Fencing for improving co-ordination and foot work?

Hi,

Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination? As I am looking
for a indoor sport preferably a competitive sport what will help me improve
my co-ordination and foot-work? I've been looking for a sport for a while
and have had a look at several martial arts but I think I am more interested
in the likes of fencing for its sword play rather than just straight up
fighting skills...

Cheers,

Daniel

I am 51 and have been fencing for 2.5 years. In the last year and a half,
while opening the freezer, I am able to catch things as they fall out,
something I seldom used to be able to do. In fact, I have only missed twice
in the last year, and on one of those, 3 things fell out. (We have two
teenagers in the house, and the freezer is (poorly) packed.

So, yes, your coordination and speed improve.

Do it. It is great fun.
Peter
"Danielb" <danielb@privacy.net> wrote in message
news:bfgcj2$eenrl$1@ID-72858.news.uni-berlin.de...
> Hi,
>
> Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination? As I am
looking
> for a indoor sport preferably a competitive sport what will help me
improve
> my co-ordination and foot-work? I've been looking for a sport for a while
> and have had a look at several martial arts but I think I am more
interested
> in the likes of fencing for its sword play rather than just straight up
> fighting skills...
>
> Cheers,
>
> Daniel
>
>

Yes he probably could but if the seller has any wits they'd charge
more for having to take the teenagers.

J.

Harold Buck wrote:
> In article <bfh8gl$l47$1@ngspool-d02.news.aol.com>,
> "Peter Harrison" <pbharriso@hotmail.com> wrote:

>>I am 51 and have been fencing for 2.5 years. In the last year and a half,
>>while opening the freezer, I am able to catch things as they fall out,
>>something I seldom used to be able to do. In fact, I have only missed twice
>>in the last year, and on one of those, 3 things fell out. (We have two
>>teenagers in the house, and the freezer is (poorly) packed.
>>
>>So, yes, your coordination and speed improve.
>>
>>Do it. It is great fun.
>>Peter
>
> Can you trade in the teenagers for a bigger freezer?
>
>
> --Harold Buck

"Danielb" <danielb@privacy.net> wrote


> Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination?

In a word, yes.

Fencing will tend to improve just about every physically exertive
faculty, apart from sheer brute strength. Speed, eye-hand
coordination, hand-foot coordination, balance, perceptual quickness,
you name it.

The trick, though, is that the learning curve is longer and flatter
than a lot of other sports. You have to stick with it for what seems
to many people in our instant-gratification society like a very long
time....

If you have the patience, and you find that you like it, it is the
perfect sport for your purposes. If not---not...

Yeah,

I've trained 12 years to be this bad.

j

William Marshal wrote:

> "Danielb" <danielb@privacy.net> wrote
>
>
> > Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination?
>
> In a word, yes.
>
> Fencing will tend to improve just about every physically exertive
> faculty, apart from sheer brute strength. Speed, eye-hand
> coordination, hand-foot coordination, balance, perceptual quickness,
> you name it.
>
> The trick, though, is that the learning curve is longer and flatter
> than a lot of other sports. You have to stick with it for what seems
> to many people in our instant-gratification society like a very long
> time....
>
> If you have the patience, and you find that you like it, it is the
> perfect sport for your purposes. If not---not...

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:40:09 -0700, "Peter Harrison"
<pbharriso@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I am 51 and have been fencing for 2.5 years. In the last year and a half,
>while opening the freezer, I am able to catch things as they fall out,
>something I seldom used to be able to do.

I need to be able to catch falling bottles whose tops were not screwed
on past 1% of one turn.


Ken
(to reply via email
remove "zz" from address)

Ken <cprstn54zz@att.net> wrote in
news:4ohphv0dfib6navh4dsmdp5vcvg3v37t67@4ax.com:

> On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:40:09 -0700, "Peter Harrison"
> <pbharriso@hotmail.com> wrote:
>
>>I am 51 and have been fencing for 2.5 years. In the last year and a
>>half, while opening the freezer, I am able to catch things as they
>>fall out, something I seldom used to be able to do.
>
> I need to be able to catch falling bottles whose tops were not screwed
> on past 1% of one turn.

Idunno about that, but it does improve "grab that phone before the fourth
ring sends it to voice mail" success.

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:42:03 +0100, dixit "Danielb"
<danielb@privacy.net>:

>Hi,
>
>Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination? As I am looking
>for a indoor sport preferably a competitive sport what will help me improve
>my co-ordination and foot-work?

Were your predilection for competitiveness not stated, I would have
recommended tight-rope walking.

As it happens, I'd recommend either fencing or squash. Neither
function very well without the two physical attributes you seek to
improve. If you are keen to save money and limit frustration, I'd
recommend the latter, certainly, in retrospect.

--
wreckferret ICQ#163264
UK-based Epéeist/Sabreur Make spammers pay... use CruelMail!

Interesting that you mention squash. It, like fencing (as someone else
mentioned) has more of a long flat learning curve, vs. racket (?racquet - I
am an Aussie) ball. When I was working in Germany, the US Armed Forces
newspaper had a great article on racket ball titled "Instant Mediocrity"
with the message that you can very quickly have fun at racket ball, and seem
to be half way competent.

