| A | |
| à propos | see timing |
| Absence du fer | see absence of blades |
| Absence of blades | when the adversary’s blades are not in contact |
| Actions contre-offensives | see counter-attacks |
| Actions simultanées | see simultaneous attacks |
| Advanced target | at épée and sabre those targets in advance of the trunk
e.g. forearm, hand, thigh |
| Avancées | see advanced target |
| Aides/Aids | the last three fingers of the sword hand that assist in the
manipulation of the handle |
| Angulation | the inclination of the blade and sword hand from the arm in
order to strike at an oblique target |
| Appel | a foot action of striking the ground with the soul of the front
foot to distract the opponent |
| Appuntata (It) | a remise into a delayed riposte |
| Arbitre | a judge, see also referee |
| Arrêt | see stop hit |
| Arrêt avec fer | see time hit |
| Assaut | see bout |
| Assesseur | a judge, see also referee |
| Attack | the initial offensive action in a phrase, initiated with a
progressive movement of hand and blade towards the target - it
may be simple or compound |
| Attack on the blade | an action such as a beat against the opponent’s blade |
| Attaque | see attack |
| Attaque au fer | see attack on the blade |
| Attaque composée | see compound attack |
| Attaque progressive | see progressive attack |
| Attaque renouvelée | see renewed attack |
| Attaque simple | see simple attack |
B | |
| Back beat | at sabre a beat using the back edge of the blade |
| Back parry | at sabre a parry of quinte from tierce performed with a cut-over |
| Balestra | a jump-like form of advance when both feet land
simultaneously |
| Barrage | a fight off; when two fencers of the same ranking must fight for
promotion |
| Battement | see beat |
| Battement renversé | see back beat |
| Bind | a prise de fer that transports the opposing blade diagonally |
| Beat | an action striking the opponent’s blade with ones own |
| Beat parry | a parry that is formed by striking the attacking blade rather than
maintaining opposition |
| Blade in line | see point in line |
| Bout | the combat between two fencers |
| Broken time | an attack or riposte that pauses in its delivery in order to exploit
the rhythm of the opponent’s defence |
| C | |
| Ceding parry | a parry formed by yielding to the pressure of a prise de fer
attack |
| Change beat | beating the blade on the opposite side to which originally
engaged |
| Change coulé | a coulé formed on the opposite side to which originally engaged |
| Changement d’engagement | see change of engagement |
| Change froissement | a froissment formed on the blade on the opposite side to which
originally engaged |
| Change of engagement | re-engagment of the blade on the opposite side to which
originally engaged |
| Change of intention | an attack that is spontaneously modified because of an
unexpected response - see also choice reaction |
| Change pressure | a pressure formed on the blade on the opposite side to which
originally engaged |
| Changez-battez | see change beat |
| Changez-coulez | see change coulé |
| Changez-froissez | see change froissement |
| Changez-pressez | see change pressure |
| Choice of action | a fencing drill where the fencer has free choice of two or more
strokes in a phrase, usually the initial or final action |
| Choice reaction | a fencing drill where two or more conclusions are possible - see
also open eyes attack and change of intention |
| Cible | = target |
| Circular parry | a parry formed with circle so starting and finishing in the same
line |
| Closed distance | close quarters, a distance at which the arm needs to be bent
and/or an angulation formed in order to hit |
| Composite attack | see compound attack |
| Compound attack | an attack with one or more feints |
| Compound preparation | see preparation |
| Compound counter riposte | a counter riposte with one or more feints |
| Compound riposte | a riposte with one or more feints |
| Continuation | general term for a renewed offensive action (e.g. redouble of
attack or riposte) |
| Contre-attaque | see counter attack |
| Contre-dégagement | see counter disengage |
| Contre-parade | see circular parry |
| Contre-riposte | see counter riposte |
| Contre-temps | see counter time |
| Copertino (It) | change pressure as an attack |
| Coquille | = shell or guard of the weapon |
| Corps a corps | body contact between two fencers - will automatically stop the
bout as fencing is a no-contact sport! |
| Coulé | see graze |
| Counter-attack | an offensive action into an attack; see stop hit, time hit |
| Counter-disengage | an evasive action that avoids a circular engagement |
| Counter-offensive | see counter attack |
| Counter parry | see circular parry |
| Counter riposte | the offensive action taken following the parry of a riposte (or
counter-riposte); it may be immediate, delayed, simple or
compound, with or without prise de fer or broken time; if
immediate and simple it will have priority over any renewal of
the riposte. |
| Counter time | an offensive action that responds to the opponent’s counter-
attack; usually an act of second intention whereby the counter
attack is parried in order to deliver a riposte |
| Coup d’arrêt | see stop hit |
| Coup de temps | see time hit |
| Coup double | see double hit |
| Coup droit | direct attack |
