Basic Strip Coaching Guide for Parents and Fencers

 

          It can be really helpful to a fencer to have someone in their corner during a competition. We've all seen boxers and MMA fighters, either in real matches or in movies. They go to their corner and their coach helps keep their head in the game and reminds them of things they know but aren't thinking of, or maybe gives them insights about their opponent that they aren't thinking of on their own.

          Ideally, at a big tournament, your coach will be with you. This is a lot easier to have happen at local tournaments. But, schedules running classes and tournaments might not allow your coach to go to events with you, or your coach might be working the event. For events involving travel, it may be up to the fencers to cover the costs of the coaches traveling to the event and the fee for the coaches' time at the event. If an event is far away and few of your team mates are going, the costs for this can be prohibitive.

          We put this email together for our fencers and their families so parents could have some basic strip coaching advice. Getting specific advice for your athlete from their coach before going to a big event may be worth it if your athlete will respond well to a parent giving that advice. Team mates can help each other if they're at the same event, so this is a good article for athletes to review too.

          The first segment is stuff athletes need to do in order to check in and warm up at an event. The second segment is about how to help coach your athlete at an event if the coach isn't there.

 

Things your fencer may not think of, of which you can remind them:

*Remember the fencer needs to check themselves in, and they will also need to take equipment to the armorers to be checked. Parents should be able to do the equipment check for the fencer if necessary. Vendors will be on site to sell gear if anything fails or breaks. 

1. Warm up with your routine from practice, strip runs, a couple sabre sprints, stretching and some foot work practice. Grab 1 or 2 warm up bouts.

2. Drink a little water between pool bouts, even if not particularly thirsty.
3. Sit down and rest a bit when not fencing, when you're on deck, stand up, move around and stretch a little so you're warmed back up before your bout is called

4. You get three minutes between pool bouts, the clock for that begins when the final touch is awarded in your last pool bout. They can ask you to hook up before the three minutes is over because the time should expire when they first say "Fence!" for the new bout, not before you hook up. If asked to fence before your three minutes is up you can request to be given your three minutes.

5. Between DE bouts, you have 10 minutes, it works the same way as the time between pool bouts.

6. Spare cords and weapons need to be with them when they go to their pool or their DE strip

7. Watch the other fencers in the pool to preplan your approach. If you have the opportunity to watch your next DE opponent do the same.

 

Basic Strip Coaching

 

*Youth athletes often get frustrated when parents try to give sport specific coaching if the parent doesn't also do the sport...but there are still useful things you can say to help them out.

 

1. Remind them to stay calm and in control

2. If they're well ahead, tell them they're doing well, to keep up their same plan, but be ready to adjust if their opponent adjusts

3. If it's close in either direction, tell them they're doing well, they can win, just to stay focused, make good choices, and watch for their opponent to adjust

4. If they're far behind, remind them that the bout isn't over, they can still adjust and come back, and whatever happens if they do their best and don't give up they've done well

 

5. They should drink some water on the break while you talk to them. Drinking water, and providing encouragement, keeping them calm are the main things

 

6. "watch your distance" if they're either missing because they're too close or too far, or getting counter attacked

 

7. "keep your balance" if they seem out of balance, or moving erratically

 

The big thing is making them feel encouraged, and keeping them calm enough to feel ok, but still focused and aggressive enough to stay in the bout.

 

Some kids won't respond well even to just reminders to be calm, or encouragement, even if they respond well to that normally, it might not be what they want during a competition. If they seem frustrated by it, just give them their space.

 

*Only one person should call things out to the fencer during the bout if anyone is doing so. It can be overwhelming having multiple voices calling at you. During the break in the DEs only one person is allowed to approach. Everyone can cheer for them and shout encouraging things though.

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Not Enough Tournaments

           People's reasons for going to tournaments or not going to tournaments will vary. I think for youth athletes, even some adult athletes, and parents, a lot of the factors at play might not be immediately evident. I want to talk a little briefly about why you should be going to tournaments as part of your training, and how holding off on going can just mean missed opportunity.

          There are four fencers on my mind at the moment as examples...and several others who I hope get the message in this post.

