Warm-up games

[fencingmetalfan]

My foil coach tends to warm us up with the standard footwork drills (running them for almost half the class usually). A few weeks ago when we had a substitute coach, the coach from the Epee class next to ours invited our class to play their warm-up game "Proletariat Ball," which was basically a mix of tag and dodgeball. Since there were two classes, the game got fairly long and confusing. The Epee Coach believed that it was a good excercise in speed and coordination, but I just think they're saying it as an excuse to play the game (fun as it may be). Do any of you guys do warm-up games in your classes, and do you think they have any benefits?

[mrbiggs]

My favorite fencing game ever is "Simon says." Except with fencing footwork.

The rules are like Simon says, except you have to do fencing footwork correctly, rather than random actions. It's really hard, actually. Especially on things like "Simon says lunge. Recover." It helps fencers to see how much their footwork comes naturally to them.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

My favorite fencing game ever is "Simon says." Except with fencing footwork.

The rules are like Simon says, except you have to do fencing footwork correctly, rather than random actions. It's really hard, actually. Especially on things like "Simon says lunge. Recover." It helps fencers to see how much their footwork comes naturally to them.

ya know, its funny if you have a certain coach as simon.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by mrbiggs

My favorite fencing game ever is "Simon says." Except with fencing footwork.

The rules are like Simon says, except you have to do fencing footwork correctly, rather than random actions. It's really hard, actually. Especially on things like "Simon says lunge. Recover." It helps fencers to see how much their footwork comes naturally to them.

ya know, its funny if you have a certain new york coach as the leader.

[Welted 24/7]

Nah, no games. The most "game-like" we ever get is "raising this hand means this, raising that hand means that, and you have to suffer until I put the hand down." I'm sure you're all familiar with THAT particular one.

[Larrison]

Warm up games? Hmm.. maybe a couple?

- Finger fencing. You play this with gloved hands, and no weapons. Footwork only, until you can reach out and touch the opponent. Its basically just a footwork drill trying to break distance from someone, but you're usually in close so your reaction times are less.

- Glove slap. Similar to finger fencing, but you hold your glove with your normal weapon hand. Object is to close distance close enough that you can whack your opponent with the glove. A little harder than finger fencing, and no parries allowed.

- Follow the leader. Get a group of fencers and they do warmup drills/ footwork around the sallee, with the leader getting to pick what. Such as 3 lunge-recover forwards down the strip, followed by running backwards down the next strip, followed by sky hopping (jump as high as you can while reaching backwards to touch your feet with your hands) down a the next strip, followed by retreat-retreat-retreat-lunge, recover, retreat-..., followed by... etc. Leader has to announce loudly what the next round is... and you can have rotating leaders.

- Ladder drills. Lay out a rope or cloth ladder on the floor and do footwork agility drills on it by a group of fencers.

[drseudo]

Glove tag! (Or maybe grab the glove?) Two fencers stand on the en guarde lines, armed only with their fingers. There's a glove on the center line. At 'fence,' they advance, but neither can cross the center line, and if you get hit, you're out. The way to win, though, is to grab the glove and retreat back to the warning line. If you make it without getting hit, you win.

And these aren't so much warm-up games as waste-time games:

-War. Everyone gets in gear and carries a foil. Two teams, on opposite sides of the club. There's a center line, which can only be crossed with one foot. If you get hit with the point on the foil target (by someone on the opposite team, of course), you're out. Last team with people left wins.

-Slaughterglove. Basically like dodgeball, but with balled-up gloves. Throw a glove to tag someone out, catch a glove to get the thrower out (and someone on your team back in), etc. Fun!

[WhipLash]

in my club we play games all the time...but since we do them after warming up, i don't think they can be considered warm up games. there's one where we adopt a "riding" stance half a metre from a partner...palms raised and pressing. objective is to push partner's palms so partner loses balance. feints, pull-backs allowed. another is we line up in 2 columns facing away from the coach. when she clap hands, we turn around..and she will point to one direction. the person in that direction will have to touch the person beside him in 2 steps...usually advance lunge. other person will avoid. trains speed, cognition, agility.

personally, as long as the game trains an aspect used in fencing, it is effective as a training tool, and is a fun alternative to boring drills.

[broncofencer]

we used to play soccer with a nerf foam ball so no got hurt no goalies so noone stands still its easy to get everyone involved rules are simple good way to warm up before doing footwork and drills.

