Fencing is a skill-intensive sport that often requires you to move each of your four limbs independently. Lunging to deliver an attack to your opponent requires your dominant, weapon-wielding hand to move forward, your off hand moving back to maintain balance, your dominant foot to step forward, and your back foot to extend forcefully, driving you into a lunge. Knowing when each body part does its job is key to effective lunges.
Weapons With Right of Way
Foil and sabre fencing follows the rules of priority, or right of way, to determine who wins a point in cases where both fencers touch simultaneously. With these weapons, an attack begins when you extend your arm and threaten your opponent's target area. With a sabre, the attack ends when your front foot lands in the lunge, while the rules in foil allow for more interpretation. Epee does not use right of way and permits the scoring of double touches.
Tempo
Tempo in fencing refers to the appropriate moment in which to execute a technique in relation to your opponent's actions. For example, you may begin a lunge while holding your weapon arm back; your opponent sees your forward movement and reacts by parrying, attempting to stop your blade with his. By holding your arm back, you allow the parry to pass and then extend your arm and score the touch. The end of your opponent's parry was the appropriate tempo to extend your arm. Tempo varies with different situations.
Extension Before the Lunge Begins
Beginner fencers are often taught to extend the arm and establish priority before a lunge. This is "preinitiative" tempo, and can be combined with evasive blade actions to avoid your opponent's parry attempts. If you advance just before you lunge, you can sharply extend your arm as you bring your back foot up from the advance and plant it for the lunge. This serves as a feint, and can deceive your opponent into reacting early.
Extension After the Lunge Begins
Most fencers extend their arm as they lunge, in simultaneous tempo. In the right of way weapons, this can ensure you have priority without signaling your attack to your opponent. You can also hold your weapon back until midway through the lunge, in saved tempo, allowing your opponent to react to your lunge but avoiding his blade without any extraneous bladework. Lost tempo, which works best in foil and epee, can be effective when your opponent does not perceive your lunge as an attack.