          The first example is my best friend. He earned his A in epee. He was about 30. He was very excited about it because he won a Regional Circuit event, hosted by the college club where we both started fencing. It was held in the gym where we hosted collegiate championship events while we were in school. He beat a handful of fencers he'd been aware of throughout his time fencing, and he had me, his best friend, there strip coaching him. He looks at this as one of the most meaningful events of his fencing career.

          In the four years following that, he only fenced 8 events. He made it to the finals in three of them and the semi-finals in two. He's always been a strong fencer with good results, but he never competed much. In the 14 years where he competed he averaged 2.9 tournaments per year. He could have very easily re-earned his A if he competed more regularly. More tournaments would have given him more opportunities for success. More experience competing in tournaments would have helped him learn to adapt to the tournament setting. He was a very strong fencer. Making adaptations to finish a close or important bout was not in his skill set, and he readily admitted this. When he switched coaches to work with me, this eventually became a tactical focus, but by that time life and having kids meant no more time to compete. In part, because of shifting demands on his time, he lost the opportunity to use the tactical skills he was developing to reach the goal of re-earning the A, but in part, that kind of adaptation and adjustment, is something we hone in the tournament setting. We need tournaments because we need the pressure, having the win at stake, and the variety of different fencers who are also developing separately from us in order to train winning in those conditions.

          My second example is a current student. He is also an A rated epeeist. He puts in the time to train multiple nights a week. His gym wouldn't let him weight train until he was sixteen, but he's adding that to his work out schedule this summer. He runs for his school to get his cardio in. He was holding his own against A rated fencers in practice while he was an E, because COVID took away all the tournaments his first season of senior, and his first season of serious training, he was delayed in increasing his rating. When tournaments resurfaced he went to as many as he could. Went to NACs and came close to picking up points. Went to a regional event with a goal of getting enough regional points to fence the various Summer Nationals Events he wanted to fence. He got the points he needed across four events in two days. He took 3rd place in his first event (Y14), upping his E to a D, then that afternoon took 3rd place in his second event (Div1A) upping his E to an A.

          He has again decided on some goals, and so he is going out to every tournament he can to meet those goals. He's finding success. After this past weekend he should be on the top 10 if not top 8 for Junior and Cadet for our regional points list. He's acquiring the points he needs for the events he wants to fence which will help situate him for two of his long term goals. He's doing the work in club, he's doing the work athletically, and he's traveling to as many competitions as he can because he knows he needs those competitions to get access to the events he wants access to. He's also traveling to competitions where he can't get points because he knows he needs to practice events at that level, and practice competing in that context against the types of fencers he will be up against at important events. We have a stellar line up of epeeists in our club, but he understands the value of fencing a diverse group of people, and also the people who will be fencing the competitions he is competing in. Regardless of where you fence, you can only get that by doing tournaments regularly.

          My third example is a former youth student who is now one of my assistant coaches. He is a very good, very promising fencer. Some of his performances get in the way of him seeing that consistently. He wasn't very serious about fencing as a youth athlete, and got serious the year he turned 18. He started training a lot, but still wasn't competing much. Within about a year and a half of getting serious he upped his E to a D, then a C, and finally to a B. By that point he had only ever fenced two regional events and was about to go to his first Junior NAC, after 5 years of fencing. He was a B, he was going to age out of Junior in a month, and would be stuck only being able to fence Div1 Senior Events with only ever having had 3 circuit events under his belt.

          His first five years of fencing he averaged 4 tournaments per year. He developed the skill, through putting in long hours of lessons, to earn his B. Not having fenced a variety of tournaments, he doesn't have the experience to adapt to a variety of fencers. The type of decision making he needs to make in a competition setting is less evident. Adapting to different styles of refereeing is less familiar. Once he got serious about competing (half the tournaments in that first five years were fenced in a single year), it took a year for him to figure out how to properly prepare himself in terms of eating and resting in order to make it through an event successfully.

