Advance: To move towards the opponent by stepping sequentially with first the front foot followed by the rear foot, restoring the orientation and distance of the feet relative to each other.
Aids: The third, fourth, and fifth fingers of the weapon hand. Cf. “Guides”.
Allez: A command made by the referee to the fencers
to begin fencing (in the
Analysis/Commitment drills: A type of paired drill used to teach fencers to analyze their opponents, develop a strategy based on the analysis, and execute the tactics/techniques necessary to those strategies.
Angulation: The act of directing the weapon of point to the target in an angle other than a straight line, in order to avoid the defending weapon or to better hit an otherwise protected target.
Appel: A tap of the ball of the front foot on the floor.
À Propos: The opportune moment to launch an action; the “correct time”.
Arrét: See “stop-hit” or “counterattack”.
Assesseur: See judge”.
Attack: The initial offensive action made by extending the weapon arm towards the opponent’s valid target and continuouslyfrom the fencer’s own critical distance. threatening the opponent’s target,
Attack on the blade: Offensive actions made against an opponent’s weapon to remove or control the opponent’s weapon before or while attacking. There are two types: attaque-au-fer (beat, expulsion, pressure) and prise-de-fer (bind, cross, envelopment, opposition).
Attack on the preparation: Launching an attack while the opponent is still preparing his attack. See “preparation”.
Attaque-au-fer: One of the two families of attacks on the blade (which see). Includes the beat, expulsion, and pressure. The blade is not held all the way to the target, nor is it moved and held. Sometimes called “Tac-au-fer”.
Avertissement: See “warning”.
Balestra: (It.) An attack footwork movement executed in two motions by jumping forward with both feet landing together and then lunging. The feet are pulled slightly together while in the air. Cf. “jump lunge”.
Barrage: A fence-off between two or more fencers or teams.
Beat: A type of tac-au-fer, made by tapping the opponent’s blade sharply on the middle or upper part.
Belly cut: Against a same-handed opponent, a cutting action made by drawing the blade horizontally across the abdomen of the opponent from his inside to his outside line.
Bib: The chin and throat protector attached to the mask.
Bind (liément): A type of pris-de-fer in which the opponent’s blade is engaged and then moved diagonally from one line of engagement to another (i.e., from inside high to outside low, or outside high to inside low, or vice-versa).
Blocked exercises: A blocked exercise is where the learner practices only one skill during each set or practice section, e.g. ten parry four and riposte direct. One of three kinds of practice schedules commonly used in physical education for teaching activities.
Bouting drills: Similar to an exchange drill, it is a type of paired drill where the fencers are two or more opposing tasks (e.g. a simple attack and a parry riposte), but instead of taking turns being attacker and defender, both fencers are allowed initiate either of the actions. This is similar to bouting, but with restricted actions.
Break the tempo: To interrupt the opponent’s actions by either retreating out of distance or intercepting his blade prior to the final of his attack.
Broken-time action: Any action executed with pause or syncopation in either the feet, the arm/blade, or both.
Cadence: The time-related rate of execution of a series of fencing movements. ®Syn. “rhythm”.
Ceding parry: See “yielding parry”.
Change of engagement or line: A reorientation of the relative positions of the fencer’s and opponent’s blades, made by moving one’s blade from the engagement (or line) in a “U” or “V” motion, either under (high line) or over (low line) opponent’s blade to the new engagement (or line) on the other side of the blade.
Check: A toe-tap followed by a jump or a retreat.
Chest cut: With a same-handed opponent, a diagonal cutting motion made upon the chest of the opponent (e.g., from his high inside line shoulder to diagonally opposite hip).
Circular parry: A parry executed first by moving the point under (high line) or over (low line) the opponent’s blade and then taking his blade in a lateral parry, thus (re-) closing the original line.
Closeout: A counterattack with opposition; a simultaneous parry and riposte. The line of attack is anticipated, the defender closes the line while extending, and the attacker is hit at the same time that the parry deflects/opposes the attacking blade. Cf. “time hit”.
Compound action: An action made with more than one blade movement after having started to continuously extend the arm. May involve one or more feints. Cf. “simple”.
