Hits to Foot

[keith]

well a certain coach round here teaches a flick to wrist then drop flick to foot - so you have an action to the top of the wrist then a flick to the foot. On a right hander you hit the outside of their front foot - not the instep.

[veeco]

I am not sure you would call a flick shot to the foot a "flick shot" it's more of a sudden drop of the tip. Sometimes the hand squeezes the weapon grip on the way down and it looks a little "flicky" like some of the "straight shots" from foilists, which have a flicking component to them.

Whether they are flicks or not is left to debate, but they are not flicks in the sense that the blade bends at amazing angles. They are not flicks either in that they are not shots made to bend over any parry. The tip does precede the blade in these situations, so in my mind it is a straight shot.

[Captain Hook]

I don't usually attack the foot. Two weeks ago I fenced a younger yet much more experienced fencer he caught me twice when I was advancing quickly by ducking down and nailing me right on the big toe.

I only really go for the foot when I'm against a much taller opponent and even then only rarely as I don't have that much confidence in my accuracy yet.

[shlepzig]

Foot shots are cool, I really appreciate the grace of a fencer stretched out in a long low lunge, rather like a cheetah going after prey. Tactically they can stretch out an attack, and pull something out of thin air when the distance just didn't seem to be there. But I never try them for myself.

Most of the tournaments I end up at don't have grounded strips. Unless you really sell the shot, or the tip stays planted on your opponents toe, you have a good chance that your nicely timed toe shot will get called as a floor shot. I have seen some nice shots run right over the floor and nail the toe box of the fencers shoe, and the ref called it a floor shot - no touch.

Too many times I have seen a referee ask the recipient of the toe shot if he could verify if it were toe or floor. In the heat of fencing, he may have been hit on the toe, but not be able to confirm it. Some fencers may also choose to exploit the indecision and decline that they noticed a toe shot even if they just lost the nail off of their big toe.

I prefer the knee, or shin as the lowest line target I will go for (combo with a counter 8 from 6 is my preferred method). The knee is usually right over the toe. The slightly higher line is a little less risky, and the director usually has no question whether it was toe or floor.

If you are at a venue with grounded strips, their would be no reason not to go for them. Without, they just seem too risky.

Shlep

PS I also really appreciate the grace of the fencer who has just picked that toe up and picked the stretched out fencer right between the eyes. Rather like a crane fishing, or Ralph Macchio in the karate Kid.

I aim for the mask of the toe shot perpetrator, it's higher, closer and coming in fast while the other guy is usually looking at my toe.

[veeco]

I aim for the mask of the toe shot perpetrator, it's higher, closer and coming in fast while the other guy is usually looking at my toe.

Aaargh. You don't look at your opponent's foot when you're going for a toe shot.

As you said, where the knee and the thigh are give you enough information on where the foot is. You'll find that your success rate on toe shots actually increases when you're not looking, and for 2 reasons:

1- Keeping your head high means you have better posture, and are less likely to lose balance. Therefore you are more precise.
2- Keeping your eyes on your opponent and not just on his foot means that you can adapt in the middle of the action to something else if they don't react the way you expected them to.

[shlepzig]

That was actually my description of my preferred defense against the toe shot. My opponents may not be looking at my toe, though they seem to be, so I had always assumed.

Good tips for the toe hungry, but I still think it's too risky in venues without rounded strips.

Shlep.

[Alain]

well a certain coach round here teaches a flick to wrist then drop flick to foot - so you have an action to the top of the wrist then a flick to the foot. On a right hander you hit the outside of their front foot - not the instep.

May I just say, sir, that you are a genius. I tried this move today at practice, for the first time, and it is magnifique I used it in virtually every fight, sparingly though, against both right- and left-handers... and it worked every time. Thanks a mil'

[Morion]

I selected "Not Really" but that is only because I'm not good enough to make it work yet. Once I get better at this you can bet I'll take any touch that opens up for me!

[Bayou Bum]

I had the pleasure of watching a fencer going for a toe touch only to have their opponent accidentally step on their blade and score easily. It was one of the funniest fencing sights I have ever witnessed.

[epeezack]

Its a secondary target for me. I'll try for it if I need an attack(to keep momentum up), but I don't single it out very often.

[Dax]

I dont like hitting people in the foot. I view it as a cheap way to get a point. I generally go for the chest, neck, arm, ribs or upper leg. Part of it is because I am 6'6'', so hitting somone in the foot is pretty far down.