Flick (fencing)
The flick is a technique used in modern fencing. It is used in foil and to a lesser extent, épée.
The 1980s saw the widespread use of "flicks" — hits delivered with a whipping motion which bends the blade around the more traditional parries, and makes it possible to touch otherwise inaccessible areas, such as the back of the opponent. This has been regarded by some fencers as an unacceptable departure from the tradition of realistic combat, where only rigid blades would be used, while others feel that the flick adds to the variety of possible attacks and targets, thereby expanding the game of foil.
Technique
The flick consists of an angulated attack with a whipping motion that requires the defender to make a widened parry, and exploits the flexibility of the blade. If parried, a properly executed flick whips the attacker's blade around the parry. This is a valid strategy in modern fencing, since any depression of the tip with sufficient force while contacting valid target area constitutes a touch. In pre-modern fencing, judging was done by side judges, so a touch had to land and stick long enough to be reliably counted.