We didn't allow goals over the height of the knee so the ball stayed on the ground and since it was just a sponge type ball it din't go very far when you kicked it anyway. its easy to adapt to any size room and any number of people if it gwets to crowded just go round robin for 5 minute games. its better than running laps.

[Moses]

Originally Posted by broncofencer

we used to play soccer with a nerf foam ball so no got hurt no goalies so noone stands still its easy to get everyone involved rules are simple good way to warm up before doing footwork and drills.

We didn't allow goals over the height of the knee so the ball stayed on the ground and since it was just a sponge type ball it din't go very far when you kicked it anyway. its easy to adapt to any size room and any number of people if it gwets to crowded just go round robin for 5 minute games. its better than running laps.

Ditto.

-Da Mose

[fencingmetalfan]

One time my foil coach had us do hot hands (if you're familiar with that game) across from an opponent while doing fencing footwork.

[fleuretrogue]

so, what's the purpose of a warm-up? to get the body primed to do footwork, drills and fence; to build comraderie; to get your heart rate-up; or even..big inhalation of breath, to just have fun.

Now, warming up at the club is different than at tournaments and we dopractice both. Our fencers know how to prepare for a tournament and how to warm up with a group. sometimes we just do a dynamic warm up, sometimes we play proletariat ball or dodgeball or handball, or tag or glove tag or blob tag or a hundred other games, and sometimes the coaches say warm up like at a tournament, in 15 minutes, you begin direct eliminations...etc.

there's more to fencing than just work, work, work. lighten up a bit, i say.

Originally Posted by fencingmetalfan

My foil coach tends to warm us up with the standard footwork drills (running them for almost half the class usually). A few weeks ago when we had a substitute coach, the coach from the Epee class next to ours invited our class to play their warm-up game "Proletariat Ball," which was basically a mix of tag and dodgeball. Since there were two classes, the game got fairly long and confusing. The Epee Coach believed that it was a good excercise in speed and coordination, but I just think they're saying it as an excuse to play the game (fun as it may be). Do any of you guys do warm-up games in your classes, and do you think they have any benefits?

[Applesauce and Foils]

The favorite game at our club by far is Wizards and Warriors. I can't say that its helpful to your fencing, but it is fun. There are several different versions out there but this is how we do it:

Class is divided into two teams. Each team gets one half of the gym/basketball court and a glove, which is placed in "The Guard Box". (We use the box right in front of the basketball hoop. I don't play so I don't know what its called.)

Once this is done a team captain is elected. They decide who will be Guard, and who will be Wizard. Everyone else is a warrior. The Guard must stay in the guard box. If anyone is killed they go down on their knee. The Wizard revives fallen warriors by a light tap on the head. Do this from the front or the side, so no one gets stabbed in the back of the head. Warriors can attack anyone. Wizards can't attack anyone, they can only defend. If they are killed they count to 10 and get back up.

So a warrior or two goes down to pester the Guard and bring the glove back to their team. If the Guard kills them, they go down on one knee and wait until the Wizard revives them. If they manage to kill the Guard, he goes down and one of them picks up the glove and carries it back to their guard box. Warriors can't step foot inside any guard box, theirs or the opposite team's. The Guard stays dead until a glove is returned to his box, then he's alive and can defend it again.

The game is won when you bring the opposing team's glove back to your box.

NO running
NO stabbing in the back or from the side

But you're free to gang up on people if you want.

Fun Stuff and Strategy:

You're the wizard, so you can't attack. But you can make it LOOK like you're going to attack. You know, feints, other agressive but non-commital actions. Just don't extend your arm. Once they attack, you're free to defend all you want. My favorite part of being Wizard is the trickery.

Guard of the Guard: One trustworthy and skilled fencer stays behind to guard the Guard.

Some people play it with only three lives but I prefer unlimited. Like, if you get killed three times you're out. It does make everybody more cautious.

Three teams instead of two. Third team gets center court.

One team must have ALL the gloves to win.

Using fencing footwork instead of just walking around. I don't mind this but most people get upset.

So this isn't really a warm up game but it is fun. Ask any questions you want.

[Fencer987]

Our instructor makes us do "simon says" and/or "gladiator" which is where they divide us up into two seperate groups and we try to kill our opponets. If we hit their sword arm, they have to switch arms. If we hit their leg, they have to jump on one leg, and so on and so on, unless we hit them in the chest or head and then they die until one team wins.