Immediately you go on guard, touch your adversary’s sword with yours,
and retire out of distance to avoid a surprise. This is called
“engaging.”
Keep your eyes open and fixed upon your adversary, watching all his
movements.
Hold yourself in as easy a manner as possible, particularly the sword
arm.
Keep your knees well bent while setting to; you cannot longe quickly
unless you do.
Move the feet lightly, and never drag them on the ground.
Be careful to always keep sufficient room behind you to be able to
retire. Should your adversary try to drive you back, either attack him
or threaten an attack.
While manœuvring, keep out of reach, and plan your attacks and deliver
them immediately you are within distance, then recover to the position
of guard whether you have succeeded or not.
Should your adversary guard your attack and return, form the necessary
guard, and make a second attack without the slightest delay.
Do not hit at the same place more than twice in succession, but vary
your attacks and returns very much.
After two or three exchanges, break away out of distance to steady
yourself and plan your next movements. In making long phrases you get
slow and out of form, and, consequently, are not likely to get a hit.
Always deliver your cuts with a true edge and with the centre of
percussion, which is generally about seven or eight inches from the
point. It is the most effective part of the sword to cut with, and will
not jar the arm like a cut made with any other part of the blade.
Never press upon your adversary’s blade after having delivered a cut or
thrust, but recover as quickly as possible to guard the return. Should
he press upon yours, disengage and return as quickly as possible.
Make all your cuts with the wrist; never throw your arm out of line, but
always keep it in front of you.
The action of cutting at your opponent’s left side (called the inside
line), is something like that of throwing, and at his right side
(outside line) like that of whipping.
Always keep in front of your opponent, never more to your right or left;
should he do so, keep on your own ground, turning only so much as to
enable you to have your right toes pointed to his. Let him move round as
much as he likes: he will only tire himself and gain no advantage.
Keep the head and body erect and quiet in all positions.[5] If you lean
forward on the attack, a man much shorter than yourself can thrust you
through the head by simply retiring and straightening his arm, while
your attack would not reach him. You also cannot recover quickly, as too
much weight is thrown upon the front leg.
Footnote 5:
The advantages of this are fully and clearly shown by that justly
celebrated fencer, Captain G. Chapman, in his “Sequel to Foil
Practice.”
Avoid remaining on the longe and getting to close quarters, no true
defence can be made when in-fighting.
If you remain on the longe, your adversary may easily and without any
danger step forward with his left foot and seize the wrist of your sword
arm with his left hand.[6] By always recovering to your guard such a
manœuvre is avoided, and, if attempted, you may easily deliver a
straight thrust as he steps forward.
Footnote 6:
Although this would not be permitted in a duel, a man would not
hesitate to do it in actual combat.
Another reason why you should always recover to your guard after an
attack is, if you remain on the longe and your adversary retires one
step, you cannot reach him; he has then the advantage of position, and
will be able to attack you, while you can only act on the defensive.
If you can hit your adversary without feinting, do so, as it is more
dangerous to make two motions than one.
Use judgment, study your opponent’s play, and make no meaningless
movements. An assault ought not to last longer than ten minutes. After
that time, if you have fenced with energy and vigour, you lose your
quickness and get out of form, and thereby contract slow and bad habits.