The first requested Coachly Thoughts!  How nice.

Our topic dujour (with no soups or desserts, sorry) is the difference between the beat and the parry.  Since the person who asked this is a foilist, I shall begin by phrasing my remarks in "foilese."  The epeeists and the sabrists can get their explanations afterwards.

At the core, the beat is an offensive taking of the opponent's blade in preparation for an attack.  The parry is a defensive closing of the opponent's line of attack and when successfully executed, earns the right to riposte so long as the riposte is executed in time.

Translated, that means the parry either stops or redirects the opponent's attack away from YOUR tender places.  It also gives you the right to riposte if you execute the riposte within an appropriate measure of time (immediately after the parry). 

In foil, the physical actions of beating and parrying are remarkably similar.  Some people use the same motion for both actions.  I wouldn't recommend that.  Why?  Read on…

According to the USFA Fencing Rules, November 2004 Edition, there are simple parries (AKA direct parries) and circular parries (AKA counter-parries).  The difference is simple:  A simple/direct parry is made in the same line as the attack; the circular/counter parry is not.

An example:  Fencer A attacks fencer B in sixte.  Fencer B responds by closing the line of attack and thusly nullifying Fencer A's attack.  Fencer B ripostes and wins the point.

That's a simple parry, which tends to move in a straight line.  A circular parry involves a rotation of the wrist and blade to bring it into contact with the attacker's weapon.  They are BOTH equally valid in terms of right of way, and both operate the same way:  by deflecting the opponent's attack away from your target area.  Which one works best in a given situation is up to your own experience and discretion. 

The beat.  This is an offensive action designed to take control of the opponent's blade in preparation to an attack.  While most people find getting beat quite offensive, they have no qualms about doing it to their opponents.  Basically, the beat aims to move the opponent's blade out of your way so you can score.  This is typically done by simply smacking their blade aside, then proceeding with the rest of your attack.

I must caution here that if you MISS your beat and continue your attack anyway you are vulnerable to a riposte from your opponent!  So, aim carefully.

What part of the opponent's blade should one aim for?  The upper two-thirds to half, generally.  You want to hit their blade with the middle third of your blade, which puts the stronger part of your blade against the equal-to-weaker part of their blade.  You MUST, for the beat to be valid, move their blade.  Thumping into their blade, not moving it, then bouncing off does not count as a beat.  Neither does grazing down the side. 

When executing the beat, it is very important that your opponent not see it coming.  Too many people are not confident in their ability to move the opponent's blade, so they wind up and swing for the fences.  Recall, if you miss your beat and continue with your attack, your opponent may riposte and the burden of defence is upon YOU.  There are a variety of ways to execute the beat.  For foil and epee, I tend to snap my wrist and add a small forearm twist.  Technically, one can either use only the wrist (which I do when I am fencing, as I should) or the forearm roll (which could also be considered a rolling of the wrist) to bring their blade into offensive contact with their opponent.  For saber, there is a simultaneous turning of the wrist and snapping of the fingers, this has the required effect of bringing the cutting edge of the saber against the side of the opponent’s blade.  You are literally cutting their blade aside, then re-aligning your wrist to direct the cutting edge against their target area.

Back mainly to foil now:  As one uses circular parries, one may also use circular beats.  I suspect this is where a lot of the confusion comes in, because those motions ARE identical.  However, the difference remains one of offensive or defensive intent.  If your opponent has established an attack (IE is extending his arm forward) and you’re not liking that idea, you are parrying.  If YOU are the one initiating the offensive action, you’re beating. 

There is NO such thing as an offensive parry or a defensive beat.  They are definitionally impossible – rather, impossible by definition.  When you defend, you’re parrying.  When you’re attacking, you’re beating.

    It is possible – and in many cases suggested – to combine the beat with other actions in the course of your attack.  This is known as a compound attack.  Of course, using the beat by itself turns a simple attack into a compound attack as well.  If your opponent has a VERY fast parry, you may wish to beat, feint to one location and then disengage to another.  You can also use a one-two, or double disengage that puts you back where you started from.  This may sound complex, but in practice takes VERY little time to execute.  You can go as fast as you’d like, but you must wait for your opponent to react lest he catch you in the middle of your action. 

    This concludes the majority-foil-centered diatribe on the differences between the beat and the parry.  I hope it has shed some light on the situation.  If you have further questions, feel free to email me or grab me at practice. 

The management bears no responsibility for the multitude of terminological puns contained herein.  The responsible parties have been sentenced to serve on the BOTM committee.