The (dis?)advantage bar

[MangeTonChapeau]

I have wondered how the advantage bar works. Does your fencing influence it, or is it the bar that influences your fencing ? Then how can you have it switch in your favor (I play in high difficulty, and I almost never see it a long time in my advantage) ?
It's quite irritating to see it in your disadvantage even when you have a large crew, a good morale and you are leading in the fencing...

 

[Wolfwood]

Don't miss your hits and don't parry when you should be jumping or ducking. If your enemy avoids/parries your attack, you lose advantage. If you parry (press 5) when you should be pressing 8 or 2, you lose advantage. If your enemy has time to insult you, you lose advantage.

You should always make sure that you attack only when your enemy _cannot_ parry or avoid your attack. Until you achieve such a situation, you should merely jump or duck his attacks and insult him until the advantage bar is completely yours. Then, with a few quick stabs, you'll defeat your enemy.