The compound attack occupies a central place in fencing procedure. It consists of just one or additional feints of basic attacks followed by a final straightforward attack, all as just one constant motion. Every single motion is intended to get and preserve the opponent’s parrying response in movement, opening new lines to the closing attack. The much more actions included, the much more periods of fencing time the attack calls for. This posting explores the wide range of compound attacks probably to be uncovered in equally modern day and classical fencing.
Compound assaults are ordinarily initiated by one of 4 steps:
Straight thrust as a feint of an assault commencing and continuing in one particular line.
Disengage as a feint of an assault setting up in one line and passing close to the bell to a further line, both vertically or horizontally.
Coupe as a feint of an assault setting up in one particular line and passing close to the issue to a different line.
Modify of engagement as a provocation to lead to hand and blade movement on the aspect of the opponent.
In contemporary fencing, steps necessitating much more than two steps are uncommon, and are susceptible to halt hits. This limitations the variety of compound assaults typically found to nine:
(1) feint of straight thrust, disengage
(2) feint of straight thrust, counterdisengage
(3) feint of straight thrust, straight thrust
(4) feint of disengage, disengage (the A person-Two)
(5) feint of disengage, counterdisengage (the Double)
(6) feint of disengage, straight thrust
The original action of modify of engagement draws a few probable responses for a remaining motion. It ought to be observed that standard definitions of compound attacks do not incorporate change of engagement as an first action. Nonetheless, the intent of the transform, the several intervals of fencing time, and the final result of the following steps are primarily compound:
(7) if the opponent usually takes no action: transform of engagement, straight thrust.
(8 if the opponent presses again to block the opened line: adjust of engagement, disengage.
(9) if the opponent commences to transform the engagement to return to the unique engagement: adjust of engagement, counterdisengage.
Notice that the 3 compound steps which end with a straight thrust in this list are generally described as currently being basically continuations of the easy assault. In truth, if you are fencing eyes open up, they are obviously two-component actions in their tactical conception, even if they appear to the referee and the opponent as easy attacks.
Classical fencers, with the greater emphasis on blade function discovered up right up until Earth War II, had a significantly broader variety of compound assaults to decide on from. Many of these might nevertheless be helpful as training exercise routines. The adhering to record attracts from performs by Maurice Grandiere (1906), Felix Grave (1934), and Jules Campos (1981):
(10) feint of disengage, disengage, disengage (the A single-Two-Three)
(11) feint of disengage, disengage, counterdisengage (the One particular-Two and Deceive the Counter)
(12) feint of disengage, disengage, disengage, disengage (the One particular-Two-A few-4)
(13) feint of disengage, counterdisengage, disengage (the Double-Disengage)
(14) feint of disengage, counterdisengage, disengage, disengage (the Double-One particular-Two)
(15) feint of disengage, counterdisengage, counterdisengage (the Triple)
(16) feint of disengage, counterdisengage, disengage, disengage, disengage (the Double-Just one-Two-3)
(17) feint of disengage, counterdisengage, disengage, counterdisengage (the Double and Redouble)
(18) feint of coupe, disengage (the Coupe and Disengage)
(19) feint of coupe, coupe (Double Coupe)
(20) feint of coupe, disengage, disengage (the Coupe and Just one-Two)
(21) feint of coupe, disengage, counterdisengage (the Coupe and Double)
(22) feint of coupe, coupe, disengage (the Double Coupe and Disengage)
The final classical compound attack, initiated with the adjust of engagement, was (23) the Tour d’Epee, shaped by double adjust of engagement, coupe, and disengage.
There are definitely other compound actions which have been taught and employed above the a long time. And as fencing evolves, it appears to be most likely that we will see other steps extra to this record. This delivers a variety of actions that can be taught for use in beat and that can be employed as exercises to develop blade handle and fingerplay dexterity.