After these seven movements have been practised and the position on guard reached quickly and accurately, the fencer may take up more advanced work. The natural instinct is to defend oneself, so a scientific means of defense is taught. Any movement that turns away an opponent’s foil is called a parry. As the fencing jacket is divided into different lines of engagement, there is a set parry for each. In all parries, it is important to turn the point of the opponent’s foil away from your body. Parries are divided into two main classes, simple and counter. The following are the simple parries: THE PARRY OF QUARTE. Using the fingers and wrist, the foil is carried across body from right to left, turning the point of opponent’s foil away from the attack; the right forearm protects the left side, the elbow is close at side and in a line with the hip bone; the tip of foil points up; the foil is held in supination. THE PARRY OF SIXTE. The foil moves from left to right, protecting the right side. The hand is held in supination. THE PARRY OF SEPTIME. The hand is moved as in quarte; the hand is held in supination; the point is dropped to the waistline by a semi-circular movement outward. THE PARRY OF OCTAVE. With the hand similar to that of septime the foil is moved outward in a semi-circle and the point is dropped. PARRY OF QUINTE. For this, the hand from quarte is lowered toward the hip, point upward. PARRY OF TIERCE. The foil is held in pronation. The parry of Sixte covers the same line of engagement except in the difference in holding the foil. PARRY OF PRIME. From quarte, the hand is moved toward the left shoulder, the point dropped, the back of hand is turned upward and outward. PARRY OF SECONDE. The hand is in pronation; it covers the same ground as octave. Besides these simple parries are counter parries, which are circles described with the tip of the foil around the opponent’s foil, holding the foil as close as possible to hers. In all the parries it is practice, so that the movements are smooth and the recovery from the parry to the on-guard position is instantaneous. The fingers and wrist should be used mainly in the parries, the arm movement should be as slight as possible. THE ATTACK.