          For him, learning the skills that going to competitions helps teach was missing and held him back some. Coaches can tell you these things, we can set up scenarios in lessons, in drills and in scrimmages that mimic some of this. To really internalize a lot of these elements you need competitions. In his case, being a B means he can't fence most local competitions. The National Office has decided that our region only needs 3 regional senior competitions next year, so he won't have those to fence, and this season barely had any he could do. There are many more regional Junior, Cadet and Youth events, but he is too old for those. So his options for increasing his experience in competition are severely limited because he waited. It's not impossible for him at this point, but it will be a harder more grueling process. If you start young, you can get those experiences in Y14, maybe even in Y12, and keep honing your capabilities through Cadet and Junior. You'll be in competitions with a peer group who are physically developing just like you are, and whose motor control and skills are developing along with yours. If you miss those age brackets and start as an adult, you can develop your skills and experience alongside each other in Div III and Div II with other developing lower rated fencers. In Div I you can only fence C, B and A fencers. Most of them will be developed, experienced, senior fencers, or Cadet and Junior fencers who are exceptional and can hold their own in senior. It's a much more difficult, and therefore more frustrating context in which to try and gain experience, in addition to simply being less available.

          Add to that being a 22 year old, there is less of a support structure to afford travel and competition fees. Being limited to higher end competitions means he's limited to more expensive competitions. Youth, Cadet, and Junior fencers have parents invested in helping them achieve goals who will pay for travel, maybe turn competition trips into family vacations. They will pay tournament entry fees. In my experience working with college fencers, this support structure often vanishes or severely diminishes for college age athletes. The lack of funds can make developing tournament experience almost necessary. (I was very lucky in that my parents supported my fencing through, and a little after college, monetarily. I wish more college athletes had this support.)

          This fencer always tells our youth athletes not to make his mistake. He encourages them to get out to as many competitions as possible. Gain the experience, have fun doing it. Enjoy being able to do it in more comfortable skill and age categories with support from your parents and without the stress of having to drive yourself on long trips early in the morning before competing (this will usually also wreck performance). The youth athletes don't really internalize the warning. Hopefully seeing it laid out will help parents understand and maybe help youth athletes grasp it.

          My last example is another really promising fencer. He was recently frustrated at missing a rating increase by two touches. Experienced competitors know that sometimes, that's just how it is. Sometimes the other person figures something out or is just a hair stronger or you're having an off day or they're having a great day. Experienced competitors also know that isn't always a matter of it just being how it is. Sometimes we need to be able to knuckle down, make an adjustment, and make a choice to score in a way we know we can absolutely make happen. It takes patience and commitment to controlling the scenario and building the moment we need to make our action happen. How do you do that against an unknown competitor? You read what they've been doing, and adapt and make choices and adjustments. You can't do that though when you're primarily used to fencing your teammates.

          This fencer won his first Y12 competition, fenced one more Y12, and then nothing else until a year later when he won his first senior competition and earned his E. He has averaged 6 events per year over his 3 years of competing. This is a little better than some of our other examples, but still about half of what I'd recommend as a minimum. With the exception of two circuit events he's never fenced anything above a C1 event. This means he generally hasn't fenced anything which would give a lot of ratings, or where he had to fence very strong fencers. 27% of his events he's finished first place, which seems pretty exceptional. He's earned his E four times in 3 years despite COVID taking away one of those years. I have no doubt that if a couple things were tweaked for him, and if he started competing regularly, then a C would be on the table as a short term goal.

          More competition would make a big difference in reaching this goal though. For one, more competitions would mean more opportunities for ratings increases. The more times you try, the more chances you have to succeed. Fencing, not necessarily much bigger, but at least stronger competitions would also mean more ratings available to earn, and increased chances. It would also mean more opportunity to encounter stronger fencers and develop from that competitive experience. As we mentioned with other fencers it would help in building the type of thinking needed to adapt and adjust in competition.

          For a younger fencer competition is also important for building a competitive mindset, both in terms of how to think while competing -- how to understand your movement, how to assess opponents, how to balance your emotions, and how to make decisions; but also how to think after competitions -- how to analyze what you did and what your opponents did, how to walk away from a loss, how to appreciate a win. Younger fencers also benefit by getting a more realistic picture of their goals, and what goals are possible by attending competitions. They learn what work they need to do to be as successful as the people who are succeeding. We often highlight in practice how people who go to their first big competitions see successful people doing the things we say to do, and the fencers are often a little amazed after their first high level competition. That amazement comes with a recognition that what those people are doing is in their grasp because it's the result of the same kind of training they are given, and the same advice they are given about athletic and physical development.

