Holding the French Foil

[Greg]

I know the rules state that you cannot use the foil as a throwing weapon. At a recent bout, I watched a fencer with a french grip foil constantly alter his hand grip/position while fencing, though he did not throw it so to speak in violation of the rules, that is let it slide forward when attacked. Is this legal?

[Allen Evans]

Originally Posted by Greg

I know the rules state that you cannot use the foil as a throwing weapon. At a recent bout, I watched a fencer with a french grip foil constantly alter his hand grip/position while fencing, though he did not throw it so to speak in violation of the rules, that is let it slide forward when attacked. Is this legal?

If he didn't throw it during the attack, he isn't violating the rules, is he?

Allen

[Beowulfman6]

He can wiggle his grip around, moving from posting to traditional grip and vice versa if he isn't throwing it (ie. leting it slide forward on attack).

[HerrKleinerFencer]

I can't find the passage in the rulebook, maybe someone else can. If I recall correctly the rules state that a fencer may choose how he wishes to hold the French grip at the beginning of a bout, but may not alter his grip during the bout(or maybe it's between the command 'Fence' and 'Halt'). I don't know how this would be penalized. Perhaps a yellowcard for refusal to obey.

-Andrew

[HerrKleinerFencer]

Oops, nevermind, it's the opposite of what I said.

"t.16 With all three weapons, defence must be effected exclusively with
the guard and the blade used either separately or together.
If the handle has no special device or attachment or special shape
(e.g. orthopaedic), a fencer may hold it in any way he wishes and he
may also alter the position of his hand on the handle during a bout.
However, the weapon must not be — either permanently or
temporarily, in an open or disguised manner — transformed into a
throwing weapon; it must be used without the hand leaving the hilt
and without the hand slipping along the hilt from front to back
during an offensive action.
When the handle has a special device or attachment or has a special
shape (e.g. orthopaedic) it must be held in such a way that the upper
surface of the thumb is in the same plane as the groove in the blade
(in foil or épée) and perpendicular to the plane of the flexibility of
the blade in saber.
The weapon must be used with one hand only; a fencer may not
change hands until the end of the bout, unless the Referee gives
special permission in the case of injury to the hand or arm."