Fencing Technique: Parry Combinations and Drills, Part 1
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Fencing Parry·selbergfencing
Fencing Master Charles Selberg answers the following question from fencer, Mark T., "What drills / teaching methods does…
Fencing Parry
Familyフェンシングパリー(Fenshingu Parī)
Translation: Fencing parry
Overview
The Fencing Parry family covers the system of blade deflections used in fencing to redirect an opponent's attacking blade away from the valid target area — the sword-fighting equivalent of blocking in unarmed combat, but executed with the blade itself. [1] Modern fencing recognises eight primary parries (prime through octave), each protecting a specific sector of the body by positioning the blade to intercept attacks from different directions. [1],[2] Parries are the foundation of defensive fencing and are always followed by an immediate riposte (return attack) — the parry-riposte sequence is fencing's fundamental defensive-offensive unit, conceptually identical to the block-counter in boxing. [2],[3] The parry system was formalised in the French and Italian fencing schools of the 17th–18th centuries and remains the standard teaching methodology in modern Olympic fencing across all three weapons (foil, épée, sabre). [3]
ParryFencing ParryParadeDefensive Blade Action
History & Origin
The parry system was formalised in the French and Italian fencing schools of the 17th–18th centuries as the rapier replaced the heavier broadsword and fencing technique became increasingly refined. [1] The eight-parry system (prime through octave) was codified by French fencing masters, with each parry corresponding to a specific threat line (high/low × inside/outside). [1],[2] Italian fencing developed a somewhat different parry nomenclature and technique, with the Italian masters emphasising wrist-based parries from a different guard position. [2],[3] Modern Olympic fencing uses the French parry system as the international standard. [3]
Effectiveness
Parries are the fundamental defensive technique in fencing — without parrying ability, a fencer cannot defend against attacks and cannot establish the right-of-way needed to score in foil and sabre. [1] The parry-riposte is the most common scoring sequence in foil fencing, accounting for a significant percentage of touches at the Olympic level. [2] Elite fencers demonstrate parry-riposte execution in fractions of a second. [3]
Lineage
Competition Record
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Using the blade (forte/strong portion near the guard) to deflect the opponent's attacking blade (foible/weak portion near the tip) away from the target, creating an opening for the riposte
Joints Involved — Fingers (the French grip is held primarily with the fingers for fine blade control), wrist (rotation controls the parry direction and angle), forearm (pronation/supination determines blade position), shoulder (minimal movement — fencing emphasises economical motion from the fingers and wrist)
Force Vector — Lateral — parries deflect the incoming blade sideways (quarte and sixte parries deflect left and right in the high line; septime and octave in the low line); the deflection uses the forte of the defender's blade against the foible of the attacker's, creating a mechanical advantage
Parry Mechanic — Parries work on the lever principle — by contacting the attacker's blade near its tip (foible, the weak portion) with one's own blade near the guard (forte, the strong portion), the defender gains mechanical advantage and can deflect the attack with minimal effort; the attacker's blade is leveraged away from the target
Position & Entry
Parry of quarte (4th) — From the guard position (sixte), move the blade to the inside line, deflecting an attack targeting the inside of the chest — the most commonly used parry in foil fencing [1]
Parry of sixte (6th) — From sixte, use a small lateral movement to deflect an attack in the outside high line — the default guard position in modern foil
Circular parry (counter-parry) — Instead of moving the blade laterally, describe a small circle with the blade point, gathering the attacker's blade and carrying it to the opposite side — used when the attacker makes a disengage around a simple parry
Parry of octave (8th) — Lower the blade to deflect an attack targeting the low outside line — protecting against low-line attacks to the flank
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
1
Low1/10
Very low — in modern sport fencing, parries are executed with flexible blades and protective equipment; there is essentially no injury risk from the parry itself; in historical swordsmanship, parries were life-or-death defensive actions
Skill level needed to execute this technique reliably
Beginner
Whether this technique is allowed under major competition rule sets
— Unified MMA — Legal defensive technique
Unified Rules of MMA, August 2025PDFWBC/Boxing — Legal — blocking and evasion are core boxing skills {src— WBC Rules of Boxing}
— WKF — Legal — blocking is a fundamental karate skill
WKF Competition Rules 2024PDFKyokushin — Legal {src— IKO Kyokushin Tournament Rules}
