Fencing E-Book

Andrew Sowerby

• Herausgeber: Crowood
• Kategorie: Lebensstil
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 195

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2014

Beschreibung

Crowood Sports Guides provide sound, practical advice that will make you a better sportsperson, whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your sport. This book is illustrated in full colour throughout with photographs showing technique sequences, correct positions and competition situations. It covers fencing techniques in a logical progression, starting with the absolute beginner and culminating with the advanced competition fencer, and supplies detailed 'key points' as well as tips and advice on competition fencing. It discusses how to approach fencing as a left-hander and how to deal with left-handed opponents, and includes a valuable section on tactics which explains how to apply techniques in a fight situation. Presents footwork exercises and bladework training drills and provides an introduction to epee and sabre fencing. Aimed at fencers of all levels of ability and those considering taking up the sport and fencing coaches. Superbly illustrated with over 200 colour photographs showing technique sequences, correct positions and competition situations.

Leseprobe

CROWOOD SPORTS GUIDES

FENCING

SKILLS · TECHNIQUES · TRAINING

Andrew Sowerby

THE CROWOOD PRESS

First published in 2011 by

The Crowood Press Ltd

Ramsbury, Marlborough

Wiltshire SN8 2HR

www.crowood.com

This e-book first published in 2014

© The Crowood Press Ltd 2011

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data

A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN 978 1 84797 855 4

Photographs by Steve Wright Photography

CONTENTS

Preface

Part 1: Introduction to Fencing

1

The History of Fencing

2

Getting Started

3

Introduction to the Foil

4

Warming Up and Fitness Training

Part 2: Technical Skills

5

Footwork Actions

6

Holding the Foil

7

Equipment and Safety

8

The Direct Attack

9

The Parry-Riposte

10

Other Types of Parry

11

Preparations of Attack

12

The Indirect Attack

13

Indirect and Compound Ripostes and Counter-Ripostes

14

Deception and Defence Against Deception

Part 3: Tactics

15

Attacking on the Opponent’s Preparation

16

Inviting Attacks and Second Intention Actions

17

How the Difference in Distance Governs the Choice of Attack

18

Close-Quarter Fencing

19

Left-Handed Fencing

20

Competition Fencing

21

Overall Points About Tactics

Part 4: Drill Training Exercises and Other Weapons

22

Drill Training Exercises

23

Introduction to Épée Fencing

24

Introduction to Sabre Fencing

Glossary

Useful Addresses and Websites

Index

PREFACE

Fencing is a sport that has changed greatly over the years in competition, but the technique remains the same. The aim of this book is to explain to the beginner and improver how to fence, as well as why and when to fence to the more advanced practitioner. It is intended to complement your fencing class, in that the order of the techniques given here should follow the way you are being taught in a class.

Rather than write about all the techniques in fencing in limited detail, I have chosen to look at the main techniques required to be a good fencer in more detail. Each chapter therefore leads on in a logical manner from the previous one. For example, Chapter 8, ‘The Direct Attack’, is followed by Chapter 9,‘The Parry-Riposte Defence’, which shows how to deal with the direct attack. All examples in later chapters refer to techniques that have been previously learnt.

In Part 3, ‘Tactics’, we examine the application of the techniques in the fight situation. We also look at things from a left-hander’s point of view, as well as giving tips on competition and drill exercises.

The book focuses on foil fencing, but there is also an introduction to the épée and the sabre.

Having been involved in fencing as a competitor since 1982 and a full-time professional coach since 1988, teaching children as young as nine and adults of all ages, the system laid down here is tried and tested, producing fencers who fence purely for social reasons as well as competitors at all levels.

Dedication

Special thanks to Carole, Oliver, Will and David for their patience and help in writing this book. Thanks also to all pupils and ex-pupils for their contributions.

CHAPTER 1

THE HISTORY OF FENCING

Duelling

First, some fencing history. The foil developed from the Italian floretta, which was a light thrusting sword that was used for the practice of duelling up to the eighteenth century. Its purpose was to practise the moves used in a duel without causing injury.

A person of good breeding was often involved in duels, so practice under the guidance of a fencing master was essential for survival. The duellist was trained to thrust to kill, therefore the trunk of the body where all the vital organs are contained was the main area to hit. In modern foil fencing, we refer to this as on- and off-target hits, with on target being the trunk of the body. The term ‘character of penetration’ used in foil simulates the penetration of the point into the trunk with a bending of the blade, or, in electric competition fencing, 500g pressure on a switch. Fencing today would bear little resemblance to duelling techniques. The bladework would have been very limited and the approach cautious and slow – understandably so, considering your life would have been at stake. Without room for error, you would not be able to experiment.

