Advance - basic movement forward by first stepping forward slightly with the front foot and following with the back foot.
Advance-lunge - A standard advanced quickly followed by a fast lunge. Commonly used as an offensive maneuver to get closer to an opponent. An extension of the arm can come before or during the advance and the movement should have a tempo, or speed, of 1--2-3.
Appel - A stamping of the front foot. Typically used to call the attention of the judge or to startle or distract an opponent.
Ballestra - A very rapid and quick jump forward, followed quickly by a lunge. The attack is meant to cover distances quickly and startle an opponent into opening a target area. (Should only be attempted by skilled/trained fencers)
en garde - The basic ready stance for all fencing weapons.
Flèche - Flèche means 'arrow' in French. An attack whose main force comes from a push from the front leg, and can end in a running attack. This action is currently not allowed during sabre bouts, and is difficult to properly use in foil and épée until a sufficient level of experience is attained.
Forward Recover - (also Recover Forward) A recovery from a lunge, performed by pulling the rear leg up into en garde, rather than pulling the front leg and body backwards. Can be used to gain ground on the opponent more secretly than a standard advance, and when used sparingly can surprise the opponent by changing the expected distance between fencers.
Lunge - The most basic and common maneuver for making an attack in all methods of fencing. It is performed by extending the weapon arm first, then lifting the front toe off the floor and kicking the front foot out in front, propelling the body forward. The front foot should land in front of the fencer forming a perpendicular line from the fencer's front knee to the floor. The back leg should lock and the back foot should remain flat against the floor. The upper body should remain upright and the non-weapon hand should extend behind the fencer for balance control.
Recovery - A return to en garde from any other stance. Most commonly used when finishing a lunge; reversing the actions of a lunge.
Redoublement - From a lunge, a swift surprise attack made by performing a short forward recovery and an immediate second lunge. In terms of Right-of-way, a new action that follows an attack that missed or was parried. A redoublement takes place in a fencing tempo subsequent to that of the initial attack or riposte.
Retreat - The basic backwards movement. Rear foot reaches backwards and is firmly planted, then front leg pushes body weight backwards smoothly into en garde stance.
<top>
Attack - The initial offensive action made be extending the sword arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent.
Attack au Fer - An attack on the opponent's blade, e.g. beat, expulsion, pressure.
Beat - A simple preparatory motion. A sharp controlled blow to the middle or 'weak' of the opponents blade, with the objective of provoking a reaction or creating an opening. The action should knock the opponent's blade aside or out of line.
Bind - also Lie, Liement; An action in which one fencer forces the opponent's blade into the diagonally opposite line, (that is, from high line to low line on the opposite side, or vice versa) by taking it with the guard and forte of his own blade.
Change of Engagement - An engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line. Changes of engagement are sometimes performed to place one fencers blade on the side of his/her opponent’s blade that he feels has an advantage, or could be just to fool with the opponent. Often, a bout with a left-handed fencer versus a right-handed will see both of them jockey for position with changes of engagements.
Conversation - The back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing bout, composed of phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no blade action.
Corps-a-corps - (French "body-to-body") The action of two fencers coming into physical contact with one another with any portion of their bodies or hilts. This is illegal in foil and sabre bouts, and is cause for the Referee (Director) to halt the fencing action. In épée, it does not violate the spirit of the game, but contact may not be accompanied with any brutality or forcefulness (intentional or not).
Counter-Attack - An attack made against, or into, an attack initiated by the opponent. In foil and sabre, a counter-attack does not have the right-of-way against the opponent’s initiated attack. Counter-attacking is a common tactic in épée, where one may gain a touch by hitting first, and avoiding the opponent’s attack. Counter attacks, especially in épée, are often accompanied by an action on the blade (beat, opposition, prise-de-fer, transfer).
Counter-Beat - Also Change-Beat. A beat that is preceded by a circle under the opponent's blade. This can provoke a reaction with a beat from an unexpected quarter.
Counter-Parry - also circular parry. A parry that moves in a circle to end up in the same position in which it started. A counter-parry usually traps an attack coming in a different line, but in the same high/low line. Thus, Parry Counter-Six (circular outside hide) is effective against attacks in the Four line (inside high). (Should only be attempted by skilled/trained fencers)
Counter-Riposte - A second, third, or further riposte in a fencing 'phrase' or encounter. A counter-riposte is the offensive action following the parry of any riposte.
