FENCING
FENCING may be described, for a general definition, as the art of defending one’s own body or assailing another person’s in fair fight by the aid of a side-weapon—i.e., by a sword, rapier, or bayonet. Technically, fencing is usually limited to the second of these; and works on the art touch only on attack and defence with the foil in pastime, and the rapier in actual personal combat. The present opportunity will, however, be taken to introduce the elements of single combat with foil, sword, and bayonet. The objection formerly existed that instruction in fencing encouraged a propensity to duelling; but as that absurdest of absurd customs has entirely ceased—at least in Britain—to demand its annual victims, no such objection now holds. Fencing may therefore be safely learned and taught as an elegant and manly accomplishment, developing gracefulness and activity, while it imparts suppleness to the limbs, strength to the muscles, and quickness to the eye.
This regards fencing with the foils (the rapier has disappeared with the duels which employed it); but instruction in fencing with the sword and bayonet, while conferring the same advantages, has in addition the recommendation of helping to fit the student for taking an active part in any general national defence that political circumstances might render necessary. The Foil (q. v.) is a circular or polygonal bar of pliable and very highly tempered steel, mounted as any other sword, and blunted at the point by a ‘ button,’ to prevent danger in its use. From its nature, the foil can only be employed in thrusting, and, being edgeless, it can be handled without liability to cutting wounds. The length of the blade should be proportioned to the height of the person using it, —31 inches being the medium length for men, and 38 inches from hilt to point the maximum allowable. As a protection against accidental thrusts, the face is generally guarded by a wire-mask. The two portions of the blade are known as the ‘ forte’ and the ‘ feeble;’ the first extending from the hilt to the center, and the other from the center to the point.
In drawing, advance the right foot slightly to the front, take the scabbard with the left hand, raise the right elbow as high as the shoulder, seize the hilt with right hand, nails turned inward, and having drawn the foil, pass it with vivacity over the head in a semicircle, and bring it down to the guard (of which presently) with its point towards the adversary, not higher than his face, nor lower than his lowest rib. Simultaneously with the weapon being brought into position, the left hand with fingers extended should be raised to a level with the head, as a counterpoise in the various motions to ensue. In establishing the position of guard, the right foot must be advanced 24 inches before the left, the heels in a straight line, and each knee slightly bent, to impart elasticity to the movements, but not too much, lest the firmness of the position be diminished.
In fencing, there are three openings or entrances—the inside, comprising the whole breast from shoulder to shoulder; outside, attackable by all the thrusts made above the wrist on the outside of the sword; and the low parts, embracing from the armpits to the hips. For reaching and guarding these entrances, there are five positions of the wrist—prime, seconde, tierce, carte (quarte), and quinte. The most important, and those to commence with, are carte and tierce, from which are derived the subordinate positions of carte over the arm, low carte, and flanconnade or octave.
To engage is to cross swords with your adversary, pressing against his with sufficient force to prevent any manœuvre taking you unawares. To disengage is to slip the point of your sword briskly under his blade, and to raise it again on the other side, pressing in a direction opposite to that of the previous case.
The guard in each position is a passive obstruction to the opposing thrust; the parade is an active obstruction, in which the guard is first assumed, and the blade then pressed outward or inward by a turn of the wrist against the adversary’s sword, so that when thrust at your body it shall be diverted from its aim, and held off. The parade may therefore be regarded as a mere extension of the guard. If the parade were called the ‘parry,’ it would convey its meaning more readily to English ears. Another, and perhaps more appropriate name for thrust, is the ‘ lunge,’ or ‘longe,’ as the thrust is almost always accompanied by a lunge forward of the right foot, to give at once greater force and longer command to the blow.
The following are directions for the principal guards and thrusts, which may also be seen depicted roughly in the sketches below.
Carte,Guard.—Turn wrist with nails upwards; hand on a line with lower part of breast; arm somewhat bent, and elbow inclined a little to the outside; point of foil elevated at an angle of about 15°, and directed at upper part of adversary’s breast.
