In Fencing, if you want to gain the advantage of making a touch, don't be afraid to Lunge.
While it's true that lunging makes for slow recover time and makes one vulnerable long enough for their opponent to make a touch in return, said opponent wouldn't expect what's to come if one doesn't do it so often.
You can scare your opponent for long enough to make the touch if they don't know your distance. It's a double edged sword.
If you have a short torso and long legs, take the advantage of the length of your legs. They can pull out very low and long lunges, and even lower lunge presses. It gains you a good 3-5 inches in distance as opposed to your opponent who may be taller than you.
This helps especially if you are the shorter one fencing.
Different people have different length lunges, where some people are more flexible than others.
Don't strain your muscles by trying to pull a lower lunge than your body can handle. Your lunge distance is your lunge distance, so stick with it. You shouldn't be forcing your body to do something it clearly can't do. It results in torn tendons and muscles.
For a quick recovery, pull a forward recover and continue fencing.