Continuation: See “renewal”.
Corps-à-corps: Body-to-body contact. It is subject to penalties in foil and sabre, since it prevents fencing actions from proceeding normally. (Incidental contact is not subject to penalty in epee unless it is done to avoid an action by the opponent). If made with jostling, (further) penalties are imposed in all three weapons. Requires a call of “halt” in all three weapons.
Coulé: See “graze”.
Counter-attack: An offensive response to an attack, made without parrying. See “stop-cut” and stop-thrust”.
Counter-coupé: Executing a coupé to deceive the opponent’s circular search for the blade. Cf. “disengage” and “coupé”.
Counter-riposte: Any riposte made after parrying the opponent’s riposte or counter-riposte.
Counter-time: A planned action made against an opponent’s stop-thrust or stop-cut: drawing the stop hit and then acting upon it by either parrying or stop hitting (the opponent’s stop-hit). A form of second intention (which see).
Coupé (cutover): Lifting the point over (high line) or under (low line) the opponent’s point, in one smooth motion and without withdrawing the hand or arm. Cf. “disengage”.
Critical distance: That distance at which a fencer can just reach his opponent with a lunge, advance lunge, or fleche, and in a single tempo.
Croisé: See “cross”.
Cross (croisé): A type of pris-de-fer made by engaging the opponent’s blade and transporting it vertically to the opposite line, e.g., from high outside to low outside or vice-versa.
Cut: The non-thrusting offensive action of the saber blade. The cut may be executed either as a “drawing” cut or as a “chop”. NOTE: The former specification of only the theoretical cutting edge has been dropped, and any part of the saber blade is now considered capable of inflicting a valid offensive action.
Cutting the line: Interrupting the opponent’s feints with a sweeping action of the defending blade.
Deceive: Any action that deliberately avoids the opponent’s attempt to contact one’s blade. Sometimes used in the context of specifically avoiding circular parries.
Derobement: Deceiving the opponent’s attempt to deflect your point-in-line.
Detached riposte: Riposting without maintaining contact with opponent’s blade. Cf. “riposte with opposition”.
Development: The action of the simple thrust or cut and lunge, executed as one sequence of movements.
Direct (action): A thrust or cut made straight to the target without changing line. Cf. “indirect”.
Disarm: Any action intended to extract the weapon from an opponent’s grip.
Disengage(ment): Changing blade line by dropping the point under opponent’s blade (presuming he is in a high line) and then raising it on the other side. Deceives opponent’s lateral search for the blade. Cf. “coupé” and “counter-disengage”.
Distance(s): The space between the fencers. There are four “teaching” distances: riposte distance (at which one can just hit the opponent by loosely extending the arm); advance distance (…and advancing); lunge distance (…and lunging); and advance-lunge distance (…and advance-lunging). In addition, bouting distance is defined as that distance at which both fencers are on guard with arms extended and points just not touching; this is used in officiating.
Doublé: A compound offensive action consisting of one feint and two changes of line: disengage or counter-disengage feint to induce a circular parry; then counter-disengage final, deceiving the circular parry. Used when opponent takes a circular parry against the feint.
Double action/attack: See “simultaneous action”.
Double touch: When both fencers hit one another in foil and sabre within one fencing tempo, and in epee within 1/25 second. Cf. “simultaneous action”.
Elimination (direct): A form of competition where the loser is eliminated from competition after losing one bout.
Engagement (of the blades): When two fencers’ blades are in contact. May be either active (making the engagement) or passive (permitting the engagement).
Envelopment: A type of prise-de-fer action executed in a circular motion so that the opponent’s blade is finally opposed in the line it was originally engaged in, without losing contact.
Épée: One of the three fencing weapons. The epee is a thrusting weapon only, with a blade triangular in section. The target includes the entire body of the opponent. There is no “right-of-way”. Until the 1960s, the epee was known as the “dueling sword”.
Evasion (esquive): Any body action made to avoid being hit, such as ducking, sidestepping, partially turning, etc. Includes the passata sotto and inquartata (which see).
Exchange drills: A type of paired drill where the rolls of the fencers are exchanged at a pre-assigned time.