Counter-Time - An attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack, typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack.
Cut - An attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with the edge or point Cuts, that is, attempts to hit with the edge, are only valid in sabre.
Disengage - A type of feint. Disengages are usually executed in conjunction with an extension/attack, though technically, they are just a deception around the opponent’s blade. To use in an attack, feint an attack with an extension and avoid the opponent's attempt to parry or press your blade, using as small a circular motion as possible. Circle under the opponent's blade. The first extension must be a believable feint in order to draw a reaction. Be prepared to proceed forward with a straight attack if no parry response is forthcoming.
Doublé - An attack or riposte that describes a complete circle around the opponent's blade, and finishes in the opposite line. The full circle is done in reaction to the opponent’s attempt to parry the attack or riposte with one or more parries, generally circular in nature. An attempt to perform a double' against an opponent who does NOT parry results in the attack running onto the opponent’s blade, and parrying itself. A double’ may be composed of simply a circular deception, which is effective against a defender’s circular or semi-circular parries, or it may be a combination of a disengage and cut-over, which is effective against two lateral parries.
Extension - The simplest action of attacking. A simple offensive action, consisting of extending the weapon arm forward. The point should move in the smoothest possible line towards the target, without wavering. Excess motion can ruin the control needed for precise, consistent hits.
Feint - Commonly called a false attack. It is performed by partially extending the arm in a single line to draw an opponent's parry or counter attack, then switching lines to confuse the opponent and maintain right-of-way.
Flick - A cut that lands with the point, often involving some whip of the foible of the blade to strike at a concealed target. In foil and épée, flick attacks often start out without the point directly threatening the target area, and comes in with a circular action, to allow the blade to bend at the end of the attack, placing the point on target, possibly by whipping past a parry. (Should only be attempted by skilled/trained fencers)
Invitation - An opening of one's line to draw an opponent's attack.
Parry - A simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade. A parry is usually only wide enough to allow the attacker's blade to just miss; any additional motion is wasteful. A well-executed parry should take the foible of the attacker's blade with the forte and/or guard of the defender's. This provides the greatest control over the opponent's blade.
Passé - An attack that passes the opponent without hitting.
Point-in-line - An established threat made with the extended arm. A point-in-line is a static threat, created by one fencer by extending the weapon and arm prior to any actions in a phrase. In foil and sabre, a Point-in-line has right of way, so any attack launched by the opponent without removing it does NOT have right of way. This can be likened to a spear poking up from the ground: If you throw yourself upon it, you have only yourself to blame. A successful attack on the blade will invalidate a point-in-line or causing the opponent to withdraw his/her arm. (Should only be attempted by skilled/trained fencers)
Preparation - Any action that precedes the actual launch of an attack. Preparation usually consists of actions against the opponents blade to take it out of line, or to provoke a reaction. In foil and sabre, any action that occurs during a phrase or conversation that precedes the establishment of right-of-way on the part of a fencer, often accompanied with a movement forward. In calling the actions in a foil or sabre bout, a referee may indicate preparation on the part of one fencer, meaning the fencer was moving forward without establishing right-of-way, and was vulnerable to an attack made during this time.
Prise de fer - “Taking the Blade”; an engagement of the blades that attempts to control the opponent's weapon. (Should only be attempted by skilled/trained fencers)
Remise - An immediate, direct replacement of an attack that missed, was short, or was parried, without withdrawing the arm. A remise is a direct continuation, meaning that no deceptions or changes of line occur with the continuation (replacement) of the attack. This may be done with a simple further extension of the arm, or may be accompanied with additional forward footwork (e.g. a redoublement). In foil and sabre, a remise does not have right of way over a direct riposte.
Reposte - An attack with right-of-way following a valid parry. A simple (or direct ) riposte goes straight from the parry position to the target. A riposte may attack in any line. Consider its equivalent in a conversation.
Right-of-Way - The rules for awarding the point in the event of a double touch in foil or sabre. The concept involved in being the first to establish a valid threat to an opponent's target area. Extending is the usual means to establishing this threat. Breaking the extended arm during an attack means relinquishing right-of-way. An opponent can take right-of-way by parrying the opponents blade.