Many famous duels and duellists are documented, notably François de Montmorency, who had the habit of walking up to any man and saying, ‘I understand, sir, that you are a brave man, I should like to allow you to prove it.’ Another famous duelist was the Chevalier d’Andrieux, who by the age of thirty had killed seventy-two men in duels. It is reported that one opponent boasted, ‘Chevalier, you will be the tenth man that I have killed,’ to which d’Andrieux replied, ‘and you will be my seventy-second’.

In France, so many men were being killed in duels over matters of little importance that in 1679 stricter legislation was brought in to try to curb it. If a man was killed in a duel, it was now considered to be murder. One of the ways the duellist would get round this law was by being the first to draw blood. A scratch on the arm or leg therefore would be enough to satisfy honour and the duel was won. Modern épée fencing simulates this drawing of blood with points scored by hits anywhere on the body.

The Beginning of the Sport of Fencing

With the development of the duelling pistol, the sword died out as the weapon of choice. When challenged, most would opt for the pistol, therefore the sword became something that could be used for sport. This was aided by the creation of the mask in 1765 to protect the face. The development of what was to become known as ‘the conversation of the blade’ had started.

Italian fencing master Domenico Angelo was one of the first to develop fencing as a means of health and elegance. Under his guidance, fencing became a sport rather than a means to kill. Studying in Pisa, Italy, before moving to Paris to study the French method, he then set up a fencing school in London in 1756. He taught the art of the sword to the nobility. In 1763 he published his École des armes, containing forty-seven plates showing fencing techniques.

The two main schools of fencing at this time were the French and the Italian. The French school was considered more progressive and the Italian more conservative. Over the course of the next 200 years, fencing techniques started to develop, with the two main schools being very secretive about the development of their own techniques. However, as travel became more accessible, fencers would visit the fencing schools and pick up techniques to add to their repertoire, with the result that today we have a mix of both schools in the modern game. French and Italian fencers have dominated the medals in most Olympic Games, none more so than Italian brothers Aldo and Nedo Nadi, with Aldo winning three gold medals and Nedo also three. In the 1920 Olympic Games, Aldo won gold medals in all three disciplines foil, épée and sabre.

With the invention of the electric scoring system in the 1930s, judges were replaced with a scoring system that would reliably record a hit. This system transformed the sport, with many new techniques coming into use that would not have been employed when relying on only the human eye to see them. In the modern competitive sport, although we still have the many different techniques that have been developed over the centuries, the competitive fencer will rely on certain offensive and defensive actions, as well as their tactical application. In lessons, the aim is to get close to the fight situation, with the repetition of actions under as many different situations as possible.

Domenico Angelo’s École des armes, showing three disarming techniques.

CHAPTER 2

GETTING STARTED

Finding a Club

The best way to start fencing is to find out where your local club is. In the UK, you can do this by getting in contact with the British Fencing Association (BFA) via its website. All countries will have a governing body. The international governing body is the FIE (Fédération Internationale d’Escrime), which lays down the rules that govern the sport.

All clubs will have qualified coaches who will either be accredited by the BFA or the BAF (British Academy of Fencing). These two governing bodies train coaches to be able to coach beginners (level 1) to advanced (level 4). Larger clubs will have a full-time professional coach who will have a number of coaches under his or her supervision. A good club will offer a beginner’s course over six to ten weeks that teaches the basics of the sport. It is important to start slowly and not to be put into combat too soon.

A fencing club in full flow.

Preparing the Body

Fencing employs muscle groups you would not have used before, so warm-ups will consist of specific fencing exercises as well as more general ones, like slow to fast running. Endurance exercises such as jogging are a good idea in preparation for fencing, for example jogging for between 30–40min three times a week. This is of course dependent on your level of fitness. If you have a low level of fitness, jogging for 10min three times a week will be enough to start with. If you are unsure about your fitness, it is important to consult a doctor before starting fencing.

Footwork is very important in the modern game, so a lot of emphasis will be put on this in the early stages. It is a good idea to spend time at home going through basic footwork actions so that your body starts to accept unfamiliar positions and movements. If you only practise once a week in club time, it will take much longer for your body to adapt.

