| Today we expound upon the basic concepts of | | | | |
| the defense. As mentioned in earlier lessons, | | | | One of the primary facets to controlling a |
| there are three areas to defense. The parry, | | | | bout, and thus your defense, is to control |
| the displacement of target and the counter | | | | from where your opponent's attacks come. As |
| attack. All three work together to form a | | | | the blade is the only thing allowed to block |
| sound defense, however we must examine each | | | | an attack, and competition fencing allows for |
| independently. | | | | only one blade, it is impossible to defended |
| | | | every area on your body at once. Many |
| The parry is the act of using the blade to | | | | starting fencers have the tendency to hold |
| deflect an opponents attack. Pretty simply | | | | the On Guard sword dead center of their body, |
| concept, however your opponent is doing | | | | maintaining the logic that each area is |
| everything to bypass your parry and land the | | | | partially covered and the blade could be |
| point. A good parry requires preparation, | | | | quickly moved to either side to parry an |
| alertness, speed and form. | | | | attack. Sound logic, but strategically |
| | | | faulty. When coming to On Guard, choose a |
| If any one is lacking, the parry will fail. | | | | "line" from which to defend. |
| | | | |
| As we recall, there are 9, and often more | | | | When coming On Guard "into line", choose a |
| depending on style, parries from which to | | | | stance of either line 6 (which is basically |
| choose. Different parries serve different | | | | On Guard while holding a parry 6) or of line |
| functions depending on the attack from which | | | | 4 (stance holding parry 4.) This completely |
| you are defending, and where the defender | | | | protects one side of the body, leaving the |
| wishes to go with the offense. In competitive | | | | other side completely open. Thus you have |
| fencing, there are four basic parries to | | | | actually reduced the possible approaches for |
| begin studying. | | | | attacks by 50%. |
| | | | |
| Other parries are variations of these four. | | | | When holding an On Guard in the center, you |
| | | | have all four quadrants partially open. An |
| Remember, the target area of a fencer is | | | | attack could come into any one of these |
| divided into four regions labeled, cleverly | | | | quadrants. By holding a "line of 6" for |
| enough, Quadrant 1, Quadrant 2, Quadrant 3 | | | | instance, the right side of the body is |
| and Quadrant 4. Quad 1 is the top right area | | | | closed, leaving openings only to the left. |
| of the target area covering the right side of | | | | You now know where your opponent will have to |
| the chest and the right shoulder. Quad 2 is | | | | begin an assault and allows you to prepare a |
| the top left, quad 3 is the lower left | | | | strategy for responding to the two possible |
| covering the left side of the stomach and | | | | attacks, as opposed to four. The On Guard |
| left hip and quad 4 is the lower right. Each | | | | line can be based off any of the parries, |
| of the parries roughly corresponds to the | | | | however be sure to choose one from which your |
| four quadrants, however due to the | | | | experience makes you competent to reply to |
| conventions of fencing, the numbers of the | | | | the assault. |
| parries do not correspond to the quadrant | | | | |
| labels. | | | | The parry itself is a difficult talent to |
| | | | cultivate. When executed improperly it can |
| The first parry is parry 6. Parry 6 is | | | | fail to protect as well as open you for |
| realistically the natural On Guard position. | | | | further attacks. The goal of the parry is to |
| It is intended to cover the upper, right | | | | block an attacking blade completely, while |
| quadrant (Quad 1) and part of Quad 4. The | | | | utilizing the smallest movement possible. |
| parry is held with the blade pointing at your | | | | Defining the amount of this movement is the |
| opponent's eyes, the arm held at the | | | | challenge. If the parry is too small, the |
| comfortable 90 degree angle at the elbow, | | | | attacking blade will not be moved far enough |
| with the bell of the sword at about waist | | | | out of line to keep the point from landing on |
| level. The length of the blade is held in | | | | the target area. This is known as a failed or |
| such a manner that it forms a "wall" | | | | false parry. If the movement is to large, the |
| protecting the right, upper side of the body | | | | attacking blade will miss the target area, |
| and part of the right belly. Were an opponent | | | | however the defending blade will now be so |
| thrust to the right side of your chest, for | | | | far out of line that it is difficult to parry |
| example, their attack would encounter your | | | | a continuation of the attack (a remise') to a |
| blade and the thrust would slide harmlessly | | | | different line. |
| past your right shoulder, missing the target | | | | |
| area. Although, the bell and the third of the | | | | For example, a fencer attacks to the upper, |
| blade closest to the bell (called the | | | | right quadrant (quadrant 1.) The defender |
| forte'), is intended to take the weight of | | | | moves to a parry six, however instead of |
| the parry, the entire blade often comes into | | | | keeping the blade close to the body, he/she |
| play. | | | | straightens his/her arm and pushes the |
| | | | attacking blade two feet to the right. The |
| Parry four, the next parry, is nearly | | | | attack is strongly thwarted, however the |
| identical to 6, however the sword arm crosses | | | | original attacker then disengages underneath |
| the body such that the left side of the body | | | | the defending blade (see lesson 2, the |
| is defended. The blade is still pointing at | | | | attack) and mounts a remise' to the upper |
| the eyes of the opponent and the bell of the | | | | left quadrant (quadrant 2.) Now, the |
| foil is still at waist level. This creates | | | | defending blade is way off to the right and |
| the wall to the left, protecting quadrant 2 | | | | before it can be brought all the way across |
| and parts of quad 3. Although the upper | | | | the body to a parry 4 (probably three, three |
| parries partially defend the lower quadrants, | | | | and a half feet) the attack has plenty of |
| the following lower parries are designed to | | | | time to land the point. This is an example of |
| protect these quadrants from direct attack. | | | | parrying too far out of line and is exactly |
| Parry 7 is nearly identical to parry 6 except | | | | what we hope to induce with a feint. |
| the blade's point is simply dropped slightly | | | | Conversely, if the defender was to make the |
| below the waist to create a shield for the | | | | parry too small, the parry would have made |
| lower areas. Parry 7 protects the right, | | | | contact with the attacking blade however the |
| lower side of the body and the tip should be | | | | attacking blade would not have been moved far |
| pointing to your opponent's hip or thigh. | | | | enough out of line and would still have |
| Parry eight is a parry four, with the point | | | | landed in quad 1. |
| dropped in the same manner. | | | | |
| | | | Perfecting the parry is a lifelong endeavor |
| There are of course innumerable variations of | | | | and one will, as one advances through the |
| these parries, which will be pursued in later | | | | ranks of fencing, develop more skill, timing, |
| lessons. | | | | precision and variation on the different |
| | | | defined parries. In future lessons we will |
| Now, let's discuss the parry itself. As | | | | expound on the defense examining displacement |
| mentioned, parry six is the natural On Guard | | | | of the target, the counter attack and |
| stance. This is not coincidental. | | | | combinations of the three. |