A
Beginner's
Primer

This primer was developed by Alexis La Joie from a glossary of fencing terms written by our Provoste, David Achilleus. Quotes in this document are taken from Jules Campos, The Art of Fencing: Three Weapons, Vantage Press, New York, N.Y. 1988

Introduction
The Weapon
En Garde
The Rules
Target
Priority

• The Attack
• The Direct Attack
• The Attack by Disengage (Dégagé)
• The Attack by Cut-Over (Coupé)
• The Attack by Glide (Coulé)
• The Parry
• The Lateral Parry
• The Semi-Circular
• The Circular Parry
• The Riposte
• The Counter-Riposte

The Hit
The Phrase
The Salute
Displacements
The Lunge
Hand Positions
Blade Positions
Disengage
Passing the Point

As fencing grew as an art many different styles were developed by the various masters or maestros. These styles eventually came to present a certain regional "flavor" to one's fencing. With time, two main schools of fencing came to dominate the art: the French school and the Italian school. As such, many of the terms used today have their origins in French or Italian. The members of our society have developed their styles from the French school, as it best teaches the beginner, the refinement of movement needed for true fencing. For the same reason we have chosen the foil as the primary weapon of instruction for beginners. There are in fact three practice weapons in fencing: the foil, the epee, and the saber. This primer shall concern itself solely with the foil, although many of the techniques here mentioned are applicable to the other two weapons. In time, additional primers in the various other weapons and schools of fencing will supplement the information herein.

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The Weapon:

The foil was originally developed as a practice weapon for the smallswords used in duels. The foil is a stabbing weapon, as opposed to the saber which is a cutting or slashing weapon. Foils differ in design in accordance with the schools of Classical Fencing. The primary difference is in the grip or handle by which the fencer holds the weapon. Originally there was only a French grip and an Italian grip. As fencing developed as a competitive sport with electronic scoring, the blades became heavier, so new grips were designed to help fencers maintain control. These grips are called "pistol" grips because many of them resemble the handle of a pistol in shape. Eventually, electric blades were able to be made lighter once again, but some fencers had grown accustomed to the tighter grip afforded by the pistol grips. Thus, there are today three types of foil fencers: the first hits hard and holds the weapon like a softball bat (these are frowned upon); next is the fencer who uses an adapted pistol grip called an "orthopedic" grip- the reason for this is honorable, for some the French or Italian is uncomfortable and the orthopedic grip is not; the third is the fencer who appeals to the art's history and method by choosing a grip of the past. The Society strives for the latter and as such, endorses the French or Italian. Beginners are advised to use the French as it demands close attention to form.

The weapon itself is made up of several portions: the Pommel, the Grip, the Guard, and the Blade. The Pommel acts as a counter weight to the Blade thereby balancing the weapon. The Grip is as described above. The Guard protects the hand and comes in many shapes and sizes. The Blade is itself divisible into several distinct regions: The Tang, the Forte, the Medium and the Foible. The Tang is the portion of the Blade which fits inside the grip and is attached to the Pommel. The Forte is third of the exposed blade closest to the Guard. This is the strongest part of the exposed Blade as it is thickest and is closest to the wrist. As torque is reduced closer to the point of torsion in the wrist, a greater amount of force is required to move the Blade aside. The Foible is weaker and more flexible. It is the third of the exposed Blade furthest from the Guard. This results in increased torque, requiring less force to move an opponent's Foible than their Forte. The Medium is the region between these two. It is also the region of the Blade in which a major axis of the Blade is located. The Forte and the Foible rotate about this axis and are controlled by the pivots of the grip: the finger tips and the wrist. The finger tips control the Foible's rotation and the wrist controls the Forte's. This axis also serves to divide the Medium into two distinct regions: the Medium-Strong (that part on the side of the axis closest to the Forte) and the Medium-Weak (that part closest to the Foible).

