Fleching from lunge

[crquack]

It's such a rare move to perform that I wonder why you want to bother.

Same reason I want to climb Mount Everest - but won't

The issue is that if you execute a true lunge (not a long advance) there will always be a slowdown in the action as you transition. Does not matter how fast, strong or flexible you are. The longer the lunge the more this is the case.

A good fencer will counter into that and hit you. Moreover, if you have to use a lunge/fleche combo to cover the distance then your opponent is probably too far away - and he'll most likely be moving backwards triggered by the lunge which makes for a bad situation to then execute a fleche.

Common sense suggested to me that this is so. But people kept talking about it as an "advanced technique". It is nice to have common sense validated.

Can all of us do it? Certainly. And we can all score with it on lower level fencers and maybe even get a touch with it once in awhile against someone good. Most good fencers like those above could walk down the strip doing the Macarena and still hit 95% of the fencers out there - it does not make it a smart thing to do against a strong opponent (although I'm sure Walter could probably pull it off more often than not).

OK, I promise to ask my coach about Macarena...

[Cookeit]

Your mom fleches from my lunge!
OH SHNAP!

[nahouw]

Originally Posted by piste off

A good fencer will counter into that and hit you. Moreover, if you have to use a lunge/fleche combo to cover the distance then your opponent is probably too far away - and he'll most likely be moving backwards triggered by the lunge which makes for a bad situation to then execute a fleche.

I'll use the lunge-fleche combo if I find my opponent (in epee) will retreat and counter-attack upon my lunge. Yes, if they retreat then they are obviously now too far away, which is why the immediate fleche upon the completion of the lunge will hit them before their retreat with counter-attack. It's a solution to a timing and distance thing.

[telkanuru]

I guess it depends on your style. I find it useful when doing a continuous forward attack, which occurs quite frequently even against skilled opponents just based on the way I fence. It's not something you use to chase an opponent; chasing is dumb.

Basic sequence:
Short prep-attack to hand, short lunge to toe, bind the counter in 6, fleche to chest.

I've seen variations used in all (higher) levels of epee.

[Timberwolf_CY]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

I guess it depends on your style. I find it useful when doing a continuous forward attack, which occurs quite frequently even against skilled opponents just based on the way I fence. It's not something you use to chase an opponent; chasing is dumb.

That is my exact same mentality about fleches in general, particularly one from a lunge. I just never realized I thought about it that way until you put that up here.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

I guess it depends on your style. I find it useful when doing a continuous forward attack, which occurs quite frequently even against skilled opponents just based on the way I fence. It's not something you use to chase an opponent; chasing is dumb.

Basic sequence:
Short prep-attack to hand, short lunge to toe, bind the counter in 6, fleche to chest.

I've seen variations used in all (higher) levels of epee.

A post solely about fencing with no sarcasm or pictures?!?!?

Never thought I'd see the day.

[telkanuru]

Originally Posted by KShan5[PrFC]

A post solely about fencing with no sarcasm or pictures?!?!?

Never thought I'd see the day.

Yeah well, I don't have to manually blink my eye.

So there.

[nahouw]

Originally Posted by telkanuru

Basic sequence:
Short prep-attack to hand, short lunge to toe, bind the counter in 6, fleche to chest.

Yes, I use that too -- with choice of redoublement if they don't retreat or fleche if they do.

[kuroutesshin]

I practice advance-lunges and the fleche at home, so I'm not surprised that I use it quite often. For some reason, people don't expect it.

A problem, though, is my lack of redoubling. If I fall short, instead of making a raddoppio and finishing I'll immediatly going into a fleche and skewer my opponent- it ends up being a sort of slow running lunge. Perhaps I need to add redoubling to my drill pool.