Attacks in Time

Attack in Time: This is a strike which interrupts an opponent's action, usually their preparation for a strike of their own. These are known more formally as “timed strikes” and “stop strikes.” As such, attacks in time represent exploiting an opportunity which a more skilled fencer may not give away.

The opponent's forearm is the usual, but not only, target. There are two phases to the attack in time:

1. Seeing the opportunity given away by the opponent and striking,
2. Defending against the strike the opponent is planning to make.

Start this execise following the regular leader/follower distance exercise and add the cues given below to signal the attack in time.

Against the vertical strike

1. One partner is leader and moves forwards and backwards. The other partner follows to maintain distance.
2. The partner giving the trigger (extends and) raises their sword arm to make a head strike.
3. The other partner strikes at the exposes forearm with an horizontal cut and immediately makes a head parry while withdrawing.
4. Swap roles. Start again.

Against the horizontal strike

1. One partner is leader and moves forwards and backwards. The other partner follows to maintain distance.
2. The partner giving the trigger (extends and) moves their sword hand to their inside line (to give a flank strike or stomach strike).
3. The other partner strikes at the exposes forearm with a vertical cut and immediately makes a parry of the face strike on the outside (or parry of the flank strike) while withdrawing.
4. Swap roles. Start again.

This is an exploratory game which encourages the behaviours of timed strikes/stop strikes.It works in an attacker/defender format.

The rules of the game are:

• The attacker must throw compound attacks, consisting of one or two feints before the true strike, aiming to make a touch on deep targets (eg: head and torso).
• The defender has two goals, the second contingent on the first. Above all, the defender must prevent themselves from being touched. Only then can the defender look to interrupt the attackers action(s) with a strike to a shallow target (arms and legs).

Observation: Attacks in time are opportunity actions. The chance to execute an attack in time may or may never occur during a fencing match. However, theybare a basic technique and they train spotting opportunities, judgement and active defence.