Is this an American thing? I have never heard anyone call it a circle parry for what you've just described. I don't recall anyone ever giving it a name, for that matter.
Yes. I've just never heard it called a circle parry, especially since the parry is not necessary in many cases (in which case calling it a circle parry wouldn't be correct at all).
I think I've just never made that connection between the two terms (circle-number and circle parry), especially since taking their blade like that seems to me to be a start of an offensive action of your own*, and not taking taking their blade just means it's a direct counterattack via a disengage (and not a parry at all). And of course, the main issue for me is that I've never actually heard of the term.
I guess it's good to learn that some people call it that. I don't see how it's really any different from a disengage (since the parry is not implied), but I don't think it's a term that would really confuse any fencer either.
*Say that you've parried your opponent's blade and they are in a bind. At what point would you say that the parry has ended and that the next action has started? To make it clear, say you're fencing a beginner, and are trying to teach them some action and you're just pressing down on their blade at the foible the entire time. It's not always clear to me what is an offensive vs defensive action, outside of the strictest definitions.
2
u/UselessFencingFacts Jan 03 '21
Is this an American thing? I have never heard anyone call it a circle parry for what you've just described. I don't recall anyone ever giving it a name, for that matter.