The Coupé, the reverse of the degagement, passes the point over, not under, the opposing blade; this legitimate feint, used in every school, may be effected in four several ways.
I. One. From the usual engagement in Tierce pass the blade over the opposite point, just clearing it, and cut inside. The two movements raising and dropping the point should be as rapid as possible.
II. One, Two, a double Coupé, with the cut in Tierce.
III. One, Two, Three: as with the foil; against a nervous opponent the cut should be made at the face with a dart and a jerk (the Italian Slancio); against a slow player the cut may be Carte de Manchette.
IV. One, Two, Three, Four; like the former, but cutting in Tierce: to be attempted only with the most unready of opponents.
The two latter may be combined with a breast (inside) or shoulder (outside) “Moulinet” between the penultimate and the last (cut) movement; but these long feints are radically vicious, because they lay the swordsman open to Time Cuts. They are, however, useful, as will appear in making the Reverse Cuts.
Perhaps the Seconde-feints are better than the Coupés.
I. One: the simple Seconde Cut.—Make a little more opposition in Tierce, sweep the blade past and along the breast; (inside Moulinet, or the brisé à gauche) and, lowering the hand a little, cut upwards with a jerk and a flip. The nearer the swordsman’s own body his blade circles the better, because the cut will be more in the vertical line: if it be much out of the perpendicular the opponent can “take a time” in Carte. The Moulinet serves also to embarrass the adversary and to add strength to the cut. This simple and most valuable movement must not be confounded with the old-fashioned Seconde cut at the leg: the latter is objected to, as I have said, by swordsmen; the parry is too easy, and the ripost far too dangerous.
II. Feint Seconde.—From Tierce make a short and sharp movement to Seconde with the knuckles turned upwards; the opponent will probably come to the Seconde-parry, thereby exposing the fore-arm. You then cut Tierce perpendicularly as usual, from above downwards (the enlevé), either without or with a breast “Moulinet.”
III. Feint Seconde, Feint Tierce and Cut Carte, with two short, sharp movements, and deliver the horizontal cut in Carte.