— WT — Legal
WT Competition Rules 2024PDF— WAKO — Legal
WAKO Competition RulesPDFK-1/GLORY — Legal {src— K-1/GLORY Kickboxing Rules}
— IFMA — Legal
IFMA Muay Thai RulesPDFTraining Notes
✓Parry with the forte (strong part of the blade near the guard) — contact the opponent's foible (weak part near the tip) for maximum mechanical advantage; forte-to-foible is the fundamental principle of blade interaction (Gaugler, The Art and Science of Fencing, 2004) [1]
✓Parries should be small and efficient — large parries leave the fencer out of position for the riposte; modern fencing emphasises minimal blade movement
✓The parry-riposte is a single action — train the parry and riposte as one continuous movement, not as separate actions; the riposte should be automatic after the parry
✓Circular parries defeat disengages — when the opponent makes a disengage around your simple parry, a circular parry gathers their blade regardless of which direction they disengage [2]
✓Train all eight parries even though you will primarily use quarte and sixte — the ability to parry in any direction makes your defence unpredictable
✓In foil, the parry establishes right-of-way — without a parry or point-in-line, the riposte does not have priority; this makes parrying essential for scoring in foil
✓Partner drills are essential — one fencer attacks with specific patterns while the other practices the correct parry and riposte response
✓Distance (measure) determines whether a parry is needed — if the attacker is too far away, the attack won't reach and no parry is necessary; if too close, the parry must be combined with a retreat
Common Mistakes
!Making oversized parries — large sweeping blade movements leave the fencer out of position for the riposte and create tempo for the attacker's continuation
!Parrying with the foible instead of the forte — using the tip-end of the blade has no mechanical advantage and results in the attack pushing through the parry
!Forgetting the riposte — parrying without immediately riposting wastes the opening created by the parry; the riposte must be automatic
!Predicting which parry to use — the correct parry must be a response to the actual attack, not a guess; guessing leads to being hit when the wrong parry is chosen
!Excessive hand/arm tension — a tense hand cannot make the fine blade adjustments needed for precise parries; maintain a relaxed grip
!Not varying between simple and circular parries — using only simple parries makes the defence predictable; circular parries are essential against fencers who disengage
!Retreating too far while parrying — a parry should maintain or only slightly change distance; excessive retreat puts the fencer out of range for the riposte
Related Techniques
Riposte — the immediate counter-attack after a parry; inseparable from the parryFencing Blade Action — offensive blade actions (beat, press, bind) that are related to parry mechanicsFencing Thrust — the attacking techniques that parries defend againstFootwork Defence (Fencing Footwork) — the foot movement that accompanies parries (retreat, advance, lunge)
Counter Techniques
Disengage — going around the parry by circling the blade to the opposite lineCompound attack (one-two) — feinting to draw the parry, then attacking the opposite lineRemise — continuing the attack immediately after the parry, beating the riposte with speedCounter-disengage — anticipating a circular parry and going the opposite directionAbsence of blade — removing the blade from contact to prevent the parry from finding it
Setup Chain
1Maintain Guard (En Garde) — establish the standard guard position with blade presented
2Read the Attack — identify the incoming attack's line and direction
3Select Parry — choose the appropriate parry (simple, circular, or beat) for the attack type
4Execute Parry — deflect the attacking blade with the forte, displacing it from the target line
5Riposte — immediately deliver the counter-attack through the opening created
6Return to Guard — resume the guard position for the next exchange
Sources & References
Primary Source
The Art and Science of Fencing (William Gaugler, 2004)
1BookThe Art and Science of Fencing (Gaugler, 2004)
Description sources — [1] The Art and Science of Fencing (Gaugler, 2004) on parry system [2] On Fencing (Nadi, 1943) on Italian technique [3] Fencing historical development
2BookOn Fencing (Nadi, 1943)
History sources — [1] The Theory and Practice of Fencing (Castle, 1885) on French school [2] Italian fencing tradition [3] FIE modern standardisation
3BookFencing: Skills, Tactics, Training (Evangelista, 1996)
4BookThe Theory and Practice of Fencing (Castle, 1885)
5CitationThe Art and Science of Fencing (Gaugler, 2004)
Description sources — [1] The Art and Science of Fencing (Gaugler, 2004) on parry system [2] On Fencing (Nadi, 1943) on Italian technique [3] Fencing historical development
6CitationOn Fencing (Nadi, 1943)
History sources — [1] The Theory and Practice of Fencing (Castle, 1885) on French school [2] Italian fencing tradition [3] FIE modern standardisation
7CitationFencing: Skills, Tactics, Training (Evangelista, 1996)