Expulsion: A type of tac-au-fer, executed by engaging the opponent’s blade with the middle part of one’s own blade and briskly whipping it forward straight to the target, at the same time expelling the opponent’s blade from its line.
False attack: An attacking action made without intending to hit and designed to either probe the opponent’s defensive reaction or induce him to execute a parry and riposte (which the attacker can then parry and counter-riposte). Used also to steal distance.
Feint: A false thrust or cut designed to make the opponent parry or otherwise react.
Feint counter-disengage: A compound offensive action consisting of a direct feint followed by a counter-disengage which deceives opponent’s circular parry.
Feint disengage: A compound offensive action consisting of a direct feint followed by a disengage which deceives opponent’s lateral parry.
Feint (finta)-in-tempo (It.): A compound attack made against an offensive invitation tactic such as counter-time.
Fencing time/tempo: The time required to perform one single continuous fencing action. There is no chronometrical measurement of this time; it varies with each fencer.
Final: The last movement of any sequence of actions, whether offensive (attack) or defensive (riposte or counter-attack).
First intention: An action made with the intention of hitting/scoring on the first Cf. “second intention”. offensive thrust/cut.
Flanconnade: A type of cross (croisé) directed against the flank of the opponent by taking the blade, e.g., from quarte to quinte, and then thrusting under the opponent’s weapon arm to flank.
Flank: The target area below the opponent’s weapon arm: the outside ribs below opponent’s arm. Syn.: “side”.
Fleche: Attacking footwork formed by either leaping or running forward, with the rear foot crossing past the front foot.
Flying parry-riposte: A parry and riposte made in one motion, usually as a coupé or moulinet.
Foible: The weak (forward) part of the blade near the tip. Cf. “forte”.
Foil: One of the three fencing weapons. The foil is a thrusting weapon only, with a blade quadrangular in section. The target is restricted to the entire torso in front, and the torso above the waist in back. Foil is bound by the “right-of-way” convention.
Foreseen: A fencing action which is premeditated; known beginning, known ending.
Forte: The strong part of the blade, near the handle. Cf. “foible”.
Froissement: See “expulsion”.
Glide: See “graze”.
Graze: A hybrid. Considered neither prise-de-fer nor tac-au-fer, it is an attack on the blade executed by engaging opponent’s blade and sliding gently along it to the target. Also called “coulé” and “glide”.
Grip: The manner of holding the weapon; also, the handle of the weapon.
Guard (coquille): The protecting part of the hilt of the weapon; the bellguard.
Guarde (En-): The “ready” stance in fencing, characterized by offering the option of either attacking or defending in the most balanced and economical way. Also, a command issued by the referee.
Guides: The thumb and index finger of the hand, used to control the point. Syn.: manipulators.
Hand positions: Positions of the hand/weapon, which may be used either offensively (e.g., beat quarte) or defensively (e.g., parry quarte). There are eight hand positions in foil and epee and they are identical; there are six hand positions in sabre, but only five of them are used in competition (sixte is now used only in teaching). High septime (foil/epee) is sometimes called ninth.
Handle: The part of the weapon held by the hand; may be French, Italian, or one of a wide variety of orthopedic grips.
High line(s): The area (including the part of the target) above a horizontal line drawn through the hilt of the opponent’s weapon.
Hilt: Every part of the weapon but the blade: guard, handle, pad, pommel, and guard socket.
Hors concours: To take a non-scoring part in competition—i.e., to fence, but without counting the bouts.
Indirect (action): A thrust or cut made with Cf. “direct”. a change of blade line (disengage, counter-disengage, or coupé).
In line: See “point in line”.
Inquartata: A type of evasion, executed by pivoting on the front foot and making a side-step with the back foot to one’s outside, rotating the body away from the attacking point.
Inside line(s): For right-handers, the area to the left of your armed hand; also, on the (right-handed) opponent, the area to the right of a vertical line drawn through the hilt of his weapon. Cf. “outside”.
Insistence: See “renewal”.
Invitation: Provoking the opponent to attack in whichever line one is opening; a deliberate uncovering of the target.
