0.1.b. First Position - Two Alternatives

In a previous article I described the most common version of First Position, 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 this upright position, the sword is held in front of the fencer with the point toward the ground.  There are three variations of this position that, although less frequent, deserve recording: a sabre variant by J. M. Waite (1880), a variation in how the weapon is held found in Italian fencing as described in Holzman’s translations of Pariese (1884) and Pecoraro and Pessina (1912), and variations based on a simulated drawing of the sword that I will describe in a future article.

To assume the Preliminary Position before coming on Guard as described by Waite:

(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 hips.

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

(5)  The hand of the non-weapon arm is closed and placed on the rear hip, with the elbow back so that it is not visible from the front. 

(6)  The weapon is held in the weapon hand with the grip relaxed, the back edge of the sword resting in the hollow of the forward shoulder, the sword arm elbow touching the forward hip, the forearm parallel to the ground, and the guard in the direct line in front of the hip.

The First Position used in some Italian Texts, as described by Pariese, and Pecoraro and Pessina, is described:

(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 parallel to the directing line, the shoulders level.

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

(5)  The hand of the non-weapon arm is placed on the flank, in the fork between the thumb and the index finger, and the elbow bent. 

(6)  The weapon is held in the weapon hand to the fencer’s inside line, with the blade held diagonally with the point toward the rear as though in a scabbard, the point behind the rear foot just above the ground.

These variants differ in how the sword and the rear arm are held, and are generally similar in other respects to the more widely described version of First Position.  Their function is consistent also, serving as the basis for the fencer assuming the guard position.  As always, you should adopt the First Position described by the Fencing Master whose text you study.

Copyright 2018 by Walter G. Green III

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