No matter how bad an opponent's en guarde stance is, you're not going to be able to hit him if he's mentally prepared. Likewise, no matter how good the stance is, he wont be able to defend against your attack if he's not mentally prepared.
I always remind people that stances exist in 4 dimensions-- they are relative to the opponent's attacks, but also to the distance of the combatants as well as the defender's reaction speed.
Trench warfare –or– don’t use your head, use your feet!
One of the hallmarks of fencing, regardless of style, is footwork.* In fact, it’s apocryphal that fencing spawned ballet. Nearly every historical treatise describes it’s own very particular footwork patterns or techniques... St. Didier, Agrippa, Thibaust, DiGrassi, Viggiani... you name it. And certainly, modern competitive fencers are drilled in footwork, lunges, and distance until they do it in their sleep.
So it’s a peculiar thing that many fencers neglect this area of their training. It seems endemic in nearly every gym except the most competitive: fencers love the blade-work, but seem loathe to do the footwork.
This 4-page, downloadable report discusses the importance of proper footwork--why it is vital to your ability to defend yourself, possibly even more than the parry.
It explores how distance effects the effectiveness of your parries and your timing, and most important, offers practical solutions solutions and exercises.
read it, try it out, and share you opinions and experiences!
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