Seconde Parry in Sabre

[Strydus]

Can anyone tell me the point of using a Seconde parry in Sabre (not 2nd, Seconde). I can't really seem to find one and the coach is out for a while...
Thnx

[Peach]

Seconde's a great parry if you're inviting flank and your opponent cuts low, and keeps them from coming in under your guard as they might if you were taking a tierce parry.

[Capt. Slo-mo]

Or, someone who likes to do a primary point attack from low line.

Or (see the under-15 thread) when you're facing a young fencer half your size.

[magma]

i hate to barge into a saber discussion, but, i was initially trained by a saborist who trained us in seconde, for me it was a good defensive move and great for the beginner who needed a good defense - because the riposte came later on in our classwork. but, at this time, i feel that seconde is not for me, personally, i am trying to change my parry system a bit. now i'll leave this to the saber fencers. thanks

[pkt]

What Peach was saying, was this:
Seconde (I agree, it is seconde, not 2nd) is great for contre-temps.

PK

[edew]

Dennis Bauer (or was it Alexander Weber?) does a great seconde parry in sabre in the bronze medal bout against Romania in the 2000 Olympics (Men's Sabre team match). He feigns a head-parry, inviting the cut to the flank. Then whack! riposte.

His movements were fast and crisp, but not as elegant as Pillet who does a similar action in the 2001 World Championships. Very clean and very smooth. It's the difference between the German hack-und-slasche and the french finesse.

It's a most useful tactic, from what I've been able to see. I can't do it worth crapola, personally.

[magma]

i tried what you described in class, i used 2nd , the a feint to the head, and a cut to the flank which wasn't there, i think it works if you keep the movement circular.

i know, my french is a very bad, very mal, but i decided to learn the language without any affectations whatsoever. recently someone tried to correct the pronounciation of a persons name, which isn't correct, you should never correct someone in public, ever, it is more gaffe [giraffe] than a mispronunciation.