Coaching Epee Level One 06 Circular parry sixte with riposte
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Parry of Sixte·The French Fencing Factory
In these videos BFA Fencing Coach instructor Priscille Lepoutge presents the technical requirements to pass grade 1 Coac…
Parry of Sixte
SubFamilyシクスト(Shikusuto)
Translation: Sixth parry
Overview
The 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]
SixteFencingParry 6Sixth ParryParade de SixteFencing
History & Origin
Effectiveness
The Parry of Sixte remains a core technique in modern competitive fencing and historical swordsmanship. [1]
Lineage
Competition Record
Used in FIE international fencing competition
Images
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Biomechanical Mechanism
Primary Action — Parry of Sixte-specific fencing mechanics
Joints Involved — Arm (extension/rotation), wrist (angulation), legs (lunge drive)
Force Vector — Technique-specific
Leverage Principle — Forte-to-foible blade leverage and body mechanics
Position & Entry
From en garde — Execute the parry of sixte
From engagement — Transition into parry of sixte
Variants
Direct parry of sixte
Indirect parry of sixte
Compound parry of sixte
Videos
Epee Fencing - Improve your sixte parry to better handle pressure!
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Parry of Sixte·FitnessIgnite
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Parry Sixte Riposte
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Parry of Sixte·Kingston Fencing Club
Oksana Larson, a coach at Kingston Fencing Club, coaches Richard and experienced foilist, counter parry sixte riposte.
Parry circle 6 (counter-sixte)
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Parry of Sixte·WaltonSean
Fencing - how to do parry circle 6 (aka counter-sixte)
Parry Sixte Riposte
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Parry of Sixte·John Trojanowski
Practice at the Spindletop Cavaliers' old practice facility in Port Arthur, before Hurricane Rita destroyed it.
Feint against sixte parry
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Parry of Sixte·sandra egginton
FIE coaching Budapest 17
Longsword Beginners Guide #4 - Parry and Riposte
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Parry of Sixte·Federico Malagutti HEMA
Follow me on: PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/MalaguttiFederico Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/federicom…
Fencing 101: Skills to Win: Circular 6, Parry 5 & Riposte, The Stop Cut
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Parry of Sixte·RecSport Education
This video covers the circular 6 parry, and the riposte from a parry 5 position, and a version of the stop thrust I lear…
Drilling Parry 6
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Parry of Sixte·Cyrano's Place
Join Coach Kass from Cyrano's Place as she shows you ways to drill parry 6 with inexpensive materials. Train like a cham…
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9 videosWhat Instructors Say
The parry of sixte is a high-line outside defense executed by moving the blade away from the body's centerline to intercept an opponent's attack. Cyrano's Place emphasizes that sixte, alongside quarte, constitutes a primary high-line parry, with sixte specifically deflecting threats to the outside (away from the belly button). The technique is drilled systematically at multiple distances—extension, advance, and lunge—to build consistency and competitive confidence. The French Fencing Factory and Kingston Fencing Club focus on sixte as a circular parry, which proves more effective than lateral parries at speed by rapidly placing the blades to the side, minimizing the risk of being hit during the defensive action. Both sources stress the importance of engaging the opponent's blade promptly once the attack commits, particularly during a lunge. The French Fencing Factory instructor demonstrates pairing sixte with immediate riposte, using the strong part of one's blade against the weak part of the opponent's blade to gain control. Kingston Fencing Club's brief footage reinforces the repetitive drilling methodology, counting rhythmically through multiple executions. All instructors implicitly agree that sixte is a fundamental, high-percentage defense requiring consistent practice to achieve automatic execution.
Synthesized from 3 instructors
- Cyrano's Place — Drilling Parry 6: Defines parry sixte as an outside high-line defense; demonstrates systematic drilling at extension, advance, and lunge distances using an accessible pool-noodle setup; emphasizes consistency-building for competition confidence.
- The French Fencing Factory — Coaching Epee Level One 06 Circular parry sixte with riposte: Clarifies sixte as a circular parry superior to lateral parries at speed; teaches blade engagement timing (waiting for the lunge) and strong-to-weak contact; demonstrates immediate riposte execution.
- Kingston Fencing Club — Parry Sixte Riposte: Reinforces repetitive drilling methodology through rhythmic counting; shows sequential execution patterns paired with riposte.
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Ratings
Risk of injury to the person this technique is applied to
1
Low1/10
Defensive parrying technique
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
✓Practise with a partner in controlled conditions (Pollock et al., 1902)
✓Focus on economy of motion
✓Develop blade sentiment through slow-speed drills
Common Mistakes
!Over-extending
!Telegraphing the action
!Poor recovery
Related Techniques
Counter Techniques
Setup Chain
1En garde → Preparation → Parry of Sixte → Recovery
Sources & References
Primary Source
Fencing (Pollock, Grove & Prevost, 1902)
1Book[1] Pollock, W.H., Grove, F.C. and Prevost, C. (1902). Fencing, Boxing, Wrestling. Longmans, Green, and Co. Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes. [2] Castle, E. (1885). Schools and Masters of Fence. George Bell and Sons.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Pollock, W
2Citation[1] Pollock, W.H., Grove, F.C. and Prevost, C. (1902). Fencing, Boxing, Wrestling. Longmans, Green, and Co. Badminton Library of Sports and Pastimes. [2] Castle, E. (1885). Schools and Masters of Fence. George Bell and Sons.
description, historyOrigin: sourced from Pollock, W
Community
Athletics
Requires good arm extension
Quick reflexes
Balance and footwork
Notes
The parry of sixte protects the outside high line — the blade moves from inside to outside. Along with quarte, it forms the primary parry pair in foil fencing. (Fencing technique manuals; Biomechanics of Human Motion)
Frequently Asked Questions
What guard position should I use to practice parry of sixte and riposte?
Federico Malagutti recommends starting from the Pota di Ferro guard (Italian for 'iron door'), which provides good balance and is an ideal position to begin the entire parry and riposte action.
How often do I need to practice parry of sixte to make it effective in a bout?
According to RecSport Education, this maneuver should be practiced regularly if you want to make it effective in a bout, and you should be extra careful when attempting it in épée matches since the head is a valid target.
How does the Parry of Sixte work?
The Parry of Sixte deflects attacks in the outside high line with the hand in supination, covering the outside shoulder and upper arm area. Sixte is the modern counterpart to tierce and is the standard outside parry in French-school fencing.
Where does the Parry of Sixte come from?
The Parry of Sixte was codified in European fencing treatises from the 16th century onward. Italian and French schools developed the technique into its modern form through centuries of refinement.
Is the Parry of Sixte 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 Parry of Sixte?
Danger rating 1/10. Defensive parrying technique
How do I set up the Parry of Sixte?
The standard setup chain: En garde → Preparation → Parry of Sixte → Recovery.
How do I defend against the Parry of Sixte?
Standard counters include: Counter-parry / Distance management / Stop-hit.
What are the variants of the Parry of Sixte?
Common variants: Direct parry of sixte; Indirect parry of sixte; Compound parry of sixte.
How effective is the Parry of Sixte in competition?
Used in FIE international fencing competition
What are common mistakes when doing the Parry of Sixte?
Top errors to watch for: Over-extending / Telegraphing the action / Poor recovery.
What are other names for the Parry of Sixte?
The Parry of Sixte is also known as Shikusuto, Sixte, Parry 6, Sixth Parry, Parade de Sixte.