fLiCk To ThE fLaNk...

[StRiP hOg]

wHat'S a fLiCk, & HoW dO i Do OnE?!?!?

[darius]

A flick is where you use your wrist and fingers to cause the blade to arc, bringing your tip from an out-of-line position to hit target that may or may not be visible. It's most impressive use is hitting the back, although the flank or front of the shoulder is also a good place.

It can be very effective in certain situations.

However, it's distance-sensitive. If your distance isn't down-cold, a competent opponent can retreat or close, causing your tip to miss, fall flat, and get a big fat touch.

Also, if you don't do it right, it can cause your blade to land flat with a loud *thwack* on your opponent's shoulder. Having been on the bad end of this, I can tell you that it's not a good way to make friends.

My recommendation: Don't do it until your coach teaches you how.

darius

[Rick]

Exercise caution when learning to flick. My coach taught me how, and for weeks that's all I kept on doing. I would by-pass the simple straight attack to the shoulder or flank and try to flick my way to the touche. It cost me some bouts.
But if used at the right time, the flick is unstoppable.

[darius]

I'd just like to point out that if used at the right time, a straight attack is unstoppable.

darius

[HilandDoug]

...and jumping on the bandwagon: if done properly, a good feint attack is unstoppable.

[Rick]

Good point, guys!
Same thing my coach says... so now, before each bout, while I'm hooking up, I'm whispering to my self: "No flicks, just go straight in... No flicks, just go straight in... No Flicks..."

[d8m2k]

I'd also like to point out that any action, icluding a flick, is unstoppable if used at the right time.

[introspective]

except for a stop thrust, if done in time, before you get flicked on the flank with a big big switch (you naughty boys!)

[Puppet Master]

If done properly all of MY attacks are unstopable.

[Lordy]

Guys,a person with an understanding of distance and strong, wide parries can defeat flicks, however stop hits are a dangerous practice. The flick has become so excepted nationally that even if the flick started from behind your opponents head as he waved his blade around, threatening nothing but the ceiling, your stop hit will be viewed as a counterattack if he can land his flick at all(that is, make his light go off- on or off target is irrelevant). It is better to step back, keep distance, successfully defend against his attack then riposte.

[Lumberg]

To Strip Hog,
Since you are asking what a flick is, I am guessing you are a novice fencer. With that assumption, you can learn and use a flick when you get into intermediate/advanced fencing.

[latenight]

I'm with Lumberg on this one. The only time you should be spending on flicks right now is on contoling distance so you don't become a victim of one. You need to devlop your straight attacks before you start trying to move the point.


PS. Lumberg, I love that movie, great quote!

[d8m2k]

If you attempt a stop hit, and the ref calls the attack against you, then you did not do it at the right time. And yes they are difficult to do, but not impossible.

[introspective]

thank you. i was getting stop hit happy. some of you guys are crazy: a "strong WIDE parry" we'll keep an OPEN MIND on this.

[Lordy]

Introspective, yes, to parry a flick, one must really resort to sabre parries. High tierce, wide quarte, tight to the body are two such examples. You obviously see things from a different perspective- please elaborate.

[introspective]

[QUOTE]Originally posted by introspective:
[B]thank you. i was getting stop hit happy. some of you guys are crazy: a "strong WIDE parry" we'll keep an OPEN MIND on this.

you know what? the whole pOINt is MOOT! Moot moot moot. Wide, small, open, close, big nothing over nothing. MIGHT MAKES RIGHT, parry anyway you want to, as strongly as you possibly can and riposte with all your strengh, because form and quality are passe.

[This message has been edited by introspective (edited 01-09-2001).]

[Gav]

Timing and distance are the keys to stopping flicks. If you can catch a blade (and hold it) then a parry-riposte with oppostion can also work.

I'm a left handed epeeist and I can catch a flick to wrist in tierce and and riposte (with oppostion) to the shoulder in virtually 1 action. I find a lot of sabre-esque moves can work quite well against flickers.

What always concerned me [in foil] is that a parry is often not recognised because a lot of ref's have no idea what a parry actually is!

[Mergs]

Gav,

Hear, hear! And they don't recognize a preparation either.

[Lordy]

Introspective, what weapon do you fence? Battle Ax? Broad Sword? Or Claymore?

[epeetaph]

Originally posted by StRiP hOg:
wHat'S a fLiCk, & HoW dO i Do OnE?!?!?

Well StRiP hOg you walk in to your nearest fencing outlet, plop a fifty on the counter, and promptly demand from the clerk a "flick" he then proceeds to put on a helmet, glove, and from under the counter out comes a sword, and before you know what to do...there you have it...a flick...hehe, sorry...I couldn't help myself from the way you asked it...it sounded like..."how do I get one?" as in something to buy...so...anyway....listen to the other people's suggestions...not mine...okay, bye now.


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"Pain is just weakness leaving your body."