Parry (fencing)
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A parry is a fencing bladework manoeuvre intended to deflect or block an incoming attack.
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[edit] Execution
The main criterion for a parry is that in order to execute a parry, one should try to engage the foible of the opponent's blade in the forte of one's own - this means that if one engages foible-to-foible, the referee could call the action as a beat attack by the opponent, which is undesirable. Approximations of the precise parries are made often during bouts, but are usually accurate enough to be classed as parries.
In épée, because of absence of priority rules, a parry can be classed as anything that prevents the opponent's attack from landing.
[edit] Use
The primary function of a parry is obviously to prevent an opponent's attack from landing, although other techniques - like simply dodging the opponent's attack - are also used. However, the rules governing the parry give it more tactical significance:
Whenever an attack fails, the priority (which applies only to foil and sabre) is transferred to the defender, meaning now if immediately after the failure of the attack, both fencers try to attack, the hit is scored by the one who was defending against the attack which just failed. Taking a parry, therefore, means that the opponent is in an awkward position (with their arm extended and sometimes off-balance), having just committed to attacking, and the executor of the parry has the priority. In the case of the parry, this priority is "the right to riposte", the riposte simply being the offensive action following a successful parry (made by the executor of the parry).
More advanced fencers can, instead of immediately riposting after successfully taking a parry, can initiate a prise de fer ("taking of the blade") in which they move the opponent's blade to a different position and then hit them.
[edit] Classification
| Name | Description (foil and épée) | Description (sabre) | Diagram |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prime - Parry 1 | Blade down and to the inside of the nipple, wrist pronated. Sometimes known as the "Looking at your watch" Parry. | Blade points down and cutting edge faces away from the fencer's flank side. | |
| Seconde - Parry 2 | Blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated. | Arm half-extended laterally, blade pointing forward with downward incline, cutting edge facing towards fencer's flank side. | |
| Tierce - Parry 3 | Blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated. Not often used in either Foil or Epee. | Standard en garde but rotated so cutting edge faces further in the flank direction, i.e. guard kept low, sword upright with a slight forward tilt, cutting edge facing 45º to the flank side. | |
| Quarte - Parry 4 | Blade up and to the inside, wrist supinated.
This parry can be Lateral or Circular The Lateral Parry is from Sixte to Quarte. The Circular Parry, also know as "Counter Quarte", is a D shaped parry, dropping the points and bringing it up on the inside bringing your point back towards your En Guard line. |
Similar to tierce on the chest side or prime flipped upside-down; guard low, cutting edge facing away from flank, sword upright with slight chest-direction tilt. | |
| Quinte - Parry 5 | Blade up and to the inside, wrist pronated. Not often used in Foil or Epee | Blade held up almost horizontally with bent arm, cutting edge facing upward, blade has a slight tilt meaning that the point is higher than the guard. | |
| Sixte - Parry 6 | Blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated.
This parry can be Lateral or Circular. The Lateral Parry is from Quarte to Sixte. The Circular Parry, also know as "Counter Sixte", is a D shaped parry, dropping the points and bringing it up on the inside bringing your point back towards your En Guard line. |
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| Septime - Parry 7 | Blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated. Point dropped, the wrist is in the same place as in Quarte.
This parry is semi-circular, the point is dropped from Quarte to Septime (or the opposite). |
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| Octave - Parry 8 | Blade down and to the outside, wrist supinated. Point is dropped, the wrist is in the same place as in Sixte.
This parry is semi-circular, the point is dropped from Sixte to Octave (or the opposite). |
[edit] References
- Know the game: Fencing
- Fencing: Techniques of foil, épée and sabre - Brian Pitman
