Archive-name: sports/fencing-faq/part3 Last-modified: 1994/11/30 Version: 4.01 +-------------------+ | F E N C I N G | +-------------------+ This is Part III of the 3-part rec.sport.fencing Frequently Asked Questions list. All parts can be found on the UseNet newsgroups rec.sport.fencing, rec.answers, or news.answers. Otherwise, consult section 3.7 for information on finding archived copies of this document. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PART III: REFERENCES 3.1 Fencing organizations *** revised 3.2 Equipment suppliers & outfitters 3.3 Fencing Books 3.4 Fencing Films 3.5 Fencing Videos 3.6 Fencing Software 3.7 Fencing Online *** revised 3.8 Glossary of terms ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3.1 Fencing Organizations Federation Internationale d'Escrime 32, Rue La Boetie 75008 Paris, France AUSTRIA: Federation d'Escrime de l'Autriche Organizationskomitee der Fecht Union Modling Herzfeldercasse - 20 A2351 Wr. Neudorf, Austria TEL: 223-623-305 BRITAIN: Amateur Fencing Association 1 Barons Gate 33-35 Rothschild Road London W4 5HT TEL: 081 742-3032 CANADA: Canadian Fencing Federation 1600 Prom. James Naismith Drive Gloucester, ON K1B 5N4 TEL: (613) 748-5633 FAX: (613) 748-5742 BBS: (613) 748-5881 GERMANY: Deutsche Fechter Bund Schermband AM Neuen Lindenhof - 2 5300 Bonn, Germany TEL: 48-228-671-021 NETHERLANDS: Koninklijke Nederlandse Algemene Schermbond POBox 18690 2502 ER The Hague The Netherlands TEL/FAX: ++31 70 3211 705 NORWAY: Norges Fekteforbund Hauger skolevei 1, 13351 RUD, Norway TEL: +47 22 87 46 00 UNITED STATES: United States Fencing Association One Olympic Plaza Colorado Springs, CO 80909-5774 TEL: (719) 578-4511 FAX: (719) 632-5737 Contact your national fencing body to get the addresses and phone numbers of your local/provincial/divisional fencing associations. 3.2 Equipment suppliers & outfitters Many of the following businesses will mail you a catalogue if requested. This FAQ does not endorse any of these companies. AUSTRALIA: Aladdin Sports Fentec Sports 46 Hosken Street 48 Clara St North Balwyn 3104 Camp Hill QLD 4158 TEL: +61 3 483-3077 TEL: (07) 395 3852 FAX: +61 3 816-3357 EMAIL: gar...@latcs1.lat.oz.au BRITAIN: Blades Leon Paul 35 Edinburgh Drive 14 New North Street Staines, Middlesex TW18 1PJ London WC1N 3PW TEL: 0784 255-522 TEL: 071 405-3832 FAX: 0784 245-942 FAX: 071 405-3834 CANADA: Fencing Equipment of Canada Allstar (Herb Obst Agency) 2407 Bayview Place CP 788 Succursdale NDG Calgary, Alberta T2V 0L6 Montreal, Quebec H4A 3S2 TEL: (403) 281-1384 TEL: (514) 482-2140 FAX: (403) 281-0043 FAX: (514) 485-9283 Agents: Prieur-PBT Halifax: Barbara Daniel Vijay Prasad (902) 457-9228 383 Tamarack Dr. Winnipeg: Milton Himsl Waterloo, Ontario N2L 4G7 (204) 284-4138 TEL: (519) 885-6496 Ottawa: Ron Millette FAX: (519) 888-6197 (613) 235-2226 Saskatoon: Dennis Duncan Riposte PBT (306) 664-8527 Tibor & Victor Abraham Vancouver: Zbig Pietrusinski 113 Iona Ave. (604) 984-2157 Hamilton, Ontario L8S 2L8 TEL: (905) 572-7157 FAX: (905) 528-8894 FRANCE: Prieur Soudet 18 rue Nemours 31 Boulevard Voltaire Paris, 11e Paris, 11e TEL: 43 57 89 90 TEL: 48 06 48 48 GERMANY: Uhlmann Fecht-Sport Allstar Fecht-Center Uhlandstrasse 12 Carl-Zeiss Strasse 61 88471 Laupheim 72700 Reutlingen Deutschland Deutschland Fecht-Sport H.Lieffertz Eibenweg 3 D-50767 Cologne Deutschland TEL/FAX: +49 221 795254 EMAIL: Sjo...