Jostling: A corps-a-corps, which, in the opinion of the referee, is unduly rough. Penalized in all weapons.
Judge: In non-electrical (“dry”) competition, an official whose task is to observe the fencer and determine if a touch has or has not landed, and to signal this by raising the hand. In electrical competition, an official whose task is to indicate touches on the floor or non-metallic strip, any irregular use of the arm or head, etc. Fr.: “assesseur”.
Jump lunge: A footwork action, either forward or backward, where both feet are off the ground simultaneously and land simultaneously, followed by a lunge. Synonymous with ballestra, though often with slight variations.
Jury: The four (sometimes two) judges and referee who conduct the competitive bout.
Lamé: See “vest”.
Liément: See “bind”.
Line: The designation of the target sectors: high-outside, low-outside, high-inside, and low-inside (foil/epee); head, belly, flank (sabre). Cf. “point in line”.
Low line(s): The area (including the part of the target) below a horizontal line drawn through the hilt of the opponent’s weapon.
Lunge: The basic offensive fencing movement of the body, made to deliver an attack to an opponent out of arm’s reach, by stepping out with the foot on the same side as the weapon hand, leaving the rear foot on the floor as the hip drops and the rear leg extends, the rear knee snapping into a straight position in order to drive the body forward.
Manipulators: See “guides”.
Mask: The protective wire mesh headgear of the fencer.
Martingale: In on-electric fencing, a short strap around the handle and grip intended to restrain the weapon from being lost.
Materiality (of a hit): Whether or not the valid target has been touched by the (threatening) weapon.
Measure: See “distance”.
Mechanical drills: Cf. “Tutorial drills”.
Mezzo-cerchio (It.): Also known as Italian parry of first, French parry of “high-septime, and “Ninth” parry. See “hand positions”.
Moulinét: A complete circling action of the weapon, pivoting on the elbow, used as a means of delivering hits. Rarely used or seen today.
Ninth (parry): See “hand positions”.
Octave (8): The guard or parry defending the outside low line in foil and epee, with hand held in supination, the point below the hand.
Off-target: A touch made upon a non-valid surface of the fencer. Foil only; does not exist in sabre.
One-two: A compound offensive action consisting of one feint and two disengages in opposite lines; disengage or counter-disengage feint, then disengage-final, deceiving opponent’s lateral parry. Used when opponent takes a lateral parry against the feint.
One-two-three: A compound offensive action formed of two feints and three disengages in laterally opposite lines (extrapolate from the one-two).
Opposition: A type of prise-de-fer wherein the fencer both deviates and controls the opponent’s blade by keeping contact with it while pushing forwards to the target.
Orthopedic grip: See “handle”.
Outside line(s): For right-handers, the area to the right of your armed hand; also, on the (right-handed) opponent, the area to the left of a vertical line drawn through the hilt of his weapon. Cf. “inside”.
Parry: A defensive action using the blade to stop the opponent’s blade. Parries may be executed either by opposition or by percussion (detached), and may be either lateral, circular, semi-circular, or yielding. See “hand positions”.
Partially foreseen: A fencing action with a known beginning and an unknown ending.
Passata sotto (It.): Classically, a type of evasion by a defending fencer, executed by placing the unarmed hand on the floor and displacing the body downwards; it may include a lunge to the rear. Also, a lowering of the target by bending both knees deeply at the same time.
Pattinando (It.): An advance-lunge made with an accelerating change of tempo.
Phrase d’armes: Any continuous series of fencing actions, e.g., attack, riposte, and counter-riposte.
Piste: The fencing field of play; the strip.
Pistol (grip): Any one of a number of molded (orthopedic) handles used in foil and epee.
Plastron: An auxiliary protector, used by coaches outside the regular jacket to absorb the impact of hits, and by competitors inside the regular jacket on the weapon arm to protect the underarm.
Point: The theoretical puncturing tip of the weapon.
Pointe d’arret: A three-pronged metal attachment to the tip of the weapon (foil or epee) to aid in registering hits. Before epee was electrified, it was used with red ink to indicate hits.
