This is a professional fencing video, not footage from the show.
Key fencing terms
Attack – any movement intended to score a touch
Black card – indicates severe rule infractions, resulting in the offending fencer being excluded from the remainder of the competition
Bout – a match between two fencers in a competition
Counter-attack – an attack made against an attack initiated by the opponent
Cut – an attack made with a chopping motion of the blade
Displacement – dodging an attack
Engagement – contact between blades
En garde – the stance that fencers assume when preparing to fence
Extension – a simple offensive action, consisting of extending the weapon arm forward
Foible – the top third of the blade, used for motions where speed is crucial
Foil – a light fencing sword
Forte – the bottom third of the blade, so named for the strength in leverage that it provides
Flunge – an attacking motion ending with a hop, skipping past the opponent
Glide – an attack made by sliding down the opponent's blade, keeping it in constant contact
Hilt – the handle of a sword
Knickers – short fencing trousers ending just below the knee
Lunge – the most basic and common attacking movement
Manipulators – the thumb and index finger of the sword hand
Parry – a simple defensive action designed to deflect an attack, performed with the forte of the blade
Pas de touche – meaning 'no touch', indicating that a hit should not be counted
Passé – an attack that passes the target without hitting
Pret – a term used by the judge at a fencing match, alerting the fencers that the match is about to begin
Prise de fer – meaning 'take the steel'; an engagement of the blades that attempts to control the opponent's weapon
Recovery – a return to 'en garde' stance from any other position
Red card – used to indicate that a fencer has committed an offence that warrants a penalty hit to be awarded to the opponent
Retreat – the basic backwards movement
Salute – a customary acknowledgement of one's opponent and referee at the start and end of the bout
Strip (or Piste) – the fencing area, roughly 14 metres by two metres
Target area – this is defined by a jacket worn over the torso; touching anywhere else is 'off-target'
Touché – French word for 'touched', used to acknowledge a hit, called out by the fencer who is hit