Need help with two things...

[TheSeth]

Alright new to this site just registered like 5 min. ago. Anyway, I am having a little trouble beating the one left hander in my group of fencers I train with. I finally beat him last week once by going for his upper left shoulder making sure his arm didn't get in my way. Well he started beating me again and the worst part is he is right handed and just switched to try it and now he just switches when he fences me. Anyway lets get down to it I ned some tips on right handed fencing a left hander its very annnoying for him to beat me when I can beat him EVERY time right handed. Alright i know this thread is long but I need a little more help and hope you guys and gals don't mind. Another problem I have is that I will attack a persons six and then when they got for it I circle around them it works great and is a basic circle six. But, my problem is one of my teachers is so fast that after he goes for it and I go around he parries me again and I keep circling different ways but have trouble he is just so fast. The only things that have worked on him consistantly is using parry priem (not sure I spelt it right) and feint of kupay (not sure if I spelt that right either lol) so I try to use clever moves against him but he is so fast. Any tips on beating him would be apprieciated as well thanks alot everyone glad to be a part of the site. Seth Wilson

[mrbiggs]

The lefty versus righty topic has been discussed here many times before. You'll be able to get many good replies by searching the forum database. But to start, keep in mind that fencing a lefty is like fencing a righty, but in reverse--both hands have the same amount of target area, and the same ways to defend them, just in different places. And secondly, the flank is significantly easier to hit on a lefty.

I don't quite know what you mean by "circle six", but it sounds like a disengage. Your coach may be able to predict what you're doing several moves ahead, or it may be that he's just fast enough to parry it.

I think that by "kupay" you mean "coup'e".

[TheSeth]

Your right sorry disengage and coup'e thanks and if he can predict those move do you have any advise on what moves I could use against him?

[HDG]

Don't worry about trying to beat your coach /teacher; try to figure out what he's trying to teach you -- unless he's just playing with you... Use your bouts with him as lessons.

[crquack]

In my very limited experience of fighting lefties I found that the same works as in boxing: Keep your right foot outside their left.

[mrbiggs]

In my very limited experience of fighting lefties I found that the same works as in boxing: Keep your right foot outside their left.

Unfortunately, some lefties hug the side of the strip, so this is not always possible.


To the OP, to get past your coach's parries, you probably have to use a marching attack--in other words, with a series of feints using distance, force your coach to commit to a parry or an out of time counterattack, at which point you can finish.

[D'Art]

Counter-beats work as well. Let your coach find your blade, and with a half-step back, simply return the beat.

Or you could just use broken time attacks (you may want to feint quite deep to draw a reaction, though).

How late does your coach parry? If he's deep and late with his parries, a simple stop-hit, while opening the distance may be enough to confuse him sufficiently to want to change what he's doing.

As for the lefty problem, if you were beating him by going to the shoulder, a high-low would work as a starter.

A parry quinte with fast placement (flicks still work consistently here, too)onto the front of the back shoulder works wonders.

If you have a change of pace, and half-decent distance - start with you point very wide, and with a quick change of pace (step-lunge distance is good for this) angulate past his sword arm, and on to the flank. Lefties are (generally) notoriously crap at octave and septime - use this to your advantage.

[Phaeton]

Unfortunately, some lefties hug the side of the strip, so this is not always possible.

Just remember, at the beggining of each point the lefty or righty is required to be centered in the strip

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Just remember, at the beggining of each point the lefty or righty is required to be centered in the strip

So.....it only takes one step to hug the side of the strip, and that happens before the fencers get into distance.

Try this thread for answers as well:
Fencing Left Handed Fencers

Finally, break up big posts so that they are easier to read.

[Phaeton]

He shoudln't be switching just to fence you. He should (if his goal is to improve) stick with either his right or left hand (left hand preferably) and work on that exclusively.

Fence clean, anything that works against a righty will generally work against a lefty. Lefties often have a strong 6/3 parry and beat by the simple reason that's the side that most often gets abused.

[Phaeton]

So.....it only takes one step to hug the side of the strip, and that happens before the fencers get into distance.

Try this thread for answers as well:
Fencing Left Handed Fencers

Finally, break up big posts so that they are easier to read.

Well you could also hug the end of the strip...

[VELISARIOS]

Try to use fourth parry and ripost. The leftys have some problem with fourth parry especially if he is not skillfull fencer.

[Allen Evans]

Does no one teach attacks in the low lines anymore?

Allen

[TheSeth]

Guys thanks alot for the helpful tips damn lefties I will try low line attack and I just read if you start on their outside with your blade and do a disengage to the left you take their blade and get the point easier also I got a couple points on him waiting till he would attack me beacuse he is not good at attacking. THANKS AGAIN GUYS

[wpotere]

Yep and just remember that just because you can't see the target doesn't mean it isn't there. I have found that it is often harder to "see" lefty targets where they are used to fencing like this. Low line is a great way to go.

[Greybeard]

One thing lefties count on is screwing up a righty. Many lower to mid range right handed fencers don't catch on that they can use the same tricks the lefty uses.

One of my favorite moves is a feint to 4 and then disengage to 8 or if I overran my distance, to the back. (long arms help)

You can also do 1-2's and march until they miss a disengage and hit them. But watch the counter attack.

A glancing beat with a fllick to the chest is effective as well.

Good luck.

[mrbiggs]

Just remember, at the beggining of each point the lefty or righty is required to be centered in the strip

In foil or epee, there's plenty of time to get to the side.

[TheSeth]

Hey guys I love the tips but unfortunetly I suck at flicking its never effective for me I go for full out thrusting so flicking may be something I should practice also never used a march but I plan on practicing it soon. Thanks once again.

[Phaeton]

In foil or epee, there's plenty of time to get to the side.

Shhhhhh....in my sabre tinted mind there is no time...

[die Fechterin]

I happen to be a lefty but a righty fencing a lefty is the same as a lefty fencing a righty. So I'm going to give you a little trick. What I do is hold my blade in a slight position four (tip at opponent's high inside line) and march them down the strip a little bit making slight feints. When I'm ready to attack I do a deep feint to the high line and as they are about to parry I disengage to the opposite low line, making the shape of a "J". You can use this move beginning in any line and disengaging to the opposite line but when it's Lefty vs. Righty, I've found this one works best. Try it out. You might like it.