[syndicate] Fencing Techniques of Daphne du Maurier

[jeff harrison]

THE SCAPEGOAT 

in the Contre Carte Parry, your point is 
on the left of your opponent's blade & 
pointed toward his/her flank. your defensive 
movement begins with the point moving 
directly forward shortly after the start 
of the opponent's thrust, but your point 
then moves in a tight counterclockwise semi- 
circle around opponent's blade. the object is to 
use just enough semicircular movement to get 
around opponent's blade during opponent's 
disengagement, which should mimic the tableau 
of atop the hayrack catching the hay you 
fork into the air. this Parry, the Contre Carte, 
aka Sitting Up With The Patient, is executed 
with minimal arm movement & a slight elbow bend. 

* 

REBECCA 

the straight thrust is the simplest movement, 
& one of the hardest attacks to land successfully. 
it is a direct lunge in the opponent's unprotected 
line, but the attacker must cover a great distance 
without any feinting action. the opponent has 
only to make a cursory parry to avoid the thrust: 
the foil sits in the chair the air left empty. 

* 

THE INFERNAL WORLD OF BRANWELL BRONTE 

in a One-Two Feint, the hand itself remains in place, 
stock-still straying not to nigh, 

no lateral movement or dropping of the hand on 
the first feint. the direction is 

a) forward; b) vertical - a feint above the hand & 
a hit below or vice-versa. 

* 

THE BIRDS 

the Ballestra increases velocity during attack. 
jump while pushing off from your rear leg 
(as the first foot begins its step, the rear leg 
propels you forward). both feet land simultaneously, 
with rear foot landing flat while ball of front foot 
strikes the floor. lunge before weight settles. 

the front foot is a field of foxes, 
the rear foot the towered hounds. 

* 

MISS HILL AND THE SOLDIERS 

what is reading aloud? the recovery back 
to en guard... the recovery of speech 
by reading writing aloud maybe*... is 
performed by pushing back with the front 
leg while pulling back with the rear knee. 
the forward recovery to en guard is done 
by a lean forward & up to guard stance, 
with the rear foot moving into position last. 

*an object flying, as a foil flies, 
leaves no mark when unresisted, 
were it to fly a thousand years. 
walking leaves a furrow eventually. 

 		
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