8CitationThe Theory and Practice of Fencing (Castle, 1885)
Community
Athletics
Requires
fine motor control (blade manipulation is a precision skill), quick reflexes (parrying at competition speed requires sub-200ms reactions), wrist strength and flexibility
Favours
fast hands, good depth perception (judging blade distance), long arms (more reach for both defence and riposte)
Key muscles
finger flexors (grip and blade control), forearm pronators/supinators (blade rotation), deltoid (arm positioning), quadriceps (lunging for the riposte)
Sub-techniques
Parry of Octave
SubFamilyThe Parry of Octave deflects low-line attacks to the outside by dropping the blade downward with the hand in pronation. [1] Octave covers the outside low line — the outer thigh and hip area. [1] It is the complement to septime for low-line defence. [1]
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Parry of Prime
SubFamilyThe Parry of Prime is the oldest and most instinctive defensive movement, sweeping the blade downward and across the body to deflect attacks to the inside low line. [1] It is rarely used in modern competition but remains important in classical and historical fencing. [1,2] Prime was the first parry documented in early fencing treatises. [1]
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Parry of Quarte
SubFamilyThe Parry of Quarte is the most fundamental defensive action in Western fencing, deflecting attacks directed to the inside high line — the area of the chest and torso on the sword-arm side — by moving the blade laterally to the inside with the hand in supination (palm facing upward). [1] Quarte is universally taught as the first parry a beginning fencer learns because it defends the most commonly attacked target: the chest, which is the largest scoring surface in foil and the most natural target for a right-handed attacker facing a right-handed defender. [1,2] The mechanical execution is deceptively simple: from the en garde position, the fencer moves the blade approximately 4-6 inches to the inside (toward the torso), keeping the point slightly elevated and the hand in supination, using the forte (strong section) of their blade to deflect the incoming attack's foible (weak section). [1] This forte-to-foible contact is the key principle: by meeting the attacking blade's weakest section with the defending blade's strongest section, the parry requires minimal effort to redirect the attack off-target. [1,2] The parry of quarte is followed immediately by a riposte — the return attack delivered after the successful parry — making quarte-riposte (parry four, then attack) the most practised two-move sequence in all of fencing. [1] Pollock, Grove, and Prevost wrote in 1902 that the quarte parry 'is the parry par excellence,' noting that it defends the widest target area, is the most natural defensive movement, and sets up the most direct riposte. [1] In competitive fencing, the quarte parry accounts for approximately 40-50% of all successful defensive actions in foil, making it by far the most commonly used parry at all levels from beginner to Olympic competition. [3]
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Parry of Seconde
SubFamilyThe Parry of Seconde deflects low-line attacks by dropping the blade down and to the outside with the hand in pronation. [1] It is a powerful parry used against attacks to the lower body and is particularly effective in sabre fencing. [1] Seconde combines well with a riposte to the upper body. [1]
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Parry of Septime
SubFamilyThe Parry of Septime deflects low-line attacks to the inside by dropping the blade downward with the hand in supination. [1] Septime protects the lower abdomen and thigh on the inside line. [1] It is essential against low-line attacks in épée fencing. [1]
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Parry of Sixte
SubFamilyThe Parry of Sixte deflects attacks in the outside high line with the hand in supination, covering the outside shoulder and upper arm area. [1] Sixte is the modern counterpart to tierce and is the standard outside parry in French-school fencing. [1] It provides excellent coverage against disengagement attacks. [1]
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Parry of Tierce
SubFamilyThe Parry of Tierce deflects attacks directed to the outside high line by moving the blade to the outside with the hand in pronation. [1] Tierce protects the area outside the sword arm — the flank and outside shoulder. [1] Combined with quarte, it forms the basic inside-outside defensive framework of fencing. [1]
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Notes
Fencing parries appear in 5,648 passages under 'parry' across our entire corpus — the most documented defensive action. In sport fencing, eight numbered parries protect specific target areas. Each parry opens a specific riposte (counter-attack) line. (FIE fencing manuals; fencing instructional texts)
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it more important to focus on transitions between parries rather than individual parry positions?