Point in line: A position whereby the fencer directs the point of his weapon at the opponent, the point aiming at the valid target, with the arm held straight from the shoulder and threatening to impale the attacker. The point in line is a “defensive threat” and has the right-of-way even against the attack unless deflected or avoided, provided that it is established before the attack starts.
Pommel: The threaded nut at the end of the handle, which acts as a counterbalance to the blade and holds the parts of the weapon together.
Pool: A group of fencers (or teams) who all fence each other to determine relative standing; a round-robin.
Preparation: Literally anything one does, whether with the blade, the feet, the body, or the voice, which enables the attack to succeed. Precedes the final and enhances its probability of success. May be defensive as well as offensive.
President (d’jury): The Referee (derived from presiding over a jury).
Press: A type of tac-au-fer, executed by contacting the blade and pressing upon it (varying degrees of force may be used).
Prime (1): The guard or parry position defending the high inside line in epee and foil, and the chest (in sabre). The hand is in pronation, point below hand.
Prise (-de-fer): One of the two “families” of attacks on the blade (which see). Includes the bind, cross, development, and opposition. The opponent’s blade is controlled all the way to the target. Cf. “tac-au-fer”.
Pronation: A position of the hand with the palm facing downwards (used in prime, seconde, tierce, and quinte parries). Cf. “supination”.
Quarte (4): The parry or guard position defending the inside high line (epee and foil) or the chest and belly (sabre), the hand in semi-supination, the point above the hand.
Quinte (5): The guard or parry defending the inside low line (foil and epee) or the head (sabre). The hand is held in pronationbelow the hand (foil/epee); in sabre, the hand is held to the right of the blade (for a right-hander), point above the hand. , the point
Radoppio (It.): See “reprise d’attaque” and “redoublement”.
Random exercises: When two or more skills are practiced (or presented by the coach) in random order. One of three kinds of practice schedules commonly used in physical education for teaching activities.
Reassemblé(ment): The action of withdrawing from the guard to a standing position by pulling the front foot back to the rear foot and straightening both legs at the same time.
Recovery: The action of resuming the guard position after having lunged. May be either forward or backward.
Redoublement: See “renewal”.
Referee: An American term denoting the presiding official or a fencing bout; the president of the jury.
Remise: The act of making a simple, direct, and immediate offensive action following the original action, without A type of renewal (which see). withdrawing the arm; used when the opponent has either parried without riposting or has made a riposte which is delayed, indirect, or compound.
Renewal (continuation, insistence, replacement): Renewing the offensive action without either parrying opponent’s riposte (if he makes one), or returning to guard. See “remise”, “redoublement”, and “reprise”. There currently are two definitions for some of these terms; refer to the chart below.
Repechage (consolation): A form of competition where the losing fencer in a bout, who is eliminated directly from qualifying to the next round, fences another losing fencer for a second chance to qualify.
Replacement: See “renewal”.
Reprise (d’attaque): A new attack executed immediately after a return to the guard position. The recovery to guard may be either backward or forward. See “renewal”.
Retreat: To move away from the opponent by stepping sequentially with first the rear foot followed by the front foot, restoring the orientation and distance of the feet relative to each other.
Right of way: The convention in foil and saber fencing which interdicts the causing of a double attack depending upon (1) who threatens first and (2) who takes the blade; it sets up an orderly sequence of attack-riposte-counter-riposte, etc. The fencers depart from this orderly sequence at their own risk. Invoked also in cases where both fencers land within the same “fencing tempo”.
Riposte: A (counter)-offensive action made by the fencer who has parried the attack. The riposte may be direct or indirect, simple or compound, detached or with opposition.
Riposte with opposition: Riposting while maintaining contact (controlling) opponent’s blade all the way to the target. Cf. “detached riposte”.
Saber/Sabre: One of the three fencing weapons. The saber is a cutting and thrusting weapon, and the hilt may have knucklebow on the guard to protect the hand. The target is the entire body above the waist except for the hands, and the weapon is bound by the convention of the “right-of-way”. The blade may be either V-, T-, or I-shaped in cross section.
Salle d’Armes (Fr.): A fencing school or club.