          To summarize:

                   - Competition exposes us to fencing a variety of unfamiliar fencers

                  

                   - Competition exposes us to competing in a competitive scenario

                  

                   - Competition teaches us to adjust to referees and other elements of the                           fencing environment

                  

                   - Competition gives us opportunities to meet goals

                  
                   - Competition helps shape our awareness of goals and of fencing

                  

                   - Competition provides developmental skills for how we think about                              challenges, successes, and failures which can apply to all areas of life

                   - Competition provides experience which is necessary for success

                   - Competition experience is harder to get if you wait 'til you're older or                           more highly rated

 

                   - Opportunities decrease the longer you wait, costs and stress factors go up

 

                   - Competition success provides access to additional opportunities at higher           levels

 

                   - Colleges use higher level competitions to evaluate who to scout

 

                   - A purely recreational fencer should do a few competitions a year, 4 to 8

 

                   - A moderately competitive/locally competitive fencer should do about 12                      per year, or one per month

 

                   - A serious competitor will depend on age categories and goals, but might                       have two to three in a month, or sometimes more than one event in a                              weekend

                   - Even for serious competitors breaks are necessary

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Learn The Game

I refereed an unrated foil tournament today. Sometimes refereeing offers opportunities to think about fencing, things to bring up with students or to talk about more generally - but often, you're too busy to commit your thoughts firmly enough to memory to really address them later. My thoughts today about understanding the game were both simple and impactful enough to stick in my head.

 

Game play comes up a few different ways when I coach. The most basic concept around game play is that fencing is a sport. Like all sports, it is a game with rules. Even a "combat weapon" like epee has rules for game play, those rules are just more naturalistic and reflect what works and what doesn't rather than reflecting convention. As a result, we don't see changes to epee game play like we do as rules interpretations shift in foil and sabre. For all three, you need to think of it as a sport, not as sword fighting, and learn the rules that build successful strategies.

 

Recognizing it's a game and knowing how conventions, rules, and normal reactions to situations play out, is how we make choices. We know why we were successful or why we weren't. We know why our opponents were successful, or why they weren't. As a result we can adjust and anticipate their adjustments.

 

We can even long play and assume how the shape of play will evolve based on choices and responses to choices. We can be tactical if we understand how we approach the game and how our opponent is playing the game.

 

Another element of thinking about game play is not to try to play the game with people who don't know it's a game.

 

Sometimes fencers will come up and do something erratic. Sometimes they'll make choices that show they don't know what actions have an advantage, or what choices will likely be successful.

 

When up against a fencer like that, trying to use complex tactics or strategies, or setting up actions that require them to respond the way someone who knows the rules would respond, is going to lead to failure. You can't fence someone who isn't fencing.

 

Against a fencer who doesn't know it's a game, don't play the game. Walk forward and hit them. Be athletic, be fast, be clean, be unassailable. Which is, still kind of based on playing the game, just the simplest version of it.

 

I talked about these things in a class yesterday.

 

What I didn't talk about regarding game play was what I noticed today.

 

You can kind of know how to make some actions, and button mash those actions, and score against weak opponents, and still not know how to play the game.

 

You can also be pretty clean, have some good skills and techniques and a lot of potential, and lose because you aren't playing the game.

 

These two are pretty related. They're both basically the reverse perspective on our first point. Understanding the rules and the game play lets you make choices to win. If you don't understand you're just doing random things and probably not understanding why it isn't working. Maybe you just assume the other person is just performing actions better than you, or maybe you are lost as to why the touch isn't yours.

 

I think we often assume that people who just don't get it are new. We assume you can recognize it from their bad posture, bad form, clumsy actions.

 

That isn't always the case. I've run into it a bunch but hadn't really thought about it. You can drill a bunch of things. You can be really clean, or maybe even just consistent in an awkward but acceptable execution. You might be able to do alright against other people doing random things, being refereed in a context where no one really knows what's going on.

 

When you get to a context with actual fencers, you'll probably be confused or lost.

 

Maybe you're in a context with actual fencers, and they get the game and you don't. So you assume they just win because they're better. Then you go somewhere and fence people on your level and still lose and wonder why.

 

Learn the game.

