Basic: "Seeing" an attack

[morael]

What is your advice on "seeing" an attack (in time to parry)?

[Inquartata]

Have enough distance between you to let you do so.

[Katman]

Originally posted by Inquartata
Have enough distance between you to let you do so.

Bingo.

Knowing who you're fencing is usually a good idea too. If you can read them and predict what's coming then you don't have to try and 'see' the attack, you know it.

Slowing down time helps too.

[gojujay]

Relaxing the body and focusing the mind by keeping a soft focus on your opponent. Using soft focus lets you be aware of your opponents movment, while making it much more difficult to be deceived. Relaxing the body speeds reaction time. (I'm not talking about turning into a limp noodle here)

[pkt]

Originally posted by gojujay
Relaxing the body and focusing the mind by keeping a soft focus on your opponent. Using soft focus lets you be aware of your opponents movment, while making it much more difficult to be deceived. Relaxing the body speeds reaction time. (I'm not talking about turning into a limp noodle here)

To that I'll add put your eyes focused SOFTLY around the middle of your opp't so you can see any movement he makes: when he advances, how is he advancing, can he make a step-lunge with this action? etc.

That done, you keep distance:
He advances 2 feet, you retreat 2 feet, etc. you stay out of hitting distance.

The retreating gives you that extra time to parry-riposte, or - I can't beleive I'm writing this - distance parry... ugh!

If you stay there and try to parry, you'll get hit unless, of course, your eye-hand coordination is so much better than your opp't's.

While you're retreating, is he extending his arm with the weapon threatening your target, if not, e.g. if his weapon is "pointing at his back foot", you stop and hit him with a counter-attack - like a ball player won't play the ball if it's heading out of bounds; if yes, which direction is he heading to. Is he looking for your blade? etc.

OPEN EYES...

You can study this by drawing a flow chart...

PK

[morael]

Thanks, PKT, gojujay. The term soft focus is very reassuring; given my crummy eyesight, that's pretty much a given!

I think I know what you mean by soft focus, but could you elaborate a bit? And what do you mean "weapon pointing at the back foot?"

[gojujay]

The technique of not zeroing in on one specific or a bunch of specific areas e.g. the blade (never, ever), the bell guard, the front foot, etc. When you focus on one thing you CAN'T focus on anything else, you must actively focus on that next thing. It's sometimes called tunnel vision, and will allow you to be set up like a bowling pin, with your opponent bowling a 300. You might try focusing as if you were looking at an object 1000 yards away. You use your peripheral vision. It takes a good deal of practice and even experienced fencers sometimes slip (that's usually the only way I can score on them ). Don't get discouraged, it'll come with practice.

[remise]

They're absolutely right. I used to focus only on the bell, and couldn't figure out why I kept getting hit. One evening, my glasses broke, and I was forced to fence without them. That evening, I found myself getting touches on fencers I normally had no chance earlier of hitting.

Without my glasses, I was 'forced' to look at the overall body, and was much better able to zero in on the movement. I take my glasses off now when I suit up - I fence better that way.

[npkeith]

My karate sensei used to tell us to watch the opponent's center of mass, because it had to move when the opponent did. The distances are greater in fencing (length of arm plus weapon as opposed to length of arm or leg), but I think the concept still has value. A big part of fencing is trying to conceal the fact that you are getting close enough to hit your opponent. Unless there is a huge difference in height and your opponent's arms are much longer than yours, you can hit him when he can hit you.

(at least in foil. In epee, it is less of an issue as you can hit his hand if he can hit yours. I have still made some great touches on fencers who were much higher rated than me just because I had a longer arm.)

The other thing is to practice until reponses are automatic. By the time you think "here comes an attack to the high inside, I'll parry four," its too late, and the the touch has landed.

-Keith

[pkt]

Originally posted by morael
Thanks, PKT, gojujay. The term soft focus is very reassuring; given my crummy eyesight, that's pretty much a given!

I think I know what you mean by soft focus, but could you elaborate a bit? And what do you mean "weapon pointing at the back foot?"

gojujay and remise explained the 'soft focus' bit very well indeed.

"weapon pointing at the back foot"
that's just making fun of people who come marching fwd without properly extending the point or the cutting edge.
Put your sword hand over your sword-hand shoulder elbow pointing fwd and you'll see what I mean...

PK

[Old Man]

In general watching the center of mass is important to see if your opponent is moving into attack range. Also make sure you are using good technique to prevent your opponent to score cheap touches.

[pkt]

Originally posted by Old Man
... Also make sure you are using good technique to prevent your opponent to score cheap touches.

i.e. keeping good distance.

PK