Simple attacks; compound enjoyment

Last night I gave a lesson on the basics of the compound attack. As a coach this is a lesson I really like doing as it is a good subject to get one's teeth into. To me, the compound attack embodies all that is fun about fencing and allows some of the subtleties of the sport to surface. Allow me to explain why.... The compound attack used to be called the composed attack in some quarters back in the day. This is because it is composed of more than one blade movement, one of which is a feint made in order to deceive a parry. Therefore it requires more precision in it's execution and as such is much more demanding than a simple lunge. It is also a tactical or premeditated attack which depends on the fencer having a sufficient level of ability in order to make it and a sense of observation developed beyond the elementary, but more of that later. The basic foundation of a compound attack is distance. If you try it when you are too close to the opponent you will not have the room necessary to execute it and it will end in a tangle of blades and most likely a flat hit. Therefore you must commence the attack at a slightly longer range and use that distance to execute your feint, which will provoke your opponent's parry. The second component of the attack is speed. Again, if you attempt a compound too fast you will not succeed, not only because the technique must be executed accurately and calmly but also because the feint has to be slow enough for your opponent to see it. Now let's back up over that last statement again. "Surely fencing is about lightning fast attacks that dazzle and befuddle your opponent Dave?" I hear you ask. Well yes and no. Think about it; if your opponent can't see what you're doing he can't react to it (i.e. he won't parry your feint) therefore your compound attack will fail. It's one of those little fencing paradoxes. You have to make the feint attack slow and obvious enough to give your opponent time to react BUT (and it's a big but) your second movement to deceive the parry must be fast enough to prevent a subsequent reaction. Therefore, the compound attack is essentially a two speed or slow-quick move. The first feint is slow and the completion is fast, all done with an accelerating lunge. The third component of the compound is that it turns fencing from a wholly physical activity to a cerebral one. You are starting to anticipate, provoke and control your opponent's moves which is a different type of challenge and enjoyment altogether. The other aspect of this increased mental activity is that you have to really see what your opponent does. If they constantly parry laterally then you feint direct and then disengage; if they parry in a circular fashion all the time then you feint direct and counter-disengage; if they parry low then you feint low and finish high. In order to do this you need to really have to pay attention to your opponent's strengths/habits and use them against them. So as you can see, the compound attack is a complete evolution from the simple attack. Once a fencer can begin to appreciate this attack they can really begin to enjoy their sport on a different level. Executing it correctly every time becomes the next evolution and that can take a lot longer!