Equipment

A fencing club will supply all the specialized equipment you need. You will be required to wear suitable tracksuit trousers with pockets that zip up. Jeans and combat trousers are not acceptable, as they will restrict your movement and the pockets could snag a blade. Shorts are also unacceptable, as although the legs are not a target area, they may still get hit.

There are a number of companies selling fencing equipment, but I would recommend not buying any too soon, as it is important to ensure you are committed to the sport before making a large financial outlay. Clubs are set up to lend equipment to members for as long as they want.

Most lessons will be taught in a group format, but if you are in a small group the coach may have time to give more individual lessons.

Governing Bodies and Awards

Most clubs will run BFA and BAF award schemes, although following them tends to be optional. Fencing is not structured in the way same way as a martial art, where a lot of emphasis is put on working through the different-coloured belts. If you are interested in taking fencing awards, tell your coach and he or she will enroll you on the scheme.

Friendly fencers.

After your initial beginner’s course, you will be asked by your coach to join the BFA. This is a requirement for all fencers, as it provides insurance cover for you to be able to fence in your club. There are different levels of cover according to what you need. Again, your coach will be able to advise you on this.

At this stage, you will be starting to fence freely and may be challenged by more experienced members of the club. Do not be afraid of this, as it is how you will improve. The important thing here is not winning a fight, but applying what you have learnt in your lessons. In the early stages of fencing aggressive beginners tend to score more points. You will find over the first few weeks that you will progress quite quickly as you start to try to put the moves into practice. However, progress becomes much slower when you are asked to deal with an opponent rather than a partner. Do not be put off by this; it is just part of the learning process.

CHAPTER 3

INTRODUCTION TO THE FOIL

Fencing can best be described as ‘the sport of the sword’. In fencing we have three weapons: the foil, the sabre and the épée. The foil is the weapon used by the great majority of fencers and the one we should concentrate on for some time before considering the épée or the sabre.

The true art of the sword did not begin until using swords as a means of combat had finished. The foil was the first sword that was used purely for sport and, with one’s life no longer at risk, comparisons between what would have been done in a real fight are irrelevant, as foil fencing has always been a sporting sword. Épée fencing, which is looked at later in this book, is closer to the duelling style, as there is no right of way system and hits can be made anywhere on the body.

The sabre (top); foil (middle); épée (bottom).

The Foil

The foil is a light thrusting sword. Its origin is from swords that were thin and pointed, so in the sport of fencing we refer to the foil as having a point. The point on a practice weapon is a plastic button; on a competition weapon it is a switch.

Practice foils are normally more flexible, which makes sense, as in practice you will be hitting your partner many times as well as receiving lots of hits. Practice foils come in six lengths – 0, 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Small children use size 0, older children under 14 use size 3 and adults use size 5. The advantage of the longer blade is its reach, but the disadvantage is that some of the precision is lost, so sometimes smaller adults prefer to use shorter blades for this reason.

Foil handles come in two main types – the French foil and the pistol grip, or orthopaedic. Most fencers opt for pistol grip, as it is more relevant to the modern game, which is very physical and requires a stronger grip on the weapon. The grip required for the French foil originates from a time when fencing was more about the art of the sword. The grip is therefore far more delicate and takes some time to master. Your progress in the modern sport of fencing will be much quicker with the pistol grip. Comparisons can be made with tennis, in that the French foil equate to the wooden tennis racket. We look back to times in tennis when rallies went on for extended periods of time and the game was more about the skill of the player than their strength. Modern competition fencing could be described in a similar way.

The French foil.

The pistol grip foil.

The Target Area

The target area is the trunk of the body as well as the lower half of the bib on the mask. This means that hits can be scored on the front, the sides (flank) and also the back. Most hits are going to be scored on the front as your opponent will be facing you, but you may spot the opportunity of a target under the arm or maybe on the back, especially on left-handers. Lefthanders initially have an advantage as they are always looking for these openings on right-handers, whom they will be facing most of the time.

A fencer wearing a foil lamé jacket. This jacket forms the target area front, sides and back, as well as the lower part of the bib on the mask, which also has lamé material.

Making the Hit

To be valid, the hit must show character of penetration. In other words, if the sword was sharp it would have gone in. With a practice foil, this is represented by a slight bend in the blade. On a competition foil, 500g of pressure on the switch is required to make it register a coloured light on the scoring equipment.

A correctly made hit.

An incorrect flat hit.

Hits that arrive with the side of the blade are termed ‘flat’. Hits that arrive on non-target areas (arms, head, legs) are termed ‘off-target’.

