Veniamin Reshetnikov is not really known for flashy sabre. His game is one of precision and control. It’s spectacularly effective, but doesn’t produce much in the way of grand actions or high drama. However, I don’t want to get typecast as only being into powerful marching attacks, hilariously unexpected stop cuts and Gu Bongil falling over. I also appreciate a good vicious and well-planned trap every now and then, and Reshetnikov is a master of them.
Parrying is a risky business. Against an attacker who is doing things on their own terms, it’s usually an exercise in futility. There’s a whole repertoire of defensive tricks for drawing an attacker into hitting when and where you want them to, but sometimes it takes the genuine threat of a real counterattack to provoke them. If you’re happy parrying at incredibly close distances, you can pull off something like this:
[gfycat data_id="ColorlessCheerfulAlaskankleekai"]The full bronze medal match between Russia and Hungary at the 2014 World Champs is available on our YouTube channel: