Most fencing terms describe the actions to which they refer. Many of the terms in common usage in this country reflect the French or Italian origins of fencing, and although much of its terminology has been adapted or translated to English, many words are European. All international fencing championships are conducted in French, which is the international language of fencing, so the French influence predominates in terminology. Any serious student of fencing should become familiar with the fencing vocabulary.
Absence of the Blade When the blades are not engaged.
Abstain A judge may "abstain" or decline to vote if he or she was unable to see whether or not a point was made. Advance To move forward in the guard position.
Advance A movement forward by step, cross, or balestra.
Aids The last three fingers of the sword hand.
Amateur Fencers League of America (AFLA) This was the governing body of amateur fencing in the United States from 1891 until 1982.
Attack The initial offensive action made by extending the sword arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent.
Attack on Preparation An attack that is made as the opponent makes a beat, change, feint, or advance in preparation for his attack. This attack must begin before the opponent's attack actually begins.
Attack on the Blade An action, such as a beat, press, or bind, that removes the opponent's blade from line to clear the way for an attack.
Ballestra A jump-lunge attack. This term suggests the historic link between fencing and the formal ballet, which is said to have been influenced by the fencing positions.
Barrage A fence-off of a tie between two or more fencers. Beat A sharp tap against the opponent's blade to clear the way for an offensive action.
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. attack au fer, press, Froissement.
Bell Guard The metal cup or bow that protects the hand from being hit.
Bind (Liement) An action that removes a threatening blade by binding it, or carrying it from high line to the opposite low line by crossing the blade over the opponent's blade to hit in the low line with opposition. If the bind is executed vigorously enough, it may be used to disarm an opponent. Disarming an opponent, however, is no longer advantageous since action stops whenever a weapon is dropped. In the days of dueling and of early fencing, this was a valuable trick to master. Today it is a useful action, but no attempt is made to actually disarm a fencer by this means.
Black Card Used to indicate the most serious offenses in a fencing competition. The offending fencer is usually expelled from the event or tournament.
Bout A friendly fight between two fencers at which the score is kept.
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 or Tip The safety tip on the end of practice and sporting swords.
Call A signal to stop the bout. If a fencer wishes to stop during a bout without danger or being hit, he or she may "call" to the director to stop the bout by quickly stamping his or her forward foot two times.
Change of Engagement The act of going from one line to engage the blade in another.
Closed Line A line that is protected by the blade and arm.
Commanding the Blade Grabbing the opponent's blade with the off-hand, illegal in sport fencing.
Conversation 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.
Compound Attack Any attack consisting of two or more actions. It also may be called a composed attack.
Corps-a-Corps (Clinch) Literally body-to-body, in which there is body contact or a closing of the guards so that normal fencing actions become impossible.
Coulé (Glide) A preparatory action that is made by gliding along the side of the opponent's blade.
Counter Attack A stop thrust in which the time is taken from the attacker by touching before the final action of the original attack begins.
Counter Disengage A disengage that avoids a counter (circular) beat.
Counter Parry A circular parry that is made by parrying in the side opposite the one to which an attack is made.
Counter Riposte An offensive action that follows the successful parry of a riposte.
Counter Time A second-intention attack.
Coup Lance' 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.
Croisé An action similar to the bind in which the blade crosses over a menacing blade to carry it from a high line to the low line on the same side. This action is used in preference to a bind as a stop thrust with opposition because it is quicker since it does not draw the other blade across the target.
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, normally landing with the edge.
Cutover (Coupé) A simple attack that is made by lifting the blade over the opponent's blade to hit in the opposite line.
Derobement (Deception) An evasion of the opponent's attempt to engage or beat the blade.
Direct Indicates that an attack or parry is made without changing lines.
Director (Referee, President) The mediator of the fencing bout.
Disengage A simple attack that is made by leaving the line of engagement to hit in another.
Displacement The moving of the target to avoid an attack; dodging.
Double A compound attack in which the attacker feints a disengage and deceives a counter parry. This may be described as a corkscrew attack.
Dry Fencing without electric judging aids.
Engagement The contact of two opposing blades.
En Garde or On Garde The fencing position; the stance that fencers assume when preparing to fence.
Envelopment A double bind that envelops the opposing, menacing blade in one motion that carries it in a complete circle to land in the line of the original engagement.
Epee A fencing weapon with triangular cross-section blade and a large bell guard; also a light dueling sword of similar design, popular in the mid-19th century; epee de terrain; dueling sword.
False Attack A lunge that is made to draw a response without the intention of landing.
Feint A pretended attack that is made by a menacing extension of the foil arm. It is made preparatory to an attack in order to draw a response.
Federation Internationale d'Escrime (FIE) The governing body of all international fencing tournaments. This organization was founded in Europe in the latter part of the nineteenth century at which time some rules were set up to govern tournaments.
Fencing Time The time required to make one simple fencing action. This time will vary according to the speed of the fencers in question.
Flat A point attack that lands flat.
Fleché A running attack. The literal translation from French is "arrow," which aptly describes this as a swift, flying attack.
Flick A cut-like action 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 flexible, or point third, 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 strong third of the blade that extends from the guard.
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.
Fuller The groove that runs down a sword blade to reduce weight.
Glide An attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade.
Hilt The handle of a sword, consisting of guard, grip, and pommel.
Insistence The forcing of 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.
Judges The additional officials who assist the referee in detecting illegal or invalid actions, such as floor judges or hand judges.
Lame' A metallic vest/jacket used to detect valid touches in electric foil and sabre.
