A B C D E F G H I J L M O P Q R S T U  
 
A  

Advance

  
From an en guarde or balanced position, the fencer steps forward with his front foot and then immediately steps forward a corresponding distance with his rear foot.    
   

Attack

 

An offensive action (or actions) whose sole purpose is to hit the opponent.

  
   

Attack on the blade (Attaque au fer)

  
A forceful action against the defending blade, intended to open a line or to compel a reaction. See your coach for details regarding Beat, Press and Expulsion.  
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 B  

Bout

  
A fight, usually formal, between two fencers for a prescribed number of hits within a specific period of time.  
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 C  

Conventions

  
Mostly those specific rules and interpretations pertaining to priority or right-of-way in foil and sabre. Note: Epee the non-conventional weapon, has enough complicated rules of its own!  
   

Counter-Attack (Contre-attaque)

 
An offensive action executed (frequently) into your opponent's preparation or (occasionally) into his attack. Justification lies in the belief that the initial attack is slow, technically unsound or tentative.  
   

Cut

  
A stroke, restricted to Sabre fencing, that utilizes an edge of the blade. In Sabre, hits also may be scored with the point.  
   

Cut-Over (Coupe)

 
A change of engagement from high line to opposite high line via the high line.  
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 D  

Derobement (Avoidance)

 
The fencer, having correctly put his point in line, successfully evades the attempt of his opponent, the would-be attacker, to find his blade.  
   

Director

  
See President.   
   

Disengage

 
A change of engagement from high line to opposite high line via the low line.  
   

Double Hit (Coup Double)

  
 Both fencers score hits at the same time. Registered by the scoring apparatus, this must be done within .04 of a second.  
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E  

Epee

  
 The non-conventional weapon formerly described as the Dueling Sword.  
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 F  

Feint

  
A threatening movement of the blade intended to provoke a reaction.  
   
F.I.E.  
Federation Internationale d'Escrime  
   

Foible

 
The feeble or weaker part (1/3 to 1/2) of the blade.  
   

Foil (Fleuret)

  
The thrusting weapon that emphasizes theory and technique, is usually taught as an introduction to Fencing.  
   

Forte

 
The strongest part of the weapon, should be used exclusively for parrying.  
   

French

 
The international and official language of Fencing; also French School, one of the two great schools upon which both classical and modern fencing is based.  
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 G  

Glove (Gant)

  
Invaluable protection for the fingers, hand and even wrist, especially against "flicks" and whipovers. Don't try to fence without one!  
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 H  

Hit (Coup)

  
The point or edge of the weapon arrives on target.  
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I  

Invitation

  
For tactical reasons, the obvious exposure of valid target.  
   

Italian School (see French)

  
The other great classical school. Modern representatives would include the masters Barbasetti, Mangiarotti, Nadi and Santelli; and for the French masters, Merignac, Thirioux and Clery.  
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 J  

Jacket

  
In modern Fencing, now completely electrified, the regulation jacket is now covered by an over-jacket, a metallic plastron commonly called a lame'.
Note: not to be confused with "lame," the French word for blade.		  
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 L  

Line, Lines

  
Target areas defined to some extent by the position of the defending fencer's hand and blade. In the conventional weapons, the basic lines are high, low, inside and outside.  
   

Lunge

  
The classic attacking action - the extended sword arm is followed instantly by the straightened rear leg.  
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 M  

Mask

  
Not the strip of cloth worn by Zorro, but an important piece of equipment that should be tested regularly and carefully.  
   

Meter (Metre)

  
A metric measurement equal to 39.37 inches. If you have to mark out a piste, think 3-3-3. (3 feet plus 3 inches plus 1/3 inch)  
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 O  

On Guard (En Garde)

  
The basic fencing stance wherefrom the fencer can efficiently attack, parry or counter-attack.  
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 P  

Parry (Parade)

  
A movement of the defending blade, consisting technically of opposition of forte to foible, that prevents the arrival of the attack.  
   

Piste

 
An area with specific dimensions regarding length and width whereon organized fencing competition is held. The fencing strip.  
   

Pool

  
A competition system aimed at eliminating a certain number of fencers while promoting the others.  
   

President

 
Formerly the official in charge of a jury. With the advent of electrified weapons, his modern counterpart is a Referee, an appelation that offends the traditionalists!  
   

Prise de fer (Taking of the blade)

  
An action against the opposing blade, intended to control or restrict it before concluding the attack. See your coach for details regarding Bind, Envelopment, Croise and Glide.  
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 R  

Referee

  
See President.  
   

Renewed Attacks (Remise, Redoublement, Reprise)

  
Following his parry, the defending fencer commits a tactical error: fails to riposte, ripostes tardily or ineffectively, exposes his line or retreats. The first fencer, maintaining a straight arm, promptly resumes his original attack,either into the same line (remise) or into another line (redoublement).  
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 S  

Sabre

  
The other conventional weapon, it utilizes cuts rather than thrusts, hitting far more often with the edge than with the point.  
   

Simultaneous Action

  
Both fencers get hit together, the consequence of actions that, in the opinion of the President, were simultaneous in concept and execution.  
   

Step

  
In Fencing a step means the movement of both feet, one slightly preceding the other. If, for example, a fencer moves only one foot, the movement technically is a half-step. (Demi-pas)  
   

Stop-hit (Coup d'arret)

  
A counter-attack that arrives on the penultimate movement (or earlier) of a compound attack. Correctly executed, it gains a fencing tempo.  
   

Straight Thrust (Coup droit)

  
A direct simple attack. Indirect simple attacks are the cut-over and the disengage.  
   

Strip

  
See Piste.  
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 T  

Target

  
The specific area wherein the attack must arrive in order to score a valid hit. Each weapon has its own target area.  
   

Tempo

 
The time required by the individual fencer to execute a movement involving his blade, body or feet; also a principle underlying right-of-way in the convention weapons.  
   

Thrust

  
An attacking or forward movement of the point, usually made without a full lunge.  
   

Time

  
Intimately related to but not quite the same thing as Tempo. In Epee, for example, we mean clock time measurable by the scoring apparatus. In these cases the President makes a decision based on what happened or didn't happen within .04 (that's 1/25) of a second!  
   

Time-hit (Coup de temps) 

  
In effect, a riposte-parry. The executant hits while closing the line in which the finale of the attack concludes. Correctly executed, this stroke creates a one-hit situation.  
   

Trompement (Deception)

  
As the fencer attempts to find the attacking blade (that is, to parry), the attacker deceives his movement by changing into another line. Compare with Derobement.  
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U  

USFA

  
United States Fencing Association (the governing body) part of the F.I.E - Federation Internationale d'Escrime (the international organization).  
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