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