Class Archives

September -  Offensive Actions 

Attacks fall into two categories: Simple and Compound.  A simple attack is made in one tempo while a compound attack is made in two.

Footwork Drills:  Advances, Retreats, Advance-Lunge

For opponents that fail to riposte after parry a renewed attack is used to score. 

Topics covered:  

Direct and Indirect Attack - Disengage & Cutover

Beat Attacks


Half the battle is won when one knows what the adversary is doing.
 -Tao of Jeet Kune Do

August - Defense - Drawing the Attack

The person who initiates the attack typically has the initial advantage. However, the amount of advantage they have depends on the distance between the two fencers, their speed, and the element of surprise. One way to gain an advantage is to draw the attack. This means to lure your opponent into attacking you by controlling the distance and using your footwork, bladework, and body language to deceive them. There are several advantages to drawing the attack. First, it eliminates the surprise factor. When you know your opponent is going to attack, you can be ready for it. This gives you a better chance of defending yourself or even counterattacking. Second, drawing the attack can set you up for your own attack. For example, you might delay your retreat to allow the distance to close to touching distance and catch the target unaware with a quick change of distance. This can catch your opponent off guard and give you an opening for a counterattack. Third, drawing the attack can help you control the distance. When you're the one who's drawing the attack, you can dictate how close or far away you want to be from your opponent. This gives you a big advantage in terms of timing and positioning.

Of course, there are also risks associated with drawing the attack. If you're not careful, you could end up getting hit yourself. That's why it's important to be aware of your opponent's timing/distance and to have a plan for what you're going to do if they attack.  Overall, drawing the attack is a complex strategy that can be very effective in fencing. If you're able to master it, you'll have a big advantage over your opponents.

Additional Tips for Drawing the Attack

Drills:

Footwork drill - Pair up, you need a partner and one of you leads.   Leader advances and retreats slowly at first progressing to quicker and more complex maneuvers. Student follows and keeps the distance from opening or closing. At first, work together but more advanced students can progress to where the leader tries to mislead follower causing collapse in distance. 

Pick Drill - Start at Advance-Lunge distance. Student A attacks with advance-lunge, Student B extends to hand (pick) and retreats

Student A practices advance-lunge to body. Finish with arm extended, front knee bent and over ankle, back leg fully extended and hold to check balance then recover on guard using forward, center or backward recovery. Observe what your partner is doing so you are aware of what it looks like from a 1st person perspective.  Imagine how you would defend or counter their action - save it for later.

Student B practices timing the retreat to finish just out of distance and ready to parry or counter attack a remise...
*6th/riposte with retreat during partner's lunge but as late as possible. How late can you do it?  Did you finish at your distance?
*5th/Beat and squat for toe touch 

** Add movement. Student B is going to attempt to control when Student A attacks.
Student A leads advance-retreat.  Student B follows once or twice but then stops on their advance allowing the distance to close enough for A to make attack.
Be aware of Student A attempting to break rhythm, they want to catch you on your advance. So, you must be ready to retreat as you advance.

During the exercise imagine what you could do to take advantage of what is being done to you.


July - Fundamentals, Distance and Timing

The stance and basic maneuvers to be demonstrated and practiced: on guard, half-steps, advance, retreat, double-advance, double-retreat, advance lunge.  

On Guard - with feet in proper position and hand in 6th position you should be alert, ready and not moving.
Exercise: Jump 3 times, on 3rd jump turn 90 degrees and land in on guard position. 

The fighting line begins at your back heel and ends at your opponents back heel.  Maneuvers should be executed smoothly on the line with a few exceptions.  Carry your torso on your hips.  Keep your knees bent and move your feet from the knees down-don't raise the knee.  Keep the weight spread evenly to both feet.  For combinations such as double-advance and advance-lunge the final step starts  when the back foot lands. Don't pause or hesitate when executing a combination but don't get ahead of yourself either. 

Advance-Lunge Exchange Drill - Start from advance-lunge distance. Fencers can only touch when attacking and alternate attacking using advance-lunge.  The defender may only use retreat to avoid being touched. The attack ends when the front foot lands on the lunge and the defender becomes the attacker. 

Rhythm Breaking Drill - Start from advance-lunge distance.  Fencers alternate leading the drill. The leader makes advance and retreat, pushing and pulling their partner. When partner is following, break the rhythm using half-retreat-lunge/advance-lunge.