Thrust.—Being at the guard in carte, straighten the arm, raise the wrist above the head, drop the foil’s point to a line with the adversary’s breast, throw first the wrist, and then the whole body, forward by a lunge with the right foot of two feet from the ‘guard,’ the left foot remaining firm. The left hand should be dropped during the lunge to a level with the thigh, and to a position distant about a foot from the body; it will then afford a good counterpoise to the sword-arm. During the whole action, the body must be perfectly upright. When performed briskly, it appears that the point and foot are advanced simultaneously, but in fact the point has, or should have, priority, in order that the instantly following lunge may drive it home. Most of these observations concerning thrust in carte apply equally to all other thrusts.
Carte over the armis a variety of this thrust. The sword is driven outside the adversary’s blade, from the carte position, but in the tierce line.
Low Carte.—Engage adversary’s blade in carte, then drop point under his wrist, in a line to his elbow, and thrust at his flank, the body being considerably bent.
Flanconnade or Octave.—Engage adversary’s blade in carte, and bind it with yours, then carry your point behind his wrist and under his elbow : without quitting his blade, plunge your point to his flank.
Tierce,Guard—As in carte, the nails and wrist being somewhat more downward, and the arm stretched a little outward, to cover the outside.
Parade.—Move arm, from the guard, obliquely downward to the right about six inches, and oppose the inside of the adversary’s blade.
Thrust.—From the guard, turn wrist with nails downward, the same height as in carte, the inside of the arm in a line with .the right temple; then thrust and lunge as in carte.
Seconde,Parade.—Nails and wrist downward, hand opposed outward, and blade, pointing low, should form an angle of about 45° with the ground.
Thrust—The same as tierce, but delivered under the adversary’s wrist and elbow, to a point between his right armpit and right breast: the body to be more bent than in carte or tierce.
Prime,Parade.—In using prime to parry the thrust in seconde, pass your point over the adversary’s blade, lower it to the waist, keeping your wrist as high as your mouth, nails downward, elbow
bent, and body held back as far as possible. The left foot should also be drawn backward a few inches, to remove the body further from the hostile point. Thrust—An extension movement from the parade.
Quinte,Parade.—Wrist in high carte, sword-point low, and oppose adversary from the forte of the outside edge of your blade.
Thrust.—Make a feint on the half-circle parade, with the wrist in carte; disengage your point over the adversary’s blade, and thrust directly at his flank.
Half-circle,Parade—One of the principal defensive parades; straighten arm, keep wrist in line with shoulder, nails up: by quick
motion of wrist sweep point from right to left in a circle covering your body from head to knee, until the adversary’s blade is found and opposition established.
The parades parry thrusts as follows :
Carte,with wrist low, parries low carte and seconde; with wrist raised, all the thrusts over the point on the inside of the sword and the flanconnade.
Tierceparries high carte; with raised wrist, parries tierce.
Secondeparries all lower thrusts, both inside and outside.
Half-circleparries carte, high carte, tierce, and seconde.
Primeparries carte, low carte, and seconde.
Quinteparries seconde and flanconnade.
In all parades or parries, care must be taken that in covering the side attacked, the parade is not so wide as to expose the other side to the enemy. A steady countenance, showing no disquietude at any attempt he may make, is, above all, necessary in parades.
Every parade has its return, which should be made with vivacity and decision. A thrust can be returned when the adversary thrusts, or when, baffled in his attack, he is recovering to his guard. In the first case, no lunge is necessary, the return being made from the wrist: this return requires great skill and quickness, since the adversary should receive the thrust before, by finishing his own, he has touched your body.
Ordinary Returns.—After carte parry, return in carte; after tierce, return in tierce; after parrying high carte, return seconde; after parrying seconde, return in quinte; after parade in prime, return seconde or low carte.
Feints,of which there are many varieties, consist in threatening an attack on one side of the sword, and then executing it on the other. The best parade against a feint is that of the half-circle, which will be sure to find the adversary’s point.
