Summary

Clearly I’ve only scratched the surface of one small area of fencing; there are many other topics such as defense, attacks on preparation, etc. which are not covered at all here. Still, proper preparation is certainly important if you don’t intend to try and get all your touches on ripostes.

As a fencer, learn to dissect the drills and lessons you receive, and understand that you’re being taught a preparation which is designed to evoke a response. If you do the preparation properly and it evokes the right response, you get to launch your one-tempo attack. It’s not just a matter of “Oh, so if I do a feint-deceive like this, I’ll get the touch every time?”. Also, try to practice all four of the “golden rules”.

As a coach, try to teach cases where the preparation fails (even if it’s done correctly by the pupil) as well as cases where it succeeds. If the pupil still launches attacks when their preparation hasn’t evoked the right response, there’s a problem. Responses which merely require an additional preparation are good, as well as responses which leave the pupil nothing to do but restart their preparations completely.

And, as the obliging target in a partner drill, don’t help your partner practice mistakes. If that feint doesn’t look like a threat, don’t parry it. On the other hand, really try to defend yourself, so that the attack won’t succeed if it comes after the one-tempo situation is gone. And equally importantly, practice cases where you make a response that prevents the one-tempo situation from coming about in the first place, and make sure the attacker can hold back and continue preparation.

Copyright © 1998 by Gregory A. Jones
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