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