Distance (mesura) is the gap between you and your opponent, measured by what you can reach. In épée it decides most touches before any blade moves. The wrist is closer than the body, so the fencer who controls the distance chooses when the wrist is in range and when it is not.
The steps themselves are on the (y-) Footwork page. The drills below train you to use them at the right moment.
(y-) Mental model
There are three distances that matter, and they are personal. They depend on your reach, your lunge, and how fast you move, so you have to find them on yourself.
| Distance | What it means |
|---|---|
| Out of distance | Neither fencer can hit with a lunge. Safe, and where preparation happens. |
| Lunge distance | You can reach the wrist or arm with an extension and a lunge. |
| Close distance | You can hit with an extension alone. Also where they can hit you. |
The game is to stay at the edge of your lunge distance while keeping the opponent at the edge of theirs. If you have the longer reach, the edge is wider in your favor. If they do, you need to steal it with timing.
(y-) Finding your distances
Do this once, then check it every few months.
- Stand en garde facing a wall with a target at wrist height.
- Find where your point just touches the target with the arm extended. That is your close distance.
- Step back until a full lunge just reaches it. That is your lunge distance.
- Add one advance. That is the far edge of an advance-lunge, the longest simple attack.
- Mark each spot on the floor with tape and stand in each one with your eyes closed, so you learn what it feels like.
(y-) Partner drills
| Drill | How |
|---|---|
| Mirror | The leader moves, the follower keeps the same distance. Start with simple advances and retreats, then add rhythm changes and lunges. |
| Blade-tip gap | Fencers stand with points just apart. The leader moves, the follower keeps the tips the same distance apart. A partner calls “freeze” and checks. |
| Glove at the edge | Partner holds a glove out at arm’s length and moves around. Stay where one lunge would reach it. On a call, lunge and touch it. |
| Step and stop | Leader advances one, two, or three steps and stops at random. Follower must not let the gap close and must attack when the leader stops short. |
| Steal the step | Follower tries to close distance by half a step without the leader noticing, then lunges. Leader calls out when they notice. |
Keep each drill to two or three minutes. Judging distance takes full attention, and it slips once you get bored.
(y-) Solo drills
| Drill | How |
|---|---|
| Tape ladder | Mark your three distances on the floor. Move between them on a random call and check your foot position. |
| Lunge from the edge | From lunge distance to a wall target, lunge and hit. Move back a few centimeters at a time until you miss. |
| Rhythm footwork | Footwork with a metronome. Change speed every few bars without changing step length. |
| Video check | Film a bout from the side. Pause at each touch and note the distance it started from. |
(y-) Reading the opponent’s distance
- Watch the back foot. Many fencers shorten their stance or bring the back foot up before attacking.
- Watch the front knee. A front knee that bends more than usual often means a lunge is coming.
- Count their steps. If they always advance twice before attacking, you know where the attack starts.
- Notice where they stop. A fencer who stops at the same spot again and again is showing you their comfortable distance.
The (y-) Bout Analysis page has a template for writing these down during a competition.
(y-) Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Standing in close distance | Find your lunge distance and train staying at its edge. |
| Retreating too far | Losing distance gives the opponent time. Retreat just enough, then hold. |
| Step length changes with speed | Rhythm footwork with a metronome. Same step at every speed. |
| Watching only the blade | Look at the whole fencer, especially the feet and knees. |
| Never checking your distances | Re-measure them. Fitness and flexibility change your lunge. |
Sources
(y-) Footwork | (y-) Tactics | (y-) Toe Touch | (y-) Point Control
(y) Return to Fencing | (y) Return to Notes | (y) Return to Home