Teaching low line attacks in foil

[big daddy]

Would you guys give me some example of how you teach low line attacks in foil. I seen it done with the hand in pronation with the wrist bent either up or to the to one side. Iv'e also seen it done with the palm up. Which is correct?.

[Allen Evans]

Both are, depending on the target (inside or outside) and the handedness of the fencers. Classically, with fencers of the same hand, inside low line was taught with palm up,and outside lowline was taught with palm down, with mild angulation for each attack.

I don't believe that strict adherence to this is necessary (I occasionally attack outside low line without turning my hand completely over, though always keep my palm up when attacking the inside line) but it does help access the target when the opponent is attempting to make a clumsy "high-line-parry-serving-as-a-bad-low-line-parry".

[Wetmelon]

Both are, depending on the target (inside or outside) and the handedness of the fencers. Classically, with fencers of the same hand, inside low line was taught with palm up,and outside lowline was taught with palm down, with mild angulation for each attack.

I don't believe that strict adherence to this is necessary (I occasionally attack outside low line without turning my hand completely over, though always keep my palm up when attacking the inside line) but it does help access the target when the opponent is attempting to make a clumsy "high-line-parry-serving-as-a-bad-low-line-parry".

+1

Also, make sure you're teaching them to force the low parry. Dropping the shoulder indicates to the opponent that you're going low line. If you make it half-hearted - and I'm sure you know all this, but just reminding - then the opponent is just as likely to use a parry 4

EDIT: Assuming you're going to disengage it, of course.

[AaronK]

bd,
I am assuming that your question is "what is the correct technical execution of a low-line attack?". I agree with Allen that the answer is both, and both Wetmelon brings us a good point that teaching any action should be taken in context.

As far as the execution is concerned, it may not be that important to me if the palm is in pronation, supination, or somewhere else- what I usually do find more important is that the tip of the weapon and the guard are in position relative to each other.
If I was asking my student to strike at the flank (under the arm on the weapon side, or what a student might be taught to use a parry "8" against), I generally want the tip and guard in line with the target, so the blade can strike as square to the target as may be reasonable. I might teach this striking technique with the thumbnail at 12-o'clock, but some students may find that the hand position is more comfortable to strike with their hand in pronation. If they are equally successful, I would leave the technique alone. In the case of opposite handed fencers, the same target may be struck with the hand in supination, allowing for a combination of the bend in their weapon and some angulation may be more successful than with their hand in another position.

If your goal was to hit the low target with an attack, and your outcome was that the opponent's low target was hit with your attack with a reasonably high success rate, you can only fault the execution if changing it will increase your % of hitting, or significantly lower the opponent's odds of successful response.
In terms of the hand positions, the hand position is more a tactical consideration than a "correct" technique.