Advance and Retreatare motions of attack or withdrawal, per-formed by advancing the right, or withdrawing the left foot suddenly about 18 inches, and instantly following it with the other foot. As the adversary advances, you must retreat, unless prepared to receive him at the sword-point.
Salute.—The salute is a courteous opening of the fencing, and consists in gracefully taking off the hat, while, with the foils, your adversary and yourself measure your respective distances.
Appelsor beats with the right foot, beats on the adversary’s blade, and glissades or glidings of one sword along the other, are motions intended to confuse the enemy, and give openings for thrusts.
Voltes, demi-voltes,and disarming, were manœuvres formerly taught with care, but they are now quite discarded in the academies of England and France, as useless and undesirable.
In Spain and Italy considerable differences of practice from that in France and England prevail. The left hand is used as an auxiliary in parrying, and in Italy is aided by a dagger, or sometimes a cloak. The Spaniard, though trusting to his sword and left hand only, has his blade five feet long, with sharp edges; his guard is nearly straight, and one of his favorite attacks is by a cut (not thrust) at the head.
In an article limited in length as this must necessarily be, it is impossible to give more than the merest outline of the various motions; but, of course, in actual practice, there are endless variations of the different modes of attack and defence, which will be severally adopted according to the skill and option of the fencer. There is no finer indoor exercise than fencing, as the muscles in every limb are developed and strengthened by it. The great requirements for success are a steady eye and hand, a quick purpose as quickly executed, and, perhaps above all, perfect equanimity of temper.
THE SWORD EXERCISE differs from fencing with the foil; in that, the weapon employed has one cutting edge as well as a point, and is therefore intended to cut and thrust. The sword is the arm of all officers in the army and navy, of many non-commissioned officers, and constitutes the sole mode of attack and defence for the officers of the British volunteers. A certain degree of proficiency in its use is therefore always serviceable. In practice, the usual substitute is ? stout, straight stick, called a ‘ single-stick,’ having a basket-handle to protect the knuckles.
The position of the combatant is the same as that assumed in fencing with the foil; the lunge is similar, as are also the ‘ advance’ and ‘retreat,’ and other minor points. According to the instructions of drill-masters, there are seven cuts, with seven corresponding guards, and three thrusts. The theoretical directions of all these are shown on the accompanying diagram, which represents a target placed opposite a pupil, so that he may see the motions he is expected to perform displayed before him. The center of the target is supposed to be in a line with the center of his breast.
The cuts proceed from the circumference towards the center along the thick lines. Nos 1, 3, and 5 are inside cuts, and attack the left cheek, left side, and inside of the right leg respectively; 2, 4, and 6 are outside cuts, attacking the enemy’s right cheek, right side, and right leg on the outside. No. 7 is a vertical cut, aimed at the head.
The dotted lines show the position of the sword in the several guards by which the cuts are opposed. The sword-handles illustrate the situation of the right hand with reference to the center of the body.
The points or thrusts are shown by the black circles. That towards No. 1 should be directed with the wrist and edge of the sword upwards to the right; towards 2, with the edge upwards to the left; and in the 3d point, with the wrist rising to the center, and the edge upwards to the right.
The’ parry ‘ is an additional defensive movement, and consists in bringing the wrist nearly to the right shoulder; whence, as center, a circular sweep of the sword is made from left to right.
A considerable latitude is allowable in regard to the cuts, as to the part of the adversary’s body at which they are directed, provided the general inclination of the blow be observed; similarly, the cut may at times be parried by a guard other than that intended specially for it, according to the discretion of the fencer.
In engaging, or joining swords, with the enemy, press the blades but lightly together, so that the hand and wrist may be readily susceptible of any motion. In making the guards, care must always be taken to receive, if possible, the feeble of the enemy’s blade on the forte of your own, so as to offer the greater opposition. It should also be borne in mind that, in all cuts at the leg, when at proper distance, the shifting of your own leg, and delivering a cut at the same moment, becomes the most effectual and advantageous defence, particularly if you happen to be taller than your adversary, as you will then probably be out of his reach, while he is within yours.