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En Garde:

The starting stance for fencing is the En Garde position. One positions oneself sideways facing the opponent. This exposes the least amount of your target to possible attack. The feet are perpendicular to each other at a comfortable distance from each other (often a little more than shoulder width apart). The front foot points toward the opponent. The legs are kept slightly bent. The arm holding the weapon is bent but is not held against the body. Generally, a fist's width should be kept between the arm and the body. The off hand (that not holding the weapon) is held behind the body positioned for balance. The tradition position of the off hand is curved up behind the head. It derived from a form of fencing using a cape draped over this off arm which could be brought forth to entangle the opponents blade. Without a cape, it also provides for better balance and efficiency of motion when making the transition from En Garde to the Lunge. En Garde teaches the body great balance and how to move for fencing; it allows the legs to move either forwards or back, with speed and agility, at any moment. While the legs move, the body does not, rather it is moved by the legs. The back remains straight, the head high.

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The Rules:

For as demanding a discipline as fencing is, its rules are extremely simple. In fact, it has only two rules: the rule of Target and the rule of Right of Way. It is from this simple basis, however, that all the intricacies of fencing emerge.

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Target:

The valid target for foil is the trunk of the body, front ending at the convergence of the groin, and back ending at the waist. Parts of the body not valid are the arms, hands, head, legs, and feet. The target is divided into quarters. These quarters are approximate and are defined by the position of the fencer's blade. If a line is drawn vertically down the blade held en guarde and another horizontally across the weapon's guard (approximately at the middle of the fencer's torso) one will have an idea of the quarters. The quarter above the guard and on the side of the body holding the weapon is 1 (called high outside). The quarter above the guard and on the side of the body not holding the weapon is 2 (high inside). The quarter below the guard on the weapon side is 3 (low outside). The last quarter, below the guard and on the non-weapon side is 4 (low inside). We consider it a manner of honor for a fencer to correctly call a hit against him- or herself made within their target area.

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Priority (Right of Way):

Priority, sometimes called Right of Way, is the principle that only one fencer may attack at a time. A fencer has priority if he or she: 1) attacks with the weapon arm extended (in line) with the point directed (threatening) the opponent's valid target before the initial displacement of the attack (lunge or advance/lunge). This condition is also referred to as being 'Point in line'. 2) his opponent has not already completed this same movement. #2 is also known as having the time. Priority was originally introduced as a training aid to teach fencers to make the proper defensive actions before launching their own attacks. It is crucial to fencing as a martial art. Simply, if one does not defend oneself before seeking to attack an opponent the combat will most likely result in both parties being injured or killed. The point of a personal martial art is self-defense. Therefore, to fail to defend oneself is to fail to practice the art. In addition, by making the actions of the sword fight comply with the rule of Priority, a beautiful and often complex exchange occurs between the opponents. This is called the Phrase and shall be discussed shortly.

The primary actions of foil combat which comply with the rule of Priority are:

• The Attack - an offensive move following establishment of priority. Attacks are divided into two categories, Simple Attacks (attacks executed as one action/in one fencing tempos) and Compound Attacks (attacks executed with two or more fencing actions/in two or more fencing tempi). In essence the compound attacks are made up of combinations of simple attacks. There are four simple attacks and numerous compound attacks. If one limits the compound attack to four tempi one-hundred and sixty-eight different thrusts are possible. The four Simple Attacks are:
• The Direct Attack - This attack is the simplest in technique but most difficult to execute in tempo. The fencers stand engaurde with their weapons disengaged. Point in line is taken directed toward an open line on the opponent's target. The attack is then executed with a simple lunge, delivering the point of the weapon to the target line it was initially directed at. Therefore a direct attack to the high inside begins with the extension of the blade to the high inside line and then the lunge delivering the hit in the high inside line.
• The Attack by Disengage (Dégagé) - This is one of the most common simple attacks. It shoudl not be consfused with the Disengagement (Dégage), which is simply a blade movement. Rather this is an attack using that blade movement. The attacker begins enguard in one line (Let us say the high outside). He then begins to disengage the blade toward the opposite line (in this case, high inside). As the blade passes the opponent's blade traversing the lines, the attacker extends the arm and weapon. The extension should be completed at the same time as the disengagement placing the attacker point in line (in this case threatening the high inside). The attacker tehn delivers teh attack via a lunge hitting in that line. The key to this is making the disengagement and extension a single fluid motion.
• The Attack by Cut Over (Coupé) - Similar to the Dégagé, although not nearly as popular, the Coupé also begins in one line and ends in an opposite line. The difference is that instead of changin lines of attack by passing below the balde (aroudn the guard) the change is made by lifting one's blade up and over the tip of an opponent's blade in a cutting motion. Again, the cut-over to the new line and the extension must be completed at the same time, making it a fluid single action. Once point in line is established the attack is delivered via a lunge.
• The Attack by Glide (Coulé) - This attack is most similar to the direct attack. The difference is in that in beginning the Coulé the attacker engages the opponent's blade as he extends to point in line. In this manner, the foible of the opponent's weapon comes to rest upon the attacker's guard. Delivering the coulé via the lunge makes the guard act as a lever, gently diverting the opponent's blade away and further clearing the way for the attack. This attack should be done with a gentle and subtle hand using the least amount of oppositional engagement possible.
• The Parry - a defensive move following the attack. When a fencer attacks and has Right of Way, his or her opponent must parry the attack before they can themselves attack. There eight parries: four with the hand in supination (palm up), parry 4, 6, 8, &7; and four with the hand in pronation (palm down), parry 3, 5, 2 &1. The name of each parry coincides to the section of the target it defends: Section 1= parry 6 & 3; Section 2= parry 4 & 5; Section3= parry 8 & 2; Section 4= parry 7 & 1. Additionally, each parry can take one of three forms or movements: Lateral, Semi-circular, or Circular. A final layer of complexity is added in that parries may be either non-resistive (often called 'beat' parries) or they may be made with opposition to the blade. All parries have at least two things in common: 1) they should all be executed with the stronger portion of your blade against the weaker portion of your opponent's blade; and 2) their motion should be controlled with the fingertips and wrist, not the arm. Neither the non-resistive nor the opposition parries utilize a great deal of force. Rather they rely on simple principles of physics to allow oneself to efficiently defend against an attack. The non-resistive parries are made with the medium-strong against the medium-weak. They are executed with a quick, controlled 'snap' of the fingers which 'beats' the opponent's blade away and removes one's own blade from contact with the other blade. The parries by opposition are executed via a controlled push using one's forte against an opponent's foible. This prolonged contact utilizes the leverage created by the angles of the swords to each other to drive the offending blade away. It also allows the fencer to feel where the opponent's blade is and to determine where the next motion of the opponent may be. This feeling of the blade is called 'Sentiment du Ferre' and requires a bit more finesse to utilize. Therefore, beginning fencers focus predominantly upon non-resistive parries until their second semester.
• The Lateral Parry - is used to defend across the target horizontally. The motion is between Section 1 and Section 2, or between Section 3 and Section 4. The tip of the blade remains essentially in the same position, always pointing at the opponent's target. However, the hand holding the weapon moves laterally to the position horizontally opposite the starting position. This may vary depending upon whether a non-resistive or opposition parry is being executed. Non-resistive parries tend to require the point to travel more than the opposition parries do. Regardless of the type contact used with the blade, the motion should be smooth and need not require much force to push the opponent's oncoming blade away from your target. The Lateral Parry shown below starts in Section 2 (probably in position 4) and parries an attack to Section 1.

• The Semi-Circular Parry - is used to defend across the target vertically. The motion is usually between sections vertically opposite to one another, but a semi-circular parry can be made in a diagonal motion; from section 1 to section 4 for example. You will notice in the parry below, that the hand remains in essentially the same position (unless making a diagonal parry). The blade's tip traverses to make the parry this time, however, the tip finishes in line with the opponent's target. Once again, the motion is smooth and controlled and should not be a forceful "slashing" motion. Notice also that the motion pushes the blade away from the target area as opposed to dragging the point across the target.