 

Sometimes that component - an understanding of what's happening, why it's happening, and why that is what wins - is what's missing rather than the conventional elements we drill on the strip and cover in lessons. A good lesson, a good teaching program, will incorporate those elements. Sometimes they'll be explicit, sometimes they'll be naturally woven in. It's easy to miss realizing you need to teach them if you've never thought of it though, or if you had to learn it naturally by competing. It's also easy for people to miss it when they train in recreational contexts with no one who gets the game, or no one who knows how to teach it.

 

So it's no wonder it's a component that might be the gap between someone who can make some attacks and some parries, versus someone who can make some attacks and some parries and win against other beginners.

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7 Reasons Why Fencers Should Become Referees

 

If you are a TriWeapon Fencer, one of the obvious reasons for becoming a referee is because our program requires that you get a certification in something to graduate. The Coaches' Association and the Referee Commission have done the best job at creating straight forward certification processes, so those are the two best options. Refereeing will give you the most opportunities to use your certification and get something out of having it, so it is the most popular one for people to go for. If you're not a TriWeapon fencer, there are still lots of reasons to take a referee clinic or become a referee.

 Since we have a pretty high level referee coming soon for aclinic I figured I would present some reasons why fencers should consider taking a clinic.

 

1. It will help you understand what is happening in your bouts.

 Fencers acquire a lot of "knowledge" of the "rules" from hanging out in their clubs and talking to other fencers who don't know better. Then they start competing, or going to more serious clubs and are confused when they encounter the actual rules and actual conventional applications of them. Studying for the referee exam and taking a clinic is a good way to disabuse yourself of the accretion of incorrect knowledge.

 Even if you haven't learned a ton of incorrect rules and application, if you don't know the rules or how they're applied, you may be confused in tournaments by how stuff is called. If you're confused you can't do much about it, but if you understand the rules and recognize what you're doing isn't scoring, then you have a better sense of how to adjust to get the touch.

 

2. It will help you fence better.

 This is kind of similar to the last one, but not quite the same. Knowing wrong rules, or not knowing the rules might leave you confused and unable to understand why you're losing. Knowing the rules can let you make choices to help you win. If you understand what actions are likely to score because of how the rules work, you know what actions to prioritize. If you know what referees look for to recognize an action then you know how to tweak your execution to make sure referees will see what you're trying to do.

 

3. It gives you something to do when you can't fence an event.

If your rating is too high to fence Div III events or Div II events but your team mates or siblings will be attending them refereeing gives you something to do so you can go along and participate. If your club is hosting events you can't fence in but you still want to support the event, refereeing gives you that opportunity. If you're going to a ROC and fencing the Div1A on Friday afternoon, and can't fence the Div II on Saturday, but you're sticking around because you're fencing the Junior in the concurrent RJCC on Sunday, then referring Saturday gives you something to do.

4. It gives you another way to be involved with the sport of fencing and the fencing community.

If you really love fencing, you love going to practice, you love going to competitions, you love everything about it; refereeing is one option to deepen your exploration and learn more about it from a different perspective. Going out and refereeing will let you look at different elements of how fencing works and different actions people make and the ways they make them. It will let you see a different element of competitions. It will also allow you to make connections with competitors, referees, and tournament organizers outside of your club. Your club and other local clubs also probably need people to referee for them, so this is a great way to give back to the fencing community.  

 

5. It will give you perspective and an understanding of your rights as a fencer.

 Fencers are frequently salty about how referees call things, especially in the right of way weapons, but also in epee. Sometimes it's fair to be mad about a call, but sometimes you didn't do things the way you thought you did. Refereeing will help you understand the referee's perspective and what it's like to have to observe and interpret the fencers' actions and then communicate them as a call. Having some understanding of the other side can help you with moving past the frustration and focusing on making actions that get the calls you want.

 Sometimes referees make mistakes, and sometimes we think they do when they don't. Fencers don't always understand what things they can question and what things they can't, what the method for questioning is, and how to do it effectively and politely. Learning to referee and working as a referee can help you understand these better so you can navigate the experience better as a competitor.

 

6. There are monetary incentives.

 If you're an adult fencer with a good job then maybe making extra cash by refereeing is not much of an incentive. Even with a good job, you can always take the extra money and use it as fun money, or money to fund fencing expenses.

