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