@anomalie.gun.de USA: Triplette Competiton Arms Blade Fencing Equipment, Inc. 162 W. Pine St. 212 West 15th St. Mt Airy, NC 27030 NY, NY 10011 TEL: (910) 786-5294 TEL: (212) 620-0114 FAX: (212) 620-0116 George Santelli, Inc. 465 South Dean St. American Fencers Supply Englewood, NJ 07631 1180 Folsom St. TEL: (201) 871-3105 San Francisco, CA 94103 TEL: (415) 863-7911 Colonial Distributing Fencing Equipment Uhlmann International PO Box 636 Wolf Finck, Pres. USA Headquarters Cedarburg, Wisconsin 53012 330 N. Fayette Drive TEL: (414) 377-9166 Fayetteville, GA 30214 FAX: (414) 377-9166 TEL: (404) 461-3809 The Fencing Post Zivkovic Modern Fencing Equipment 2543 Monticello Way 77 Arnold Road Santa Clara, CA 95051 Wellesley Hills, MA 02181 TEL: (408) 247-3604 TEL: (617) 235-3324 Cheris Fencing Supply 5818 East Colfax Avenue Denver, CO 80220 TEL: (303) 321-8657 1-800-433-6232 FAX: (303) 321-8696 SCORING MACHINES ONLY: Commodore Systems Fencing Technologies (Saber 3-weapon box) P.O. Box 16181 P.O. Box 22992 Minneapolis, MN, 55416 Nashville, TN 37202 TEL/FAX: (612) 926-7955 TEL: 1-800-627-4903 EMAIL: richard-...@uiowa.edu (615) 329-9398 FAX: (615) 329-0640 EMAIL: howa...@macpost.vanderbilt.edu 3.3 Fencing Books This list has been compiled from suggestions by rec.sport.fencing readers, and is far from complete. Alaux, Modern Fencing (Charles Scribner, ?) Anderson, All About Fencing (Arco, 1970) Angelo, The School of Fencing (Land's End Press, 1971) Beke & Polgar, The Methodology of Sabre Fencing (Corvina Press, 1963) Bowers, Foil Fencing 7th Ed. (Brown & Benchmark, 1993) Campos, The Art of Fencing (?, ?, ISBN 0-533-07581-5) Castello, The Theory and Practice of Fencing (Charles Scribner, 1933) Castello, Fencing (Ronald Press, 1962) Castle, The Schools and Masters of Fence (Arms & Armour Press, 1969) Crosnier, Fencing with the Foil (Faber & Faber, 1951) Curry, The Fencing Book (?, 1984) FIE, Rules of Competition (AFA, CFF, USFA, etc., every year) de Beaumont, Fencing: Ancient Art and Modern Sport (?, ?) Garret, Kaidanov, & Pezza, Foil, Sabre, and Epee Fencing (Penn State, 1994) Gaugler, Fencing Everyone (Hunter, 1987) Hutton, The Sword and the Centuries (Charles E. Tuttle, 1980) Lukovich, Electric Foil Fencing (Corvina Press, 1971) Lukovich, Fencing (Corvina Press, 1986) Morton, A-Z of Fencing (Antler, 1988?) Nadi, On Fencing (G.P. Putnam, 1943) (Laureate Press, 1994) Palffy-Alpar, Sword and Masque (FA Davis, 1967) Pitman, Fencing, Techniques of Foil, Epee, and Sabre (Crowood, 1988) Manley, Compleate Fencing (Doubleday, 198?) Selberg, Foil (Addison-Wesley, 1976) Selberg, Revised Foil (Spotted Dog Press, 1993?) 3.4 Fencing Films The following films involve some amount of swordfighting or swashbuckling. They are rated on a four-star system, which is a general critics' opinion of the film as a whole, not an indicator of the quality or quantity of the film's fencing. Major actors and occasionally the director (denoted by a '!') are named. Films with 2 stars or less have been omitted, as have recent films that have not yet been widely released or reviewed. The Adventures of Don Juan (1949, Errol Flynn, Raymond Burr, ***) The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938, Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, ****) Against All Flags (1952, Errol Flynn, Anthony Quinn, **1/2) Barry Lyndon (1975, Ryan O'Neal, Patrick Magee, !Stanley Kubrick, ***1/2) Black Arrow (1985, Oliver Reed, **1/2) Black Pirate (1926, Douglas Fairbanks, ***1/2) Black Swan (1942, Tyrone Power, Anthony Quinn, ***1/2) Blind Fury (1990, Rutger Hauer, **1/2) Bob Roberts (1992, Tim Robbins, ***1/2) By the Sword (1993, F. Murray Abraham, Eric Roberts, **1/2) Captain Blood (1935, Errol Flynn, Basil Rathbone, ***1/2) The Challenge (1982, Toshiro Mifune, Scott Glenn, **1/2) The Charge of the Light Brigade (1936, Errol Flynn, David Niven, ****) Conan the Barbarian (1982, Arnold Scharzenegger, James Earl Jones, **1/2) The Corsican Brothers (1941, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, **1/2) The Count of Monte Cristo (1934, Robert Donat, ***) The Count of Monte Cristo (1975, Richard Chamberlain, Tony Curtis,***) The Court Jester (1956, Danny Kaye, Basil Rathbone, **1/2) Crossed Swords (1978, Raquel Welch, Charlton Heston, **1/2) Cyrano de Bergerac (1950, Jose