Behold the power of a feint in foil.

[Talyn]

I just realised... all by myself that feints followed by disengages and disengages by 1 2 are sooo effective. I used to prefer Cut overs or double- cut overs but the more i practiced feints the better it worked. And they normally work against people you've never fenced before

What do you guys think is the best or most effective move against strangers in general? ( please support you answer and don't post that every fencer is different blah blah blah, because im talking about fencers in GENERAL

[CvilleFencer]

I have to admit I have a little trepidation about wadding into this one, as I could see it becoming a "you are a moron that would never work" sort of debate, but hear goes.

One of my favorite moves, and frankly one that I rely on a bit to much, is and advance from six with a fairly wide "C" or circular disengage that turns into a short lunge. I know this is not the best description in the world, but when the move works it either:

1. Avoids the parry allowing you to come full circle back to a little lower than your original line, hitting somewhere in the abdomen.

2. Takes their blade along for the ride in a type of pries de faire and still get a hit.

3. Turns into a short bind that you can pop up and hit in the shoulder area or land a high flick from.

Those are all assuming that it works. If someone retreats or avoids my blade as I am doing my circle they can then parry and reposte me fairly easy as I usually end up to close to do much about it. It is also weak against someone whole knows I do it as they just follow the circle around, then parry and hit me. Like I said, it is not silver bullet, but I like it, and it gets me a fair number of touches from people that do not know it.

I also get a few surprise touchs on a nice quick long lunge in the beginning of the match as I am a very big (Read tall and fat) guy and most people do not think I can cover the distance I do. I can, I just cannot recover once I do it, so it is kind of a shock tactic or a Hail Mary depending on the situation.

[Peach]

My favorite hit is the one I'm working on in club bouting right now, which I have just started to make work . . . the one that made a couple of my opponents go "Wow!" last night when I got it on them . . . I won't describe it, because it's a different move every few weeks

[DangerMouse]

My favorite is to catch my opponent with their weight forward and fleche.

[j_rachmaninoff]

feints don't always work wonders. if u do meet strong fencers n they fall for your feint, the next time they see you do tat again, they'll know they shld pull back further n watch. also, if u become so mechanical tat everytime u show intention to attack, u feint; they'll just counter you the moment u move or betta still, some presidents may see them as attack on preparation.

[CarlKnoch]

People I've never fenced before.... the first thing to do is try to at least watch them!! Nothing helps against a new opponent better than watching them react to another fencer.

That said.... Against people I've never fenced before, I start with the simple attacks and build up until I see one they can't stop easily.
A good straight lunge.
A good straight lunge with disengage
lunge with coupe
take the blade
lunge with a counterparry riposte.
etc...


If you start with more complex stuff, you will never see if good basics will work for you. Best to start each bout with the basics and see what works. Work your way to the more complex attacks based on what you see your opponent react with. In a 5 touch bout that can be a pain as it might lose the bout for you if they are really good, so the best suggestion is to never fence someone that you haven't watched for at least one bout!!! See what they have as attacks, and what they do in response to attacks and plan accordingly.

This is another reason that it's best to start with the basics. You are being watched by those other fencers!! If you win most of your pool bouts with good, basic attacks, you haven't tipped your hand to other fencers as to what you're capable of. You haven't shown them your range of attacks, and so you can still catch them by surprise later in DE's with the double disengage that strikes in the lowline.

Of course, that's just my opinion. I could be wrong.

[Katman]

My favorite move in Epee is to lunge, stop, and wait for them with my point extended. Five different things usually happen when I do this.

1. They advance after me and go for my shoulder/mask, in which case I can do a small disengage and hit them on the wrist, forearm, or elbow.

2. They feint to my body and go for my front leg, the one with all my weight resting on it. From here I can either counterattack to thier arm/shoulder and inch my foot away from them, or recover and extend/disengage/flesh.

3. They're taller than me, smarter than me, and they just reach over me and my lunge to tag me in the shoulder/wrist. In these cases I usually just parry and recover.

4. They fleche my upper-body, in which case I duck down a bit to try and avoid thier tip (smart ones go for the mask, because I cannot lower my head or risk a yellow card) and allow them to run past or grope around and try to hit them.

5. They wait. I try the same trick again except with a redoublement.

This used to be a favorite foil move of mine as well. I keep getting inconsistant rules on the right of way regarding the action though.

[The0ne]

Slow attack from your "8" hip. Drop your tip and extend while doing a quick advance-lunge. That move can be a tricky one for your opponent to see, and you can finish your attack to several lines.

