Fencing Vs. Boxing

[Zelda]

But thats why we love you to pieces Inq!

[Inquartata]

But thats why we love you to pieces Inq!

"Love"? Uh oh, now I'm gong to have Latenight plotting my termination with extreme prejudice....

[jspierre]

Hey, I think I remember that Richard Cohen (former UK national saber champ, and author of cool fencing book "By the Sword"), his dad was a boxer, a good one too, I seem to recall. Let's not forget that the aggression element is key in both sports...that is, a strongly aggressive character that's prepared to put it on the line, one-on-one.

[rivers]

Boxing is a terrific sport to increase certain aspects your fencing prowess. There’s nothing like have someone bearing down on you with the intent to knock your head off to open your eyes, awaken your mind, quicken your reflexes and incorporate every muscle and nerve ending in your body to move with speed, power and endurance. Both the fight or flight responses in your body are working at the same time in split second harmony. Boxing takes you to a stress plane not many people are will to take. You must be willing to train your body mind and spirit to reach a higher level of awareness in order to survive the ring. I was training in boxing before I started to fence in college. The first day of class our fencing instructor put on a demonstration with several experienced students in the class. She defeated them easily. I watched and observed their hand movements and their footwork. Both looked very slow and stiff to me. They lacked the speed and fluidity of boxing. There was no spring to their legs like in boxing where you need to move quickly to avoid a punch. And there was not much speed of hand like the jab in boxing. To me the instructor and the experienced fencers looked as if they were moving in slow motion. After our instructor dispatched several already trained
students the call went out for a volunteer. I accepted the challenge. The foil felt good in my hand, like it belonged there. When I was testing the weapon, it seemed to have a natural movement about it. In my hand it didn’t want to move in a straight line back and forth like a jab in boxing or the extension in fencing, it wanted to be whipped or deployed like a hook in boxing to go around a corner. The instructor and I fenced for three points. I used boxing footwork to move in and out. That is, my front foot was turned inward and I didn’t lunge in the traditional manner. Lunging was simply to slow, at least that’s the way it appeared to me. The extension of the blade before the attack also appeared to slow and ineffective to be useful. I whipped the blade to the inside, doing what would be called flicking today, at the same time I took small fast steps in and out like in boxing rather then a large step as in fencing. It worked beautifully. My Russian instructor was not able to adapt to my style of fencing and I scored three points before my instructor ever
knew what happened. That was back in 1977. Now of course everyone has
incorporated hand and footwork techniques form boxing, the martial arts etc. and there is little benefit to cross training in boxing except for what I said earlier, it will either take you to a higher level of consciousness or knock you out of your current level.
I should add that in no way did I think I was I a better fencer than my instructor. I simply got lucky and exploited a weakness of my oponent.

[VELISARIOS]

I think that they exersised in wrestling and not in boxing as I have seen in some books.

[oldguy31]

For those fencers who box: Do you switch your stance around (leading with left if you are a righty), or keep your fencing en-guarde (right-foot forward)? I have some friends who snowboard who keep their fencing stance, right foot forward not left. Was just curious if same applied for boxing.

[Borrissey]

I boxed for two years before I discovered fencing. I loved nearly every minute of it.

One sentence of caution: I have developed a nasty habit of turning my wrist when going for touch.

Why?

When you throw a jab, 90 percent of the time, you are turning the wrist. And I'm trying so hard to break that habit. I have missed a lot of touches because of it.

Cheers.

[Zilverzmurfen]

One sentence of caution: I have developed a nasty habit of turning my wrist when going for touch.

That's quite funny... I used to box for a few years but gave it up in favour of fencing (I posted this above).

Last year I did a few boxing sessions again, but was so 'into' fencing in my mind that my body wanted to lunge when 'smashing' my opponent (or the bag)!

[The Armourer]

I used to do boxing for about three years (quit because I wanted to dedicate more time to fencing) and loved it! It's not only overall good exercise, but as the others already pionted out it will improve your distance and footwork.

... ok everyone Zilver's told you twice now - DON'T get in toooooo close if you fence her

[Pauli]

I don't quite box but do Taebo.
I think, the footwork and the cardio as well as the strength needed in your arms are fantastic for fencing.
The problem I have is that I pull back my arm before trying to touche. Meaning I loose a lot of time.
I am really focussing on it while fencing and it's getting a lot better....but it's pretty much automatically done.....

Wouldn't ever start boxing though, I love my nose too much.

[reposte]

There is a university in Hungary where they offer a physical education degree and that degree is naturally divided to sub catagories. Fencing and boxing belong to the same sub catagory. On the same note, if there are actually people here who fence on an international circuit, maybe some of you know of the Hatuel family in Israel, the holders of one of Israel's successful clubs and have many talented fencers in the family. One of the prominent figures in the familia is the national junior team foil coach, who started out as a boxer or a boxing coach.
There is a line uniting most of the marshal arts, but I think that western boxing and fencing are particularly close. If there are Cuban fencers here maybe they can inform us...