Fencing

is the art or science of making a proper use of the sword, as well for attacking an enemy, as for defending one’s self. Fencing is a genteel exercise, of which no military gentleman should be ignorant. It is learned by practising with steel foils. See Foils. Fencing is either simple, or compound. Simple is that which is performed nimbly, and off hand, on the same line. In this the principal intention, in respect to the offensive part, should be to attack the enemy in the most unguarded quarter; and in the defensive, to parry or ward off the enemy’s thrusts or blows. Attitude, in Fencing , the head upright, though the body hath a forward inclination on a longe; and all the weight resting on the left haunch when on guard. The feet, hand, body, arm, and sword, must be to the line. Appel, in Fencing , is a sudden beat of your blade, on the contrary side to that you join your adversary on, and a quick disengagement to that side again. Beating, in Fencing , is when you parry with a sudden short beat, to get a quick repost; or when you beat with your foot, to try if you are firm on it, or on both feet. Battering, in Fencing , is to strike the feeble of your adversary’s blade on the side opposite to that you join, . Back-quarte , is a parade of a late invention, and is a round quarte over the arm. Cave, in Fencing , is a tierce on a quarte side, also the thrust of a prime, or a seconde, at the low quarte side. Darting, in Fencing , to defend a blow with some contraction of your arm, and to dart a thrust right forward. Feint forward, in Fencing , made by advancing your point a little from its line and coming to it again. Guard, in Fencing , is any of the parades you stand on. On guard , is being placed properly on your feet, and well covered with your weapon. Lurching, in Fencing , to make an opening, to invite your adversary to thrust at you, when you, being ready, may find a favorable repost at him. Locking, in Fencing , is to seize your adversary’s sword arm by twining your left arm round it, after you close your parade, shell to shell, in order to disarm him. | Guards in | - | | carte, | | - | | tierce, | implies the putting of the body and sword in such a state of defence, as to prevent the antagonist from wounding you, by either of the thrusts so denominated. These are the principal positions on which to engage. The others, viz. prime, seconde, quinte, half-circle, . are termed parades, when used with the small sword. Hanging-guard , one of the broad-sword guards. See Broad-sword . Thrusts are of various denominations, according to the direction of the point, and position of the wrist. The thrusts directed at the inside of the body, are called prime, carte, and low-carte; those at the outside, are seconde, tierce, carte over the arm, quinte and flanconade. In teaching, the thrusts are not arranged according to the above order; it is usual to begin with carte (or quarte) and tierce, the names of which prove them to have been originally the 4th and 3d positions in the art; but which are now justly considered as the chief and most elegant. Parrying in Fencing , the action of warding off the blows aimed at each other. Flanconade, in Fencing , is the action of dropping the point of your sword under your adversary’s hilt, in seizing with force the feeble of his blade; which binding, without quitting it, form the parade in octave and then throw in your thrust. See Art of defence with swords by the author of Am. Military Library . Gli ade, in Fencing , is performed by dexterously making your sword slip along your adversary’s blade, and forming at the same time your extension, .