Salute - A gesture of respect and civility performed with the weapon. Performed at the start and end of a bout (match, assault, etc), and also at the start and end of a lesson. At the start of a bout, it is traditional, and expected, to salute the adversary, the referee of the bout, any additional judges for the bout, and then, optionally, others (the timekeeper, scorekeeper, girlfriends, etc). The FIE rules now state that failure to salute an opponent and shake his/her hand at the end of a bout is an offense punishable by removing a touch, and therefore, possibly, the bout.
Simultaneous - In foil and sabre, two attacks for which the right-of-way is too close to determine.
<top>
Body Cord - The insulated wire that runs under a fencer's jacket, connecting the Electrical Competition weapon to the reel, and thence to the scoring machine.
Bout - An engagement between two fencers.
Foible - The top third of the blade. This section of the blade is weaker in terms of leverage, and is used for beats, presses, and other motions where speed is needed and leverage is not crucial.
Forte - The bottom third of the blade, so named for the strength in leverage that it provides. Always perform your parries with the forte. Hitting the opponent with the forte is not recommended.
French Grip - A traditional hilt with a slightly curved grip and a large pommel.
Guard - also Bell. Cup-shaped metal (steel or aluminum) weapon part which protects the hand. Foils use small concentrically mounted bell guards, épées use larger offset-mounted bell guards, and sabres have a knuckle guard that wraps around the hilt to protect from cuts to the hand.
Hilt - Everything that you hold. The handle of a sword, consisting of guard, grip, and pommel. Italian grip weapons will also have quillions and a ricasso as a part of the hilt.
Lamé - The electrically conductive jacket worn by Foil and Sabre fencers. In foil, the lamé extends on the torso from the shoulders to the groin area. It also covers the back. In sabre, the lamé covers both arms, the torso from the shoulders to the waist, and the back. Sabreurs also wear a conductive glove cover, called a manchette on their weapon hand.
Manchette - A special glove cover worn by fencers, specifically sabreurs, on their weapon hand. Covered by a type of brocaded fabric with inwoven metal threads that serve as a conductive surface that aides in the practice of electric fencing, the manchette is worn on the hand and wrist. The manchette is conducting up to but not exceeding the wrist area. It is worn in conjunction with a lamé.
Pistol Grip - A modern, orthopedic grip, often shaped vaguely like a small pistol (generally with more protrusions than a real pistol’s grip). Varieties are known by names such as American, Belgian, German, Russian, and Visconti. Orthopedic grips were introduced to aid a fencer who has lost some fingers and was unable to use a traditional grip. (Generally reserved for skilled/trained fencers)
Plastron - An partial garment worn under the jacket for padding or for safety. Usually Consists of a sleeve and a chest/abdomen covering, which provides additional padding and protection. An 'underarm' plastron is seamless under the weapon arm, providing no weak seams for a broken blade to rip though. An ‘over-plastron’ is worn to provide additional padding.
Point - With the foil and épée, the only valid part of the blade with which to score points. The point may also be used in sabre.
Pommel - From the old French word from 'apple'. This fastener affixes the grip and guard to the tang of the blade. It has female threading, but the threaded hole does not go all the way through as is the case with a nut. It is screwed on to the distal end of the tang, locking guard, grip and electric connector is position by compression and friction. The pommel traditionally acts as a counterweight on non-orthopedic grips of foils and épées, and on all sabres. In electric sabre, it is covered with plastic as to not interfere with the detection of valid hits by allowing stray currents. Orthopedic (pistol-grip) weapons use only a pommel nut, usually fitting inside a cylindrical hole in the grip.
Second-Intention - In general, a term used to imply that the first action initiated is NOT the one intended to score. The fencer may initiate a move, anticipating (or intending to draw) a certain response from the opponent, against which a second action is planned. For example, Lunge Attack (anticipating that it will be parried), Parry the riposte, and Redouble with a Counter-Riposte.
Target Area - The area delimited for valid hits in that weapon. Foil target area consists of the entire torso, including the groin, and down to the waist in back. Head, arms and legs are considered off-target in foil. Épée uses the entire body for target. Sabre uses all the body area above the waist, including head, arms, neck and hands.
<top>
