[Body] Voids:

The first thing we need to examine is what a void is and what it is not. A void is not a parry. Voiding is not strictly footwork or body positioning. Nor is a Void an action accomplished from a specific range or positioning. A Void, in simplest terms, is avoiding being hit through body movement, as opposed to blade work. Often this is accomplished through a simple step, usually lateral or oblique in direction. In short: “get the hell out of the way of the pointy end”.

To successfully utilize these actions in your fencing, you will need a solid understanding of several concepts. Most importantly you must have a working knowledge of time, the pace of action in the fight, and timing, choosing a particular point in the 'time' of the fight to perform an action. This is the real crux of voiding attacks, knowing ‘when’ to move. If you ‘act in advance,’ your opponent will see your movement, and it will have been for naught. Should you ‘act past time,’ you will most likely be dead, fat lot of good that does you. An effective void has to be a spontaneous reaction ‘in time’.

The manner in which you perform voids is greatly dependant upon your opponent's; blade position, attack line, and how these things correspond to your body position. Knowing your personal body mechanics will give you a very large portion of this information and as such plays a very important secondary to ‘timing’ for Voiding. At the moment your adversary begins their attack and you choose to void it; you must process where they are trying to hit you and the most effective manner to remove your body from danger while attempting to give yourself an advantage for counter attack. These quick decisions need to be based on how your body moves. Perhaps you can simply roll your shoulder out of the way and be in prime position for a counter. Perhaps you have broad shoulders and will need to fully step out of the attack line. All of these decisions are directly related to your personal body mechanics.

More to Come!

some terminology for your personal edification...

  • Volte’ - a rear leg side-step and void made with a thrust attack, it allows the adversary’s attack to slip past as a counter-thrust angles in, it is a form of half Quartatta
  • Void (Voyd or Voyded) - to evade or avoid an attack rather than directly parry, often by a simple side step or pass, used preferably to parrying
  • On-the-Pass - to strike with a forward or outward step, a pass or Passado / Passato,
  • Schivar di vita - the action of voiding the opponent’s sword by moving the body out of line