How Do You Do Basic Sword-Fighting Parries?
When hitting first fails, hitting last will do. A good parry will completely defend you and expend your opponent’s energy, leaving you free to hit back at will. This guide is written from a fencing perspective (specifically, saber), but can apply to anyone with a stick. Foil and epee parries are much more subtle than the parries described here. Consult a professional teacher to learn them. There 3 basic parries for the upper body; parry 4, parry 5 and parry 6 (these are named for a larger set of parries in fencing). For the purposes of this guide, if your opponent goes for your legs, just back up. The attack will put them off balance, leaving you free to hit them in the head. Let’s assume you’re right-handed (reverse if left-handed). Parry 6 protects your right flank, parry 4 moves across, like a windshield wiper, to protect your body, and parry 5 protects your head. Parry 6 is your default position. Bring your arm down to your hip, extend it slightly, and keep your forearm parallel to
