Fencing by Jo Shaff continued ;)

I have learned more about fencing as I've read this book. The topics I have read about include: basic footwork, basic attacks, defense, parries(blocks)for each line, and the basic fouls.(to see a diagram for different weapons and their target areas click the following link: http://http://www.grandvalleyfencing.com/fencing_diagram.gif)





The basic footwork of fencing is comprised of about three steps. The first is the basic fencing step. In the engarde position a fencer moves the front foot forward, followed by the back foot. Once a fencer perfects this they should form a habit of going as fast as if they were walking normally. The next step is the retreat, which is a fencing step but in reverse. So the back foot takes a step backwards followed closely by the front foot. The last step is the jump. Now this is not your regular jumping up and down, but is more controlled. When jumping, a fencer does a small hop forward with their legs still at a ninety degree angle. Here is a picture of some fencers from the Athens Olympics. They are quite advanced and their jumps are much bigger and exaggerated than those that beginning fencers can do.http://http://www.fencingphotos.com/FencingPicts/040821_timacheff_AthensOlympicFencing_4686.jpg






The only two attacks are the lunge (which I've already talked about in another entry) and the fleche(pronounced "flesh"). To perform a fleche a fencer extends the arm and runs full on at the opponent to gain a touch to earn a point. These are the only attacks in all of fencing, but they can have moves added to them to trick the other person. These moves may include: a parry, beating the blade, ducking, adding a step,adding a jump, and others.






A fencer must always be able to defend him or herself. The body is split into four lines of defense, which are: the upper left, upper right, lower left, and lower right. Each line of defense has its own parry or parries. They are represented in the picture in the upper left hand corner of this entry. The upper left line of defense is numbered six so a player aiming for this spot could use a parry six. The same goes to the upper right, which is four, and corresponds with parry four. The lower right has the number seven and parry seven. The lower left is a special case because it has two numbers and two parries, eight and six.




Now its time for the fun part. FENCING FOULS!! As most people know, a foul is given in a sport when someone does something bad or disrespectful and is subsequently punished for it. Now every foul applies to every player and coach, but coaches get a harsher punishment. Every time a fencer gets a foul they receive a card in this order: yellow(just a warning), red (more serious,awards one point to the opponent), and black (the most serious, resulting in immediate disqualification). Now when a person is fencing or in the area of a duel if they turn their back, walk off the strip(fencing area), drop their blade, disagree with the referee, talk to a person while fencing, break eqipment, touch their opponent with their ungloved hand, take off equipment early, not shake the hand or saluting their opponent, or cheat that is a foul.