In fencing, how you move from one parry to another is where the real defense happens. According to Selberg Fencing, keeping the blade in constant motion between positions makes it harder for your opponent to find an opening and gives you better overall defense.
What's the trick to performing parry combinations effectively?
Keep the movements small—only large enough to protect the target area. Selberg Fencing emphasizes avoiding large sweeping movements, as they waste energy and expose you unnecessarily.
Should I parry while standing my ground or moving?
Parries are best performed with a retreat. According to Selberg Fencing, stepping back gives you extra time to execute your parries, maintains your rhythm, and prevents the encumbrance that comes from holding your ground.
Why should I learn multiple parry combinations instead of just one or two?
Every opponent presents a different challenge, and you never know in advance which combination will be most useful. Having a full arsenal of parry combinations takes pressure off your defense and ensures you have backup options even if you don't find your opponent's blade on the first attempt.
How does the Fencing Parry work?
The Fencing Parry family covers the system of blade deflections used in fencing to redirect an opponent's attacking blade away from the valid target area — the sword-fighting equivalent of blocking in unarmed combat, but executed with the blade itself. Modern fencing recognises eight primary parries (prime through octave), each protecting a specific sector of the body by positioning the blade to intercept attacks from different directions.
Where does the Fencing Parry come from?
The parry system was formalised in the French and Italian fencing schools of the 17th–18th centuries as the rapier replaced the heavier broadsword and fencing technique became increasingly refined. The eight-parry system (prime through octave) was codified by French fencing masters, with each parry corresponding to a specific threat line (high/low × inside/outside).
Is the Fencing Parry legal in competition?
Unified MMA: legal — Legal defensive technique; WBC/Boxing: legal — Legal — blocking and evasion are core boxing skills; WKF: legal — Legal — blocking is a fundamental karate skill; Kyokushin: legal — Legal; WT: legal — Legal; WAKO: legal — Legal; K: legal — 1/GLORY — Legal; IFMA: legal — Legal
How dangerous is the Fencing Parry?
Danger rating 1/10. Very low — in modern sport fencing, parries are executed with flexible blades and protective equipment; there is essentially no injury risk from the parry itself; in historical swordsmanship, parries were life-or-death defensive actions
How do I set up the Fencing Parry?
The standard setup chain: Maintain Guard (En Garde) → Read the Attack → Select Parry → Execute Parry → Riposte → Return to Guard.
How do I defend against the Fencing Parry?
Standard counters include: Disengage — going around the parry by circling the blade to the opposite line / Compound attack (one-two) — feinting to draw the parry, then attacking the opposite line / Remise — continuing the attack immediately after the parry, beating the riposte with speed / Counter-disengage — anticipating a circular parry and going the opposite direction.
What are the variants of the Fencing Parry?
Common variants: Simple parry (a direct lateral blade movement to deflect the attack; th…); Circular parry (counter-parry) (a circular blade movement that gathers the attacker's bla…); Semi-circular parry (a half-circle movement, typically from high to low or vic…); Beat parry (a sharp, percussive blade contact that knocks the attacki…); Ceding parry (yielding to the opponent's blade pressure and redirecting…); The eight parries: prime (1st), seconde (2nd), tierce (3rd), quarte (4th), quinte (5th), sixte (6th), septime (7th), octave (8th) (each protecting a specific body sector [2]).
How effective is the Fencing Parry in competition?
Parry-riposte is the most common scoring action in Olympic foil fencing. All Olympic fencing medalists demonstrate elite parrying skills.
What are common mistakes when doing the Fencing Parry?
Top errors to watch for: Making oversized parries — large sweeping blade movements leave the fencer out of position for the riposte and create… / Parrying with the foible instead of the forte — using the tip-end of the blade has no mechanical advantage and result… / Forgetting the riposte — parrying without immediately riposting wastes the opening created by the parry; the riposte … / Predicting which parry to use — the correct parry must be a response to the actual attack, not a guess; guessing lead….
What are other names for the Fencing Parry?
The Fencing Parry is also known as Fenshingu Parī, Parry, Fencing Parry, Parade, Defensive Blade Action.