The Secret Thrust

[mhoneth]

Is anyone still interested (or believe in) The Secret Thrust? It used to be quite a topic a hundred years ago, but all modern references seem to discount it altogether.

Arturo Perez-Reverte describes an interesting one in his book, The Fencing Master. Does anyone else have one they'd like to share - of course, it wouldn't be secret anymore

[ReverseLunge]

The secret thrust only works in a real duel where you see it once and die. I probably do the secret thrust all the time without even knowing it.

[neevel]

The Secret Thrust (and the inversely related Universal Parry) were the fencing equivalent of the 100 mpg carburetor or the "Increase your [insert favorite body part] size by 50%" pill.
Since the demographic of well-moneyed hotheads needing to survive the duels they just got themselves into has declined greatly over the last 200 years, those particular bits of advertising hype have disappeared.

-Dave

[The0ne]

It was the flick.

[MikeHarm]

Wasn't the universal parry the counterparry?

[Charred_Phoenix]

What the hell is a secret thrust?

[Duelist]

The secret thrust was the belief that geometrically there is an attack that is impossible to parry. No one has discovered it.

[Duelist]

It was very popular within, but not limited to, the Spanish school of rapier.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Thanks, cuz I had no idea. I think there is more a chance of a universal parry than a "secret thrust"......now that i know what it means.

[Charred_Phoenix]

How can there be a universal parry and a secret thrust?

[MikeHarm]

I think it was universal parry cuz you could take a parry, and by using high and low variations as well as the counter parries use it to cover all the lines.

[Inquartata]

Some have said that a sweeping prime is the closest thing to a Universal Parry. The Botte Secrete ( not a thrust, exactly, but a "blow" ), that's more problematical...

[Iwant2bafencer]

<< that's the face I'm pullin.

[whtouche]

A 'secret thrust' such as it's been described here - as an attack that is geometrically impossible to parry - can't exist. It's like assuming that your blade can occupy space that your opponants can not - that's not possible. Surely there are lines of attack that are more awkward to parry than others, but anything is parryable.

And if such things exist, what happens when someone makes a secret thrust against someone using a universal parry?

[Popper]

damn.. this is getting philosophical!


there is no secret thrust or universal parry, only good and bad fencers... nuff said

[Charred_Phoenix]

A 'secret thrust' such as it's been described here - as an attack that is geometrically impossible to parry - can't exist.

What if you're behind them?

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

The spanish school was built around a scientific and geometric system of squares and circles. The closes thing I can think of to
"secret thrust" is my slide attack. I've only done it twice, but it got high regards and nobody could parry it. You slide under and between their legs and then you reach up and poke their mask before the director says foul. You always fall down, but the light usually goes off before the director knows what the hell is going on. Its hillarious.

[Katman]

Originally posted by whtouche
And if such things exist, what happens when someone makes a secret thrust against someone using a universal parry?

The area around them would explode as if in a nuclear blast! When the dust settled we'd see that the two fencers had merged into an ultra-fencer.

I have a secret thrust that I'm perfecting. Since I'm so nice and it would never work, I'll tell everyone about it. It would only work in an electric bout.

You have to be somewhat sneaky here. Lure your opponent into an easy footwork pattern then, with your off hand, knock the alligator clip off of your lame and lunge forward, releasing the grip of your weapon as you do so. This will allow it to fly forward along the body/reel cord (loose, billow-y jackets help in this situation). The other fencer will be so stunned by your mastery that the touch will land with no attempt to parry.

We're forgetting, of course, the ability to leap into the air and balance yourself on your opponent's blade after he/she lunges. Watch any old kung-fu movie and you'll know what I'm talkin' about.

[Christopher J Umbs]

Originally posted by whtouche
A 'secret thrust' such as it's been described here - as an attack that is geometrically impossible to parry - can't exist.

Right...however, I think an attack that's launched at the right time from the right distance is almost impossible to parry, but then the defender is to blame for letting the attacker get the right time and distance.

Chris

[canthidefromme]

Of course the secret thrust is only a metaphysical manisfestation of Napoleon's rule over Spain........