Fencing Journal Spring 2012
I will need to start learning names I can tell already. It's going to be hard to remember what to do against specific fencers if I don't. Today we worked a hand drill setting up a beat 4 attack. That's been a staple of mine for anyone who invites between 3 and 4 instead of closing a line when en guard. Anytime someone sets up in neither 3 nor 4 but between them, they are ripe for either a beat attack (with or without disengage), or a circle 6 attack. So I made my beats more of a game of different attacks coming off the beat. Some I would use an attack with opposition (glide or press attack), some with angulation from 3 to get around possible shallow parries, and some hitting in the low line to avoid those with overly high line parries. (Several of the new people whom I need to learn names of have very tense shoulders that are causing their blades to creep upward as the drill unfolds.)
I found that when I was on the receiving end of the drill my instinct when someone does a beat on my blade is to take a step back to give myself time to make a parry. Another thing I realized is that this drill is a perfect time for me to analyze what I can do defensively with my blade work when subjected to a beat attack, besides the obvious derobe. When someone made a beat and kept their blade close to mine, or used a glide/press/opposition to attack in my 3 line, a quick circle 3 would be the easy parry that allows my riposte without taking the tip all the way across my target as a parry 4 would. When they use a beat that rebounds back into my 4 line I can chose from 3 parries depending on where it's coming from. If they are attacking a lower line, the parry 4 is more of a deep seating parry that allows me to riposte normally from that position. A low line parry 1 or 8 in these cases could also work but would require better control of the distance and so they are a lower percentage defense in my mind against a beat attack. If they are attacking in the high line I could make either a standard parry 4 with riposte, or a high 4 using the bell guard to press their blade up and out of my 4, lending itself to more of an opposition or glide riposte.
And there there's the defense of the improperly executed beat attack, where they reach out to make the beat, then withdraw the arm to load up as they come forward, then thrust with the lunge. They beat and withdraw (preparation), I attack.
I found that when I was on the receiving end of the drill my instinct when someone does a beat on my blade is to take a step back to give myself time to make a parry. Another thing I realized is that this drill is a perfect time for me to analyze what I can do defensively with my blade work when subjected to a beat attack, besides the obvious derobe. When someone made a beat and kept their blade close to mine, or used a glide/press/opposition to attack in my 3 line, a quick circle 3 would be the easy parry that allows my riposte without taking the tip all the way across my target as a parry 4 would. When they use a beat that rebounds back into my 4 line I can chose from 3 parries depending on where it's coming from. If they are attacking a lower line, the parry 4 is more of a deep seating parry that allows me to riposte normally from that position. A low line parry 1 or 8 in these cases could also work but would require better control of the distance and so they are a lower percentage defense in my mind against a beat attack. If they are attacking in the high line I could make either a standard parry 4 with riposte, or a high 4 using the bell guard to press their blade up and out of my 4, lending itself to more of an opposition or glide riposte.
And there there's the defense of the improperly executed beat attack, where they reach out to make the beat, then withdraw the arm to load up as they come forward, then thrust with the lunge. They beat and withdraw (preparation), I attack.