• The Circular or 'Counter' Parry - can be used to defend against any attack. The circular motion of the blade protects all sections of the target. It is often thought of as the best or perfect parry in that it offers the best defense while taking control of the opponent's blade. It does however, utilize a lot of energy and motion and is therefore not as efficient as the lateral or semi-circular parry. Like the semi-circular parry, the blade makes the motion, not the hand or the arm. Also, the tip should be controlled so as to remain in the line of the opponent. The motion should be a controlled circle, not a wild swing. Two things must be remembered in its execution: 1) the circular parry always ends in the position from which it began; and 2) the motion should be made so as to deflect the opponent's blade away from your target. Notice how the circular parry below ends with the blade moving away from the fencers target. A simple rule of thumb for proper execution is when counter parrying in the high line, the blade circles under the opposing blade. When countering in the low line, the blade circles over the opposing blade. These motions are true regardless of the line of the attack.

• The Riposte - is the offensive move made by a fencer who has successfully parried (defended him- or herself) the opponent's attack and has gained Right of Way, the right to attack. The Riposte must follow the parry immediately to prevent the opponent time to recover and in order to maintain Right of Way. 
• The Counter Riposte - is made after successfully parrying a riposte.

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The Hit:

For a hit to be legitimate, it must be made with the tip of the weapon firmly against the target of one's opponent. The striking blade must also bend at least the width of three fingers. This is called a "three finger bend" and simulates the amount of pressure one would need to pierce flesh if the weapons were sharp. Attacks ending with the "flat" or edge of the foil striking the target instead of the tip shall not be counted, as a foil is a piercing weapon, not a slashing weapon. Along the same lines, sport fencers are often taught to "flick" their weapons at the opponent to score a hit. This works only in sport fencing because they are using electronic scoring equipment which can be fooled by such a strike. Also, the flick bends the blade sufficiently to fool the judge's eye (although a good judge can easily see that a fencer is using a flicking motion instead of a thrusting motion). Simply stated, such a "flicking' strike would not kill one's opponent and at best would scratch him or her up a bit, only making them more angry at you. Such is not an accepted attack in a valid martial art. It is sloppy and bad form, as well as frowned upon as dishonorable. Finally, if the tip strikes the target but not does not fasten, so that the tip slides across the target, this shall not count as a valid hit. This can happen for several reasons. Your opponent may have deftly avoided your attack by turning his or her target in just the last second so as to avoid the tip of your blade. Perhaps your attack was not truly perpendicular to the target and wound up glancing off of the target. Either way, the hit is not effective and shall not be counted. The image below depicts an appropriate hit with sufficient bend.

It is the duty of the person who has been attacked to call any valid hits scored against him- or herself. It is a point of honor to accurately call these hits. Also, the attacker may not question the opponent's judgment. He or she may, however, decide whether or not to accept a hit which the opponent thinks validly hit. In the Society, if it is noted that a member is not truthfully calling hits against him or her, they shall forfeit the bout in which they are engaged. Further, such behavior may call for a review of their behavior and the possible imposition of sanctions against this member. Remember, a fencer shall be virtuous at all times!

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The Phrase:

If Right of Way is properly observed by both fencers, a sequence of attack, parry, riposte, parry, counter riposte, parry, etc. develops. This is called a phrase and is equally crucial to the defense aspects of fencing as it is to its aesthetic and spiritual aspects. "It could be compared to a conversation between two people in which the rules of good manners obliges them to talk one after the other and not at the same time." - Jules Campos. Also, it is common-sense; if someone is trying to hurt you and you knew that if did not defend yourself you would be hurt, you would defend and then attack. To do otherwise is suicide. Finding a good fencing phrase is as delightful as finding someone with whom you can converse creatively! The attempt to create beautiful phrases can also be a meditative experience comparable to Zen meditations performed by attempting to perform an action perfectly or to create a design of perfect beauty. In fencing, both fencers strive to coordinate their actions with each other to form a beautiful union of motion, form, and rhythm. This can only be accomplished by observing Right of Way and exercising faith that this simple rule will create a thing of complex beauty.

