OK, Down to tacks. Am I holding the damn thing upside down?(french grip)

[GreyGhost]

Alrighty, I keep hearing online that the "Curviture" is suppost to be to the same side as your hand, or something. Thing is, both sides are curved, so it doesn't make alot of sence, and both my books seems to have oppisite opinions, and neither is particularly clear.

Basicly, I'm holding it so the convex side of the french grip is toward the hand, and the concave side is toward my chest.

This is also the way it 'wants' to balance. If I hold it the other way very gently by the blade, it will 'roll over'almost 100%, and have the "Triplette" logo alomst on top. (It comes to rest with the logo almost horizontial.

I've been assuming that the logo is suppose to be on top, and that the convex side is suppose to be in my hand, but I'm finding mixed opinions all over the web, or atleast crappy describtions that ACT like mixed opinions.

[Caithdein]

well my descriptions of anything are pretty crappy but here we go

the handle should curve out from the body (into the palm of your hand)

I have a Leon Paul foil and the stamp on the blade should be on the top, the logo on the back of the guard is also topside up.

hope that helps

as I said I'm pretty naff at describing things.

<img src="graemlins/jester.gif" border="0" alt="[Jester]" />

[D'Artagnan1673]

All of my electric foils go as follows:

The wire of the blade should be right where your thumb is. I.E. If your thumb is at 3 o'clock, so should your wire. The stamp of the blade should not follow your thumb. If it does, you are holding it wrong.

I only fence with Triplette blades, I do not know if Leon-Paul is the same, but I know BG and France-Lames are as well. Caithdein, you'd better ask your coach, if you have one

[three_hundred_fifty_five]

Where is your coach/teacher? Ask him or her.

[Methix]

The french grip usually has an S shape to it. If the weapon if in front of me in it's proper orientation with the point away from my body, the grip will come toward me away from the bell, curve down and left, then straighten out again. Hope this makes sense. This explanation assumes a right-handed fencer, the grip will go down and right for a left handed weapon.

[foxwhelp]

[quote]Originally posted by D'Artagnan1673:
<strong>All of my electric foils go as follows:

The wire of the blade should be right where your thumb is. I.E. If your thumb is at 3 o'clock, so should your wire. The stamp of the blade should not follow your thumb. If it does, you are holding it wrong.

I only fence with Triplette blades, I do not know if Leon-Paul is the same, but I know BG and France-Lames are as well. Caithdein, you'd better ask your coach, if you have one </strong><hr></blockquote>


I'm pretty sure that Triplette practice blades (unlike Triplette electric blades), have the stamp on top.

But it seems to me that Grey Ghost's method is basically right. If you hold the foil gently by the blade near the bell, it will want to roll over so that the top of the blade is on top (actually, it'll balance on a corner, but he seems to understand). Do the balance thing, hold the grip between your thumb (on the topmost wide surface of the grip) and index finger (on the bottommost wide surface) and let your other three fingers fall naturally (and loosely) along the grip and you'll have it.

[foxwhelp]

[quote]Originally posted by Methix:
<strong>The french grip usually has an S shape to it. If the weapon if in front of me in it's proper orientation with the point away from my body, the grip will come toward me away from the bell, curve down and left, then straighten out again. Hope this makes sense. This explanation assumes a right-handed fencer, the grip will go down and right for a left handed weapon.</strong><hr></blockquote>

This description is right, although I'd say it has a "Z" shape, just because that's the way it works with rope. The twists in "Z laid" rope slant the same direction as the slanty line in a "z", the twists in "S laid" rope slant the same direction as the slanty line in an "S". The french grip is z laid for right handed fencers, s laid for the sinister ones.

[GreyGhost]

[quote]Originally posted by three_hundred_fifty_five:
<strong>Where is your coach/teacher? Ask him or her.</strong><hr></blockquote>

Actually my coach seems to be big on the "Develop you own style, it's all in the head, not the body" approach. Now, He does now how to fence, but I'm getting to resent that atitidue becuase the movement's are not ingrained yet, and I want to get everything down RIGHT. (I'm especially tring to avoid picking up 'bad habits' that work on the other amatuers in m class, but I will be forced to 'unlearn' later.

Fox, methix, Thanks!

[Tomas N]

Grey,

You're holding the foil correctly.

Get a new coach. There's a proper way to hold a foil, a proper way to be in on guard, a proper way to lunge. None of these proper ways are immediately obvious to the beginner. If you don't do it correctly (for instance, if you're lunging incorrectly) there's a much higher chance of getting injured and there goes your fencing career right out the window. If you hold the foil like a club, you're likely to club people rather than stab them, which, at the end of the day, can be satisfying, but doesn't help if you're trying to win an electric bout.

Tom

[135711]

Grey, by now you must be holding it right, don't let anyone throw you a curve, if you are really confused find someone more expert who can help you. As others have mentioned, look at the pommel of your grip and see if there is a diagram for florette on it, if so, it should be upwards, or in suppination.

[shyHeidi]

Hmm... This is interesting that you're all trying to describe the shape of the grip. Seems to me.... anyone who has a french grip knows what it looks like, though it'd be a hard thing to clearly explain.
Hm... I'd just say, hold it (supinated with your thumb and finger on the wide sides, of course) and if the blade curves up and to the outside, it's upside down. if it curves down and to the inside, it's not.

[GreyGhost]

[quote]Originally posted by shyHeidi:
<strong>Hmm... This is interesting that you're all trying to describe the shape of the grip. Seems to me.... anyone who has a french grip knows what it looks like, though it'd be a hard thing to clearly explain.
Hm... I'd just say, hold it (supinated with your thumb and finger on the wide sides, of course) and if the blade curves up and to the outside, it's upside down. if it curves down and to the inside, it's not. </strong><hr></blockquote>

When I hold it, it does neighter. It stickes straight out of my fingers. It's the handle, not the blade, that is at an angle.

[Catlady]

It sounds like you're holding it right to me. If for no other reason than the balance feels right. That's usually a good sign. If there's any curve in the blade itself, the curve should be toward the floor--meaning the tip is pointing at the floor, although not radically.

I've got to say I'm somewhat worried about your coach. I agree whole-heartedly that you have to find your own style, but that's in regard to the "game" not toward the basics. There may be slight variations such as boxer stance V. a more traditional stance, or on the exact position of your non-weapon hand--some like a classical hand above the shoulder position, some favor a lower position, but still behind the back/out of the way, but the basics are generally uniform. Maybe your coach didn't mean his statement the way you took it--I'll give him the benefit of the doubt-- but if you find that is the way he meant it, I'd try to find another coach if possible.