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Sabre

The Fencing School at The Royal Academy of Dance

Syllabus for Grades 1-9

Grade 1

Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)

  1. The Grip
  2. The Salute 
  3. The On guard - Guard of Tierce & Quarte 
  4. Steps Forward and Backward 
  5. Cuts to Head, Flank and Chest 
  6. Direct Attack with lunge to Head, Flank and Chest 
  7. Parries of Tierce, Quarte and Quinte with a Direct Riposte
Describe:
  1. How to use your Sabre safely
  2. How to fence safely 
  3. The Target Area 
  4. An Attack and a Parry with Riposte 
  5. Fencing Etiquette
Grade 2

Demonstrate: (with coach or partner).While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain correct lunging distance
  2. Maintain correct distances and Cut to Head, Flank and Chest without a lunge 
  3. Maintain correct distance and each time your partner pauses Cut to Head, Flank and Chest with a full lunge 
  4. Each time your partner Attacks with a lunge to Head, Flank or Chest, Parry Tierce, Quarte or Quinte with a Direct Riposte
From a stationary position:
  1. Direct and Indirect hits with the point
  2. Successive Cuts to Cheek, Head, Flank and Chest using various combinations 
  3. Indirect Cuts to Head, Flank and Chest
Describe:
  1. Courteous and respectful behaviour and fencers 'Pledge of Honour" (cf. t.114, t.116, t.120)
  2. Parts of the Sabre 
  3. Dimensions of the Piste
Grade 3
Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain correct distance and make successive Cuts to Cheek, Head, Flank and Chest using various combinations, without a lunge
  2. Maintain correct distance and each time your partner pauses, Attack with Direct and Indirect Cuts to Head, Flank and Chest, with a lunge
From a stationary position:
  1. Cuts to Arm
  2. Stop Cut followed by a Parry of Tierce, Quarte or Quinte with a Direct Riposte 
  3. Indirect Riposte following Parries of Tierce, Quarte and Quinte 
  4. Parries of Tierce, Quarte and Quinte with a Direct first Counter-riposte 
  5. Attacks to Head, Flank and Chest with step-lunge and Balestra-lunge
Describe:
  1. 'Priority of Attack"
  2.  Indirect Actions - give three examples 
  3. Duties of President and Judges 
  4. Voting system of Jury and Responses of Judges 
  5. Rules regarding the boundaries of the Piste
Grade 4

Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain correct distance and when your partner pauses, Attack to arm with a lunge
  2. Maintain correct distance and as your partner makes a Balestra preparation and an Attack with lunge, Cut to arm with a step back and Parry-Riposte 
  3. Maintain correct distance and as your partner pauses, Attack with a step-lunge and if your partner parries with a Riposte, Parry with a First Counter-riposte
From a stationary position:
  1. Direct and Indirect Attacks with Balestra step 6) Parries of Prime and Seconde
  2. Beats and Circular Beats
Describe:
  1. Scoring on a pool sheet; first and second indicators
  2. Rules regarding:

    • Corps-a-Corps
    • Turning
    • Hard hitting and dangerous fencing
    • Simultaneous Attacks

  3. The correct procedure for judging, and demonstrate your ability to judge in a pool.
Grade 5
Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain correct distance and choose the moment to step forward with a direct feint deceive your partner's Parry and continue the Attack with a lunge
  2. Choose the moment to begin Balestra Steps Preparation and as your partner moves away and Parries, Attack into the opening line with a lunge 
  3. Maintain correct distance and step forward as a Preparation Attack and:

    • If your partner Parries, Attack into the opening line with a lunge
    • If your partner Attacks, Parry-Riposte

  4. Maintain correct distance and make a Compound Attack to your partner's arm with a lunge
From a Stationary Position:
  1. Circular Cuts to arm and chest
  2. Compound Ripostes and Counter-ripostes 
  3. Ripostes and Counter-ripostes with Balestra Steps and lunge
Describe:
  1. Second-intention actions
  2. Simple and compound actions 
  3. Use of preparations
Grade 6
Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain connect distance and choose the moment to make a step forward preparation and:

    • If your partner's arm straightens with the point in line, Beat Attack Direct with lunge 
    • If your partner fails to react, Attack with a Compound action with lunge

  2. Choose the moment to Attack with a lunge to draw your partner's Parry-riposte and parry with a forward Recovery and counter- riposte with lunge 
  3. Maintain distance and when your partner Attacks, Parry and make a Compound Riposte
From a stationary position:
  1. Compound Attacks with the point
  2. Indirect and Compound Derobements with the point 
  3. Successive Parries
Describe:
  1. Use of "line" and Derobements
  2. Counter-offensive actions 
  3. Fencing time: single and multi-time actions 
  4. What is meant by "taking the initiative" and why is this important in a fight?
Grade 7

Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain step-lunge distance with your arm straight and point in line; as your partner attempts to step forward to beat the blade and parry, lunge and make a compound attack with the point
  2. With the point in line, move away from your partner's Balestra Steps preparation and deceive the attempt to beat and parry with a compound Derobement 
  3. Maintain distance and as your partner begins a Balestra Steps Preparation, beat attack to head with a lunge using a circular beat 
  4. Maintain distance and when your partner makes a compound attack with a step lunge, defend using successive parries with direct riposte
From a stationary position:
  1. Remise, Reprise, Redoublement
  2. Compound attacks beginning with point in line and ending with a cut 
  3. Circular Parries
Describe:
  1. 'Open Eyes' actions
  2. Feint Parries 
  3. False preparations 
  4. Electric sabre recording apparatus 
  5. Fencer's electrical equipment 
  6. Testing the equipment before the start of a fight 
Grade 8

Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Maintain step-lunge distance and choose the moment to make a compound Attack using a Balestra lunge or Balestra Steps lunge depending on your partner's reaction
  2. Maintain distance and as your partner steps forward with a feint either:

    • Move away and defend using successful parries, or
    • Counter-attack with lunge using a circular beat

  3. Step forward to draw a stop cut to arm and parry-riposte with a lunge
From a stationary position:
  1. With the sabre held in a low position, parry into Tierce, Quarte or Quinte when your partner attacks and make an indirect riposte
  2. Beat cut to arm with a step, beat cut to cheek with a lunge and beat cut to head with a Balestra Lunge and with increasing speed 
  3. Stop cut, redouble-parry-riposte combinations
Describe:
  1. Compound and double preparations
  2. Your understanding of distance, timing and speed in fencing  
  3. Prise de fer actions
Grade 9
 
Demonstrate: (with coach or partner)-While following your partner's steps forward and backward:
  1. Choose the moment to make a step forward preparation and

    • Parry-riposte if your partner attacks
    • Make a compound attack with a lunge if your partner parries
    • Make a compound attack with Balestra Steps Lunge if your partner moves away

  2. Defend against your partner's attack using parries of Prime and Seconde and Quinte 
  3. Attack with a step-lunge and

    • if your partner parries and ripostes, then parry and hit with a first counter-riposte while on lunge
    • if your partner parries and ripostes with a step back, then parry with a forward recovery and hit with a compound riposte with lunge 
    • If your partner moves away, then hit with a compound reprise with forward recovery and Balestra Steps lunge
From a stationary position:
  1. Set up a simultaneous attack situation with your partner and occasionally make a second-intention preparation with a parry-riposte
  2. From a step-lunge distance, step forward and

    • Attack to head with an explosive lunge if your partner does not move
    • Cut to head with a step back if your partner steps forward
    • Attack to head with Balestra lunge if your partner steps back
Demonstrate your ability to:
  1. Fence your partner for 5 hits and explain how all the hits were scored
  2. Preside a fight for 5 hits 
  3. Give your partner a short "warm-up" lesson with mobility, involving direct and indirect attacks, single parries with direct ripostes and counter-ripostes

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