Ferrer, ***1/2) Cyrano de Bergerac (1990, Gerard Depardieu, ****) Dangerous Liaisons (1988, John Malkovich, Glenn Close, ***1/2) The Duellists (1978, Harvey Keitel, Keith Carradine, !Ridley Scott, ***) El Cid (1961, Charlton Heston, Sophia Loren, ***) The Empire Strikes Back (1980, Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford, ****) Excalibur (1981, Nicol Williamson, !John Boorman, ***1/2) The Flame and the Arrow (1950, Burt Lancaster, Virginia Mayo, ***) Flesh and Blood (1985, Rutger Hauer, !Paul Verhoeven, **1/2) The Four Musketeers (1975, Richard Chamberlain, Michael York, ***) Frenchman's Creek (1944, Basil Rathbone, Joan Fontaine, ***) Glory (1989, Matthew Broderick, Denzel Washington, ***1/2) Hamlet (1948, !Laurence Olivier, ****) Hamlet (1969, Anthony Hopkins, ***1/2) Hamlet (1990, Mel Gibson, Glenn Close, !Franco Zeffirelli, ***) Henry V (1944, Laurence Olivier, ****) Henry V (1989, !Kenneth Branagh, ***1/2) Highlander (1986, Chistopher Lambert, Sean Connery, **1/2) Ivanhoe (1953, Robert Taylor, Elizabeth Taylor, ***1/2) Ivanhoe (1982, James Mason, **1/2) Ladyhawke (1985, Rutger Hauer, Michelle Pfeiffer, **1/2) Long John Silver (1954, Robert Newton, Kit Taylor, ***) Macbeth (1948, Orson Welles, Roddy McDowall, ***) Macbeth (1971, Jon Finch, ***1/2) The Magic Sword (1962, Basil Rathbone, **1/2) The Man in Grey (1946, James Mason, Stewart Granger, ***1/2) The Mark of Zorro (1920, Douglas Fairbanks, ***) The Mark of Zorro (1940, Basil Rathbone, Tyrone Power, ***1/2) Morgan the Pirate (1961, Steve Reeves, **1/2) The Prince and the Pauper (1937, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, ***) The Princess Bride (1987, Mandy Patinkin, Cary Elwes, !Rob Reiner, ***) The Prisoner of Zenda (1937, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, David Niven, ****) The Prisoner of Zenda (1952, Stewart Granger, James Mason, ***) The Private Lives of Elizabeth and Essex (1939, Errol Flynn, ***) Ran (1985, Tatsuya Nakadai, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) The Return of the Jedi (1983, Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, ***1/2) Robin and Marian (1976, Sean Connery, Audrey Hepburn, ***1/2) Romeo and Juliet (1935, Basil Rathbone, Leslie Howard, ***1/2) Romeo and Juliet (1954, Laurence Harvey, ***) Romeo and Juliet (1968, Michael York, !Franco Zeffirelli, ***1/2) Royal Flash (1975, Malcolm McDowell, ***) Sanjuro (1962, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ***) Scaramouche (1952, Stewart Granger, Janet Leigh, ***) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1935, Leslie Howard, Merle Oberon, ***1/2) The Sea Hawk (1940, Errol Flynn, Claude Rains, ****) The Seven Samurai (1954, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) The Seventh Voyage of Sinbad (1958, Kerwin Matthews, ***) Shogun (1980, Toshiro Mifune, Richard Chamberlain, **1/2) Sinbad the Sailor (1949, Douglas Fairbanks Jr, Maureen O'Hara, ***) The Spanish Main (1945, Maureen O'Hara, Paul Heinreid, ***) Spartacus (1960, Kirk Douglas, !Stanley Kubrick, ****) Star Wars (1977, Harrison Ford, Alec Guinness, ****) Sweet Liberty (1986, Alan Alda, Michael Caine, **1/2) The Sword of Sherwood Forest (1961, Richard Greene, Peter Cushing, **1/2) The Three Musketeers (1935, Walter Abel, **1/2) The Three Musketeers (1948, Gene Kelley, Lana Turner, ***) The Three Musketeers (1974, Michael York, Raquel Welch, ***) The Three Musketeers (1993, Tim Curry, Charlie Sheen, **1/2) Throne of Blood (1957, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) Tom Jones (1963, Albert Finney, Suzannah York, ****) Under the Red Robe (1937, Raymond Massey, ***) The Vikings (1958, Kirk Douglas, Tony Curtis, **1/2) The Warriors (1955, Errol Flynn, **1/2) Willow (1988, Val Kilmer, !Ron Howard, ***) The Yakuza (1975, Robert Mitchum, Takakura Ken, ***) Yojimbo (1962, Toshiro Mifune, !Akira Kurosawa, ****) Young Sherlock Holmes (1985, Nicholas Rowe, **1/2) 3.5 Fencing Videos This section still under construction... contributions welcome! Competitions: Promotional: "The Leading Edge" - available from the CFF Training: "Mark Berger's School of Fencing" - available from Triplette Entertainment: See section 3.4. 