| Coup lancé | see thrown hit |
| Coup manchette | see manchette |
| Couper la ligne | see cutting the line |
| Coupé | see cut-over |
| Couvert | see covered |
| Covered | a position of engagement where the opponent cannot score by
direct thrust |
| Croisé | a prise de fer whereby the opposing blade is taken from high to
low (or vice versa) on the same side |
| Crosse | orthopaedic grip - see poignée |
| Cut-over | an evasion of the opponent’s blade made by passing over the
point as opposed to using a disengage or counter-disengage |
| Cutting the line | a semicircular parry that moves from high to low (or vice versa)
and simultaneously from inside to outside (or vice versa) -
sometimes referred to as a diagonal parry |
D | |
| Dégagement | disengagement |
| Demi-cercle | a semicircular parry from sixte to high septime |
| Dérobement | an evasive action against the opponent’s attempt to engage, beat
or take the blade which is in line with the point threatening the
target |
| Destructive parry | the parry from quarte to septime that intercepts the attacking
disengagement and so acts both as parry and prise de fer - with a slight forward thrust it is capable of disarming the opponent |
| Deuxième intention | see second intention |
| Development | the successive and co-ordinated progression of the weapon and
limbs when forming a lunge. |
| Diagonal parry | see cutting the line |
| Direct attack | a simple attack without evasion of the opponent’s blade. |
| Directeur du combat | see referee |
| Disengagement | an evasion of the opponent’s attempt to engage or the release
therefrom - see also counter disengagement |
| Distance | the distance between two fencers in order that the target may
hit - this may also be classified as riposting distance (where
only the extension of the arm is necessary) or lunging distance.
The distance for the commencement of a bout is 4 metres. |
| Doigté | see fingerplay |
| Double engagement | a succession of engagement and change of engagement by the
same fencer |
| Double hit | where two fencers are judged to have hit at the same time but
one has priority over the other (eg an attack and counter-attack)
as opposed to a simultaneous attacks. |
| Double parry | a succession of two parries to deflect an attack (or riposte) and
its renewal - see also successive parries |
| Double preparation | see preparation |
| Doublement | a compound offensive action of disengage feint followed by
counter-disengagement |
| Doublé | a compound offensive action composed of a counter-disengage
feint followed by trompement of counter-disengagement |
E | |
| En garde | On guard |
| En marchant | see under progressive attack |
| Engagement | contact with the opposing blade - the engagement may be a
light contact or hold the opposing blade covered in one of the
lines or guards e.g. sixte |
| Envelopment | a circular prise de fer |
| |
| F | |
| Faible | see foible |
| False attack | an attack not intended to hit but to explore or exploit the
opponent’s response |
| Feint | an offensive threat designed to provoke a response which is
then exploited, either by the use of a compound action, a counter-riposte or by counter-time |
| Feint parry | a partly formed parry intended to trigger the opponent’s attack |
| Fencing distance | see distance |
| Fencing line | an imaginary line that joins the heels and front toes of two
fencers |
| Fencing measure | the distance of a lunge separating two fencers - see distance |
| Fencing time | the duration of a single action of blade and/or foot, a convention that assists in prioritising actions in a bout |
| Fente | = lunge |
| Filo (It) | see graze |
| Fingerplay | the use of the fingers (the manipulators and aids) by relaxation
and contraction to control the handle of the weapon. |
| First counter riposte | the reply made by the original attacker on the opponent’s
riposte; it may be by reaction or as second intention |
| First intention | an attack delivered without thought of a subsequent stroke or
tactic |
| Flancon(n)ade | a prise de fer through quarte and quinte to strike at the flank |
| Flèche | “arrow” - an attack delivered with advancement of the sword
arm and body accompanied with propulsion from the front leg
but without advancement of the front foot |
| Flying parry | a parry that simultaneously grazes over the oppontent's point for the riposte - see also through beat |
| Flick hit | a misnomer - see thrown hit |
| Foible | that part of the blade nearest the point |
| Forcer | to engage with force |
| Fort(e) | that part of the blade nearest the guard |
| Froissement | an attack on the blade with pressure combined with a vigorous
grazing action from the foible to the middle of the opposing
blade. |
G | |
| Garde | see guard |
| Graze | an action along the blade to prepare or launch an attack |
| Guard | (i.) the protective shell of the weapon
(ii.) a protective stance e.g. guard of sixte |
| |
| H | |
| Half parry | see feint parry |
| Half step | an incomplete step forward or backward |
| High line(s) | see line |
| High septime | the blade position with the hand raised in septime that protects
from hits arriving over the blade, or used to lift thrusts safely
past the position of septime |
| High sixte | (or neuvieme) the blade position with the hand raised in sixte
