-
Absence
of blade:
when the blades are not touching; opposite of engagement.
-
Advance:
a movement forward by step, cross, or balestra.
-
Aids:
the last three fingers of the sword hand.
-
Analysis:
reconstruction of the fencing phrase to determine priority of touches.
-
Assault:
friendly combat between two fencers.
-
Attack:
the initial offensive action made by extending the sword arm and
continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent.
-
Attack
au Fer:
an attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's blade, e.g., beat,
press, and froissement.
-
Backsword:
an archaic, edged, unpointed sword used in prizefighting; also singlestick.
-
Balestra:
a forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack such as a lunge or
fleche.
-
Bayonet:
a type of electrical connector for foil and sabre.
-
Beat:
an attempt to knock the opponent's blade aside or out of line by using one's
foible or middle against the opponent's foible.
-
Baudry
point:
a safety collar placed around a live epee point to prevent dangerous
penetration.
-
Bind:
an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the diagonally
opposite line.
-
Black
Card:
used to indicate the most serious offences in a fencing competition. The
offending fencer is usually expelled from the event or tournament.
-
Bout:
an assault at which the score is kept.
-
Broadsword:
any sword intended for cutting instead of thrusting; sabre.
-
Broken
Time:
a sudden change in the tempo of one fencer's actions, used to fool the
opponent into responding at the wrong time.
-
Button:
the safety tip on the end of practice and sporting swords.
-
Change
of Engagement:
engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line.
-
Commanding
the blade:
grabbing the opponent's blade with the off-hand, illegal in sport fencing.
-
Compound:
also composed; an action executed in two or more movements; an attack or
riposte incorporating one or more feints.
-
Conversation:
the back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing match, composed of
phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no blade action.
-
Counter-attack:
an offensive action made against the right-of-way, or in response to the
opponent's attack.
-
Counter-disengage:
a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive the counter-parry.
-
Counter-parry:
a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; i.e., the defender first
comes around to the opposite side of the opponent's blade.
-
Counter-riposte:
an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte.
-
Counter-time:
an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack, typically a
riposte following the parry of the counter-attack.
-
Corps-a-corps:
"body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout,
illegal in foil and sabre.
-
Coule':
also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the
opponent's blade.
-
Coup
lance':
a launched hit; an attack that starts before a stop in play but lands after.
Valid for normal halts, but not valid at end of time.
-
Coupe':
also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the opponent's tip.
-
Croise:
also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the
high or low line on the same side.
-
Cross:
an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other; also passe' avant
(forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross).
-
Cut:
an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, normally landing with
the edge.
-
Deception:
avoidance of an attempt to engage the blades; see disengage, coupe'
-
Derobement:
deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer.
-
Direct:
a simple attack or riposte that finishes in the same line in which it was
formed, with no feints out of that line.
-
Disengage:
a circular movement of the blade that deceives the opponent's parry, removes
the blades from engagement, or changes the line of engagement.
-
Displacement:
moving the target to avoid an attack; dodging.
-
Double:
in epee, two attacks that arrive within 40-50 ms of each other.
-
Double-time:
also "dui tempo"; parry-riposte as two distinct actions.
-
Double':
an attack or riposte that describes a complete circle around the opponent's
blade, and finishes in the opposite line.
-
Dry:
also steam; fencing without electric judging aids.
-
Engagement:
when the blades are in contact with each other, e.g., during a parry, attack
au fer, prise de fer, or coule'.
-
En
Garde:
also On Guard; the fencing position; the stance that fencers assume when
preparing to fence.
-
Envelopment:
an engagement that sweeps the opponent's blade through a full circle.
-
Epee:
a fencing weapon with triangular cross-section blade and a large bell guard;
also a light dueling sword of similar design, popular in the mid-19th
century; epee de terrain; dueling sword.
-
False:
an action that is intended to fail, but draw a predicted reaction from the
opponent; also, the back edge of a sabre blade.
-
Feint:
an attack into one line with the intention of switching to another line
before the attack is completed.
-
Fencing
Time:
also temps d'escrime; the time required to complete a single, simple fencing
action.
-
FIE:
Federation Internationale d'Escrime, the world governing body of fencing.
-
Finta
in tempo:
lit. "feint in time"; a feint of counter-attack that draws a counter-time
parry, which is deceived; a compound counter-attack.
