0.1.a. First Position

First Position is the traditional position a fencer assumes on the piste before saluting and coming to guard at the start of an assault or a bout, or before engaging in the either the military or civilian grand salute.  In the context of classical fencing, this is a formal position from which the following positions flow.  What this position looks like, and how you assume it, is defined in the same way in virtually every fencing manual of the classical period (see, as a start, the French Ministry of War manuals of 1877 and 1908, Rondelle in 1892, to Barbasetti in 1932, Vince in 1937, and Deladrier in 1948).  There are variations in the naming of the action, for example “Initial Position” or “Position Preparatory to Coming On Guard,” but the description of the position is the same.  Given this level of agreement, First Position is a core footwork position of classical fencing.

To assume First Position on the piste: 

(1)  The weapon arm foot is placed on the directing line (the line joining you and your opponent) pointing at your opponent in the middle of the piste.

(2)  The heel of the rear foot touches the heel of the front foot with the foot oriented 90 degrees to inside from the directing line.

(3)  The legs are straight, the torso upright and balanced, turned at an angle of approximately 45 degrees to the inside across the hip.

(4)  The head is upright, facing the opponent directly.

(5)  The non-weapon arm hangs naturally along the rear leg with the hand open.

(6)  The weapon is held in the weapon hand in the characteristic grip, typically in a thumb-up (middle) position or in supination in both foil and epee, and in     pronation with the guard turned to the outside in sabre.

(7)  The weapon and the weapon arm form a straight line directly forward along  the directing line toward the opponent, slanted downward such that the point of the weapon is approximately 4 to 6 inches from the surface of the piste.

For a very simple position involving little movement and no bladework, there is a substantial number of fairly precise parts to First Position. Although the fencer should be relaxed in the position, assuming it with attention to detail conveys a level of skill and of precision to the jury and the opponent and sets the stage for a smart salute and a smooth transition to the guard position.

Copyright 2018 by Walter G. Green III.

First Position by Walter G. Green III is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.