Swords 101

Absence of blade :
Absence de fer. - when the blades are not touching; opposite of engagement.

Advance :
Marche. - a movement forward by step, cross, or balestra.

Aids :
Aides. - the last three fingers of the sword hand.

Assault :
Assaut,  - Combat. friendly combat between two fencers.

Attack :
Attaque. - the initial offensive action made by extending the sword arm and continuously        threatening the valid target of the opponent.

Attack au Fer :
Attaque au fer - an attack that is prepared by deflecting the opponent's blade, eg. beat, froissement, pressure.

Balestra :
Balestra - a forward hop or jump, typically followed by an attack such as a lunge or fleche.

Bayonet :
Connecteur à baïonnette - a type of electrical connector for weapons.

Beat :
Battement - an attempt to knock the opponent's blade aside or out of line by using one's foible or middle against the opponent's foible.

Bind :
Liement  - an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the diagonally opposite line.

Black Card :
Carton noir - used to indicate the most serious offences in a fencing competition. The offending fencer is usually expelled from the event or tournament.

Bout :
Match  - an assault at which the score is kept.

Broadsword :
Estramaçon  - a military sword and fencing weapon popular in the 18th-19th centuries, similar to a heavy sabre; any straight-bladed, double- edged, single- handed cutting sword of the post-medieval period.

Broken Time :
Changement de Rythme  - a sudden change in the tempo of one fencer's actions, used to fool the opponent into responding at the wrong time.

Button :
Mouche; Bouton  - the safety tip on the end of practice swords.

Change of Engagement :
Changement d'engagement  - engagement of the opponent's blade in the opposite line.

Compound :
Attaque composée ou parade composée  - also composed; an attack or riposte incorporating one or more feints to the opposite line that the action finishes in.

Conversation :
Conversation - the back-and-forth play of the blades in a fencing match, composed of phrases (phrases d'armes) punctuated by gaps of no blade action.

Corps-a-corps :
Corps à corps  lit.  - "body-to-body"; physical contact between the two fencers during a bout, illegal in foil and sabre.

Counter-attack :
Contre-attaque  - an attack made against the right-of-way, or in response to the opponent's attack.

Counter-disengage :
Contre-dégagement - a disengage in the opposite direction, to deceive the counter-parry.

Counter-parry :
Contre-parade - a parry made in the opposite line to the attack; ie. the defender first comes around to the opposite side of the opponent's blade.

Counter-riposte :
Contre-riposte - an attack that follows a parry of the opponent's riposte.

Counter-time :
Contre-temps - an attack that responds to the opponent's counter- attack, typically a riposte following the parry of the counter-attack.

Coulé :
Coulé - also graze, glise', or glissade; an attack or feint that slides along the opponent's blade.

Coup lancé :
See flick ; "Coup déjà lancé" (Art. 32.2; 46; 47) :  - a launched hit; an attack that starts before a stop in play but lands after. Valid for normal halts, but not valid at end of time.

Coupé :
Coupé - also cut-over; an attack or deception that passes around the opponent's tip.

Croisé :
Croisé - also semi-bind; an action in which the opponent's blade is forced into the high or low line on the same side.

Cross :
Passe avant, passe arrière - an advance or retreat by crossing one leg over the other; also passe'avant (forward cross), passe' arriere (backwards cross).