Fencing at home

[_fence(1)]

Hello,

I can only go to salle 2-3 times a week, but would like to spend some time at home on improving my (sabre) fencing.

What can I do, with no fencing partner available, besides just lunges/footwork?

Thank you!

[dramamine]

I used to box so I have a punching bag hung in the corner of my room. I cleared out a space about 1 metre wide from one end to the other (maybe 5-6m space) and I do all different kinds of footwork making sure I lunge from the right distance. I think it helps break the monotony of normal footwork because you are hitting something, not to mention you can do pretty much anything you want and you can put on music or whatever. I dunno what else you can really do at home, hang a ping pong ball and hit it I guess. I've never actually done that but a lot of people at my club seem to like it.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Drill a hole through a penny, put it on a string, and practice hitting it.

[felixduc]

Drill a hole through a penny, put it on a string, and practice hitting it.

In high school, I had a chain I hung from the ceiling of my basement. I attached a small bean bag to the end.

Practice hitting this for 5 hours a week, and after several months you'll see your point control improve dramatically. When you can start flicking a 3" by 3" bean bag hanging on a chain, well, you know your practice has paid off!

But then they'll change the timings in your absence.

[parrythis]

Set up a full-lenth mirror and practice in front of it. (Don't hit the mirror - bad luck and such.)

Build a fencing dummy and practice landing touches on various parts of its anatomy.

Do "shadow fencing" in which you work out against an immaginary opponent. It helps build stamina and helps build "muscle memory" which will allow you to execute actions on the piste without thinking about them.

[Go? Fencing?]

Practice disengages around a doorknob.

Pace out your room with different sizes of footwork.

Or, to paraphrase a suggestion that my Band director had for practicing marching- do footwork from the couch to the fridge and go backwards on the way back to the couch.

Instead of using the remote to change channels, lunge to the buttons on the TV set itself- good for point control! (Use your finger, though, unless you have really good point control. )

[JackOfHearts]

Do "shadow fencing" in which you work out against an immaginary opponent. It helps build stamina and helps build "muscle memory" which will allow you to execute actions on the piste without thinking about them.

That's what I do from time to time. Though when I'm too busy to practice at home, I often practice a bit at work during my lunch break by using a laser pointer, and some pins on the bulletin board. Just have to be careful not to zap any wayward coworkers.

[Kenji]

Instead of using the remote to change channels, lunge to the buttons on the TV set itself- good for point control! (Use your finger, though, unless you have really good point control.)

Reminds me of when I was younger, and was playing with a baseball bat in the front room...

No, I didn't break the TV, but I did render several of the buttons useless Oh wait, was it the baseball bat? Or was it one of my wooden swords...

Oh, and getting back to the topic at hand, I've actually been wondering the same thing. I find that doing footwork and practicing lunges and such up and down the hallway to not be too bad. Unless you're wearing socks, cuz then your lunges seem really long cuz of the sliding effect

No need for me to practice point control, though. Sabre is so easy, you just keep whacking till the lights turn on

[_fence(1)]

Making fencing dummy would be a cool project. Just need to come up with the right design...

[Ben Greenhalgh]

I also have a punch bag which is good for fitness (stamina) which you need. I also have a tennis ball hung up on a length of wire which springs back after i hit it making me recover or i get hit in the head (helps!)

Drill a hole through a penny, put it on a string, and practice hitting it.

Im not skilled enough to even find a penny let alone hit one with a sword! However i have only been fencing just over a year so the tennis ball will do for now!

Set up a full-lenth mirror and practice in front of it.

yea that probably works the best!

[Pauli]

Making fencing dummy would be a cool project. Just need to come up with the right design...

Ask DFP,he made one.......

[parrythis]

Making fencing dummy would be a cool project. Just need to come up with the right design...

There are plans in this book.

[chefencer]

Making fencing dummy would be a cool project. Just need to come up with the right design...

I'm surprised Craig hasn't appeared to promote the f.net store (I guess it just appears that he's everywhere at once)...but good plans are available in an excellent book on fencing - *insert obnoxious radio announcing voice* available right here on your favorite fencing website!:
http://shop.fencing.net/product_p/fb-bbof.htm
"The Big Book of Fencing" by Dr. Rudy Volkmann - it has an armory section as well as the usual how-tos of footwork, etc - including a section on working out at home - now that I think of it! It would seem to fit the bill...

Cheers

[RITFencing]

Are you friends with any of your clubmates? If so, why not just ask them if they'd like to meet up somewhere and fence or drill for a while? It's not as good as getting lessons, but it's better than nothing.

[Larrison]

[ ... ] Instead of using the remote to change channels, lunge to the buttons on the TV set itself- good for point control! (Use your finger, though, unless you have really good point control. )

*laughing* One of my coworkers caught me lunging with a pen to hit the button for the elevator on my floor in the building I work in. I got the *strangest* look from her...

I didn't say anything, just acted like this was normal, and wished her a nice day when we got off on ground level..

[_fence(1)]

DFP, can you tell us about your fencing dummy?

Thnx!

[needle]

*laughing* One of my coworkers caught me lunging with a pen to hit the button for the elevator on my floor in the building I work in. I got the *strangest* look from her...

I didn't say anything, just acted like this was normal, and wished her a nice day when we got off on ground level..

Did you fleche out of that elevator, or did she?

[jjefferies]

Making fencing dummy would be a cool project. Just need to come up with the right design...

Doesn't take much for the dummy. Get a concrete form, they're paper cylinders used for creating concrete posts. Most building supply places will have them. Sizes range but mine is about2.5-3 feet in diameter and stands about 5 feet high. Apply glue and wrap in old carpeting. Preferably the close loop or harder office type. With mine I cut plywood plugs and mounted at each end. But before closing it up I put in a 50 lb bag of NEW cat litter (still in the bag) for weight. And it's best if the bottom is covered with more carpeting facing down so you can tug it around without scratching floors.

Depends on the weapon but I made a arm with sword and a leg for mine so that I can practice epee. Both arm and leg are made out of 2x2 pieces bolted together at what would be the elbow and shoulder and then the knee and hip. Wrap the limb in foam rubber and finish off with scrap leather glued to the foam and itself. Mounting the weapon is the hard part and I did it with a bent piece of steel that allowed me to put a epee tang through so it projects straight out like a weapon should. Mounted the arm and leg to the dummy with bungy cords.

Not really a difficult project but can take and evening or two.

[The Fish]

Have a helmet on a chair/solid wall, a punchbag hanging from the ceiling. You can practise footwork in most places (although you'll get funny looks if you try it walking down the street...)

[DesertFencer]

I made a fencing target out of a 12" circle of 1/4" plywood that was scrap from another project. I glued a piece of carpet to it and attached a rope about 3' to it, like a giant neclkace. I tied a knot at the end of the rope which you can close in the top of a door, bringing the target to chest level on the door.

My 15 year old son got interested in fencing and he makes a better target, although he's starting to get more and more hits on me.