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The Salute:

This simple action taken at the beginning of a duel or bout acknowledges the honor of the other fencer while displaying one's own. Each fencer inevitably develops their own style of salute to reflect this. It serves to bring a sense of nobility to the combat by calling upon the traditions of chivalry. All fencers should salute their opponent before donning their masks.

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Displacements:

These are movements by the legs either gaining distance, (Advance), or recovering distance, (Retreat), from an opponent. When advancing, the weapon arm must first be extended. This is because the advance is an offensive action and putting your weapon in line with your opponent's target by extending is the most efficient preparation for attack. Extension is not necessary upon retreat but can be useful to keep an aggressive opponent at bay. In all displacements it is imperative that the fencer never lean! Leaning destroys the advantage of the fencing stance by shifting one's weight either forward or backward. This makes subsequent motion in the opposite direction difficult. The picture below demonstrates proper extension.

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The Lunge:

This is the best offensive move for the fencer who wants speed, safe distance, and accuracy. The lunge is executed by extending the weapon arm, keeping the sole of the back foot firmly to the floor, lifting the lead foot, pushing off from the back, placing the lead foot at an extended yet comfortable distance, and recovering to the En Garde position. The unarmed arm will aid the fencer with balance, head held high, not forward, and back straight.

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Hand Positions:

These are related to the parry and the section of target. Beginners should concentrate the four parries: 6, 4,8, and 7. These parries are made holding the hand in supination (palm up). For most of fencing the advantageous hand position is supination, hence these four parries. From these parries are also positions of the hand. For example: the command of the teacher to the pupil, "En garde in sixth (6)". The pupil shall take the en garde stance and position his or her weapon hand so that it covers section 1 (upper right) and the hand is in supination. "En garde in fourth (4)". The pupil shall take the en garde stance and position his or her weapon hand so that it covers section 2 (upper left) and the hand is in supination. The graphics below show the difference between en garde in sixth and en garde in fourth.

"En garde in sixth"	"En garde in fourth"

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Blade Positions:

There are three positions of the blade, not of the hand, arm, or legs, which are easily identifiable and extremely useful to understand what to do and when. The first is Invitation. This position of the blade is angular, almost 45 degrees. Invitation is common to the en garde stance and is a non threatening position. Think of what it is to invite your opponent: a call to action, not the action itself. Second is In Line. This position of the blade is horizontal and parallel to the floor; this is a threatening position, which says, "Beware, I'm contemplating an attack!" It is called in line because the blade is now aimed at the valid target surface you wish to hit; it is the first motion of extension. Third is Engagement, where the blades make contact but no commitment. This position usually happens during a phrase, for example: when a fencer parries an attack the blades become engaged. When the riposte is made the blades are disengaged. This gives the name to an offensive move called a Disengage.

Invitation
In Line

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The Disengage (Dégage):

This is a move either offensive or defensive where the fencer disengages his or her weapon/blade from the opponent's. This is an important move when one considers that much of fencing is gaining control of an opponent's blade so that he may neither attack nor defend himself against an attack. If a fencer disengages, he or she is preventing the opponent from taking control of his or her weapon.

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Passing the Point:

This is the art of starting with the point of the weapon in the direction of one line of attack and moving it to another, and can be either simple or composed. A simple pass is as follows: beginning in the upper line right, section 1, on guard in sixth (6), the fencer passes the point to the upper line left, section 2, position 4 by tracing a semicircle under the left side. NOTE: this action is passing the point, not changing hand position or blade position; it is possible to remain in position 6 and have passed the point to 4. Passing the point can be incorporated with a false attack or feint in which the fencer attacks in one line, waits for a response from the opponent (the parry) but before the parry can engage the blades, the attacker passes the point to where the opponent's blade no longer is and hits!

That is all for now, but further primers on advanced attacks, methods of preparing an attack, use of different weapons, technical and meditative/ mental aspects of fencing are planned.


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All original pictures Copyright© 1999 Alexis La Joie for the Classical Fencing Society