Can you do the splits?

[davtsung]

I personally can't do the splits, nor do I have confidence to say that I can spell it properly, but have noticed several fencers who can. Amongst them, this increased flexibility seems to help some, but for others, I can't really tell the difference. So just curious, and in a serious-fencing, non water-cooler way, who amongst us can do it?

[dmitri]

I can do the splits and for me I notice I can lunge deep and far but I dont like to do that too often, the deeper the lunge the harder to recoup from it. I dont think it is important I think as long as you watch your distance and you have explosive lunges that is enough.

[Katman]

I agree with Dmitri.

I voted no, dispite having done the splits completely by accident once during a DE bout. I lunged and landed my leading foot on the other dude's leading foot. He was in the process of retreating and, as he jerked his foot away, took mine with it and resulted in me doing the splits for the first time in my life. Whooo, ouch.

[ls14evar]

Like all the way to the ground? heck no.
Im more flexible than I was before fencing, but I got a lot of tendon stretching to do before that happens.

[ebonylevin]

Yeah I can and I do it all the time, it's really annoying I over-lunge and slide down then cant recover and I always get hit. I used to be a gymnast so that might help also. Off topic- Fencing does call for gymnastic talent not only in the splits department- try fleching, only the cord in the reel is too short and it snaps, you go barreling forward and someone is sitting on the ground, to avoid them you do a dive roll over them... my most high impact point ever pity I didnt score double points for artistic impression.

[Zelda]

I cant get to the ground, but can get fairly far down on the Pilates reformer. Thats side splits. (Legs going to either side of your body) No way in heck can I do front splits (one leg in front one behind) properly.

[sabreur]

I can do the front splits, but can't get anywhere near the side splits (which I think are actually more useful for fencing).

MR

[epeefencer74]

I can do front splits but can't do side splits anymore due to lack of training. I find that front splits don't actually do much for my lunge.

[MyraTrue]

I can do the splits. I've had problems with a slippery/dusty floor in combination with a long, fast lunge. Your front foot hits and just slides right out from under you. And you're left thinking that THAT really didn't feel so good.

What has it done for my fencing? I will say this- I have no fear of putting my all into a long lunge. I know I wont hurt myself. As others have said, you can make a very long, very deep lunge, but it is VERY difficult to get back out of, and that can be a problem. But when someone doesn't expect you to have that kind of reach (I'm short) it takes them by surprise.

The only other thing I can think of is that the added flexibility used to allow me to contort myself into some serious pretzel shapes when infighting started. It got me a good deal of points, but I no longer do that and try to AVOID the infighting now.

[cowpaste]

I can't because I suck, and I keep on forgetting to "train" for it. Oh well. Anyway, lunges rely heavily on hip flexibility, and so a front split have similar elements to the lunge. The side splits rely a bunch of crotch flexibilty, which is a fun, fun thing to have, but I'm sure it doesn't help the lunge much.

[oiuyt]

I used to have a teammate who, when much younger, had a sensei who thoguht he wasn't getting low enough when they were working on flexibility. Came over, hand on each shoulder and pushed down. Fortunately things stretched rather than tore and subsequently he was able to do splits.

When I knew him, years later, he was capable both of jumping up and landing in a full split (ow), or, if we set up a pair of benches of doing a full split such that the angle was >180degrees and he was down below the level of the benches. All without discomfort.

Didn't notice that it helped his fencing at all.

-B :)

[JackSparrow]

I can't, but Olympic foil champ Brice Guyart pratically does the splits when he lunges. If it's good enough for him...

[prototoast]

I can, and it has no influence on my fencing. The limiting factor of my lunge is how deep a lunge I can quickly recover from, not my own flexibility.

[latenight]

Not when I fenced heavily....but now that I'm primarily a floorball goalie, I can

[ThatReallyHurt]

Gwah... just seeing someone do the splits makes me shiver...

I'm just happy that I can touch my toes for the first time since Junior High School - if that's all I get from fencing, then I'm still ahead.

[achilleus]

Originally Posted by MyraTrue

The only other thing I can think of is that the added flexibility used to allow me to contort myself into some serious pretzel shapes when infighting started.

I was really wondering where that sentence was going...


On the other hand, I can't do the splits, nor can I do this, but it sure looks, erm, handy.

[ThatReallyHurt]

What, that guy on the left? That doesn't look too hard, a little bend in the knees is all...

[cowpaste]

I wish I could do THIS. Now that would be cool. I would be fencing and then BAM! You're hit by my super infighting touch!

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

I'm able too, right down to the floor. When I did tai-chi (my sifu, who BTW was a sadistic bastard, but also a hell of a fighter) made us do both... I can remember the initial pain of him coming up behind me a pushing down fast and hard on my shoulders... I screamed so loud, but since then, I can go it without any trouble.

[Mo]

If anyone sees me doing the splits please call 911......