Peter

"wreckferret" <ferret@cruelmail.com> wrote in message
news:4f3qhvcdl0pmr64ij5gg0onbondr7noqqq@4ax.com...
> On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:42:03 +0100, dixit "Danielb"
> <danielb@privacy.net>:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >Will taking up fencing help me to improve my co-ordination? As I am
looking
> >for a indoor sport preferably a competitive sport what will help me
improve
> >my co-ordination and foot-work?
>
> Were your predilection for competitiveness not stated, I would have
> recommended tight-rope walking.
>
> As it happens, I'd recommend either fencing or squash. Neither
> function very well without the two physical attributes you seek to
> improve. If you are keen to save money and limit frustration, I'd
> recommend the latter, certainly, in retrospect.
>
> --
> wreckferret ICQ#163264
> UK-based Epéeist/Sabreur Make spammers pay... use CruelMail!

On Mon, 21 Jul 2003 10:40:09 -0700, "Peter Harrison"
<pbharriso@hotmail.com> wrote:

>I am 51 and have been fencing for 2.5 years. In the last year and a half,
>while opening the freezer, I am able to catch things as they fall out,
>something I seldom used to be able to do. In fact, I have only missed twice
>in the last year, and on one of those, 3 things fell out. (We have two
>teenagers in the house, and the freezer is (poorly) packed.
>
>So, yes, your coordination and speed improve.
>
>Do it. It is great fun.
>Peter

<chuckle> That's got to be the most *unusual* reason for taking up
fencing that I've ever heard.

-Chris Zakes
Texas

Pulling together is the aim of despotism and tyranny. Free men pull in all kinds
of directions. It's the only way to make progress.

-Havelock Vetinari in "The Truth" by Terry Pratchett

Peter Harrison wrote:

>Interesting that you mention squash. It, like fencing (as someone else
>mentioned) has more of a long flat learning curve, vs. racket (?racquet - I
>am an Aussie) ball. When I was working in Germany, the US Armed Forces
>newspaper had a great article on racket ball titled "Instant Mediocrity"
>with the message that you can very quickly have fun at racket ball, and seem
>to be half way competent.
>
>Peter
>
>
I've done both racquetball and fencing. I've found fencing helped with
racquetball but not the reverse. It really surprises the opponent when
you take a deep lunge and manage to return the ball.

--
Amy and Joseph Kormann

In article <dc7987e.0307211716.78921914@posting.google.com> ,
trebuchet30303@yahoo.com (William Marshal) writes:

>In a word, yes.

Agreed!
I used to be very uncoordinated; I am still no Fred Astaire, but at least I am
not mistaken for Chevy Chase, anymore!

>Fencing will tend to improve just about every physically exertive
>faculty, apart from sheer brute strength. Speed, eye-hand
>coordination, hand-foot coordination, balance, perceptual quickness,
>you name it.

Well, that's sounds a little bit strong, but there's certainly a lot to it,
depending on how earnestly you pursue it.

>The trick, though, is that the learning curve is longer and flatter
>than a lot of other sports. You have to stick with it for what seems
>to many people in our instant-gratification society like a very long
>time....

Well, I don't know it that's really so true; I just think that's our
perception:
(let me explain for it gets too hot in here!)
First of all, it DOES take a long time to learn some of the finer points of
both the game, and the technique, as well as the rules,
However that applies to many other sports as well!
Most people learn fencing in a manner different from many other sports:
There is often no 'pre-exposure' from waaaatching it on TV, or watching other
siblings engaged in it.
(Due, in part, to the relative scarcity of competitotrs) Many competitions are
open to all age & skill groups, which puts beginner kids in with VERY
experienced adults, as well as putting beginner adults in with kids that are
also quite experienced. As for more popular sports, first of all, many are team
events, so your personal lack of skills becomes slightly less of an issue, and
both in team & individual sports, they often have sufficient numbers involved
to be able to separate by age groups, as well as skill level, to provide more
evenly matched competition ('sandbagging' not withstanding) In fencing, we
really are, fo rthe most part, only able to do this on a national level, and
that gives this apparently different impression.

If I were to take up tennis, now, after 40, I would probably get my head handed
to me for the rest of my llife!

>If you have the patience, and you find that you like it, it is the
>perfect sport for your purposes. If not---not...

Well, I am definitely recommending that the man TRY it!
And it DOES take a while to really learn the game to a level of competency...
I think the important thing to remember is that, if he is going to compete, or
be around people who are even competitive in nature, he may have to exercise
said patience, and employ some technique to manage his own expectations.

Have Fun, FENCE!

clhagenmn@aol.comspamx (Chris Hagen) wrote



> Well, that's sounds a little bit strong, but there's certainly a lot to it,
> depending on how earnestly you pursue it.

Heh, well, it won't turn you into a circus acrobat, certainly! But it
WILL improve those faculties somewhat ( amount depending on the
person's natural endowments and degree of dedication, I imagine ).
Just speaking from personal experience, of course; YMMV.


> Well, I don't know it that's really so true; I just think that's our
> perception:

Perception is reality!

>I used to be very uncoordinated; I am still no Fred Astaire, but at least I
>am
>not mistaken for Chevy Chase, anymore!

Off topic, but your post mentioning Fred Astaire reminded me of a cute quote:
"Ginger Rodgers did everything Fred Astaire did, only she did it backwards and
in high heels!"

"Reggie Dablo" <rdablo@earthlink.net> wrote:
> Yeah?! Well I'm 35 and I've been fencing for 6 years now and I have the
> most horrid fencing nightmares. Some people will brag and say they're so
> good they can lunge in their sleep. Well I do and it isn't pleasant
> especially when you have company. And let's not get me started on what
> counter-six has down to my mousing activities. Geeze...startle me in the
> middle of unsanction web activity in the office and the mouse ends up over
> the wall and in the next cubicle.

Haven't learned to adapt and adjust to unexpected situations yet, huh?

Chris "ObeeKris" Lisy