With a novice fencer the early drills would rely very much on transports with blade contact. This is because the novice fencer can use the sense of touch (otherwise known as ‘sentiment du fer’) to guide the correct movement and positioning of the blade, and so develop spatial control over the actions.

Drills also lend themselves to ‘queue training’ where, as one fencer completes the last action of the drill with a flèche, the next fencer takes up the sequence being drilled. Three or four fencers can so rotate. Such drills are useful following a general warm-up and preceding more specific training. They also serve to incorporate intermediate fencers with more advanced fencers, where the latter act as role models for the former.

A sample of drill type (1) with blade contact - on the coach’s placement of the point on the upper, inside of the fencer’s guard, the fencer transports the blade to octave, detaches and disengages to the high line to hit the upper target. First in place, then stepping with the hit, lunging with the hit and finally delivering the hit with a flèche.

A sample drill of type (1) - on the coach’s feint and counter-disengage the fencer takes a parry of circular sixte then quarte followed by a direct riposte. First in place, then stepping with the riposte, then recovering from the lunge with the parries and riposting in place, then stepping back with the parry and riposting in place and, finally, stepping back with the parries and flèching with the riposte.

The second form of drill takes an action and repeats it in different parts of the fencing phrase. For example taking a circular action in sixte - the coach’s point is placed on the upper outside guard of the fencer’s foil for an envelopment and hit, coach feints inside the guard for a parry and riposte, an engagement on the blade is met by a circular sixte engagement and lunge, and on the student’s recovery a feint inside for another sixte parry riposte. Drills of this type can be progressed to choice reaction drill.

The use of ‘choice reaction’ drills not only practises the fencer in the mechanical execution of a stroke but also improves observational skills and timing skills. They also enable a fencer to adapt or change a stroke where there is a change of distance during its execution. As a fencer improves, actions that were once analysed as a learner and later employed as decisions as a novice, eventually become the semi-automated responses of the intermediate level fencer. Observational skills at this level are based not only on visual stimuli but also on sentiment du fer.

Sample Exercise:
fencer B: engage sixte with a half step forward.
fencer A: circular change of engagement followed by a light graze towards B’s forte
fencer B: lateral or circular change of engagement in place or recover with a circular change of engagement followed by a circular parry.
fencer A: disengage or counter-disengage as appropriate and lunge but if B recovers then doublé with a half-step and flèche.

Choice reaction drills are very useful for developing the control needed by a fencer in delivering ripostes especially first or second-counter ripostes where, having survived a brief and unexpected exchange, the riposte needs to be chosen by observation.

Sample Exercises:
fencer A: step with beat feint direct.
fencer B: lateral parry and disengage riposte.
fencer A: parry quarte-sixte and pause.*
fencer B: take lateral or circular parry.
fencer A: riposte indirect as appropriate.

Variations:
Fencer B can advance with the riposte & fencer A parries sixte then makes an angulated riposte either from sixte or tierce.
Fencer B can step back as they take the second parry and fencer A ripostes with a lunge or with a compound riposte as desired.

fencer A: step with upward (high) beat and feint to chest
fencer B: parry quarte and riposte direct, or occasionally riposte by disengage.
fencer A: parry quarte or quarte-sixte and pause.*
fencer B: step back on guard with a lateral or circular blade action.
fencer A: riposte indirect as appropriate and with appropriate footwork.

fencer A: engage in quarte.
fencer B: feint direct and counter-disengage lunge.
fencer A: parry circular quarte then lateral sixte - if fencer B’s hand is high in the lunge then riposte by disengagement to the flank but if B’s hand is low then riposte direct

* Note:
In response to the coach or opponent’s riposte the novice fencer’s automatic reaction is often a parry (or parries) conjoined with an equally habitual counter-riposte usually direct, but sometimes by disengage. Because of the nature of such counter-ripostes they fail to take account of the opponent’s action and timing, and usually lack optimum speed. The purpose of such drilling exercises is to instil the response of ‘parry-observe-hit’. A fully automated counter-riposte can be reserved for actions of second-intention.

(c) J E Smith