In contending with bayonet or pike, the most effectual guard is the 5th. which, if well timed, enables the swordsman to seize the musket or pike with his left hand, and then make the 6th cut at his opponent’s neck. In an encounter with the rapier, the best cuts are Nos. 3 and 4, as they attack the enemy’s arm, which must be advanced within reach before he can touch your body, and also constitute a defence against his thrust. If the enemy—no matter how armed—be on horseback, the dismounted swordsman (provided he have proper nerve and agility) has decidedly the advantage. Endeavor to place yourself on his left, where he has less power of defending himself or his horse, and cannot reach to so great a distance as on his right: an attack on the horse will probably render it ungovernable, and it becomes easy then to avoid the rider’s blows, while he himself may be attacked with impunity in almost any direction.
BAYONET EXERCISE.—If the sword exercise be of use to volunteer officers, there are thirty times as many volunteers themselves
to whom a proper command of the bayonet is indispensable. In close-quarter engagements, there is no weapon more formidable : from its length and weight, the thrust of the bayonet gives a terrible wound, and its force is such that there is great difficulty in parrying the attack. Like other small-arms, it is most serviceable when handled on scientific principles; and the art of using it to advantage is so simple as to be very easily acquired, while the exercise, from the weight of the rifle, admirably aids in developing the muscles of all parts of the body.
Of course, the bayonet is always fixed at the end of the musket, when it becomes virtually a pike. The position of the feet in the bayonet exercise remains always the same relatively, and absolutely until advance or retreat be effected. The right foot is thrown back 24 inches, and the weight of the body thrown upon it. The heels are kept in a line with each other, both knees bent and well apart; the right knee directly over the foot, the left easy and flexible, pointing to the front. In this position of the
body, all the defensive motions of the bayonet are made. In ‘ guard,’ the bayonet is brought nearly to a horizontal direction, level with the waist, and pointing towards the breast of an advancing enemy. Similarly, to ‘ guard,’ the positions ‘ low,'’ high,’ and ‘ second point’ are assumed, the bayonet pointing as shown by the dotted lines in fig. 7, The butt of the rifle is always kept well to the right side, the hand behind the trigger-guard, and the whole body in attitude to offer great resistance. In ‘low,’ the barrel is turned downwards; but in all the other defensive motions it is held upwards. The position of the arms is in each case that which would naturally be taken in placing the bayonet and musket in the required direction.
The offensive position of the body acquired by the extension of the right, leg, and bending forward of the left without moving the feet. The butt of the rifle is at the same time pressed firmly to the shoulder. This position is called ‘point,’ and constitutes an extension of the weapon in a direction parallel with either of those previously taken. As there were four ‘guards,’ so there are four points, which are shown in fig. 8. The barrel is in each case upward, and the motions for each are similar, except in pointing from ‘3d point,’ when the rifle, seized by the right hand round the small of the butt, is thrust straight up above the head to the full extent of the arm, the left hand falling along the thigh, and the legs being straightened so as to form an isosceles triangle.
‘Shorten arms’ is a useful motion, both as a defence arid as a preparation for a strong attack. It consists in carrying the butt back to the full extent of the arm, while the barrel (downwards) rests upon the thick part of the left arm. The body is thrown upon the right leg, and the left straightened. This powerful position is seen in the annexed cut.
In all the guards and points, and also ’shorten arms,’ the bayonet may be turned directly to the front, to the right, or to the
left, as circumstances may suggest. In contending with a swordsman, the action of changing from right to left, when at the ‘ high ‘ or ‘ low,’ is sufficient defence against the ordinary cuts of the latter.
Among the treatises consulted for this article have been the works on fencing by Angelo and Roland, as well as the shorter instructions issued by the military authorities.