-
Fleche:
lit. "arrow"; an attack in which the aggressor leaps off his leading foot,
attempts to make the hit, and then passes the opponent at a run.
-
Flick:
a cut-like action that lands with the point, often involving some whip of
the foible of the blade to "throw" the point around a block or other
obstruction.
-
Florentine:
an antiquated fencing style where a secondary weapon or other instrument is
used in the off hand.
-
Flying
Parry or Riposte:
a parry with a backwards glide and riposte by cut-over.
-
Foible:
the upper, weak part of the blade.
-
Foil:
a fencing weapon with rectangular cross-section blade and a small bell
guard; any sword that has been buttoned to render it less dangerous for
practice.
-
Forte:
the lower, strong part of the blade.
-
French
Grip:
a traditional hilt with a slightly curved grip and a large pommel.
-
Froissement:
an attack that displaces the opponent's blade by a strong grazing action.
-
Fuller:
the groove that runs down a sword blade to reduce weight.
-
Glide:
see coule'.
-
Guard:
the metal cup or bow that protects the hand from being hit. Also, the
defensive position assumed when not attacking.
-
Hilt:
the handle of a sword, consisting of guard, grip, and pommel.
-
Homologated:
certified for use in FIE competitions, e.g., 800N clothing and maraging
blades.
-
In
Quartata:
a counter-attack made with a quarter turn to the inside, concealing the
front but exposing the back.
-
In
Time:
at least one fencing time before the opposing action, especially with
regards to a stop-hit.
-
Indirect:
a simple attack or riposte that finishes in the opposite line to which it
was formed.
-
Insistence:
forcing an attack through the parry.
-
Interception:
a counter-attack that intercepts and checks an indirect attack or other
disengagement.
-
Invitation:
a line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack.
-
Italian
Grip:
a traditional hilt with finger rings and crossbar.
-
Judges:
additional officials who assist the referee in detecting illegal or invalid
actions, such as floor judges or hand judges.
-
Jury:
the 4 officials who watch for hits in a dry fencing bout.
-
Lame':
a metallic vest/jacket used to detect valid touches in foil and sabre.
-
Line:
the main direction of an attack (e.g., high/low, inside/outside), often
equated to the parry that must be made to deflect the attack; also point in
line.
-
Lunge:
an attack made by extending the rear leg and landing on the bent front leg.
-
Mal-parry:
also mal-pare'; a parry that fails to prevent the attack from landing.
-
Manipulators:
the thumb and index finger of the sword hand.
-
Maraging:
a special steel used for making blades; said to be stronger and break more
cleanly than conventional steels.
-
Marker
Points:
an old method of detecting hits using inked points.
-
Martingale:
a strap that binds the grip to the wrist/forearm.
-
Match:
the aggregate of bouts between two fencing teams.
-
Measure:
the distance between the fencers.
-
Middle:
the middle third of the blade, between foible and forte.
-
Moulinet:
a whirling cut, executed from the wrist or elbow.
-
Neuvieme:
an unconventional parry (#9) sometimes described as blade behind the back,
pointing down (a variant of octave), other times similar to elevated sixte.
-
Octave:
parry #8; blade down and to the outside, wrist supinated.
-
Opposition:
holding the opponent's blade in a non-threatening line; a time-hit; any
attack or counter-attack with opposition.
-
Parry:
a block of the attack, made with the forte of one's own blade; also parade.
-
Pass:
an attack made with a cross; e.g., fleche. Also, the act of moving past the
opponent.
-
Passata-sotto:
a lunge made by dropping one hand to the floor.
-
Passe':
an attack that passes the target without hitting; also a cross-step (see
cross).
-
Phrase:
a set of related actions and reactions in a fencing conversation.
-
Pineapple
tip:
a serrated epee point used prior to electric judging.
-
Piste:
the linear strip on which a fencing bout is fought; approx. 2m wide and 14m
long.
-
Pistol
Grip:
a modern, orthopaedic grip, shaped vaguely like a small pistol; varieties
are known by names such as Belgian, German, Russian, and Visconti.
-
Plaque':
a point attack that lands flat.
-
Plastron:
a partial jacket worn for extra protection; typically a half-jacket worn
under the main jacket on the weapon-arm side of the body.
