Laurie Swigart
Important Swordplay Terminology
1. Beat - any striking together of swords.
2. Thrust - extending your sword arm straight out to its fullest length without lunging.
3. Lunging - extending your sword arm fully while leaning forward with your front knee bent.
4. Cut - attack in which the sword across or down to meet opponent’s blade in an attempt to chop or hack.
5. Disarm/Envelopment - capturing your opponent’s sword near the hilt and carrying it around in a circle while both combatants maintain pressure; the sword is released by your opponent at its closest point to the floor.
6. Lock - both combatants move in close and cross swords near hilt in an “X”; non-blade hands reach across and grab each other’s wrists. The struggle is individual and should be evident even if moved apart.
7. Break - any pause between sequences of beats; common breaks are the push-off, the circle, the disengage, and the caress.
8. Sequence - a group of beats in succession.
9. Parries - blocks
10. Attacks - strikes with the sword; can be thrust, lunge or cut.
11. Disengage - moving your blade from one side of your opponent’s blade to the other; also known as caress.
12. Telegraph/Prep - indicating to your opponent that an attack is forthcoming.
13. Caress - running blades back and forth to produce a scraping sound during a break.
14. Kill - laying your sword against the upstage side of your opponents trunk to end the combat; NEVER done as a thrust or lunge.
15. Advance - moving toward your opponent.
16. Retreat - moving away from your opponent.
17. En garde - proper stance for beginning combat; sword held in neutral position with feet in combat stance.
18. Combat Stance - right leg in front with the toes pointed forward; knees slightly bent; left leg about shoulder’s width behind front leg with toes pointed straight left; heels should line up and feet form an “L”; standard martial arts stance.
19. Forte - the bottom third of the blade - the strongest part of the sword - the part of your opponent’s sword with which you make contact.
20. Foible - the top third of the blade - the weakest part of the sword - NEVER the recipient of a strike.
21. Sweep/Swipe - swinging your sword in a wide circle over your opponent’s head or in front of his shins - always accompanied by a verbal telegraph.
22. Go Up/Rescue Signal - a verbal or non-verbal cue to indicate to your opponent the need for an emergency break.
23. Safety Zone - an invisible box surround your body about the size of your arms held out in front of you with fingers of both hands touching; attacks should occur outside of this area.
24. Pull - to stop a blow as it makes contact with the outer edge of the safety zone; all attacks should be pulled.
25. Hanger/Scabbard - the strap or holder worn on the belt from which the sword is drawn.
Recent Posts
See All1. Always warm up arms, chest, back, and legs before beginning any combat work. Without, the tendency is to tire easier, be less...
by Bruce Lecure, STAGE DIRECTIONS, October 1996 How do you advance the action with realistic stage violence that the audience will...
A well-performed stage fight can be the culmination of an electrifying scene, a cathartic release for the audience, or the highlight of...