Hand Positions - there are 8 hand positions used to make parry, two for each line.
6th and 3rd position close the high outside line -  4th and 5th close the high inside line.
2nd and 8th close low outside and  - 1st and 7th close the low inside

*Hands appear to move fast when they are precisely moved from one position to another.
Circular, lateral and diagonal blade movements are used to transition the blade from one position to another (or the same, see circular) for making parry.
 Circle 6  Parry /Riposte drill -  Fencers take turns attacking with advance-lunge. Defend with circle 6 parry with retreat to set distance for riposte. 



It is very important for a fencer to be able to come close to his opponent in a bout in a situation most inconvenient for the opponent.
- Zbigniew Czajkowski

June - Tactical Wheel

Goal: Develop muscle memory and introduce tactics using the Tactical Wheel 

Muscle memory is the ability to perform a task without having to think about it. It is developed through repeated practice. Here are some tips on how to improve muscle memory:

Footwork:  (Always finish in the on guard position.)

Be sure to review the Tactical Wheel and ask questions if you got them.

Paired Drills

Static Drill - Offense/Defense

Determine who is the attacker and defender.
Attacker picks Simple or Compound Attack. Defender picks Riposte or Counter Attack.
When ready, attacker initiates the attack with their choice and defender executes the action they chose.
The winner, as in who scored the touch, sticks with their action for the next encounter.
The loser, gets to change tactic.

Dynamic Drill #1

Same as the Static Drill except the tactic can be changed by both students on each encounter.  Once the action is selected, don't change during the action.  This is a guessing game.   You're trying to guess what your opponent is going to do and see what it looks like when the action fails. 

Dynamic Drill #2

Same as the Dynamic Drill #1 except the action can be changed by either students on each encounter.  This is a reflex game.   You're still trying to guess what your opponent is going to do and change the action in response to the opponent's action in real time.

Exchange Drill #1 - Timing and Distance

Advance Lunge - start 3-4 meters apart. Fencers take turns making advance lunge and recover. Retreats allowed but only forward motion is advance-lunge. 

Static Drill - Counter Attack / Counter Time

Partner extends and advances, Student counter attacks.  Start slow,  allow the attack to land  2-3 times  to  see it coming  and judge the  distance.
Partner uses Advance-Retreat to get into Advance-Lunge distance and then makes attack.
Student controls the distance, drawing the attack by using early/late retreat. Watch the distance and allow the attack to happen so you can counter attack.
Did your partner step into your distance without making attack? Take the initiative and make touch!
Turn the attack into counter time by faking the attack and making parry/riposte to the counter attack. 


Fencing tactics are described shortly as using all fencing actions, both preparatory and ultimate ones, in such a way as to avoid being hit, score hits on one's opponent and thus ensure victory over one's opponent.
-Zbigniew Czajkowski

May - Attacks

Goal: Beat Attack -  Direct and indirect beats

Footwork:  (Always finish in the on guard position.)

Tac au fer

The Beat is made by striking the opponent's foible with your blade's foible. Generally, keep the arm steady and use the wrist/fingers to sweep the blade. 

Simple Direct Beat Attack- The beat is made during the lunge of the advance-lunge. Beating too early allows the opponent time to beat back. So make this beat late in the attack.

Indirect Beat  Attack - The beat with disengage can be done using a beat on the advance of the advance-lunge with the disengage during the lunge.

Paired Drills:

- Direct Beat Attack (simple) - Advance-Lunge make beat during lunge.

- Indirect Beat Attack (compound) -  Advance-Lunge make beat on the advance, make disengage during lunge.

- Indirect Beat Attack (simple) - Advance-Lunge make beat at start of lunge, make disengage during lunge.

Tactical Tips: 

Develop a strong simple attack so you have the confidence to make an attack when you need to.

Use a early beat with a false attack to draw a counter attack.

Beats are only one of 3 options when attacking (Beat, Bind, Absence of Blade); don't habitually beat the blade. The beat should be a surprise. 

The choice of time is the supreme factor in the success of an offensive.  Develop it.  Even faultless technique and lightning rapidity will fail if the attack is launched "out of time." -Tao of Jeet Kune Do