that protects from hits arriving over the blade |
| I | |
| Indirect attack | a simple attack that is not direct e.g. delivered by, disengage,
counter-disengage or cut-over |
| Indirect riposte | a simple riposte that is not direct e.g. delivered by, disengage,
counter-disengage or cut-over |
| In quartata (It) | a counter-attack along the line of quarte with body
displacement |
| Insufficient parry | a parry which, although making contact, fails to sufficiently
cover the line being protected and fails to deflect the attacking
blade from the target |
| Invito (invitation) | the deliberate opening of a line offering the possibility of attack
to the opponent |
| L | |
| Lame | = blade |
| Lamé | see plastron |
| Liement | see bind |
| Ligne d’engagement | see fencing line |
| Line(s) | (i.) see blade in line
(ii.) high lines - blade positions of sixte and quarte and the imaginary lines from them
(iii.) low lines - blade positions of septime and octave and the imaginary lines from them
(iv.) high lines - blade positions of sixte and quarte and the targets protected by them
(v.) low lines - blade positions of septime and octave and the targets protected by them |
| Low line(s) | see line |
| M | |
| Manchette | the most advanced target at sabre and the cut thereto |
| Manipulators | the thumb and forefinger which are primarily
responsible for the control and direction of the weapon -
see aids |
| Mesure d’escrime | see fencing measure |
| Mezzocerchio (It) | half circle parry lifting to high septime |
| Molinello (It) | see moulinet |
| Moulinet | a circular cut at sabre (‘windmill’) |
| Muette | see silent lesson |
| N | |
| Neuvieme | the ninth position of the blade - see prime; otherwise known as
high sixte |
| O | |
| Octave | the eighth position of the blade - see prime |
| One-two | a compound attack consisting of a disengage feint followed by a
trompement by disengagement |
| Open eyes attack | an attack that commences without premeditation of the
opponent’s response and adapts accordingly - as opposed to ‘change of intention’ where the fencer reacts when a preconceived response does not materialise - see choice reaction |
| Opposition | a thrust that maintains contact with the opposing blade and so
covers the attackers target in the line of thrust |
| Opposition parry | a parry that maintains contact with the blade during (and after)
the formation of the parry |
| P | |
| Parade | see parry |
| Parade circulaire | see circular parry |
| Parade composée | see successive parries |
| Parade en cédant | see ceding parry |
| Parade de contraction | a parry which intercepts the final deception of a compound
attack |
| Parade direct | lateral parry |
| Parade d’opposition | see opposition parry |
| Parade du tac | see beat parry |
| Parade insuffisante | see insufficient parry |
| Parade latérale | lateral parry |
| Parade semi-circulaire | see semi-circular parry |
| Parades successives | see successive parries |
| Parry | a defensive action with the blade; it may be simple (lateral),
circular or semi-circular; it may have a beat- or graze-like quality or
maintain opposition - see principle of defence. |
| Passata sotto (It) | historic counter-attack, ducking whilst lunging back |
| Phrase | the sequence of offensive exchanges between two fencers |
| Pied ferme | see under progressive attack |
| Piste | ‘strip’ - the area of play for a bout |
| Plastron | protective vest (i.) worn under a the jacket of a fencer for added
protection to the armpit (ii.) pad worn by a fencing coach for
protection of the body (iii.) plastron métallique; a metallic vest
worn over the fencing jacket to record hits at foil and sabre |
| Poignée | handle or grip - see crosse |
| Pommel | the weighted base of the handle which also serves to
dis/assemble the weapon |
| Point in line | an extension of arm and blade from shoulder to point
threatening the opponent; in foil and sabre an established point in line has
priority over an attack |
| Première intention | see first intention |
| Preparation | an action of blade, foot (or body) preparatory to an attack (but
not part of the attack); it may be compound (two actions
performed at the same time e.g. a step with an engagement) or double (two actions performed in succession) |
| President | see referee |
| Pression | see pressure |
| Pressure | preparation or commencement of an attack by applying leverage
to the opponent’s blade in the same line as contact |
| Prime | the first position of the blade - historically the position obtained
by drawing a weapon from its scabbard |
| Priority | the convention (at foil and sabre) that recognises that one action
has advantage over another even though both actions may hit;
the line has priority over an attack. |
| Principle of defence | the opposition of the forte of the defending blade to the foible
of the opposing blade in order to deflect a thrust |
| Prise de fer | an action that levers and controls the opponents blade either
combined with the attack or as a preparation for attack. See
bind, croisé and envelopment |
| Progressive attack | a compound attack performed with the feint and deception
formed whilst lunging as opposed to advancing (en marchant)
or fixed footed (pied ferme) |
| Pronation | hand position whereby the palm faces downwards (e.g.
