BINDING, in the art of defence, a method of securing or crossing the adversary's sword with a pressure, accompanied with a spring from the wrist. See BEATING.
Unless a man, by some kind of cross, secure, as it were, or render his adversary's sword incapable to offend him during the time of his performing a lesson upon him, it is impossible for him to be certain but that he may receive from his adversary, either a fortuitous contretemps, or an exchanged thrust, before the recovery of his body, or going off after a thrust. The great objection made by some people, particularly those time-catchers, against the frequent use of binding, is, that when a man, in performing it, cleaves too much to his adversary's sword, he is liable to his adversary's slipping of him, and consequently of receiving either a plain thrust, or one from a feint.