Book Review: Crowood Fencing

Crowood sports guide to Fencing by Andrew Sowerby focuses on skills, tactics and training. It provides a number of fundamental skills all the way from the beginner to the professional competitors. It will bring readers through the history of fencing, technical skills for practice, tactics for bouts, and drills. As a basic book of fencing it should be included in your library. 

The book is primarily focused on foil fencing but does offer a chapter on epee and saber. It provides strong pictures and drawings to illustrate how certain tactics work and then moves onto explaining those concepts. If you are seeking practice moves you do well to purchase the book and understand the general drill training exercises. 

Even though the book begins with the basics it is really designed to give a broad overview of fencing techniques for those who desire to compete. Of particular interest is its discussion of competitive fencing and how tournaments work. It provides a discussion of how points are awarded and what to expect in scoring. 

You might also be interested in the sections on attacking an opponent’s preparation as well as inviting attacks. There are times when indicating an attack will prompt the opponent to make the first move which allows you draw your opponent into your area of attack. Sometimes it may lead to a while different skill set of close quarter tactics which are different than standard fending moves. 

Sowerby, A. (2011) Crowood Sports Guides Fencing. Crowood Press, UK.  ISBN 978 I 84797 305 4

The Use of the Coupe in Fencing

As one advances in fencing they naturally learn new tactics with greater complexity. After mastering the basic attack and defense moves it is necessary to develop new skills to compete with higher end opponents. The coup is a move that appears to be simple and easy to learn but can create distinct advantages in the game or cause one to lose points if not quickly executed.

The Coupe in fencing is also known as the cut over as the blade is pushed up and over the opponent’s blade with the use of the wrist. The fingers are primary because pulling back on the blade at any time loses the right of way and allows the opponent to place an attack.  The Coupe is an indirect tactic and a proficient move for advanced players. Much practice will be needed to do this well at lightning speed.

According to a master fencer Capo Ferro in 1610 the cut over must be a single fluid motion. It is a risky tactic due to the blade moving out of line creating a level of exposure for the attacker. When the game is heated and there are constant counter attacks the tactic even takes on greater risks because it is difficult to know what and when your opponent will make his/her move. The opponent may simply attack while the blade is in the process of a cut over making it more difficult for the originator to counter.

The move changes the line of attack that can have a positive impact on adjusting the nature of the attack and defense strategies. Someone may us this if an opening is found on the other side of the opponent’s body and the player wishes to combine it with a thrust. The coupe is rarely used without the thrust, as it would not be of much benefit simply to move the blade from one side to the other.

All attacks have only four different blade actions, which include the thrust, disengagement, counter disengagement and the cut over. One might consider this movement when it is hard to make it past the opponent’s defenses in the current line of attack. By using, a quick cut over it may offer enough of an opening to make a quick strike.

You may be interested in reading a printed book on fencing. Lessons in Foil Fencing

The Counter Parry: Contre de Quarte and Sixte

Fencing is a game of skill that is refined within a certain radius of the body. In foil fencing the overall radius is even smaller making the movements more about subtle skill than overpowering your opponent. It is these attacks and counter attacks that make the game interesting to bystanders. Whenever there is an attack there are a number of moves that can be made ranging from moving out of the way to counter attacks. The counter parry is a tactic designed to stop an attack and regain momentum.

The counter parry is considered a more advanced move than the standard parry and riposte. The purpose of the counter parry is to remove the opponent’s blade from blocking an attack or to disrupt a negative rhythm in the game. By using a contre de quarte or contre de sixte it is possible to not only remove the blade but also put oneself in the position of an attack.  This occurs when you have removed the opponent’s momentum and then placed it with yourself by controlling the nature of the effort to the end of the bout.

As the shinny piece of steel wraps itself around its opponents it can either move for narrow or larger parries that have a different impact on the challenger. A large swirl can be unwieldy causing both persons to lose some level of control. It should be attempted when you’re trying to break apart your opponent’s body rhythm. The smaller counter parry is best used to loosen the control of an opponent’s constant attack and try and regain the momentum. 

Contre de quarte moves counter clockwise and the contre de sixte is clockwise. The contre de quarte is generally an awkward move based on the muscles and ligament designs of the wrist. It is suggested that this move be practiced in case of occasional use, but is not part of the standard moves. Contre de sixte is a more natural tactic and generally aligns with body mechanics making it a powerful part of the game. 

The counter parry is designed to be in conjunction with the riposte. Together they are called the counter parry-riposte that is designed to ensure that you are not only stopping the opponents attack but that you have the capacity to also claim the right-of-way and attack again. Together the combination can be deadly to new fencing partners until they have found ways of avoiding the movements.

The counter-parry is something that should be learned once the basics like the lunge, parry and riposte have been mastered. It is these methods that dominate the game and are used by everyone from beginners to masters. However, once the game gets going and people have learned the basics using a counter-parry can change the overall approach and momentum.