| The traditional wisdom is that fencers should | | | | ways to accomplish this goal: |
| attack in an open line. The reality is that you | | | | (1) Reactions to the opponent's actions. The |
| should neither attack in a closed line nor in an | | | | classic of this is the disengage in response to a |
| open line. First it seems obvious that an attack | | | | press or sweep, and the counterdisengage in |
| directed into a closed line will not hit, and | | | | response to a change of engagement. This can |
| therefore is a waste of time, effort, and | | | | either be a reaction to the opponent's initiative, or |
| opportunity while making you vulnerable to riposte. | | | | as a planned response to the opponent's response |
| But why should we not attack into an open line? | | | | to your provocation. For example, you can wait |
| The most instructive answer is that your | | | | for a heavy handed opponent who likes to push |
| opponent knows the line is open and is waiting for | | | | and reward that with a disengage letting his blade |
| you to attack there. If the opponent is stable and | | | | happily sail out of the line. Or you can change the |
| in control of his or her movements, this is a parry | | | | engagement with an opponent who really likes to |
| and riposte waiting to happen. | | | | have something approaching a traditional |
| If there are only two types of lines (open and | | | | engagement, knowing that she will immediately |
| closed), and we cannot attack into either, what | | | | change back so that you can counterdisengage. |
| are we to do? The answer is that you must | | | | (2) Compound attacks. The critical essence of a |
| create an opening that you can control. This | | | | compound attack is the feint that gets the |
| means one of three options is open to you: | | | | opponent's blade to commit to move to parry an |
| (1) Close to critical distance and attack into the | | | | attack that is not there, thereby opening up the |
| open line. Critical distance is the distance at which | | | | opposite line. |
| your opponent cannot react fast enough to parry | | | | (3) Attacks on the blade. The press and the beat |
| your attack. Unfortunately, unless your opponent | | | | remove the opponent's blade by physical force, |
| is significantly slower than you are, critical distance | | | | creating the opening for your attack. |
| is a very dangerous place to be for you as well. | | | | (4) Takings of the blade. The bind, envelopment, |
| (2) Fix the opponent in place (either physically or | | | | and croise remove the opponent's blade through |
| mentally) so that he or she will not react to your | | | | leverage, again creating an opening for your |
| attack. This can be achieved by false attacks that | | | | attack. |
| create so strong a false impression of your | | | | (5) Finally there is a range of more complex |
| intentions that the opponent will ignore your actual | | | | actions designed to get the opponent into motion |
| action. It may be done by creating movement | | | | by committing to an exchange of actions. These |
| patterns that cause the opponent to focus more | | | | work by engaging the opponent's greed and |
| on your movement than on your blade action. A | | | | translating a certainty of hit into motion that sets |
| key component of this is psychological dominance | | | | up your hit. Two simple examples are the attack |
| of the opponent. | | | | by second intention and defensive countertime. In |
| (3) The most productive means of creating an | | | | both cases you make an attack that you do not |
| opening is to attack into an opening line, one in | | | | intend to land, but rather to provoke a |
| which the opponent's blade is moving or can be | | | | counteraction. Because the counteraction is |
| made to move away from the target you wish | | | | predictable, you can plan to use the opponent's |
| to hit. If you can get the opponent's blade in | | | | forward blade movement as a springboard for |
| motion in the direction you desire, you are well | | | | your final scoring action. |
| toward owning the next touch. | | | | The key is... do not attack a closed line, do not |
| So how can we get the blade in motion? The | | | | attack an open line, get the opponent's blade in |
| good news is that fencing technique is rich in | | | | motion, and attacking the opening line. |