| Here follows a brief treatise on some selected | | | | The derobement -- avoiding your opponent's |
| concepts and terms having to do with foil fencing. | | | | attempt to strike or take your blade (usually |
| It is not an exhaustive work. I have used it as a | | | | during his preparation to attack). |
| handout for my University of Wisconsin foil | | | | The trompement -- made at the end of a feint, |
| classes. | | | | deceiving your opponent's parry and hitting him. |
| I place the following text in the public domain: | | | | Note that deceiving your opponent's parry |
| Beginning Foil Fencing: Concepts and Terms Lines | | | | involves completely avoiding it. No grazing contact |
| -- according to the French system of fencing, | | | | may occur, else the feint is considered to have |
| space above your bell guard is high line; space | | | | been parried. |
| below is low line. | | | | A period of fencing time -- the time it takes to |
| For right-handers, the space to the right of their | | | | execute a single fencing action (such as a parry, a |
| bell guard is outside line; space to the left of the | | | | remise, a thrust, etc.). This is relative time, not |
| guard is inside line. Thus we have four quadrants | | | | absolute time. |
| known as lines: high-outside, high-inside, | | | | Cadence -- the rhythm and sequence of a series |
| low-outside, and low-inside. As the fencer's bell | | | | of consecutive periods of fencing time. A skilled |
| guard moves around, his target surfaces they | | | | fencer will use changes in cadence to cause the |
| may be found in different lines. For example, an | | | | opponent to mistime his defence. Cadence is also |
| octave invito with the bell guard next to the front | | | | sometimes called "tempo." In-fighting -- fencing at |
| thigh would leave the flank in that fencer's | | | | closed distance. |
| high-inside line. Should that fencer assume a lifted | | | | Transitions (movements between parry positions): |
| septime parry his flank would be in his low outside | | | | Lateral (quarte to sixte, septime to octave, and |
| line. | | | | vice-versa). |
| Distances: closed distance -- The opposing fencer | | | | Vertical (octave to lifted sixte, octave to lifted |
| is so close that you must withdraw your weapon | | | | septime and vice-versa) Circular (the counter |
| arm to bring the point of your foil to target | | | | parries: contre de sixte, contre d'octave, etc.) |
| surface. | | | | Semi-circular (sixte to septime, octave to quarte, |
| short distance -- You can reach your opponent's | | | | and vice-versa) Transfers -- moving the |
| target surface by simply extending your arm. | | | | opponent's blade around with your bell guard and |
| middle distance -- You can reach your opponent's | | | | forte. |
| target surface by lunging. | | | | Prises de fer (either as a preparation or as a |
| long distance -- You can reach your opponent's | | | | thrust) -- taking the opponent's blade: Opposition -- |
| target surface by advance-lunging, jump-lunging, | | | | deflecting the opponent's blade with your bell |
| or fleching. out-of-distance -- You are beyond long | | | | guard while thrusting at him. |
| distance. | | | | Envelopment -- transferring the opponent's blade |
| Critical distance -- you are so close to your | | | | around in circular fashion to the same position the |
| opponent that you can hit him with an attack | | | | envelopment began from. Bind -- transferring the |
| before he can physically respond. | | | | opponent's blade around in semi-circular fashion to |
| Analysis: (the referee's account the of various | | | | the diagonally opposite position. For example, the |
| fencing actions leading up to a hit in combat): "In | | | | sixth bind thrust would begin with opposition |
| line" or "point-in-line" -- The weapon arm and | | | | septime and finish in opposition sixte. The fourth |
| weapon are extended and held pointing straight at | | | | bind would begin in octave and finish in quarte. |
| the opponent's target surface. Such a passive | | | | Croise -- normally made as a riposte which |
| threat must not be lept upon by that opponent. | | | | transfers the opponent's blade up or down to the |
| This passive threat must have been clearly | | | | vertically opposite position. Unlike binds, croises are |
| established before any offensive action begun by | | | | numbered from their starting positions. |
| the opponent if it is to be recognized as a | | | | Also called glide thrusts. |
| "point-in-line." The attack -- the initial offensive | | | | Engagement -- Fencing with the blades crossed in |
| action, wherin the attacker actively and | | | | a contact state. Fencing without engagements is |
| progressively threatens his opponent with being | | | | fencing with "absence of blade." Disengagement -- |
| hit; usually begun by extending the arm and | | | | changing lines by going around the opponent's bell |
| penetrating across the fencing distance through | | | | guard. |
| the use of footwork. Attacks may be simple | | | | Counter-disengagement -- avoiding an opponent's |
| (executed in one period of fencing | | | | change of engagement. Also deceiving an |
| time),composed (including one or more feints), | | | | opponent's counter-parry. |
| prepared (as preceded by a beat, a change of | | | | Invito -- inviting an attack by taking up an en |
| engagement, a pris de fer preparation, etc.), direct | | | | garde in an exaggerated parry position. |
| (into the same line as the engagement), or indirect | | | | Press -- forcefully opening a closed engagement. |
| (into a different line from that of the | | | | Also invites a disengage. |
| engagement). | | | | Interception thrust -- a strong thrust which |
| The riposte -- thrust you make immediately after | | | | interposes the bell guard or forte athwart the |
| parrying an opponent's attack. | | | | path of an opponent's disengagement. This action |
| A delayed riposte -- when a riposte is not made | | | | is usually made as a type of counter-offensive |
| immediately after the parry and the opponent | | | | action. Also known as "temps d'interception." Arret |
| begins a remise first, the remise of the attack will | | | | a bon temps -- a counter-offensive action which |
| have priority of action. | | | | hits the opponent before he initiates his final |
| The counter-riposte -- the thrust made | | | | action. Thus it is a period of fencing time ahead |
| immediately after parrying your opponent's | | | | and gains priority of action. Also known as a |
| riposte. | | | | "stop-hit" or "coup d'arret." Coup de temps -- a |
| The second counter-riposte -- the thrust made | | | | counter-offensive thrust made with opposition |
| immediately after parrying your opponent's | | | | which deflects an opponent's thrust. Also known |
| counter-riposte, etc. | | | | confusingly as a "time-hit." Attacking in second |
| The remise -- a second thrust you make right | | | | intention -- attacking without the intention to hit |
| after your first thrust into that line fails to hit. | | | | immediately, but rather anticipating the opponent's |
| Such an action should be analysed as a remise of | | | | riposte and setting up a dynamic counter-riposte |
| the attack, a remise of the riposte, etc. It is | | | | action to deal with it. |
| possible to make a remise of any type of thrust. | | | | Tension parry -- resisting the pressure of an |
| Remises are commonly used against opponents | | | | opponent's opposition thrust by forcing blade and |
| that do not riposte after parrying. The remiser | | | | arm into a strong opposition parry which through |
| does not appreciably withdraw his weapon arm in | | | | brute force closes the threatened line. Tension |
| making his remise. | | | | parries are vulnerable to timely disengagements |
| The counter-attack -- thrusting against an attack | | | | and may also result in pulling a muscle in the |
| instead of parrying it. | | | | fore-arm. |