Fleche in saber

[jspierre]

Why not?

Now that the weapon is fenced eletrically, why not make the fleche legal again?

If it's a question of fencers fleching off the on-guard lines, maybe the saber strips should be reprofiled, make the on-guard lines further apart, or make zones on the strip where fencers can and cannot fleche at each other?

Any thoughts/ideas?

[AaronK]

Actually I would like for it to be allowed as a fencer (I don't believe that it will ever happen). From the referees perspective, it would be a nightmare. Priority weapons depend on the subjective decision of the referee to determine who is attacking. If saber allowed cross-steps forward and the fleche I believe it would have two major impacts on the way the game would be played:
1. The "distance" parry would be used less
2. There would be more simultaneous actions
I am judging this on the 1992 Olympics (taped).
Restrictions on footwork made the game what it is now, as opposed to what it had been. The argument is that they made the changes to stop the need for a random priority every other simultaneous. Watch the 92 Olympics. If you don't know what the rules were for that tournament, I bet you'll have a heck of a time figuring them out. (Remember the lights are backwards too).
It really isn't because of the fencer's movements or speed. The rules of the day dictated that they had to move that way, or they would be fencing to a tactical disadvantage.

[edew]

Originally posted by jspierre
Why not?

Now that the weapon is fenced eletrically, why not make the fleche legal again?

If it's a question of fencers fleching off the on-guard lines, maybe the saber strips should be reprofiled, make the on-guard lines further apart, or make zones on the strip where fencers can and cannot fleche at each other?

Any thoughts/ideas?

Sabre had been electric prior to the no-fleche rule change in 1992/1993.

I think all your other suggestions just screams of increased complexity to deal with something that's not a problem: people aren't too upset that there is no fleche. People are doing pretty well now without having to introduce the fleche (or actually, any crossing of the feet while going forward).

[Craig]

Besides, getting rid of the fleche in sabre led to the invention of a new footwork technique, the flunge.

[The0ne]

A hah, its a Saber move,
no wonder i don't get anywhere with it in foil. . .