EPEE FENCING 101

1-1

Kweon starts the bout by applying pressure to his opponent. Garozzo defends with body fakes and feints to Kweon's arm. Garozzo follows through on one of these fakes. Kweon extends quickly. Double.

2-2

Both fencers stay mostly in the middle of the strip. Later on, this becomes important as both fencers try to control distance with quick retreats into the open strip. We see one of Garozzo's signature 'lunge-feint' to the hand of his opponent. This is a smart action because, if he provokes a reaction, he has the speed to finish all the way. These fakes also stop Kweon from pushing him too far back. Kweon feels the timing and makes a straight lunge. Garozzo simply extends.

2-3

Kweon's superb distance control is seen here. Garozzo thinks he has an opening at around 2:15, 2:28, 2:37, and 2:45, but the Korean smoothly pulls away each time. Finally, Garozzo gets too deep with a toe touch attempt, and Kweon steps back and places his blade on target.

3-3

Kweon tries to capitalize off the momentum from his previous touch. However, there is a fine line between 'riding the wave' and simply rushing. He does the latter when he tries a fleche. Garozzo straightens his body while taking eight and finishes the riposte. The speed of the fleche made it difficult for Garozzo to step back in time, so he improvises and stands up to gain leverage.

4-3

Garozzo makes small blade movements and quick feints to Kweon's arm. This provokes a lunge from the Korean. Garozzo uses Kweon's own medicine and steps back and hits.

4-4

More feints and preparatory lunges to the arm from Garozzo. This is a risky technique, because it can provide an opportunity for a quick counter-attack. The period ends. Garozzo pushes and pulls at 6:57. When he goes back in, Kweon steps in and gets Garozzo's leg.

5-4

Kweon becomes more active with his blade and body. The Italian continues his habit of quick feints to cause hesitation in his opponent. Kweon slows down again before making quick retreats to avoid Garozzo's deep combination of two lunges in a row. Garozzo's second lunge has speed because he brings his back foot back before exploding again. Many fencers try to attack without bringing their back foot forward, but this is not as explosive. Garozzo pulls back and finally hits a quick flick to Kweon's arm.

6-4

Garozzo tries to set up a touch by doing a half-extension followed by a quick extension. One of his half-extensions provokes another toe touch from Kweon. Garozzo again steps back and manages to land the hit.

7-5

Garozzo lets himself be pushed before using a combination lunge to stop his opponent's advances. Garozzo makes a beat fleche. Kweon reacts to the beat with an extension and lands the double.

8-6

Kweon goes under Garozzo's arm, prompting Garozzo to extend toward the top of Kweon's arm. Both attempts land.

9-7

Kweon changes his style a little bit and decides to be more decisive. He makes a disengage lunge. Garozzo is able to get around Kweon's blade and hits the double. Even though Garozzo gets the double, you can sense that he might be losing momentum. You can tell that is goal is to maintain his lead, not extend it. If he was trying to increase his lead, he might have stepped back and finished forward after Kweon finished his lunge. This would have been riskier.

10-8

Kweon's energy is obvious. He pushes forward. The small flinches he makes suggest that he is about to make a powerful action. Garozzo makes a feint and it looks like he will not let himself be pushed. However, he doesn't follow through and the Korean begins pushing again and quickly makes another lunge. Again, Garozzo lands a double, but Kweon looks to have the upper hand in terms of energy.

10-9

Kweon starts the touch pushing, looking for an opportunity to finish. He makes simultaneous half extensions and half steps to provoke Garozzo. This works, and the Italian extends right into Kweon's trap. He takes six and finishes with a fleche.

11-9

Garozzo changes his tempo and immediately steps forward. He catches Kweon off-guard with a fast lunge and his opponent can't land the hit. He restores his two point lead. It is likely that Garozzo decided to change his gameplan because his lead was halved. This proves that the previous two touches were meant to maintain the lead, not extend it.

12-10

Kweon sees an opening and steps in. So does Garozzo. Double.

13-11

Garozzo pushes for a moment before falling back. He was probably hoping to repeat is 11th touch. Kweon goes on the attack and makes a big disengage and lunge. Garozz contorts his body and hits as well.

13-12

Kweon utilizes half steps and body feints to force his opponent to make a mistake. He makes quick in and out motions. When he steps in at 14:05, Garozzo tries to hit a lunge. However, Kweon's plan was to step back (step in, step out) and he catches Garozzo with a clean hit.

13-13

Garozzo hopes to make up for his last mistake by not letting himself be pushed back. He holds his ground. Unfortunately for him, this strategy does not work either. He tries to step in, but Kweon takes his blade while crashing the distance and scoring.

14-14

The Italian seems to have abandoned his gameplan of going backwards. He applies pressure, searching for a touch now that his lead is gone. Kweon starts moving with confidence. For the first time, Garozzo pushes Kweon towards his end of the strip. He tries to take the blade and lunge, but Kweon disengages, steps back, and secures a double

14-15

Garozzo wins priority and reverts to his strategy of letting Kweon push. Kweon continues his half extensions in the hope of trapping Garozzo for one last touch. Garozzo misjudges the distance and goes for a lunge to his opponent's arm. Kweon is able to hit Garozzo in the shoulder and completes his comeback.