A parry is any blade action that deflects the opponent’s incoming point away from your target. In foil and sabre, a successful parry gives you right of way for the riposte. In épée there is no right of way, so a parry only matters if you can convert it fast enough to land before the opponent recovers. That changes how épéeists parry; we tend to favour opposition (keep the blade in contact, follow the line in) over big beats that throw the blade away.
(y-) The Numbered Parries
Eight numbered parries cover every line. The line is defined by two axes: high or low (above or below the bell guard), and inside or outside (toward or away from your weapon arm side, for a right-hander).
Quarte (4)
High inside. Hand in supination (palm up), blade angled slightly to the left across the body, point higher than the hand. Covers attacks aimed at the upper inside of your torso or your weapon-arm wrist.
Riposte: straight thrust along the same line, or disengage to outside if they bind.
Sixte (6)
High outside. Hand in supination, blade angled slightly right, point higher than the hand. The default épée parry, because most attacks come at the wrist from the outside. Sixte naturally protects the wrist while keeping your point threatening.
Riposte: opposition straight to the wrist or chest, or a disengage if they expect the straight.
Septime (7)
Low inside. Hand in supination, point dropped low and to the inside. Covers attacks at the lower torso, the inside of the thigh, or the inside of the wrist when their hand drops.
Riposte: usually a direct thrust low-inside, or lift the blade and riposte over to the high line.
Octave (8)
Low outside. Hand in supination, point dropped low and to the outside. The other essential épée parry, because it defends the outside of the wrist and forearm against the most common counter-attack.
Riposte: opposition along the low line, or rotate up to a high-line touch.
Tierce (3)
High outside, but with the hand in pronation (palm down). Less common in épée than sixte because pronation gives less point control, but useful as a counter-parry or when you want a stronger lateral block.
Seconde (2)
Low outside in pronation. The classical parry against a flèche or against a low attack that comes in hard. Strong but slow.
Prime (1)
High inside in pronation, with the hand turned over so the point is dropped down across the body. The most awkward of the eight. Used as a last-resort cross-body block, especially against close-quarters attacks.
Quinte (5)
In épée, quinte covers the low line with the hand high, point dropped. In sabre it is the parry over the head; in épée and foil it is its own shape. Rarely the first choice.
(y-) Épée Drilling Priorities
The eight exist, but you do not drill them equally. For épée, the realistic priority is roughly:
- Sixte (6) and Octave (8): the two wrist-defending parries you will use 70 percent of the time.
- Quarte (4) and Septime (7): the inside-line equivalents, for attacks that get past your guard.
- Seconde (2): for hard low attacks and against fleches.
- Prime, Quinte, Tierce: situational, but worth knowing.
(y-) Lateral vs Circular (Counter-) Parries
A lateral parry moves the blade in a straight line across the target. From sixte to quarte is a lateral parry: the blade sweeps from outside to inside, beating the opponent’s blade across the body.
A circular parry, or counter-parry, traces a small circle with the point and catches the opponent’s blade by going around it. A counter-sixte means starting in sixte, dropping the point under their blade, looping back up, and ending in sixte again, having scooped their blade onto yours.
Counter-parries are essential against fencers who disengage on every attack. If they expect you to parry laterally, a counter-parry catches them on the wrong side of your blade.
(y-) Prises de Fer (Takings of the Blade)
These are not parries exactly; they are blade actions that take, dominate, and carry the opponent’s blade out of line. They blur the distinction between defense and offense, which is why they are so effective in épée where there is no right of way to argue about.
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Bind (Liement) | Take the blade diagonally across, from high to low or low to high, opposite side. Strong, sweeping. |
| Croisé | Take the blade vertically on the same side, from high to low. Used to drive their point down. |
| Envelopment | Take the blade in a full circle, returning to the same line, having carried their blade with you the whole way. |
| Opposition | Keep your blade in contact with theirs throughout your attack, blocking the line as you score. |
Opposition is the bread and butter of épée. A textbook épée touch looks like: feel the blade, lean on it (opposition), extend, lunge, point lands on the wrist while their blade is still being held off line.
(y-) Opposition vs Beat Parries
A beat is a sharp tap on the opponent’s blade that knocks it out of line, then immediately releases. Fast, dramatic, and useful when their blade is held loosely. Risky because the moment you break contact, they can disengage and continue.
An opposition parry keeps the blade in contact through the entire action. Slower to start but safer to finish; the blade cannot disengage what it cannot escape from. For épée, where you want to land before they remise, opposition wins more bouts than beats do.
Rule of thumb: beat when their blade is heavy and committed, oppose when their blade is light and probing.
Sources
- FIE Technical Rules (Parry Definitions, t.10-t.15)
- USA Fencing: Parries Reference
- Classical Fencing: The Martial Art of Incidental Combat (John Clements)
- Wikipedia: Parry (fencing)
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