 If you're a teenager, or a college student, or an adult who is sorting out what they want to do, refereeing can be a nice extra source of income. You won't make a ton of money refereeing, but even without an especially high rating, you can make enough in a weekend that it's worth it. Especially for high school and college students, refereeing might give you enough extra cash that you don't need to pick up a job to make money to go do things with your friends.

 Refereeing might also cover travel expenses for tournaments you want to attend. If you want to go out of town to a ROC or a NAC and you can get on the radar of the people who hire for it, you might be able to get your travel and or hotel covered by going to referee. That might be the difference between being able to attend the event and not being able to.

 

7. You might enjoy it.

 Some people really enjoy refereeing, some people make a lot of friends through refereeing and have a fun time seeing them at all the circuit events. So in the end it could be that you end up sticking with being a referee because you enjoy it.

 

If you think you might be interested in refereeing, there are clinics that happen routinely, it's just a question of when one will be in a place close enough that you're willing to go to. If you're reading this post around the time it's being posted and you're local or local-ish to here, we will be hosting the Vice Chair of the referee commission (former Vice President of USA fencing, and a referee who has national and international experience and has lead the referees at several national circuit and championship events) to run a referee clinic here in Catonsville September 26th 2021. If you're not around here, or you're reading this too late for that clinic, check out the clinic section of askFRED and you'll see when clinics are being offered.

Thanks for reading!

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NAC's As a Learning Experience

I was working on a blog post on why a fencer might consider going to a NAC or a Regional Circuit event even if they aren’t quite ready. I haven’t gotten through that post, but it seems reasonable to still take some time to talk about first NAC experiences, since our club has several fencers about to go try their first NAC.

It’s fine to be a little nervous before a big event, especially when it’s your first time. That’s one of the reasons to try out an event like this when it’s close by. Traveling across the country, when you’re unsure if you’re ready, when you’re nervous, and when the competition environment is wholly different from anything you’re used to can be a lot of mental pressure to tack onto the pressures that are already there in a big competition when your parents and coaches, and maybe you yourself have expectations regarding your performance. It can also be a pretty expensive commitment when you’re just trying to see how things will go.

So, when a big event is happening near by and you’re eligible to go, sometimes it’s a good idea to take the opportunity. You won’t have as much expense, you won’t have as much stress traveling, and maybe this gives you an opportunity to go before anyone has too much of an expectation about your performance – so, less pressure.

I once had a fairly successful teen athlete advocate to his younger team mates that they always take time for a warm up bout because your first bout of the day will very possibly be your worst. Maybe not the worst result, but very possibly your worst performance. You’re not ready, you’re not loosened up and used to moving, your mind isn’t set to fall into the reflexes and choices it associates with fencing. Using a bout that you need a good result in to get the ball rolling isn’t a great plan when you can grab a few bouts that don’t count for anything as part of your warm up.

The same can be true as we step into new levels of competition. If we have the opportunity to get used to that kind of competition, to learn how to navigate the bigger venue and larger competition environment before we go to an event where we’re looking for a particular result, we have the same sort of “warm up” opportunity.

This might seem like an expensive warm up, and it might seem like your performance at the event will be indicative of how good or ready you are, and therefore how well you’ll do at subsequent events. These things might make it seem less reasonable to do. Considering the first point, more than a warm up you have the overall experience. Competition in that context is very different from competitions in the local context most fencers are used to. The space is larger, there is more to navigate. Strips are divided into pods which are sectioned off. Parents, and fencers not fencing have to wait outside of the space of the strips. Referees have a higher expectation of the fencers being prepared to hook up and follow directions quickly. The fencers with whom you’re competing are often “stronger’ than many of those who only do local competitions. Announcements about where you’re supposed to be are delivered differently (currently primarily through the Fencing Time Live website, but sometimes through large TV screens or postings in central locations.) Regional events have some similar elements – larger more formal check in, using armorers to check weapons. There will be numerous vendors, historical displays from the USA Fencing Hall of Fame, fencers gathering their bags into groups with their teams, people everywhere filling a convention center hall. It’s full immersion into a massive fencing environment, and it’s like a sea you can get lost in your first time out. It can be exciting and fun, but it can also be overwhelming if you’re nervous about competing.