seconde) - see supination |
| Q | |
| Quarte | the fourth position of the blade - see prime |
| Quinte | the fifth position of the blade - see prime; at foil and épée it is a
further rotation from quarte, at sabre it protects the head, both
positions are pronated |
| R | |
| Rassemblement | the bringing of the feet together, usually by withdrawing the
front foot to the rear and whilst performing a stop hit |
| Redouble(ment) | a renewal of attack or riposte in a new line (e.g by disengage or
cut-over) the first having been parried (usually an opposition
parry) performed at riposting distance, in the lunge or during
the recovery |
| Referee | formerly President, also Directeur du combat; assisted by
judges |
| Remise | a renewal of attack or riposte in the same line the first having
been parried (usually the parry has been followed by a
detachment) performed at riposting distance, in the lunge or
during the recovery; usually an act of second intention |
| Renewed attack | a further attack following the failure of the first; see remise,
reprise and redouble |
| Replacement | a misnomer - see remise and redouble |
| Reprise | the renewal of attack or riposte (the first having been parried)
and requiring a further forward action by lunge or flèche, the
blade action may be simple, compound, with or without an attack on the blade. |
| Right of way | see priority |
| Riposte | the offensive action taken following the parry of an attack; it
may be immediate, delayed, simple or compound, with or
without prise de fer or broken time; if immediate and simple it
will have priority over any renewal of the attack. |
| Riposte composée | see compound riposte |
| Riposting distance | see distance |
| Rompre | to retire; step back |
| S | |
| Salut(e) | the courtesy of acknowledging the opponent (and referee) at the
commencement and conclusion of a bout usually by raising the
weapon to the mask |
| Salute des armes | a choreographed sequence of guards and thrusts to introduce a
display of fencing |
| Sauter | a fencer who lunges by lifting the front foot in an arc rather
than extending in a line |
| Second(e) intention | a tactic where the first offensive is a ploy in order to launch a
premeditated second offensive exploiting the opponent’s
response (e.g. first counter riposte, counter-time, remise) |
| Seconde | the second position of the blade - see prime |
| Semi-circular parry | a parry formed with such an action e.g. from sixte to octave |
| Semi-supination | see supination |
| Sentiment du fer | the feel of the blade through the fingers permitting
interpretation of the opponent’s position and action. |
| Septime | the seventh position of the blade - see prime |
| Silent lesson | a lesson or drill without verbal command - the pupil responds
only to the blade |
| Simple attack | an attack without a feint, it may be direct or indirect and is
executed in one period of time co-ordinated with a step, lunge
or flèche. |
| Simultaneous attacks | when the opponents conceive and execute attacks at the
same moment |
| Sixte | the sixth position of the blade - see prime; the classic fencing
guard for the commencement of a bout |
| Stop hit | a counter attack into the opponent’s feint or attack - to be valid
it must arrive before the commencement of the attacker’s final
action |
| Successive parries | two or more parries to deflect a compound attack (or riposte) |
| Supination | hand position whereby the palm faces upwards (e.g. sixte) - in
modern fencing the palm in more likely to be in a vertical plane. |
| T | |
| Taken-over attack | an attack on the opponent's recovery, having first outdistanced their original attack |
| Temps d’escrime | see fencing time |
| Temps perdu | see Broken Time. |
| Through beat | a grazing beat that strikes and passes over the point of the blade |
| Thrown hit (coup lancé) | a hit delivered in cut-over-like fashion exploiting
the momentum gained from the weighted point of a modern foil or épée |
| Tierce | the third position of the blade - see prime |
| Time hit | an old term having the concept of a stop hit with opposition
such that the final thrust of the attack is intercepted |
| Timing | the moment suitable for launching an offence to immediately
exploit an action of the opponent. |
| Trompement | with an extended and threatening blade to deceive the
opponent’s attempt to parry (as in a derobement or final action
of a compound attack) |
| U | |
| Under plastron | see plastron |
| Un-deux | see one-two |