I've been working on coming up with a definition for a "tactical framework" in fencing. I've thrown away a couple of drafts, and here is what I'm left with:

A tactical framework takes fencing actions – both on the part of the fencer and the part of the opponent – and describes relationships between them that can be understood to achieve a goal of scoring against the opponent.

What would you add to this? What would you take away?

Unless you restrict your students from bouting for a very long time, students who are fencing without a tactical framework will make up tactics on their own. The student will often invent their own actions, which have limited utility outside of the level of fencing that they are doing. The lessons fencers teach to themselves are powerful ones, and it will be difficult for you to replace their homegrown tactics with better ideas later in their career. Student improvisations will always occur, but ...

I'm re-reading my notes from a couple of seminars, including one from Gary Copeland about the "Business of Fencing". It's not so much about "business" as it is about athlete motivation. I've been trying to approach athlete motivation in a more detailed manner, because its one of the weaker skills. Like so many other skills, I don't accept the belief that some coaches have an innate talent in motivating athletes. Like other skills, I think it's one that can be studied and improved, ...

There was a discussion in the coaching section about using the fingers to make a disengage and Jason Sheridan mentioned the "functional definition" of an action. The functional definition describes the results we want from the action, and not necessarily the method of performing the action. This sort of approach is in keeping with some research that I've been reading that focuses on movement results rather than movement methods as a superior way to teach athletic actions.
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The hardest thing to do in running a club is to get someone to walk through the doors of a fencing club in the first place. At that point, seventy-five percent of the battle to get new fencers is done....they are actually in the room and ready, even eager, to learn about fencing. However, a lot of clubs and coaches fail to finish the last twenty-five percent of the effort needed to grab the student and make them a life long fencer.

I would advise anyone wanting to start a fencing club ...