3.6 Fencing Software There are several software packages available for the administration of fencing tournaments. They generally provide for automated seeding, pooling, and elimination tableau organization, with the ability to display/print out intermediate and final results. They are best suited for events with 15 to 250 or more entrants. With less than 15 entrants, organization is generally just as fast by hand. ATHOS is a French program (by Christian Coulon of Paris), although the display and manuals are in French or English. ATHOS is widely used at world levels of competition, including the 1993 and 1994 U-20 World Championships. It runs on DOS PCs. It is the only official fencing software recognized by the CFF. In the USA, the price is $250 (includes unlimited upgrades and support). Contact Marc Walch (Marc.J...@JPL.NASA.GOV, (818) 354 5688). Engarde is another French program (by F. F. Nicaud of Paris), and runs on Apple or PC. Like ATHOS, it sees extensive use at international levels of competition, including the 1994 World Championships. It is available in French only, and is freely reproducible. Contact your national fencing organization for more information. Xseed is an American program (by Dan McCormick of Hudson, Ohio), supported by the USFA only. It runs on DOS PCs. Contact the USFA for more information. There are supposed to be other programs that are more common in other countries and languages, such as German and Italian. Contact the national fencing organizations of such countries to find out more. 3.7 Fencing Online Known cyberspace fencing resources include: UseNet: rec.sport.fencing - discussion on all subjects rec.martial-arts - some discussion of Eastern styles and history rec.org.sca - some discussion of history, SCA heavy and light weapons styles, armoury, and weaponsmithy sci.military - occasional discussions of historical topics WWW: http://www.ii.uib.no/~arild/fencing.html http://chico.rice.edu/~gbierner/fencing/fencing.html http://csclub.uwaterloo.ca/u/mabuckle/fencing/ http://mac9.ucc.nau.edu/fencing.html http://riceinfo.rice.edu/~gbierner/fencing/fencing.html http://sarah.rsip.lsu.edu/fencing/fencing.home.html http://usa.net/chanlz/fencing.html http://www.usu.edu/~fencing/ http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~harlan/durendal/durendal.html http://www.metronet.com/1/North-Texas-Free-Net/Recreation-Center\ /fencing http://www.warwick.ac.uk/WWW/leisure-services/students-union\ /fencing/fencing.html FTP (for archived copies of the fencing FAQs): North America: ftp.uu.net /usenet/news.answers rtfm.mit.edu various directories Europe: ftp.uni-paderborn.de /pub/FAQ ftp.Germany.EU.net /pub/newsarchive/news.answers grasp1.univ-lyon1.fr /pub/faq ftp.win.tue.nl /pub/usenet/news.answers Asia: nctuccca.edu.tw /USENET/FAQ Gopher: gopher://gopher.metronet.com\ /11/North-Texas-Free-Net/Recreation-Center/fencing/faqs gopher://info.utas.edu.au\ /11/Societies%2c%20Clubs%20%26%20Associations/Fencing%20Club Prodigy: Jump: SPORTS BB or Jump: SPORTS PLAY. Select OTHER or OTHER SPORTS and look for subjects beginning with "FENCING". CompuServe: GO CIS:GOODHE, and look under "Martial Arts" Mailing Lists: Iaido: send to "list...@uoguelph.ca", with text (and subject) "SUBSCRIBE IAIDO-L your@email.address". Martial Arts and Swords in TV/Film: send to "list...