Fencing Club of Lancaster - Glossary of Terms

Advance

• Moving towards the opponent, stepping first with the front foot, then the rear, returning to the original position of the feet.

Allez!

• French, "GO!"; Command used by the referee indicating the beginning of fencing (in a bout).

Appel

• A tap of the floor with the ball of the front foot.

Attack

• The initial offensive action made by extending the weapon arm and continuously threatening the opponent's target from within one's own critical distance.

Attaque-au-fer (tac-au-fer)

• One of the families of attacks on the blade, where the blade is not held all the way to the target. Includes: beat, pressure (prise), and expulsion.

Ballestra

• Italian, Attack footwork executed with a jump-forward, both feet landing simultaneously, and then a lunge. The feet are generally brought closer together while in the air.

Beat

• A type of tac-au-fer, made by tapping the opponent's blade sharply on the middle or upper part.

Bib

• The padded part of the mask which protects the throat and neck.

Bind

• A type of prise-de-fer engaging and moving the opponents blade diagonally from one line to another (ie: outside high to inside low).

Broken-Time action

• Any action executed with pause or syncopation in either the arm/bladework, footwork, or both.

Change of engagement/line

• Reorientation of the (relative) positions of the fencer's and opponent's blades. Made by moving from one engagement (or line) to another with a "U" or "V" -shaped motion either under (for high-line) or over (for low-line).

Circular parry

• A parry executed by first moving the point under (in the case of high-line) or over (in the low line) the opponent's blade, and then taking the blade with a lateral parry, thereby closing the original line.