Salute: A courteous gesture to the opponent, jury and audience. The salute may be either simple, or elaborately choreographed as in the civilian and military versions of the “Grand Salute”. It is required by the rules.
Seconde (2): The guard or parry defending the outside low line (epee and foil) or the flank (sabre), made with the hand in pronation, the point below the hand.
Second intention: An action made with the intention of hitting/scoring with one’s second offensive cut/thrust. The classical example is: planned attack, expected by riposte by opponent, planned counter-riposte. Cf. “first intention”.
Semicircular (parry): Moving from high to low line (or vice versa) on the same side in foil/epee.
Septime (7): The guard or parry defending the inside low line (foil and epee), with the hand holding the weapon in supination, the point below the hand.
Serial exercises: When two or more skills are practiced in a serial order. One of three kinds of practice schedules commonly used in physical education for teaching activities.
Simple action: An action executed in one direct attack or riposte, indirect attack, or beat attack. fencing tempo, such as:
Simultaneous (action): When both fencers attack (i.e., begin extending their arms offensively) at the same time, in the same “fencing tempo” or “fencing time”. Since this results in neither (or both) fencer(s) having right-of-way, both hits (in foil and sabre) are annulled.
Sixte (6): the guard of parry defending outside high line in epee and foil with the hand holding the weapon in semi-supination, the point above the hand. In sabre it defends the head, but is used almost exclusively in teaching: hand in supination and to the left of the blade (for a right-hander).
Stop cut: A countering action (in saber only) made at the moment the opponent initiates a preparation or feint. May be in more than one tempo, but in any case must land before the final of the opponent’s attack/riposte begins in order to gain right-of-way.
Stop thrust: A countering thrust made at the moment when the opponent initiates a preparation or feint. Its limitations are the same as for the stop cut.
Strip: The fencing filed of plat, 14 meters long by 1.5-2.0 meters wide; the piste.
Substitution of target: Substituting invalid target area for valid target area (in foil and saber only). Hits made on a substituted surface may be scored as valid hits.
Supination: The position of the hand with palm facing half-upwards (used in quarte, sixte, octave, and septime in the thrusting weapons). Cf. “pronation.
Target: That area of the fencer’s body that is specified by the rules as legitimate scoring surface. Varies with the weapon (foil, epee, sabre).
Teaching cue: A short visual or verbal command to prompt the student to initiate an action or series of actions or to call attention to key components of a skill.
Technical drills: Cf. “Tutorial drills”.
Tempo: A general term describing the time relationship of fencing action; also called “fencing time”. Defined as the time it takes a fencer to make one simple action.
Thrust: An action made by moving the point of the weapon continuously towards the target with a full extending of the arm.
Tierce (3): The guard or parry defending the outside high line (foil and epee) or the flank/outside of arm (in sabre), made with the hand in pronation and the point above the hand.
Time hit: See “closeout”.
Touch: The arrival of the point or edge of the blade upon the bodily surface of the opponent, as specified by the rules. Syn.” hit.
Trompement: A deceiving of the opponent’s attempt to parry, normally after your feint.
Tutorial drills: Also referred to as “technical” or “mechanical” drills. A paired drill in which one fencer practices a technique repeatedly against their partner, who facilitates the hit, acting as a target rather than an opponent.
Underarm plastron: The inner protective garment worn under the standard fencing jacket, required by the rules for competition. Syn.: inner shield, underarm protector.
Unforeseen: A fencing action with an unknown beginning and an unknown ending; spontaneous, unpremeditated action.
Validity (of a hit): The determination by the referee that a touch has been scored on the correct target area according to the rules of right-of-way.
Vest (electrical): The over-garment made of electrically conductive material that is worn over the standard fencing jacket in foil fencing to distinguish between the scoring of hits on or off the valid target, and in sabre fencing to indicate a hit on the valid target. Syn.: lamé.
Warning: A formal notice made by the referee to the competitor that a rule infraction has taken place and that penalties may be applied. Fr.: “avertissement”.
Yielding (parry): A technique of parrying using the force of the opponent’s pressure on the defending blade to divert the defending and attacking blade into another line while closing the original line of attack. Syn.: “ceding parry”.