@psuvm.psu.edu" with text "SUBSCRIBE MASTVF-L Your Name" Bulletin Boards: Canadian Fencing Federation: (613) 748-5881 3.8 Glossary of terms: Absence of blade: when the blades are not touching; opposite of engagement. Advance: a movement forward by step, cross, or balestra. Aids: the last three fingers of the sword hand. Assault: friendly combat between two fencers. Attack: the initial offensive action made by extending the sword arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent. Attack au Fer: an attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's blade, eg. beat, froissement, pressure. Balestra: a forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack such as a lunge or fleche. Bayonet: a type of electrical connector for weapons. 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. Bind: an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the diagonally opposite line. Black Card: used to indicate the most serious offences in a fencing competition. The offending fencer is usually expelled from the event or tournament. Bout: an assault at which the score is kept. Broadsword: a military sword and fencing weapon popular in the 18th-19th centuries, similar to a heavy sabre; any straight-bladed, double- edged, single-handed cutting sword of the post-medieval period. 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: the safety tip on the end of practice swords. Change of Engagement: engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line. Compound: also composed; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints to the opposite line that the action finishes in. 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. Counter-attack: an attack made against the right-of-way, or in response to the opponent's attack. Counter-disengage: a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive the counter-parry. Counter-parry: a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; ie. the defender first comes around to the opposite side of the opponent's blade. Counter-riposte: an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte. Counter-time: an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-attack, typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack. Corps-a-corps: lit. "body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre. Coule': also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade. 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. Coupe': also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the opponent's tip. Croise: also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the high or low line on the same side. Cross: an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other; also passe' avant (forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross). Cut: an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with the edge or point. Deception: avoidance of an attempt to engage the blades; see disengage, coupe' Derobement: deception of the attack au fer or prise de fer. Direct: an attack or riposte that finishes in the same line in which it was formed, with no feints out of that line. Disengage: a circular movement of the blade that deceives the opponent's parry, removes the blades from engagement, or changes the line of engagement. Displacement: moving the target to avoid an attack; dodging. Double: in epee, two attacks that arrive within 40-50 ms of each other. Double': an attack or riposte that describes a complete circle around the opponent's blade, and finishes in the opposite line. Dry: fencing without electric scoring aids. Engagement: when the blades are in contact with each other, eg. during a parry, attack au fer, prise de fer, or coule'. En Garde: also On Guard; the fencing position; the stance that fencers assume when preparing to fence. Envelopment: an engagement that sweeps the opponent's blade through a full circle. Epee: a fencing weapon with triangular cross-section blade and a large bell guard; also a light duelling sword of similar design, popular in the mid-19th century. False: an