A to Z: Thrust

T is for Thrust: an attack made by moving the sword parallel to its length and landing with the point.

 Yes, this is one of the same pics I used for lunge. However, it works. A thrust is simply a point forward attack. The fencer doesn't have to lunge, just move that sword out parallel to the ground, pointing at the opponent and thrust, from a lunge, a standing position, or with fancy footwork.

Target: The portion of the opponent’s body which may be touched with the sword to score points. Foil's target is torso. Epee's target is the entire body, except back of the head, and Saber's target is from the waist up.

Thrown Point: a "flick". These are tricky and depend on the flexibility of the blade - I never was very good at them, but my coach was - he kept his blade flexible, and even bent it slightly into a "flickable" shape, and then it just took the right wrist motion to bring the tip of the blade down and around the opponent's parry. (However, sometimes right of way is hard to judge on these.) 

Tierce: parry #3; blade up and to the outside, wrist pronated.

Time Hit: also time-thrust; old name for stop hit with opposition.

Touch: A hit with the point of the weapon or a cut with the edge of the sabre, scoring a point.

Touche: the French word for "touched" is used to acknowledge a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit.

Trompement: deception of the parry

An application for writing:

In writing, like fencing, sometimes it's best to stick to the point and go for a direct line of attack through the storyline.



BTW, I thought I might not be able to visit much today since I'm sitting with my dad at the hospital while he has hand surgery, but so far, so good. So far, the only dilemma facing him: whether or not to take off the insert for his prosthetic leg before having hand surgery. The small joy of hospitals: bendy straws.