Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

WoodsideDr · 04-14-2003, 12:53 PM

After a weekend of bouting foil with various levels of fencers, my leading leg is rather black and blue. Any tips on protecting legs from forceful off-targets (besides equally forceful parries...) I'm wondering if anyone knows of plastrons for legs, of if anyone has come up with any creative solutions for protecting from stray hits.

Sabresque · 04-14-2003, 01:13 PM

Well my advice would be always wear knickers when fencing (if you don't already do this), watch your distance, and don't parry people down into your leg (that seems to be the most common reason for bruises down there that I've seen, though i haven't fenced foil in a while, so I might be wrong). As your skill improves, you tend to get less and less bruises, so don't dispair, keep on working hard and the number of black and blue spots should gradually decrease.

WoodsideDr · 04-14-2003, 01:47 PM

Thanks. I started wearing knickers in practice a few weeks ago, hoping for a little more protection. Probably cut down on bruises a bit. Perhaps its a technique thing. I seem to be parrying downward a lot. Hmm... Will keep an eye on that this week.

Aoife · 04-14-2003, 03:19 PM

Is it called a mal parry when you parry your opponant's balde into your leg? And who's fault is it? Yours for parrying badly, or you opponants for being parried?

I did that loads for the first 2 months, and from having a patchwork quilt of bruises on my leading thigh, I soon worked hard to not do it (though I still do it at least once an hour of fencing

).

Occasionally very off target hits would manage to hit my shin, which hurt quite a bit. Unfortunatly I don't have any fencing socks, so I took to wearing hocky socks... they seemed to do the trick (but I still want some fencing socks... and breeches... and a lame, electric foil, body wire, shoes.....

)

Mischa · 04-14-2003, 03:52 PM

No, I believe a mal parry is an insufficient parry, ie one that does not hold the blade long enough. Thus, if you reposte whilst your opponent continues their attack, the president would call 'mal parry' and give the hit to your opponent.

esgrimista1 · 04-14-2003, 03:58 PM

We use soccor guards, has a thin foam padding then a thin plastic sheath - extremely effective and fits rignt under socks and knickers very unobtrusively. We use childrens soccor guards on right forearm and upper arm. very comfortable and doesnt interfere with movement. really great against those hard hitters.

Artisan · 04-14-2003, 04:05 PM

I've not yet been shown a parry that is supposed to send the opponents blade downward - woud be too effective at epee. My understanding of Mal Parre is that it is a parry made with the incorrect portion of your blade or onto the incorrect portion of your opponents blade. Parry should be forte to foible.

In either case, mal parre or getting hit to leg, the cure is distance....and the proper relationship of the timing of the parry to the distance taken.
Remember to make a retreat or half retreat as needed as you parry, and soon your leg will return to a normal hue.

Mischa · 04-14-2003, 04:08 PM

No, because you could theoretically parry foible to foible. It's just a parry that doesn't force your opponent's blade out of line, so they are still threatening you, so they still have right of way.

Aoife · 04-14-2003, 04:20 PM

So is there any name for when you parry your opponant's blade into your own thigh?

Except for stupid and painful

achilleus · 04-14-2003, 04:28 PM

I mentioned it before...

Guy round here wears baseball sliding pants. They are basically compression shorts with foam padding on the upper thigh.

Mischa · 04-14-2003, 04:40 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Aoife
So is there any name for when you parry your opponant's blade into your own thigh?

Except for stupid and painful

http://www.ee.surrey.ac.uk/Societies...g/glossary.htm

I don't think so...

oiuyt · 04-14-2003, 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mischa
No, because you could theoretically parry foible to foible. It's just a parry that doesn't force your opponent's blade out of line, so they are still threatening you, so they still have right of way.

Except for the fact that it DOES move the tip out of line and they do NOT still have right of way. For that matter I can use my foible on your forte and still likely have a sufficient parry and gain ROW.

A malparre is a parry that occurs at the same time as or after the attack arrives. It therefore is not actually a parry.

-B :)

Aoife · 04-14-2003, 05:07 PM

Thanks Mischa. That's one of the best fencing glossaries I've seen.

135711 · 04-14-2003, 05:51 PM

mal means bad, so, if you stretch the term to include a parry that's just plain bad, then why not call a parry that drags your opponents blade into your own leg a mal parry? that seems to be the most frequent cause of brused legs in foil. i did that myself in epee and it's worse, because it's their point then. i think it's caused by lack of attention or bringing the arm down to 'rest' while you're thinking the opponent has withdrawn or retreated. so the thing to do is "Stay en guard" or "on guard" whatever it's called now......

the giant economy sized pill for the mal tete [headache talk]

WoodsideDr · 04-14-2003, 06:03 PM

Mal or not, I'll heed the advice to pay more attention to my return to en garde. Thanks. Might also give the soccer guard trick a try in the meantime.

Mischa · 04-14-2003, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by oiuyt
A malparre is a parry that occurs at the same time as or after the attack arrives. It therefore is not actually a parry.

-B

No, it's just an insufficient parry: one that does not prevent the inital attack from landing. Check out that glossary link above.

Quote:

Originally posted by Aoife
Thanks Mischa. That's one of the best fencing glossaries I've seen.

You're welcome

135711 · 04-14-2003, 07:00 PM

yes mischa, you are correct, that is the exact definition, i was aware of it when i posted.

are you really from israel? howdy do! welcome to the board, it is a pleasure to talk with you....

how was Trapani! I have a good friend whose name is Trapini, it is a very popular name in Italy! How did you find Italy? Did you like it? I would love to go to Italy when I am an old lady and grow figs in the yard. Ciao! and Shalom!

Artisan · 04-15-2003, 02:37 AM

And from the same glossary referenced above:

Parry
a block of the attack, made with the forte of one's own blade.

So, you may try to "theoretically " parry my attack with your foible - but I will hit you, and a good referree will award me the hit, and not your ROW. Your laterally moving foible will not displace my foible much as the hit arrives, since very soon my foible will now be my middle as I complete the extension / lunge. Try it next time you practice...

magma · 04-15-2003, 04:09 AM

and so now we come to the conclusion [!] at last on the mighty board, that a malparry, will void, yes let's say it together here on fencing dot com, will void rows, you will get the point, and that is it, that is it, the way it is happening, thank you sir! artisian......

Mischa · 04-15-2003, 06:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by 135711
yes mischa, you are correct, that is the exact definition, i was aware of it when i posted.

are you really from israel? howdy do! welcome to the board, it is a pleasure to talk with you....

how was Trapani! I have a good friend whose name is Trapini, it is a very popular name in Italy! How did you find Italy? Did you like it? I would love to go to Italy when I am an old lady and grow figs in the yard. Ciao! and Shalom!

Hello! Nice to meet you too.

I am British / Israeli, but because I don't live in Israel, I find it hard to gain Israeli ranking points (obviously). So I represent Israel in internationals where I don't have to be in the top 3: therefore I wasn't at Trapani.