action that is intended to fail, but draw a predicted reaction from the opponent; also, the back edge of a sabre blade. Feint: attacking into one line with the intention of switching to another line before the attack is completed. Fencing Time: also temps d'escrime; the time required to complete a single, simple fencing action. FIE: Federation Internationale d'Escrime, the world governing body of fencing. Finta in tempo: lit. "feint in time"; an attack that responds to the opponent's counter-time; typically a deception of the counter-time. Fleche: lit. "arrow"; an attack in which the aggressor leaps off his leading foot, attempts to make the hit, and then passes the opponent at a run. Flick: a cut 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. Florentine: a fencing style where a secondary weapon or other instrument is used in the off hand. Flying Parry or Riposte: a parry with a backwards glide and riposte by cut-over. Foible: the upper, weak part 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 lower, strong part of the blade. 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. Guard: the metal cup or bow that protects the hand from being hit. Also, the defensive position assumed when not attacking. Hilt: the handle of a sword, consisting of guard, grip, and pommel. Homologated: certified for use in FIE competitions, eg. 800N clothing and maraging blades. In Quartata: an attack made with a quarter turn to the inside, concealing the front but exposing the back. In Time: when a stop-hit arrives at least one fencing time before the original attack. Indirect: an attack or riposte that finishes in the opposite line to which it was formed, by means of a disengage or coupe'. Insistence: forcing 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. Jury: the 4 officials who watch for hits in a dry fencing bout. Lame': a metallic vest/jacket used to detect valid touches in foil and sabre. Line: the main direction of an attack (eg., high/low, inside/outside), often equated to the parry that must be made to deflect the attack; also point in line. Lunge: an attack made by extending the rear leg and landing on the bent front leg. Mal-parry: also mal-pare'; 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. Match: the aggregate of bouts between two fencing teams. Measure: the distance between the fencers. Middle: the middle third of the blade, between foible and forte. Neuvieme: parry #9; blade behind the back, pointing down; alternatively, similiar to elevated sixte. Octave: parry #8; blade down and to the outside, wrist supinated. Opposition: holding the opponent's blade in a non-threatening line; a time-hit; any attack or counter-attack with opposition. Parry: a block of the attack, made with the forte of one's own blade. Pass: an attack made with a cross; eg. fleche, "Russian lunge". Also, the act of moving past the opponent. Passata-sotto: a lunge made by dropping one hand to the floor. Passe': an attack that passes the target without hitting; also a cross-step (see cross). Phrase: a set of related actions and reactions in a fencing conversation. Piste: the linear strip on which a fencing bout is fought; approx. 2m wide and 14m long. Pistol Grip: a modern, orthopaedic grip, shaped vaguely like a small pistol; varieties are known by names such as Belgian, German, Russian, and Visconti. Plaque': a point attack that lands flat. 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; an attack made with the point (ie. a thrust) Point in Line: also line; an extended arm and blade that threatens the opponent. Pommel: a fastener that attaches the grip to the blade. Preparation: the initial phase of an attack, before right-of-way is established. Presentation: offering one's blade for engagement by the opponent. 