Lines The four theoretical areas of the target upper inside and outside and lower inside and outside.
Lunge An extension of the guard position made in order to reach the opponent. The lunge was introduced during the last part of the sixteenth century as a new secret form of attack.
Mal-Parry 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.
Marker Points An old method of detecting hits using inked points.
Martingale A strap that binds the grip to the wrist/forearm.
Mask The protective wire helmet that is worn on the head. The first masks were made from sheet metal with eye slits cut out of them. These were never widely used because they were uncomfortable and very dangerous—the eye was vulnerable to hits because the metal allowed the point to slide to the eye slits. Some right-of-way conventions of fencing stem from the premask days when, for instance, it was considered wrong to riposte until the opponent had recovered from the lunge because to do so would have been extremely hazardous. The first wire masks were used around 1800.
Match A contest between two teams.
Middle The middle third of the blade, between foible and forte.
Moulinet A whirling cut, executed from the wrist or elbow.
Off-Target Hit A point hit that does not land on the valid target. This term is now preferred to the term foul.
On Guard The basic ready fencing position.
One-Two A compound attack that consists of feinting a disengage and then disengaging to deceive a direct parry.
Parry A defensive action that deflects the attacker's blade.
First Parry A parry made with the blade down and to the inside, wrist pronated.
Second Parry A parry made with the blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated.
Third Parry A parry made with the blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated.
Fourth Parry A parry made with the blade up and to the inside, wrist supinated.
Fifth Parry A parry made with the blade up and to the inside, wrist pronated. In sabre, the blade is held above the head to protect from head cuts.
Sixth Parry A parry made with the blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated.
Seventh Parry A parry made with the blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated.
Eighth Parry A parry made with the blade down and to the outside, wrist supinated.
Ninth Parry an unconventional parry (#9) sometimes described as blade behind the back, pointing down (a variant of octave), other times similar to elevated sixth.
Pass An attack made with a cross; e.g. fleché. Also, the act of moving past the opponent.
Passé When the foil point grazes the target rather than hits it squarely.
Phrase or Phrase D'Armes A period of continuous fencing that may consist of many actions by one or both fencers. When there is any break in play, a phrase ends.
Piste (Strip) From the French word meaning "path." This is the fencing area. It may be said to resemble a path or strip because of its long, narrow shape.
Pistol Grip A modern, orthopedic 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; the mechanical assembly that makes up the point of an electric weapon; an attack made with the point (i.e. a thrust)
Pommel The metal part at the end of the handle that fastens the parts of the foil together and also acts as a counterweight to the blade, thereby making it a balanced weapon with a French handle.
Preparation A non-threatening action intended to create the opening for an attack; the initial phase of an attack, before right-of-way is established.
Presentation The offering of one's blade for engagement by the opponent.
President (Director) The individual who presides over a fencing meet.
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.
Pressure A preliminary motion made by applying a slight pressure against the opponent's blade to cause a reaction that will open the way for an attack.
Prise-de-Fer A taking of the opponent's blade. This refers to a blade contact. Blade contact is made just as the opponent begins their attack, therefore canceling their right-of-way.
Rapier A long, double-edged thrusting sword popular in the 16th-17t h centuries.
Red Card A 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 offensive action made against a fencer who defends without riposting.
Remise An immediate continuation of an attack that was parried or fell short. It is made without withdrawing the arm, usually while in a lunge.
Reprise A new attack made after returning to the guard position.
Retreat A step back; opposite of advance.
Ricasso The portion of the tang between the grip and the blade, present on Italian hilts and most rapiers.
Right-of-Way The right to attack. It goes to the fencer who first extends the foil arm, or initiates an attack, or who parries an attack.
Riposte An answering attack made by a fencer after he or she has successfully defended himself or herself.
Sabre A fencing weapon with a flat blade and knuckle guard, used with cutting or thrusting actions; a military
Salle A fencing hall or club.
Salute A customary acknowledgment of one's opponent and referee at the start and end of the bout made with the weapon.
Second-Intention (Counter-Time) Attack A false attack intended to draw a parry riposte that the original attacker then parries so he or she can hit on a counter riposte. The attacker intends throughout the action to hit on his or her second attack.
Semicircular Parry A parry from high to low line or vice versa, so called because the point travels in an arc to make the parry.
Simple Attack An attack consisting of just one motion. There are three simple attacks straight thrust, disengage, and cutover.
Simultaneous In foil and sabre, two attacks for which the right-of-way is too close to determine.
Single-Time A parry-riposte as a single action.
Stop Cut A stop-hit with the edge in sabre, typically to the cuff.
Stop Thrust A counter attack made by extending into a poorly executed attack. In order to be valid, a stop must arrive before the final motion of the attack begins.
Straight Thrust A direct, simple attack that consists of a lunge to hit without changing the line of engagement.
Strip (Piste) The field of play. The strip is usually made of rubber so that fencers will not slip as they move. In an electric fencing meet, the strip may be covered with wire mesh that grounds any hits to the floor that would otherwise register as off target.
Thrust The action of hitting with an extended arm. To make a firm thrust the point is placed on the target with the action of the fingers.
Touch A valid point hit against the opponent.
United States Fencing Association The governing body of fencing in this country, renamed in 1982; formerly the Amateur Fencers League of America.
United States Fencing Coaches Association The official coaches organization of this country.
Valid Touch A point hit that lands on the target area without having first landed off target.
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 or Warning A card used to indicate a minor rule infraction by one of the fencers.