-
Point:
a valid touch; the tip of the sword; the mechanical assembly that makes up
the point of an electric weapon; an attack made with the point (i.e., a
thrust)
-
Point
in Line:
also line; an extended arm and blade that threatens the opponent.
-
Pommel:
a fastener that attaches the grip to the blade.
-
Preparation:
a non-threatening action intended to create the opening for an attack; the
initial phase of an attack, before right-of-way is established.
-
Presentation:
offering one's blade for engagement by the opponent.
-
Press:
an attempt to push the opponent's blade aside or out of line; depending on
the opponent's response, the press is followed by a direct or indirect
attack.
-
Prime:
parry #1; blade down and to the inside, wrist pronated.
-
Principle
of Defence:
the use of forte against foible when parrying.
-
Priority:
in sabre, the now-superceded rules that decide which fencer will be awarded
the touch in the event that they both attack simultaneously; also used
synonymously with right-of-way.
-
Prise
de Fer:
also taking the blade; an engagement of the blades that forces the
opponent's weapon into a new line. See: bind, croise, envelopment,
opposition.
-
Quarte:
parry #4; blade up and to the inside, wrist supinated.
-
Quinte:
parry #5; blade up and to the inside, wrist pronated. In sabre, the blade is
held above the head to protect from head cuts.
-
Rapier:
a long, double-edged thrusting sword popular in the 16th-17th centuries.
-
Red
Card:
used to indicate repeated minor rule infractions or a major rule infraction
by one of the fencers; results in a point being given to the other fencer.
-
Redoublement:
a new action that follows an attack that missed or was parried; renewal of a
failed attack in the opposite line; alternatively see Reprise.
-
Referee:
also director, president; the mediator of the fencing bout.
-
Remise:
immediate replacement of an attack that missed or was parried, without
withdrawing the arm.
-
Reprise:
renewal of an attack that missed or was parried, after a return to en-garde;
alternatively see Redoublement.
-
Retreat:
step back; opposite of advance.
-
Ricasso:
the portion of the tang between the grip and the blade, present on Italian
hilts and most rapiers.
-
Right-of-way:
rules for awarding the point in the event of a double touch in foil or
sabre.
-
Riposte:
an offensive action made immediately after a parry of the opponent's attack.
-
Sabre:
a fencing weapon with a flat blade and knuckle guard, used with cutting or
thrusting actions; a military sword popular in the 18th to 20th centuries;
any cutting sword used by cavalry.
-
Salle:
a fencing hall or club.
-
Salute:
with the weapon, a customary acknowledgement of one's opponent and referee
at the start and end of the bout.
-
Schlager:
German fraternity dueling sword, used with cuts to the face and no footwork.
-
Second
Intention:
a false action used to draw a response from the opponent, which will open
the opportunity for the intended action that follows, typically a
counter-riposte.
-
Seconde:
parry #2; blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated.
-
Septime:
parry #7; blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated.
-
Simple:
executed in one movement; an attack or riposte that involves no feints.
-
Simultaneous:
in foil and sabre, two attacks for which the right-of-way is too close to
determine.
-
Single
Stick:
an archaic form of fencing with basket-hilted wooden sticks.
-
Single-time:
also "stesso tempo"; parry-riposte as a single action.
-
Sixte:
parry #6; blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated.
-
Small
Sword:
a light dueling sword popular in the 17th-18th centuries, precursor to the
foil.
-
Stop
Hit:
a counter-attack that hits; also a counter-attack whose touch is valid by
virtue of its timing.
-
Stop
Cut:
a stop-hit with the edge in sabre, typically to the cuff.
-
Three
Prong:
a type of epee body wire/connector; also an old-fashioned tip that would
snag clothing, to make it easier to detect hits in the pre-electric era.
-
Thrown
Point:
a "flick".
-
Thrust:
an attack made by moving the sword parallel to its length and landing with
the point.
-
Tierce:
parry #3; blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated.
-
Time
Hit:
also time-thrust; old name for stop hit with opposition.
-
Trompement:
deception of the parry.
-
Two
Prong:
a type of body-wire/connector, used in foil and sabre.
-
Whip-over:
in sabre, a touch that results from the foible of the blade whipping over
the opponent's guard or blade when parried.
-
Whites:
fencing clothing.
-
Yellow
Card:
also advertissement, warning; used to indicate a minor rule infraction by
one of the fencers.