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. Prime: parry #1; blade down and to the inside, wrist pronated. Principle of Defence: the use of forte against foible when parrying. Priority: in sabre, the now-superceded rules that decide which fencer will be awarded the touch in the event that they both attack simultaneously; also used synonymously with right-of-way. Prise de Fer: also taking the blade; an engagement of the blades that forces the opponent's weapon into a new line. See: bind, croise, envelopment, opposition. Quarte: parry #4; blade up and to the inside, wrist supinated. Quinte: parry #5; blade up and to the inside, wrist pronated. In sabre, the blade is held above the head to protect from head cuts. Rapier: a long, double-edged thrusting sword popular in the 16th-17th centuries. Red 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 action that follows an attack that missed or was parried; see also Reprise. Referee: also director, president; the mediator of the fencing bout. Remise: immediate replacement of an attack that missed or was parried, without withdrawing the arm. Reprise: renewal of an attack that missed or was parried, after a return to en-garde; see also Redoublement. Retreat: step back; opposite of advance. Right-of-way: rules for awarding the point in the event of a double touch in foil or sabre. Riposte: an attack made immediately after a parry of the opponent's attack. Sabre: a fencing weapon with a flat blade and knuckle guard, used with cutting or thrusting actions; a military sword popular in the 18th to 20th centuries; any cutting sword used by cavalry. Salle: a fencing hall or club. Salute: with the weapon, a customary acknowledgement of one's opponent and referee at the start and end of the bout. Second Intention: a false action used to draw a response from the opponent, which will open the opportunity for the intended action that follows. Seconde: parry #2; blade down and to the outside, wrist pronated. Septime: parry #7; blade down and to the inside, wrist supinated. Simple: an attack or riposte that involves no feints. Simultaneous: in foil and sabre, two attacks for which the right-of-way is too close to determine. Single Stick: a form of fencing with basket-hilted wooden sticks. Sixte: parry #6; blade up and to the outside, wrist supinated. Small Sword: a light duelling sword popular in the 18th century, precursor to the foil. Stop Hit: a counter-attack that hits; also a counter-attack whose touch is valid by virtue of it's timing. Stop Cut: a stop-hit with the edge in sabre, typically to the cuff. Three Prong: a type of epee body wire/connector; also an old-fashioned tip that would snag clothing, to make it easier to detect hits in the pre-electric era. Thrown Point: a "flick". Thrust: an attack made by moving the sword parallel to its length and landing with the point. Tierce: parry #3; blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated. Time Hit: also time-thrust; old name for stop hit with opposition. Trompement: deception of the parry. Two Prong: a type of body-wire/connector, used in foil and sabre. 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: also advertissement, warning; used to indicate a minor rule infraction by one of the fencers. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS: Author: Morgan Burke (mor...@sitka.triumf.ca) Contributors: special thanks to Suman Palit, Guy Smith, Greg Dilworth, Kevin Taylor, Eric Anderson, Blaine Price, Steve Hick, Kim Moser, David Glasser, Bryan Mansfield, Donald Lane, Ann McBain, Hagen Lieffertz, Mark C. Orton, Mike Buckley, Dirk Goldar, Scott Holmes, Arild Dyrseth, David Airey, Renee Mcmeeken, Marc Walch, Eric Speicher, Anton Oskamp (C) 1993, 1994 Morgan Burke Permission is granted to copy and distribute all or part of this document for non-profit purposes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- End of rec.sport.fencing FAQ part III