is a vital part of the…