Where do you put your non-weapon hand?

[Reepicheap]

When I had the opportunity to take about 6 fencing lessons some 16 years ago, we were taught to put our 'other' hand up and kind of dangling forward. You know, like the movies. When I started taking lessons last fall, we were told that people don't do that anymore. You can if you WANT to, but...anyway, my shoulder has taken abuse over the last 15 years and it hurts to keep it up in the old style, but I feel very lost anyplace else. Also, with it down near my waist I have accidentally (honest!) parried with it a few times. So, what does everyone else do?

[Dan H]

Most fencers nowadays seem to dangle it at the waist, and move it straight out behind them when they get in distance. The important thing is that you consistently get your back hand and arm out of the way when you're in distance. If you cover target with it (in foil or saber) or use it to defend (in any weapon), it's a card, and sometimes a nasty welt.
If you watch some high-level fencing footage (there are clips to be found around this site, as well as DVDs for sale), you'll see how the top-level fencers deal with it.

[Ordway]

Most fencers nowadays seem to dangle it at the waist, and move it straight out behind them when they get in distance. The important thing is that you consistently get your back hand and arm out of the way when you're in distance. If you cover target with it (in foil or saber) or use it to defend (in any weapon), it's a card, and sometimes a nasty welt.

Yeah, I hold it in a relaxed position by my side. Helps keep my back shoulder relaxed.

I've never seen a sabrist carded for covering target (though back when I fenced foil I used to get NAILED for that - something like 6 red cards in one DE bout at Nationals, boy that was memorable). In sabre the motivation to keep the off hand more or less out of the way is pretty much to avoid getting hit on it. I've seen people holding their hand up to their chest and while they don't get carded, it's a really bad idea. I've had blood drawn on my off hand on various occasions, which sure taught me to keep it out of the way.

[Ramrod]

Same type of thing with Epee. Since everything is target, just keep it out of the way.

[The Fish]

I'm a sabreur and my teacher has always told me to keep my hand down so the non-sword-arm doesn't get hit. I sometimes accidentally put my hand up in defence against scary marching attacks, which is a bad habit I need to kill.

[keropie]

With the exception of reversing the shoulders, I have yet to see a foilist carded for covering target while keeping his/her arm relaxed and dangling at the waist. It's when they tense it up or move it in the way that cards fly. I keep my arm dangling at the side at all times, unless I reverse shoulders (then FOC officials are instructed to card for covering target unless the arm moves out of the way).

[OROD]

With the exception of reversing the shoulders, I have yet to see a foilist carded for covering target while keeping his/her arm relaxed and dangling at the waist.

It's not covering target unless you bring your arm right up against your body. If there's any space between the arm and the lame then someone could hit that spot with their foil, hence it's not covered.

Covering doesnt mean covering from a single angle of attack, it means covering from all angles of attack. It's the attackers responsability to hit you. If he hit your arm then he should have attacked from a different angle (where you arm wasnt).

.

[Frank Pratt]

I ws originally taught the classical style (behind the head, pointed towards the celiling,) though I don't fence that way nowadays. I usually just teach students to keep it somewhere behind them so thay can balance themselves in a lunge, etc. We fence epee in our club, so anyone who slips up just learns quicker than the others.

[ChrisBrasel]

If I'm not trying my arm is dangling straight down.

If I am trying my arm is relaxed with my elbow close to my body, and the rest of my arm parrallel to the ground.

[mrbiggs]

There's a very good thread about this somewhere...


Basically, I, like most people, keep it slightly elevated (not perpendicular to the floor) but loose.


EDIT: Found it!

Where do you put your non-sword arm?

This is somewhat short. The British forum discussion,

http://fencingforum.com/forum/showth...&threadid=2609

is a bit more thorough.

[cs3dswb]

I am a sabreur but fence all 3 weapons and in all weapons my hand is dangling by my side.

Foil is fine until you bring it infront of your chest, then it is covering targets.

Epee is obviously fine.

Sabre noone cares about the bit of hand that isn't target because if you've hit them there then you should have hit their upper arm first. If you havent then you suck or you've been parried

[qatet]

Up and back, pulling the chest open. It helps one keep one's front arm relaxed. If it's dangling forward then it makes the entire torso much tighter.

[Reepicheap]

What about resting against your waist, as long as it is behind your torso relative to the opponent?

[jdoiv]

Just don't touch the reel cord or body cord connection. That's a cardable offence.

[keropie]

What about resting against your waist, as long as it is behind your torso relative to the opponent?

Well, technically in saber and foil if your hiding part of your lame back there you're still covering target. Yes yes, I know you "can't" hit it in foil any more, but you really can, and either way, it's still covering target. It also (much like

Up and back, pulling the chest open.

) actually tends to increase tension in your back shoulder, and therefore in your front shoulder as well. I would suggest against it.

HTH

[pacer]

At the Reno NAC, I did not see a foilist get carded for having their non-weapon hand at waist level, did see a foilist get carded for having their non-weapon on their body cord. The "hand at waist" foilist was within distance of an advance lunge, the "body cord touching" foilist had just left the initial on-guard.

[oiuyt]

At the Reno NAC, I did not see a foilist get carded for having their non-weapon hand at waist level, did see a foilist get carded for having their non-weapon on their body cord. The "hand at waist" foilist was within distance of an advance lunge, the "body cord touching" foilist had just left the initial on-guard.

The "body cord touching" foilist wasn't being carded for covering. S/he was being carding for handling the electrical equipment with his/her unarmed hand.

-B

[KD5MDK]

Rules to prevent cheating have no particular reason to only be applied within distance...

[cainey]

At the moment i put my non weapon hand in a glove and fence with it ... due to tennis elbow on my 'right' side

cainey