Classic Fencing: Drawing the Foil

In previous articles in this series I have described First Position, the basic body position from which the salute and guarding flow in classical fencing. So far I have identified three variants, the most common, with the blade attached to the front, one suitable for saber with the broadsword or saber resting on the forward shoulder, and an Italian variant with the blade attached inside with the tip to the left. rear. Now it is time to consider the First Position in which the blade is not held in the weapon, but in the unarmed hand.

In 1883 George H. Benedict (Manual of Boxing, Club Swinging and Men’s Sports) describes a First Position as part of a sequence that leads to a mock toss of the foil that turns into a salute:

• The foot of the weapon arm points forward, toward the opponent, with the rear foot pointed 90 degrees inward and close so that the heel touches the front foot.

• The legs are straight and the torso erect, the hips slightly thrown back and turned in at an angle of about 45 degrees.

• The head is erect and looking at the opponent.

• The arms hang loosely at the sides, with the non-dominant hand holding the foil loosely behind the hip.

• To draw the sword, the fencer bends the lead arm at the elbow, bringing the hand supinated across the body to grip the foil hilt with the thumb down.

• Both hands separate as they rise above the head, ending with the non-weapon hand holding the foil button. This drawing of the weapon then goes into the salute.

Regis and Louis Senac The art of fencing (first published in 1904 and reprinted until 1926) shows a similar sequence for drawing the plate:

• The body is held as described by Benedict, with the exception that the foil is held with the non-dominant hand on top of the hip with the arm bent and the elbow back at waist level.

• The fencer extends the weapon arm upwards at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, with the palm open and the thumb up. This is described as a greeting.

• The weapon arm is brought back to grasp the hilt of the weapon, with the elbow out and the forearm across the body at the waist.

• The arm is then extended by drawing the blade out of the imaginary sheath and rotating forward into a full extension of the arm and blade, again at a 45 degree upward angle directly to the front. This becomes the beginning of the transition to the guard.

It is important to note that, like the multiple guarding steps practiced in a number of variations in the classical period, drawing the foil from an imaginary sheath itself does not perform any technically useful fencing function. However, it should not be dismissed outright. It is part of a ceremony of courteous acknowledgment that the opponent is worthy and honors fencing as an activity, something that was valued in classical times. Thats not all; a skillfully executed sequence conveys to the opponent that you are a skilled opponent in subtle psychological warfare. Ultimately, the ritual serves a valuable purpose in helping to focus and center the fencer on the impending task of fighting the match.