What constitutes an attack?
According to Article t.7 (old 10) of the FIE rules of competition, “the attack is the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the opponent’s target.” A threatening weapon is normally interpreted to be one that will or could hit the opponent if no defensive action is taken. In other words, a weapon threatens if it is moving towards the target in a smooth, unbroken trajectory. This trajectory can be curved, especially if the attack is indirect, compound, or involves a cutting action. Hesitations and movements of the blade away from the target will usually be perceived as a break in the attack or a preparation of the attack. One common misconception is that a straight or straightening arm is required to assert the attack. However, a straight arm is not an attack, but a point-in-line. The attack begins when the arm begins extending, not once it is fully extended. It is not even necessary that the arm become fully straight, although that is normal for
According to Article 10 of the FIE rules of competition, “the attack is the initial offensive action made by extending the arm and continuously threatening the valid target of the opponent.”A threatening weapon is normally interpreted to be one that will or could hit the opponent if no defensive action is taken. In other words, a weapon threatens if it is moving towards the target in a smooth, unbroken trajectory. This trajectory can be curved, especially if the attack is indirect, compound, or involves a cutting action. Hesitations and movements of the blade away from the target will usually be perceived as a break in the attack or a preparation of the attack.One common misconception is that a straight or straightening arm is required to assert the attack. However, neither the strict wording nor the prevailing interpretation of the above rule require that the attacker’s arm become straight or even nearly so. It is sufficient if the arm extends, even just slightly, from its normal on-g