The Fencing System

As we are no longer fighting for our lives as we would have been in the duel, foil fencing has a system of conventions that control the fight. The basis of this system is that in the event of both fencers hitting each other, the fencer that attacks first is said to have the right of way. Watching the fight would be a referee, who would make this decision. If the referee decides that both fencers have attacked at the same time, the decision would be that neither fencer wins the point. The answer to the fencer who attacks first is to defend the attack (parry), then hit back (riposte). This is known as ‘the phrase’ and it can continue with the original attacker parrying again (counter-riposte) to regain the right of way. In theory, this can be repeated several more times, but in practice it tends not to be. To return to our tennis analogy, the fencer’s attack is the tennis player’s serve. The fencer’s parry-riposte is the tennis player’s return of serve. Just as tennis rallies in the modern game tend to be shorter, so nowadays fencing phrases tend not to go on too long before the hit is scored.

The foil needs to be thought of as a precision instrument, rather than a sword. The movements come from precise actions made by means of the fingers; this is known as ‘finger play’. All of this takes time to achieve, as at first the body will be tense. Much patient practice must be done before considering any form of competition.

Traditionally, foil fencing required hits to be scored in a very correct manner, with a big emphasis on the skill of the fencer rather than aggression. However, in the modern competitive era, things have changed greatly, with points often being scored through power rather than skill. When learning foil fencing, no emphasis will at first be put on the winning of fights, but rather on perfecting the technique, then learning how to apply it (tactics). You will need a partner to practise with so that you learn the moves first before thinking about taking on actual opponents.

When you start to face opponents, you will find that none of what you have practised seems to work. Do not be put off by this; it will take some time before the moves you have practised on a willing partner or coach will start to work in the much more difficult fight situation. Also, opponents will vary greatly, with the result that what works on one will not necessary work on another. A repertoire of techniques and tactics needs to be trained into you before you can feel relaxed about the fight situation and things start to fall into place.

CHAPTER 4

WARMING UP AND FITNESS TRAINING

The Warm-Up

All fencing lessons will be preceded by a warm-up, lasting between 10–15min. This will involve various running exercises, as well as stretching, warming up of joints and muscles, plus reaction games. The purpose of the warm-up is to stimulate the organs of the body, as well as the muscles and the joints. For those looking toward competition fencing, the fitness side of fencing has become increasingly important. Direct elimination fights can last up to 9min and fencing competitions all day. A fencer with a high level of fitness will be able to concentrate totally on the fight while also keeping good control of their foil. A fencer with a low level of fitness will be unfocused and their blade movements will be uncontrolled.

The club warm-up is designed to be adaptable for all levels of ability and ages. The aim is to increase the heart rate in preparation for the lesson. When you first start fencing, the warm-up will be quite gentle and you will be encouraged to develop your fencing fitness in your own time. The following is a guide to fitness and warm-up exercises that may be done within your club, but also things that can be done in your own time to increase your fencing fitness.

Overall Physical Fitness

To improve overall endurance, cardiovascular exercises to work the legs, heart and lungs are very good. The aim is to increase your heart rate and to work at that level for a period of time. One way would be to jog two to three times a week for a period of 40min each time. At first, you may only manage 15min, but the aim is to increase the time incrementally each week. Always set yourself achievable targets. For example, it is better to do 10min than to set yourself an initially unachievable target of 30min.

Both fencers have their legs well bent in order to maintain good balance when on the piste.

Both fencers are showing flexibility, in the lunge (left) and when ducking (right).

Cycling is another good cardiovascular exercise, as are various ball games. These sorts of games can make warming up a bit more fun and are best done in small groups. The important thing is that everybody is kept involved and moving.

Stretching and Flexibility

The positions required in fencing, especially using the legs, are very different from other sports. Therefore, stretching the muscles prior to fencing is very important. However, it is vital when starting to fence not to overstretch the muscles, as this will cause damage. All stretches must be increased gradually to avoid injury.

Stretching refers to the muscles, whereas flexibility refers to the ligaments and tendons around the joints. It is very important that the joints are also warmed up, as damage to ligaments and tendons can often take longer to repair due to the lower blood flow.

Opinion on how to stretch varies. Some say that holding a stretch for a period of 5–10sec is the best way. Others say that, for fencing, the method involving bouncing movements that gently stretch the ligaments, tendons and muscles are better preparation for the sudden movements that happen in fencing.

The most important joints in fencing are the hips (for the extension of the lunge), knees, ankles, shoulders, spine and wrists.

Strength Training