Once you’ve done it though, the experience is different. The environment is familiar and expected. It’s a matter of returning to this cool thing you only get to go to sometimes. You can go in more comfortably the second time. Better than that though, fencers who start to get used to fencing national events begin to find other events easier. The stress of competing in a local event or a regional event fades away because now these are your small and midsized events. They seem easier and simpler than a large scale national competition. That alone is a big benefit.

As for the second point, of whether or not your performance the first time out is indicative of future performances…well, hopefully for any tournament you’ll improve with future events. Hopefully, you’re practicing and training and so future events in general will be easier. Going to a national event has some added elements though. As we said, you’ll probably be more comfortable and familiar with what you’re walking into the second time, so that can help. Another big thing is seeing more of the range of what’s out there and what successful national circuit fencers look like. You might see some ideas to go back to your club with and ask your coach about learning, but the big take away is frequently less about style and more about athleticism. Fencers competing at that level are fast and strong, they are clearly athletes. Competing in that context often works to drive that point home much moreso than local competitions would. Fencers walk away with a better idea of what they need to be in order to be successful. As coaches, we try to communicate the important of strength, speed, agility, balance, and the various traits that comprise “athleticism,” and fencers hear it, but seeing it and experiencing people who have it helps build a clearer deeper understanding.

Speaking from experience, I’ve seen a lot of fencers who have gone to a first NAC and not won any bouts. Some fenced their best, some recognized they weren’t mentally ready and could have fenced better. Some were happy with how they fenced despite results, some felt like they could have done better. In most cases, they’ve done better the next time. I know a B-rated fencer from another club who fenced his first NAC and won no bouts, but then went 3-3 in his pools at his next NAC. I know another fencer who lost all his bouts his first NAC, but then almost earned Junior National Points in his second NAC. I’ve seen a lot of fencers with stories like this. Some low rated fencers, but also several As and Bs who went into their first NACs and won no bouts, or won one bout, and then did much better their second or third outing.

Competition is always part of the training experience. Sometimes we leave competition out. But if we want to be competitive and do competitions, going to them is part of preparing to do well in them. This is true of local competitions, but it’s more true of large competitions. Practices and lessons alone can’t simulate some of the elements of competition. At all levels, early competitive experiences…and even on-going ones…are part of our stepping stones towards success.

There are also fencers who have stand out, great experiences their first NACs. We don’t want to write off that possibility. Even if you’re going in just to try it, or you’re going in nervous, try and stay relaxed and do your best. You might surprise yourself. Sometimes we are more ready for things than we think we are. Sometimes we do well with those pressures in place or in new situations. Reminding ourselves that there is a reason to go give it a try and to feel good about our efforts even if it doesn’t look like there is an immediately apparent result doesn’t mean we shouldn’t go and try and do our best. We still need to be open to the possibility of having a great day and performing well. We just want to remember that if that’s not how the day goes, it’s part of a process and it’s getting us closer to where we want to be.

In the end, what we want is to stay calm and clear, stay focused, make a good effort and walk away having had fun with a new experience that teaches us more about how to become successful competitors and how to meet our long term fencing goals.

Summary

- Even if you don't feel ready, have fun and do your best, it may go better than you think

- NACs are a big experience, when you're new to them, feeling nervous is normal, the next one will be more comfortable

- Tournaments are part of training for success in future tournaments

- Warm up bouts are necessary, when moving to a bigger type of tournament, a “warm up outing” might be necessary too

- NACs can be a learning experience, look at the overall traits and athleticism of the people who do well and see what you can learn from that

- A lot of people, even high rated fencers have a bad first NAC and then do much better at subsequent ones

- NACs will make smaller events seem easier and more comfortable

- Have fun, do your best

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Effective Epee Blade Takes

A student asked me how do you make effective blade takes in epee. I'm also currently working on this with one of my stronger C rated epeeists. 

 

This is a question which sticks in my mind because I like a blade work focused approach to epee. I also think the specificity of the question is good. Blade takes differ in each of the weapons, so considerations for a blade take in sabre or foil would be a little different than some of the considerations for a blade take in epee.

 

Many epeeists have also voiced frustration that as much as they practice blade takes it can be hard to effectively get the opponents blade, particularly in an offensive blade take.

