Epée Fencing Level 1 - Ability

  • Footwork:
    From ‘on guard’ advance, retire, half-steps, lunge and recover.

  • Blade manipulation:
    The salute
    The grip and transports from sixte:
    -circular to sixte,
    -lateral to quarte
    -semi-circular to octave.

  • Blade manipulation:
    Engagements from sixte to:
    -sixte, quarte, octave, seconde.

  • The Hit:
    Direct, disengage and counter-disengage from sixte
    -delivered with a step forward,
    -delivered with a step back,
    -delivered with a lunge and recovery.
    [all to body or upper arm, direct or with opposition]

  • Defence:
    Parry from sixte: circular sixte, simple quarte, octave.
    Double parries of:-
    -circular sixte followed by simple quarte,
    -circular sixte followed by octave.
    Direct riposte from sixte with a bent arm to upper arm.
    Direct riposte from sixte with opposition to body.

    Epée Fencing Level 2 - Competence

  • Footwork:
    Accelerated step-lunge, half-lunge
    step forward followed by half-step and lunge,
    from the lunge reprise by fleche.

  • Blade manipulation:
    Engagement and change of engagement:
    -engage sixte change to quarte,
    -engage quarte change to sixte,
    -engage and change in the low lines

  • The hit 1:
    -delivered with point momentum to arm; with a step and with a lunge.
    -delivered with angulation to wrist,
    -delivered with point momentum to wrist.

  • The hit 2:
    The above followed by remise and recovery to guard
    The above followed by redouble and recovery to guard

  • Defence:
    Parry from quarte: circular quarte, sixte, seconde.
    Riposte from sixte and quarte by disengage ment to arm and to body

  • Tactics:
    First counter-riposte on the lunge, direct and indirect.
    First counter-riposte direct to arm whilst recovering

    Epée Fencing Level 3 - Proficiency

  • Footwork:
    Step and lunge at various cadences,
    Step back and fleche,
    Half step and fleche.

  • Blade manipulation:
    Beat direct attacks from sixte and quarte
    Compound attack of feint direct and evasion of:-
    -circular sixte,
    -lateral quarte,
    -high sixte,
    -octave

  • The hit:
    direct from wrist to thigh, to foot, to body
    direct and indirect to arm or bodydelivered by fleche with variations of footwork

  • Defence:
    double parries and successive parries of:
    -sixte-quarte, sixte-octave,
    parry of septime-prime against one-two attack
    circular sixte parry and simple quarte parry followed by accelerated riposte

  • Distance:
    Riposte by one-two and double with a lunge.

  • Tactics:
    Simple or compound attack on the opponent’s recovery.
    Counter-time on the opponent’s recovery

    Epée Fencing Level 4 - Excellence

  • Footwork:
    Maintaining distance and indirect hitting to any open target -
    (the coach constantly moving between all guards.)
    A sequence of 3 hits whilst retiring and a 4th delivered by fleche.

  • Blade manipulation:
    From parry of sixte; octave opposition to body with lunge or fleche
    From parry octave; sixte opposition to body with lunge or fleche

  • The hit:
    Parry of sixte and quarte followed by simple riposte by observation.
    Inversion from quarte to prime to hit at close quarters.
    From prime hitting to the low line, by cut-over to the low line.

  • Defence:
    First counter-riposte direct with point momentum, with opposition.
    First counter-riposte direct followed by reprise by fleche.

  • Tactics:
    First counter riposte followed by remise on the recovery or retreating.
    Beat feint direct followed by parry of sixte, quarte or octave and riposte by step, lunge or fleche.
    Simple attack by lunge or fleche to arm on the opponent's recovery from feint

    Epée Fencing Level 5 - Distinction

  • Footwork:
    Accelerated step-lunge with beat or change of engagement and direct attack.
    From half-step completing indirect or compound attack with step-lunge or fleche.

  • Blade manipulation:
    Double engagements of sixte-quarte and quarte-sixte followed by direct attack.
    Double engagement followed by parry riposte (with or without the second engagement being deceived)
    Double engagement followed by compound attack by observation.
    Double engagement followed by simple attack by observation.

  • The hit:
    Circle sixte riposte arm, octave fleche to body
    Above followed by quarte parry and close quarter riposte by inversion to prime
    Speed exercise of hit, remise and redouble whilst retiring.
    Speed exercise of quarte riposte, remise and redouble whilst retiring.

  • Defence:
    Inducement (by change of engagement, half-parry, feint or pause) and parry riposte from the exposed line.
    Counter-attack by opposition against one-two and high-low compound attacks.

  • Tactics:
    Simple fleche attack on the opponent’s preparation or on recovery from feint.
    Attack or riposte with point momentum on the opponent’s recovery.
    Counter-time performed on the opponent’s recovery