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Glossary of Fencing Terms (& alternative glossary)


  • 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.
  • 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, eg.beat, froissement, pressure.

  • Balestra

    A forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack such as a lunge or fleche.
  • 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.
  • 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

    A match
  • 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 swords.
  • Change of Engagement

    Engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line.
  • Compound

    Also composed; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints to the opposite line that the action finishes in.
  • Conversation (of blades)

    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 attack 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; ie. 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

    lit. "body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre.
  • Coulé

    Also graze, glisé, or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade.
  • Coup lancé

    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.
  • Coupé

    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 passé avant (forward cross), passé arriere (backwards cross).
  • Cut

    An attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with the edge or point.
  • Deception

    Avoidance of an attempt to engage the blades; see disengage, coupé
  • Derobement

    Deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer.
  • Direct

    An 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.
  • Doublé

    An attack or riposte that describes a complete circle around the opponent's blade, and finishes in the opposite line.
  • Engagement

    When the blades are in contact with each other, eg. during a parry, attack au fer, prise de fer, or coulé.
  • 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 duelling sword of similar design, popular in the mid-19th century.
  • 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

    Attacking 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 decieved.
  • 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 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • In Quartata

    An attack made with a quarter turn to the inside, concealing the front but exposing the back.
  • In Time

    When a stop-hit arrives at least one fencing time before the original attack.
  • Indirect

    An attack or riposte that finishes in the opposite line to which it was formed, by means of a disengage or coupé.
  • Insistence

    Forcing an attack through the parry.
  • Invitation

    A line that is intentionally left open to encourage the opponent to attack.
  • Italian Grip

    A traditional hilt with finger rings and crossbar.
  • Lamé

    A metallic vest/jacket used to detect valid touches in foil and sabre.
  • Line

    The main direction of an attack (eg., 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-paré; 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.
  • Martingale

    Tstrap that binds the grip to the wrist/forearm.
  • Match

    The aggregate of bouts between two fencing teams.
  • Middle

    The middle third of the blade, between foible and forte.
  • Neuvieme

    Parry #9; blade behind the back, pointing down; alternatively, similiar 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.
  • Pass

    An attack made with a cross; eg. fleche, "Russian lunge". Also, the act of moving past the opponent.
  • Passata-sotto

    A lunge made by dropping one hand to the floor.
  • Passé

    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.
  • 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.
  • 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; an attack made with the point (ie. 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

    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
  • 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; see also 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; see also Redoublement.
  • Retreat

    Step back; opposite of advance.
  • Right-of-way

    Rules for awarding the point in the event of a double touch in foil or sabre.
  • Riposte

    An attack 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.
  • Second Intention

    A false action used to draw a response from the opponent, which will open the opportunity for the intended action that follows.
  • Seconde

    Parry #2; blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated.
  • Septime

    Parry #7; blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated.
  • Simple

    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.
  • Sixte

    Parry #6; blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated.
  • Stop Hit

    A counter-attack that hits; also a counter-attack whose touch is valid by virtue of it's 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.


    and the 'Alternative Glossary'


  • Dry Fencing:

    Fencing when sober
  • Engagement

    : What your fiancee breaks, when they realise all you care about is fencing
  • Envelopment

    : What fencing does to people who just want to "try it once"
  • Feint

    : What a fencer does after they get their credit card bill from a tournament weekend
  • Fencing Time

    : Usually lost in equipment down time, tournament waiting time...
  • FIE

    : A curse given in old english.
  • Fleche

    : Is all bruised after a few bouts.
  • Foible

    : The mistake you make that lets your opponent get a hit.
  • Foil

    : What you are trying to do to your opponent
  • Forte

    : The cost of a new body wire
  • French Grip

    : The fencers secret handshake
  • Guard

    : What you have to do at tournaments so your team-mates don't "borrow" all your food.
  • Lamé

    : Fencers term for a non-fencer
  • Passé

    : All those other sports you tried before fencing
  • Phrase

    : When fencers manage to string more words together than grunting monosyllabically
  • Piste

    : How you feel when your expensive equipment starts failing
  • Pistol Grip

    : What you want to grab when you loose a 14-14 D.E. on a questionable call
  • Pommel

    : What you'd REALLY like to do to some opponents
  • Principle of Defence

    : The grass is always greener on the other side
  • Quarte

    : A measure of liquid (ie: A quarte of Beer)
  • Right-of-way

    : That driving law you may need to ignore to get to a tournament on time
  • Second Intention

    : What you need to come up with when your attack fails miserably


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Website created by Philipp Schruff, now maintained by Fouad Sethna, on behalf of the Fencing Club.