Fencing · Attacks · Distance & timing

Simple attack: lunge to the target

From the right distance, fencers extend the arm and lunge to land a clean hit on a wall target or a coach's pad, then recover. Then they add an advance first.

F1F2F3C
Start / 7
Time
12 min
Players
1–16
Age
U8+
Area
Piste or sports hall
Equipment
wall targets or a coaching plastron and pad, one per lanemasksjackets, underarm protectors and glovesweapons

Setup

  1. Masks on whenever a blade is in the hand, even against a wall target: blades can snap on a hard hit, and other fencers are close by.
  2. Blade check before you start: run a hand along the blade (glove on) for kinks or sharp bends, look for cracks near the tip and the guard, and make sure the point or button is secure. Any cracked blade goes to the coach and is not used.
  3. Hang a wall target at chest height for each lane, or have the coach stand in a coaching plastron holding a pad. Leave at least 2 metres between lanes; waiting fencers stand behind the line, never beside a target.
  4. Foil and épée hit with the point. Sabre fencers run the same drill with a short cut from the fingers and wrist to a head- or shoulder-height target.

How it runs

  1. Find lunge distance: en garde in front of the target, extend the arm and lunge. Shuffle back or forward until a full lunge just reaches with a slight bend in the blade. Mark the front foot with tape.
  2. Extension: from en garde, straighten the weapon arm smoothly so the point threatens the target, hand at shoulder height, shoulder relaxed. Ten slow extensions, no lunge.
  3. Lunge: extend first, then lunge. The point lands on the target, the blade bends slightly upwards, and the fencer holds the finished lunge for a count of one.
  4. Recover to en garde on the tape. Ten hits, then the next fencer in the lane has a turn.
  5. Advance-lunge: step back one advance from the tape, then advance and lunge in one smooth action. Ten hits each.
  6. Finish with five hits each called by the coach: on 'Go!' the fencer attacks at once from wherever they are, adjusting with an advance if they're too far.

Coaching points

  • Hand before foot. The arm is straight, or nearly straight, before the front foot lands.
  • Point first, not the guard: guide the point with the fingers, keep the wrist firm and the elbow below the hand.
  • Hit, then hold. Hold the finished lunge long enough to check the knee is over the ankle and the back foot is flat.
  • A clean hit is a quiet hit. A loud slap means the arm is swinging instead of reaching.
  • Right distance first; most missed hits are a distance problem, not an arm problem.

Common mistakes

  • Lunging from too far away and diving forward to reach.
  • Pulling the arm back before extending, which warns an opponent.
  • Dropping the point and hitting with the side of the blade.
  • Recovering too early, before the hit has landed.

Say it: “Arm, foot, hit, hold.”

Make it harder

  • The coach moves the pad between hits, so fencers re-find distance each time.
  • The coach holds the pad still, then moves it on the fencer's extension: hit the new spot.
  • Add a feint: show the extension to one side, then disengage and hit.

Make it easier

  • Extension and hit from standing, no lunge.
  • Use a target on the floor tape to show where the front foot should land.

Pairs well with

Reviewed by the Sportdify coaching team.