D'Alerta Fencing Academy

Home

Staff

GOLD Points - A Learning Experience

by: Maestro Carlos Ablanedo

Intensity, Awareness and Patience are key components of successful bouting. In particular if one observes the entire fencer, it becomes obvious that you are seeing  everything that is happening in a 3D plane. This enables you to react from your subconscious or trained fencing instinct. Sometimes people refer to this as being in the ZONE.

INTENSITY

Intensity has built in power and speed with proper timing and command and control for advance and retreat.  When you project your intensity you are able to stand your ground ready to react with your point and hand work first followed by your legs either to retreat or advance.  Intensity originates in the mind of the fencer it is a learned psychological behavior or ability.

3D

Seeing in 3D implies that you are by-passing all thought and are using your eye-brain connection directly to enable your trained instinctive reactions to come out.  This also brings out quick analytical skills that do not require thinking in order for you to detect what your response must be.

THE 8 OR COUNTER 8 PARRY 

A right handed fencer will find that a parry eight in epee will enable him to set up several excellent actions.  1. follow through to the opponents leg, 2. come straight up to six with your arm only, wait for counter attack now take the blade in either four or six opposition extend your arm and follow through with lunges or fast short advances to upper arm or chest area.  In a similar way this parry is also very effective in foil.

BLADE ACTIONS

Limited small to medium blade actions are most effective because they enable you to make quick precise movements while deflecting the opponents blade.  Now you are ready to make your touch by directing the point at the target that is open or the opening that you will create with your next action.  There are times when larger movements are appropriate and this will depend greatly on the style and experience level of the opponent.

CHANGING THE OUTCOME OF A BOUT

The use of footwork is critical for making changes during a bout.  In particular when things are not going well, one should frustrate the opponent with repeated footwork changes, even if it appears to make no sense.  Close in carefully when it appears to be a contradiction to your mind and retreat when you feel that you can make a touch.  Now you are ready to make a timing change and with your footwork being more light and less predictable you are ready to turn the bout around.  

FLECHE

The fleche against an opponent that stands in static mode or will retreat partially is very valuable.  You will break their distance as you disengage or beat their blade during the fleche action and penetrate to their upper arm or shoulder region. The timing of the extension and the use of proper footwork is critical in this action.

ARM POSITION

During the bouting the level of your arm in the on-guard position can be varied depending on the style of the opponent.  If you are proficient in several on-guard stances you should be able to establish multiple neutral positions from which to launch attacks, counter offensive actions or simple ripostes.

EXTENDED ARM - ATTACKING 

This attack gives you a clean line that is hard to defeat specially if practiced with speed and disengage to either upper or lower lines.  Choice is up to your ability and opponents vulnerability.

EXTENDED ARM - RETREATING COUNTER OFFENSIVE

In most cases it is important to retreat in the face on an attack. This enables you to adjust your distance and set up a counter action.  You must know when it is appropriate to stop the retreat or change the direction and start you counter offensive.  As you retreat with your arm extended you can touch the attacking fencer, step to the side or take a larger jump or step back to make your touch within a period of fencing time, thereby taking the right-of-way from the attack.