| In a fencing bout, a great deal depends
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| | backwards, the procedure is reversed. The
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| on being in the right place at the right
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| | order in which the feet are moved is
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| time. Fencers are constantly manoeuvring
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| | important, and, if the fencer gets it
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| in and out of each other's range,
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| | wrong, he may end up with a dangerously
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| accelerating, decelerating, changing
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| | narrow and unbalanced stance half way
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| directions and so on. All this has to be
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| | through the step. Having said that, like
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| done with minimum effort and maximum
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| | all rules, this one can sometimes be
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| grace, which makes footwork arguably the
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| | broken to great effect.
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| most important aspect of a fencer's
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| | The most common way of delivering an
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| training regime. In fact, in the first
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| | attack in fencing is the lunge, where the
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| half of the 20th century it was common
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| | fencer kicks out with his front foot and
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| practice to put fencers through six
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| | rapidly straightens his back leg. This
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| months to a year of footwork before they
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| | maneuver has a number of advantages: it
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| were ever allowed to hold a sword. (For
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| | is faster than a step, it allows the
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| better or for worse, this practice has
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| | fencer to keep his own body as far away
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| now been largely abandoned.) Modern
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| | from the opponent as is possible without
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| fencing tends to be quite linear. To some
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| | losing balance, and it is comparatively
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| extent this may be dictated by the
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| | easy to return into the fencing stance.
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| practicalities of fitting the maximum
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| | On the downside, the lunge puts the
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| number of fencers into a finite size gym
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| | fencer in a comparatively static
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| and hooking them up to the electronic
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| | position, and any further movement
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| scoring apparatus. The main reason,
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| | backwards or forwards, while by no means
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| however, is that the weapons are light
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| | impossible, does require extra effort.
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| and easy to redirect. Sideways movement,
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| | Sometimes fencers do take the more
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| which was a common defense against an
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| | "natural" kind of steps steps, where the
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| attack with a comparatively unwieldy
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| | back foot passes the front foot.
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| weapon like the rapier, is now a pretty
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| | These are usually referred to as
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| unreliable tactic against a competent
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| | cross-steps. While cross-steps do have
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| opponent. These days, defense by footwork
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| | the advantage of range and speed, they
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| usually takes the shape of moving either
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| | put a fencer in an awkward and frequently
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| directly away from your opponent (out of
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| | unbalanced position mid-step, which is
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| his range) or directly towards him
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| | why experienced fencers tend to use them
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| (making the attack "overshoot").
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| | sparingly. A somewhat exaggerated version
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| The way fencers stand and move often
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| | of the cross-step, sometimes used to
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| appears artificial to a novice, but it
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| | deliver an attack in foil or épée, is
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| has evolved over centuries of trial and
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| | the fleche ("arrow" in French). In the
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| error and is, in fact, extremely
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| | fléche, the fencer leans forward and
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| pragmatic. The most basic requirement is
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| | takes a long running cross-step,
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| to face your opponent in such a way that
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| | generating most of the thrust with his
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| your weapon offers you maximal protection
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| | front leg. Ideally, the hit delivered
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| and your opponent maximal threat.
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| | with a fléche should arrive as or just
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| Consequently fencers tend to stand
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| | before the fencer's front foot hits the
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| somewhat side-on to the principal
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| | ground. In sabre cross-steps have been
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| direction of movement (the fencing line),
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| | prohibited since the 1990s, because they
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| leading with the weapon side (right for a
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| | make for very boring fencing. In a real
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| right-hander, left for a left-hander). In
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| | fight (one involving sharp weapons), a
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| foil and épée this has the added
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| | running attack would be an extremely
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| advantage of presenting the opponent with
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| | risky thing to try: there is always the
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| a sloping target surface, making it more
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| | possibility of a last-minute
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| difficult for him to land a sound hit.
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| | counterattack with both fencers ending up
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| The second most important requirement is
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| | dead. Because of the priority rules (and
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| to maintain balance and ease of movement.
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| | the fact that the weapons are blunt),
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| In the fencing stance the feet are a
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| | this issue does not come up in
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| shoulderwidth or more apart giving a wide
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| | competitive sabre. Given the large
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| base. They are also placed at right
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| | scoring surface (the entire blade), a
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| angles to one another: the front foot
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| | well delivered running attack is nigh
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| points along the fencing line, and the
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| | impossible to defend against — it is
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| back foot perpendicular to it.
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| | impossible to move backwards fast enough.
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| This allows the fencer to "shuffle"
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| | Variations and portions of the above
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| backwards and forwards, which is the most
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| | movements can also be used by themselves.
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| common mode of movement (more about that
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| | For example, a check-step forward is
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| in the next paragraph).
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| | performed by moving the back foot as in a
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| Finally, the knees are well bent and the
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| | retreat, then performing an entire
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| centre of gravity is kept mid way between
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| | advance. This maneuver can trick your
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| the heels. The fencer is now in a
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| | opponent into thinking that you are
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| position where he is well balanced, able
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| | retreating, when in reality you are about
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| to use his leg muscles to generate rapid
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| | to close distance.
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| bursts of speed and change directions
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| | Other footwork actions include the appel
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| with comparative ease.
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| | (French for "call"), which is a stomp
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| As was already mentioned, fencers tend to
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| | designed to upset the opponent's
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| move with series of "shuffling" steps,
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| | perception of rhythm, and the ballestra,
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| which allow them to stay in the fencing
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| | which is a "hopping" step commonly used
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| stance. In order to move forwards, the
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| | as a preparation for attacks (the back
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| fencer picks up his front foot, puts it
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| | foot leaves the ground, while the front
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| down a few inches ahead of its original
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| | foot is still in mid-air; both feet come
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| position, then picks up his back foot and
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| | down at the same time).
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| moves it by the same amount. To move
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