Elements of Fencing

Meyer suggests that al fencing is composed of 3 elements.

First are the strikes; these are the type of attacks that can be made with the different parts of the weapon, chiefly cuts, thrusts, and slices.

Second there are the parries; Parryng (generally rendered as versetzen in Meyer) are the techniques used to drive off attacks, and they come in three basic forms, static parries, cutting as a parry in preparation for a riposte, and parries which defend and attack in a single action (as we see in the Zwerch).

Third comes the handworks. These are the intervening techniques between strikes and parries.

Together these come together and when used in the correct way and at the correct time form what Meyer calls the "Craft" of fencing.