 

So one element of the answer is to get the opponent to extend the blade.

 

Making feint-beats, or making feints toward a hit at the wrist might draw the opponent's hand upwards and more forward as they position themselves to be more ready for the action they believe you are setting up.

 

A partially extended blade closer to line with your target is easier to take than a partially absent blade. If taking the approach of drawing the opponent out you have to be ready either for their partial movement or for them to actually counter. It is a sad mistake to feint to draw a response and not be ready for the potential responses.

 

Mechanically speaking, be mindful of your hand wrist and arm position as these will set the position of your blade and define how your blade moves relative to your opponent's. The more consistent you make these elements the more control you will have and the less attention you will need to the details of the movement. Consistently practicing your blade takes with mindfulness of these elements will help you understand how the blades move and help you more naturally work with the leverage of the blades as they move together.

 

A mechanical element to consider is the positioning of your blade and bell relative to their blade. A blade take which locks their blade between your blade and bell, such that your weapon creates opposing contact points using your blade and bell will create more friction and more leverage making it harder to immediately disengage off from your blade take.

 

In practicing and drilling, once you have the basic blade take down and are able to lock the blade in the blade take and control the leverage have your drill partner simulate actual blade motion.

 

Epeeists frequently make small movements of the blade. These small rotations and small movements side to side make the blade harder to take. In part, the blade is not clearly in one place so the timing of the blade take is more difficult. Further the blade is already moving such to disengage as your contact begins, so a slower blade take may be less effective because they will slip off.

 

Have your drill partner move the blade simulating the types of movement and preparations you see your opponents making and drill taking the blade against that more realistic scenario.

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Resistance Band Work Out with Videos

Another work out series from camp. These can be done at home on your own, or in club. You don't need a partner but you'll need a resistance loop. You may need different resistance strength for different exercises.

These can help develop strength, speed or endurance depending upon how you use them. For our fencers we've been focusing on learning the exercises but will mostly be focusing on speed. Use lighter resistance and quick but clean execution of the movements if focusing on speed.

Our fencers have been doing sets of 15, moving through each exercise for one set, and then repeating each one for a second set. You can vary the number of repetitions and sets for your own needs.

Lat Pull

Works lats and shoulders

Stand upright, relax the shoulders and back muscles

Place the resistance loop around your wrists.

Extend your arms upward.

Slowly pull your arms down so that the band rests where your neck and shoulders meet.

Slowly raise back to your starting position.

https://youtu.be/JLlOXtOF4oI

Extensor Pull

Works Triceps Hold the resistance band, or loop, to the chest with one hand.

Take the other end of the band in the palm of the other hand.

Extend and then relax to draw back.

Repeat through your number of reps then switch arms.

https://youtu.be/KaVmRKa2ycY

Lateral Arm Extension

Works Lateral arms, chest

Stand with your feet shoulder's width apart.

Extend arms shoulder height and width with fists clenched.

Open the arms outward and then close back to the original position.

https://youtu.be/YsAWGMj8hp0

Resistance Band Shoulder Tri-set

Works shoulders, chest, upper back and triceps

Stand upright with your feet shoulders' width apart.

Place bands around your wrist with the forearms straight from the body, and the arms against the torso.

Extend the forearms outward using your shoulders.

Relax and bring them back to the original position.

https://youtu.be/L2Ca3YKj9PU

Resistance Band Lateral Walk

Works Hips and Glutes

Stand upright, with a slight bend in the knees, feet shoulder's width apart.

Step to the right, taking a wide step, being mindful to keep the knees out instead of buckling in from the band.

Once you complete one set in one direction, work the other leg by going the other direction.

https://youtu.be/JqT1a2nIu2A

Resistance Band Squat with Leg Lift

Works Hip Abductors, glutes, and thighs

Position the resistance band around the thighs

Stand with the feet hips width apart.

Lower into a squat.

As you come up extend the right leg out to the side.

Repeat, but this time extend the left leg.

https://youtu.be/4tPM0HeKIiM

Resistance Band Star Jumps

Works glutes, hips, quads, and hamstrings

Place the resistance loop around the ankles, place hands on your chest

Jump and extend the arms to your sides and legs outward.

Jump and return to the original position.

https://youtu.be/9bdpIV0gsmI