En garde

Fencing master Luigi Barbasetti ; 

Source: Britannica.com

On your mark, get set, GO = En garde, fencers ready, FENCE!

En guard means "on guard" -- meaning, get ready in this combat sport and prepare to fight for your life. Fencing evolved from a combat martial art to the modern sport. Lives might not be at stake, but some satisfaction might be.

This is the lunging position.
Though, you normally you have the mask on your head.

One has to get comfortable with the "on guard position" -- it's the readiness position. The correct way to do this is with feet at right angles with your leading toe pointing directly in the front. The heels should also be shoulder-width apart. Looking down, one should not be able to see one's feet (Sowerby 298).

This position is essential for balance. When you are low to the ground, you can make quick adjustments to your movements in reaction to the opponent. If you stand in the wrong position (upright), you are less balanced and cannot make quick movements back or forward depending on the situation.

En garde is the most fundamental position of fencing. Just like in basketball, keeping low is part of the positioning, en garde is the basic position of fencing.

Sowerby, Andrew. Fencing:,,,,,

Sowerby, Andrew. Fencing: Skills, Tactics, Training. Crowood, 2012. Print.