Holding your Parry

When fencing, making a parry that is so short that it resembles a beat is not useful. Holding your parry will tell you if you should riposte using a disengage or a straight attack. If your opponent pushes against your blade then you should suddenly let go of your parry, disengage, and lunge. However, if your opponent does not push against your blade, then you should just make a straight attack. It does not matter if, for some reason, his blade is still out there and your lunge carries you into it, because you have parried and gained the right of way. So, if you still hit your opponent, then his blade hitting will be a sort of counterattack and the touch will be yours.