The Parries of Saber Fencing

Cabrillo Academy of the Sword

Saber is part of the three genres of fencing along with foil and epee. Most fencers start with foil because it is highly stylistic and teaches proper form. Eventually, a few students may make their way into saber which opens everything above the waist to attack and requires a higher skill level. Pushing students too quickly into saber will create an excessive amount of whacking that lacks style, form and effectiveness. 

In Saber there are generally the three parries of Tierce, Quarte, and Quinte with two secondary parries of Prime, Seconde, and Sixte. Their descriptions are below:

Quarte-High inside parry to protect the body.

Quinte-Parry to protect head.

Tierce-A high outside parry to protect the body.

Prime-Sweeping motion that protects the inside line.

Seconde-Guarding the low outside line. 

Saber fencing is ancient. It dates back to over 3000 years to Egypt with sticks, a German text in the 1300’s, and as a status symbol in the 1600’s (1). Practice became part of education where young wealthy families sent their sons to learn the art of combat. Today the sport is dominated by the French style but may also include the Spanish and Austro-Hungarian styles.

The Purpose of Basic Blocks in Kenpo

Basic blocks are used as a foundation to more advanced blocks in Kenpo. All blocks are designed to protect the most vital parts of the body from injury. Vital areas include the body and head. A solid blow to one of these locations may immobilize a person quickly putting them at risk for further injury. Most of the blocking movements are swiping and deflection designed to provide maximum protection. Learning the basic blocks is often the very first actions to be learned in Kenpo as they are central to the philosophy.

Both swiping and deflection try to change the direction of a person’s attack while not necessarily stopping it. For example, a punch to the head may be countered with a vertical outward block. The opponent’s punch will still move forward but be directed to the side of the head. The opponent’s attacking momentum often leaves open their own vital areas thereby allowing for counter strikes. You will find in Kenpo that the opponent’s momentum is effectively used against them.

It should be remembered that the best defense of all is distance. When faced with an aggressive person the wisest choice is simply to remove oneself from the situation. Making every effort to remove oneself and deescalate the aggression protects one physically and morally from criticism. Even black belts in kenpo will miss blocking a few punches and kicks from time-to-time thereby enduring some risks of injury. 

Practice the movements over and over until they are internalized as a reaction.

Inward Block: Palm comes to ear facing head. Arm is nearly perpendicular. Swing the arm across the body to protect against straight punches. The fist should be facing your body and end near your opposite shoulder. 

Extended Outward Block: Bring hand to opposite ear and push outward and across to protect body. Palm should end up facing downward and slightly outward just beyond the same side as the connecting shoulder. 

Vertical Outward Block: Hand in fist moves to opposite side at waste height. Move upward and outward to cover the entire mid region and face. When finished the arm should be on the same side as connected shoulder and look like you are making a muscle. This move protects against punches and grabs. 

Downward Block: Bring fist up to opposite head height with palm facing opponent. Swing fist downward and to the opposite side to protect against kicks. 

Upward Block: Push hand upward with palm facing outward and just above and away from the head to protect against bashing.

Universal Block:  Combine inward block with downward block to protect the midsection from a range of attacks. 

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The Health and Aging Benefits of Red Wine

Artwork: Dr. Murad Abel

“Red red wine you make me feel so grand I feel a million dollars when your just in my hand”. The song Red Red Wine by Neil Diamond may just have some healthy truth in it. As it turns out red wine is healthy for the heart and can encourage a youthful look. If you are going to drink something you might want to pick the option with the most benefits. Instead of reaching for red bull and vodka try something like a classic red wine.

According to the Mayo Clinic red wine has antioxidants that increase the levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol that protects the arteries of the heart (1). The antioxidants are called polyphenols and they protect the lining of blood vessels in the heart to ensure that they do not get clogged. 

 According to a study at the University of Leicester two glasses of wine can lower the chances of developing cancerous tumors by 50% (2). Most physicians will recommend a single glass of wine a day. This is great for everyday usage. However, most people who dine out are likely to have more than one and choosing red wine is a better option.

Red wine also has the amazing ability to reduce aging and make you look younger.  Your skin will be more elastic, spots will be less likely, and small wrinkles may not form as easily. The advantage of wine rests in the polyphenols ability to mop up the damaging free radicals that create aging and age-related diseases (3).

The magic is in the fermentation process and uses grape skins and seeds that are eventually removed but still leave the beneficial results (4). Not all wines are the same.  Smaller wineries with more organic products are better than larger wineries that use lots of chemicals. The type of wine will also make a difference.  According to the website Prevention (5) the top three types of wine are:

Pinot noirs: Contain grapes with the highest concentration of resveratrol from cold and rainy environments. 

Madirans and Cabernets: Made from tannat grapes with high levels of procyanidins. 

Syrahs and Merlots: Often made with blue color grapes with high concentrations of procyanidins.