Annotation FAQ | Xenophon | Strato Fencing Academy

The 'Phrase'

Action Sequence

The Action Sequence (the ‘Phrase’) describes how a touch was scored. An Action Sequence is simply the sequence of actions leading up to a touch.

Action	Symbol	Definition
Attack	A	The initial offensive action to score a point.
Counter-Attack	CA	A counter-offensive action versus an attack. A counter-attack goes to the target, not the blade.
Parry-Riposte	PR	A defensive-offensive action versus an attack. A parry-riposte moves towards the blade (the defensive parry) and only then towards the target (the offensive riposte).
Stop-Hit	SH	A special counter-attack made while doing a retreat.
Remise	Rm	A secondary offensive action that immediately follows a prior action which can be an attack, counter-attack, parry-riposte, stop hit, or even another remise.

Only the final Action Sequence is recorded and not the preceding preparations.
Action Sequences usually consist of the ‘initiator’ executing an attack and the ‘responder’ executing a response.
Subsequent actions that lead to a score by one or both fencers can be entered into the Action Sequence by adding another ‘layer’.
Occasionally, a fencer will initiate an action that scores without any response at all from the opponent. In those cases, the null symbol, ‘∅’, would be used for the responder.
Each action is assigned a target. The default is ‘body’, but this can be adjusted to the hand, arm, leg, foot, or head.

Setups & Counters

2nd and 3rd Intention

For each Action Sequence, one or both fencers may be determined to have used 2nd or 3rd intention.

2nd Intention is when a fencer performs an action expecting a specific response from their opponent, for which they already have planned a winning counter-move.
Example 1: FotL steps forward to provoke an attack, then parry-ripostes it. This would be entered into Xenophon as the FotR having the initiative and making the Attack and the FotL making a Parry-Riposte with 2nd Intention. The modes for the fencers, left and right, would be Provoker & Counteror. The symbols in the Touch Table would appear as: A - PR²

Example 2: Fencer attacks the short target expecting a counter-attack, which they meet with a parry-riposte. This would be entered as the FotL with Initiative making an Attack to the arm, the FotR making a Counter-Attack, and the FotL making a Parry-Riposte with 2nd Intention. The modes for the fencers, left and right, would be Conqueror and Blocker. The symbols in the Touch Table would appear as: A^a - CA - PR²
3rd intention, much rarer, is when a fencer anticipates their opponent's 2nd-intention setup and plays along until countering that response with a winning counter-move.

Assigning 2nd and/or 3rd intention is very subjective. The best signal is the speed and conviction of the response — near-instant, decisive execution suggests the fencer was already primed for it.
Being assigned a 2nd or 3rd intention action doesn't guarantee a score — the setup can be mishandled and the opponent can win the touch anyway.
2nd Intention actions are rare at youth/cadet level; more common at the junior/open level and very common at international fencing. 3rd intention actions are significantly rarer still.
See below for an excellent example of a 2nd intention parry-riposte. Note how quickly the counter-parry-riposte is made — it clearly shows the intentionality of the FotL. The Action Sequence of this action would be A - PR - PR².

Where on the Strip

Strip Location

Location is assigned based on where the fencers are standing when the action begins.

Zone	Symbol	Definition
Left 2-Meter	L2M	The Fencer-on-the-Left's (FotL) front foot is fully behind the left 2m warning line.
Left Side	LS	The FotR's back foot is past the center line, and the FotL's front foot is not behind the left 2m line.
Center	C	Neither fencer has fully crossed the center line.
Right Side	RS	The FotL's back foot is past the center line, and the FotR's front foot is not behind the right 2m line.
Right 2-Meter	R2M	The Fencer-on-the-Right's (FotR) front foot is fully behind the right 2m warning line.

Move the fencers left or right to see which zone they are in.

Drag to see which zone the fencers are in

Center

Who Attacked

Initiative

Initiative goes to whichever fencer makes the attack — regardless of who ends up scoring the touch.

The fencer with initiative will always be making the attack.
Initiative can be determined by closely observing which fencer began their action, the attack, first.
The speed control in the video playback can be run in slow motion to review the Action Sequence if you're not sure.

Framework

The Four Modes

Each fencer's behavior in a touch can be described with a 2×2 matrix to determine their ‘Mode’. Mode is defined from two independent questions: who closed the distance, and who attacked?

Mode	Fencer Attacks	Opponent Attacks
Fencer closes distance	Conqueror	Provoker
Opponent closes distance	Counteror	Blocker

A Conqueror and a Counteror will always be the fencer who attacks and who has initiative.
A Provoker and a Blocker will never have initiative. Their first action will be a parry-riposte, counter-attack, or stop-hit — never an attack.
For each touch, both fencers' Modes are determined separately.
Usually, one fencer will be a Conqueror and the other a Blocker, or one will be a Provoker and the other a Counteror.
In the case of a simultaneous action (both fencers executing their action at the exact same instant) it's possible to have a Conqueror versus a Conqueror, or a Counteror versus a Counteror.

Judging the Touch

Appraisal

Each touch may be marked with an appraisal to judge the merits of how well each fencer performed.

The Appraisal Notation in Xenophon is taken from chess:
- ! – Good move
- !! – Brilliant move
- !? – Interesting move
- ?! – Dubious move
- ? – Bad move
- ?? – Blunder
Appraisals can be made for one, both, or neither fencer.
An appraisal can be made for technical execution or for tactical decision-making.
Entering appraisals is optional.
In the Appraisal section, check the box to slide down the input tool.

Penalties

Cards

If the director awards a penalty card during a touch, that can be noted in the Cards section.

Like the Appraisal section, check the box to slide down the input tool.
Yellow, Red, and Black cards can be assigned to one or both fencers as determined by the referee in the match.

Notes

Comments

A Comment input box is available to make any other comments that may be appropriate. Comments for a particular touch are added to the Comment Stream in the correct sequence according to the order of touches.