A Glossary of Fencing Terms for Beginners

Walk into your first fencing lesson and you will hear a stream of French inflected words that sound nothing like everyday sport talk. What does “en garde” actually mean, and why does the referee keep saying “touche”? This glossary breaks down the terms you will hear in your first weeks on the piste, so you can focus on footwork instead of feeling lost. It is never too late to start, and a first trial session at Fencing Masters costs you nothing to try.

The Basics

Piste: the narrow strip, roughly 14 metres long, on which a bout takes place.
Salle: the fencing hall or club where lessons and bouts are held.
Foil: a light thrusting weapon with a flexible blade; hits count only on the torso.
Epee: a heavier thrusting weapon where the entire body is a valid target.
Sabre: a cutting and thrusting weapon where hits count above the waist, including the arms and head.
Mask: the protective wire mesh helmet every fencer wears.
Bout: a single fencing match between two fencers.
En garde: the ready stance fencers take before an action begins, and also the referee’s call to assume it.
On guard line: the line on the piste where each fencer stands in the en garde position.

Choosing a weapon is one of the first decisions a new fencer makes, and each one suits a slightly different temperament. Our guide to the three weapons breaks down foil, epee and sabre in more depth if you want to compare them before your trial, and which fencing weapon should a beginner start with offers a more practical starting point.

Actions and Moves

Advance: a forward step used to close distance with your opponent.
Retreat: a backward step used to open distance or avoid an attack.
Lunge: the classic fencing attack, a long forward step that extends the sword arm toward the target.
Flèche: a running attack in which the fencer leaps past the opponent, used mainly in foil and epee.
Parry: a defensive action that blocks or deflects the opponent’s blade.
Riposte: the counterattack made immediately after a successful parry.
Remise: a second, immediate attack made after an original attack was parried or missed.
Feint: a fake attack meant to draw a reaction before the real attack lands.
Beat: a sharp tap on the opponent’s blade to provoke a reaction or open a line.
Disengage: a small circular movement of the blade used to avoid an opponent’s parry.

Fencing is often called physical chess. Every advance, retreat and feint is a question, and every parry and riposte is an answer.

Rules and Scoring

Right of way: the rule in foil and sabre that decides which fencer’s attack counts when both land at the same time.
Priority: another term for right of way, referring to who has the “right” to attack at that moment.
Touche: French for “touch,” called out (or signalled electronically) when a valid hit lands.
Target area: the part of the body where a hit counts as a valid touch, which differs by weapon.
Off target: a hit that lands outside the valid target area and does not score, used mainly in foil.
Double touch: when both fencers land a valid hit in the same action, common in epee where both can score.
Corps a corps: physical contact between fencers, which the referee may pause the bout to address.

People and Places

Referee: the official who applies the rules, awards touches and keeps the bout moving safely.
Director: another name for the referee, more common in older or American terminology.
Armourer: the technician who checks and repairs weapons and electrical scoring equipment.
Seconding: to fence in second position, a term less common today but still heard around clubs.
Coach: the person guiding technique, tactics and match preparation, ideally one who is properly registered and has real competition experience.

Learning this vocabulary is part of what makes fencing so rewarding as a sport. Beyond the words, fencing builds sharp reflexes, discipline and strategic thinking in a way few other activities do, and it welcomes complete beginners at almost any age.

Why Learn the Language Properly

Picking up terms from videos only gets you so far. Understanding right of way, for instance, is far easier when a coach explains it live on the piste and shows you why an attack was awarded rather than a counter. This is where learning at an established school matters. Fencing Masters has been teaching fencing in Singapore since 1995 under founder and head coach Jeffrey Lopez, with NROC-registered coaches who bring real competition experience to every class.

Aged 7 or 70, curious about foil, epee or sabre, all equipment is provided for your first session so you can try the sport before deciding to commit. No prior experience is needed, and classes run for students roughly aged 3 to 90 across group and private formats.

Ready to Put These Terms Into Practice

Reading a glossary is one thing, feeling a parry connect or landing your first touche is another. The best way to make this vocabulary click is to step onto the piste yourself. Book a trial at Fencing Masters and let our coaches show you what en garde really feels like.