The ABC's of Fencing

A is for Agrippa
Well-known master of defense
B begins the buckler
Blocking blades when things get tense


C kills with a quick cut
With a throat or belly slice
D denotes a dagger
2nd blades can be so nice


E enters "en guarde"
The stance to start the fight
F is for a foil
Do keep your touches light


G guards with your gloves
And sometimes a gorget
H is for a hat
To bat the blade away


I begins Italian
A famous fencing school
J is for de Jarnac
Who won a famous duel


K is for the killing
(But we know it's all in fun)
L launches into lunge
Hard to stop once it's begun


M is for Musketeers
The famous fencing four
N is for parry nine
Back up and fight some more


O is your opponent
Composed or insecure
P begins the parry
To longer life ensure


Q stands for the quillons
To block the foe's attack
R is for the riposte
And hit the foe right back


S is our schlager swords
Watch out for heavy blows
T starts off a tourney
And facing many foes


U means dodging under
Or around the coming blade
V is voids and voltas
Words for turning to evade


W is White Scarves
Known as rapier elite
X is for exercise
For strategist and athlete


Y's an offer to yield
How a fight sometimes ends
And Z is for our zeal
In killing all our friends