The beat here takes the character of the first disengagement in one-two, i. e. becomes a feint, and is intended to induce the adversary to return to the place he occupied when the beat was made. You then immediately pass to the opposite side of his blade in the manner described in the disengagement.
It will be seen that all these movements pass under the adversary's blade. However, there are certain situations in the assault, as a fencing about is called, when an adversary is more assailable over the point than under the blade; for this purpose there is what the French call the coupe sur peint, or
CUT OVER THE POINT.
It is thus made:—By the action of the hand, and without drawing it back at all, the foil is raised and brought down on the opposite side of the adversary's blade, the arm being extended during its fall to the horizontal position, on attaining which the longe is delivered.
CUT OVER AND DISENGAGEMENT
is on the same principal as the one-two and the beat and disengagement. On the adversary opposing the first movement (the cut) with a parade, the second movement (the disengagement) is made to the opposite side, to be followed, of course, by the longe, the extension of the arm being divided between the two movements.
These attacks are called simple attacks, because they may be parried by one or more simple parades, according to the number of movements in the attack. In fact, every attack can be parried, and every parade can be deceived; it is the additional movement last made which hits or guards.
Thus, you threaten by a disengagement to the outside; your adversary bars your way effectually by the parade of tierce; you make a second disengagement to the inside, which is now exposed from the very fact of the outside being guarded (for both lines of attack cannot be guarded at the same time), thus converting your attack into one-two; but if your adversary parries quarte on your second movement, your attack would be warded off. This can be carried much further, but the above will, I think, be sufficient to explain the nature of simple parades and attacks.
To deceive a contre-parade, a separate movement, called a