[Talyn]

Originally posted by CvilleFencer
One of my favorite moves, and frankly one that I rely on a bit to much, is and advance from six with a fairly wide "C" or circular disengage that turns into a short lunge. I know this is not the best description in the world, but when the move works it either...

I have to try that, it seems to cover everything but a attack in prep/ counter I know a left hander who does something similar to that but its easier for him to flick because its all on one side

[mollusk]

Originally posted by The0ne
Slow attack from your "8" hip. Drop your tip and extend while doing a quick advance-lunge. That move can be a tricky one for your opponent to see, and you can finish your attack to several lines.

I like this one, too, and even sometimes come en garde in 8 to do it straight away. Often I will score on a "cheap shot" because often my opponent doesn't start right away as they are trying to figure out what I'm doing with my blade way down there, then their eyes get really big with a huge expanse of open target approaching them, and then I score with the slow simple attack that I started at the word "Fence". A few times I have had directors asleep at the switch and they never saw the initiation of the attack from that line.

[rvergara]

My favorite move is a counter-six beat, feint, disengage while doing a balestra-lunge.

[daeceg]

I've caught several people off-guard by lunging or launching a fleche while cross-stepping backwards. I'm a tall guy, so often people don't expect me to change momentum that quickly.

If they've established a line, though, gotta be ready to beat that blade...took me plowing into their point a few times to get that lesson. 8-(

[Peregrine]

Originally posted by j_rachmaninoff
some presidents may see them as attack on preparation.

Would this be called a pre-emptive strike?

[daeceg]

Great...the Bush Doctrine approach to fencing....


Next thing you know, we'll see attacks initiated before the director annouces "Fence"...

The director will ignore the indicator lights in favor of what his own eyes see...

[Foilboy]

Water-cooler guys!

[MyraTrue]

I fence epee, but I have to say, a good steady (but slow)feight, and a drop right into someone's foot it nice.

Had a coach that taught us to double advance, balestra into a lunge, recover with a parry and fleche. Then again, battle plans seldom last past the first engagement, and that one doesn't work often. But when it does...

epee... smile, and stick out your blade?

Myra

[daeceg]

Originally posted by CvilleFencer
I have to admit I have a little trepidation about wadding into this one, as I could see it becoming a "you are a moron that would never work" sort of debate, but hear goes.

One of my favorite moves, and frankly one that I rely on a bit to much, is and advance from six with a fairly wide "C" or circular disengage that turns into a short lunge. I know this is not the best description in the world, but when the move works it either:

I tried that move out today in bouting. Worked rather well against the two lefties I faced...not quite so good against the right-handers, but the two righties were also more experienced.

Actually, one of the righties and I started doing ballestras up and down the strip for the amusement of the audience....several of the others had no idea what the heck we were doing...

Question: against lefties, have you found it somewhat easier to score shots on the back?

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Originally posted by Talyn
I just realised... all by myself that feints followed by disengages and disengages by 1 2 are sooo effective. I used to prefer Cut overs or double- cut overs but the more i practiced feints the better it worked. And they normally work against people you've never fenced before...

Whoop... dee... doo...

Originally posted by Talyn
...What do you guys think is the best or most effective move against strangers in general? ( please support you answer and don't post that every fencer is different blah blah blah, because im talking about fencers in GENERAL

You always have a game plan before you start a bout whether it's Joe-I-fence-every-week-Schmoe or Joe-I-never-fenced-Schmoe. As you progress in fencing, your game plan gets larger because you know more moves and you have more tactics. You use a mix of everything you know to apply aggresive or defensive tactics, what to do to left-handed or right-handed opponents, tall or short opponents, how you feel that day, etc. There's not a certain strategy I use again a person I have never fenced before all the time. Sometimes, I will try to feel the other person's game out, like someone else mentioned. Sometimes, I will go nutzoid aggresive and don't even bother figuring out his game out.

[daeceg]

When you go all out offensive, aren't people usually able to beat your timing?

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Originally posted by daeceg
When you go all out offensive, aren't people usually able to beat your timing?

Oh right... I should have added, I use that strategy when I know I am going up against someone I know I am better against and am not in the mood to show mercy.

Some people like to take it easy on someone who is lesser experienced "so they learn". I teach them a certain lesson from the school of hard knocks, "Not everybody is going to fence against you at the speed-of-grandpa just so you get to use your "parry sixte and riposte" just like in class".