Fencing

The 8 Principal points of modern fencing.

1. Footwork is of paramount importance. The means of delivering an attack or the avenue of escape and counter-offensive in times of trouble. Practice can bring all pupils to a high degree of competence.

2. Judgement of distance is allied to good footwork and again assiduous practice will produce successful results.

3. Timing is an in-built and individual concept, either you have a good sense of timing or you have not. This factor above all others makes the difference between a competent fencer and a brilliant one.

4. Stamina to outlast your opponent and run them off their feet by lifting your game at crucial moments is one mark of a professional.

5. Control of your emotions at all times is a necessity and assists good manners.

6. Classical blade work is the most successful of all fencing movements, when allied to all other prerequisites, is the simple attack, or in defence, the simple riposte. Never Frighten your opponent into reacting unless you are certain of that reaction. Creep up on your opponent by judicious use of footwork and time your attack at the correct distance to achieve perfection. If your preparation is good, your attack will be good.

7. Observation (known in military circles as intelligence) can win battles.

8. Rules. Know them thoroughly. Never antagonise a President. (Referee.)

A. R. Kelly

For the beginner

Firstly what you must expect from any club.

Your first impressions are important - to both you and to the club. A well organised club will to the inexperienced be rather like a ship leaving harbour. A lot of un-fathomable action by the crew leading to an eventual departure.

This is quite normal. There will be the experienced fencers warming up. Fencers clambering into kit in preparation to fence. Fencers waiting to join the first class of the evening, these will be the beginners like yourself. It is from them you will get the true nature of the club, the standard of instruction and the general ambience. All you should really be concerned with is learning to fence.

Safely - efficiently - correctly - at your pace

The Salle JEUDI Group like most other clubs have a planned 10 and 6 week course's of lessons that will in no time have you challenging the more advanced fencers. Within a few weeks you will find both your fitness and fencing technique improve in leaps and bounds. You ready to start fencing?

I can not lay claim to writing the whole of this section for substantial amounts of it are from publications well known to the fencing world. However The 8 Principal points of modern fencing below was produced by my friend and former fencing mentor The late Bob Kelly of Salle Anton and Northampton. It is the opening page of a book that now will never be completed. It just say's it all.
Dave Moxley

Preparation

What you need to wear?

Tee shirt top

Tracksuit bottoms

Training shoes

Equipment

What you need to have?

Nothing! All equipment can be supplied by all of the group clubs

The Cost

Initial Training 10 x 1½ hour sessions. + time Fencing. Fees £45.00*

Initial Training 6 x 1½ hour sessions. + time Fencing. Fees £30.00*

*Includes membership Professional tuition.

Loan of fencing equipment

Venues

Click on The Group Club Venues for a list of group clubs.

Note

*Fees may vary due to variations in hall charges.

A few interesting observations for both beginners and the experienced fencer

When you start to fence

In the majority of cases all pupils will start fencing by learning the foil. Historically this is the basic teaching weapon.

Foil fencing requires the following techniques. A basic knowledge of the rules of fencing with the foil which differs from Epee and Sabre.

To achieve the above a series of class lessons have been adapted to enable the student to gain a gradual knowledge of wielding the weapon, understanding the concepts of distance, timing and individual skills within these concepts.

A 10 week set of lessons lasting from 1½ to 2 hrs. duration. Together with the dreaded ‘Home work!’ Lessons at Epee and Sabre can be undertaken at the discretion of the instructor.

In line with our philosophy our young sabre specialist takes a single line group lesson on simple footwork. This will add to the students confidence, at the same time help an instructor under training to understand the difficulties of running a simple lesson.

Footwork is of paramount importance. The means of delivering an attack or the avenue of escape and counter-offensive in times of trouble. Practice can bring all pupils to a high degree of competence.

Footwork allied with good accurate bladework is the essence of good fencing.

You can never be a good fencer without mobility.

Individual or one to one lessons are put together to enhance those basic skills learnt in the group lesson. They by their very nature far more intense. It is essential that the student is made aware that the instructor will require full concentration during the whole length exercise. Such lessons can last from 2 to 20 minutes.

Individual Epee lesson

Classical blade work is the most successful of all fencing movements, when allied to all other prerequisites, is the simple attack, or in defence, the simple riposte.

Never Frighten your opponent into reacting unless you are certain of that reaction. Creep up on your opponent by judicious use of footwork and time your attack at the correct distance to achieve perfection.

If your preparation is good, your attack will be good.

Judgement of distance is allied to good footwork and again assiduous practice will produce successful results.

Fencing

I am indebted to the artist’s Cecil Hardy and Michael Strauss who penned the above and many others in the early 1950,s -they have never been bettered.

And from the 1970’s

One last offering from the 1950’s