Subtleties

Last week my Coach gave a group lesson on the engagement of sixte as a preparation to an attack. It's one of those simple appearing techniques that is actually harder than it looks. The fencer executes a clockwise circular engagement of the other person's blade. What could be simpler you cry? Well hold on there Dear Reader, there's a lot more to it than that. Firstly, you have to make the contact with your forte against the opponent's foible (your strength against their weakness) otherwise your blade will probably slip off theirs and leave you vulnerable to attack yourself. Secondly, this movement needs to be coordinated with your footwork, the engagement being completed as the back foot lands, otherwise your opponent can move away. Finally, the engagement must be done with exactly the right amount of pressure. This is key as without the right approach here you will not be able to sense how your opponent is holding their blade. Too heavy and you won't know; too light and you won't know either.
The whole thing about an engagement is that it is primarily a reconnaisance prior to an attack. If you want to go bashing away at your opponent's blade then use a beat to clear the blade out of the way. An engagement is a completely different beast though and calls for a lot more subtlety and artistry. That's one of the great things about fencing; it initially appears very straight forward but if you take the time to think about it the subtleties appear.....