Coaching: Helping out a very short epeeist

[RITFencing]

Hi, again. I know I start a billion of these threads, but I have so many coaching issues.

In this one, I have a student who has some epee experience, but she is literally 5 feet tall and of a slenderish build. As a very tall and well built fencer, I'm having trouble relating to her situation and helping her out. Any suggestions on tactics/techniques I can work on with her, and maybe a few drills that could help teach those?

[Fencergrl]

Have her work wrist hits. These are very effective against the likes of you.... I'm close to the same height as her and love fencing big tall guys for this reason... so much arm extended out in front of me... drives them nuts!

Point control is her friend.

[Mr Epee]

Ever see Ni Le fence?

You might think about something like that... LOTS of tight little bounces just out of distance, and constant picking at the wrist when it's available.

There's no easy answer for this one, but being short means needing to be a lot more physical in the game.

[Goldgar]

In this one, I have a student who has some epee experience, but she is literally 5 feet tall and of a slenderish build. As a very tall and well built fencer, [...]

Tsk, such vanity! Next you'll be telling us about the size of your cup.

I'm having trouble relating to her situation and helping her out. Any suggestions on tactics/techniques I can work on with her, and maybe a few drills that could help teach those?

1. I'd do lots of work on distance control and mobility -- she needs to be able to control the distance accurately so she can't be attacked unless she wants to be.

2. Lots of outer-distance work -- attacks and counerattacks to the hand, both in first and second intention. Feint under, hit over. Feint under, draw a stop hit to the top of her wrist, take the blade in 8 (if the stop hit is angled down) and fleche to the body or to the elbow.

3. Lots and lots of countertime.

[RITFencing]

I do work wrist htis with her...

What do you mean by more physical? More motion?

Also, she tends to get very frustrated in tournaments (and I think at practice), does anyone have any experience helping fencers through that? I think the frustration is one thing that's hurting her; if a fencer feels something (say, hand picks) won't work, then they are reluctant to try them. Practice, practice, practice until you know it can work?

[Fencergrl]

Tsk, such vanity! Next you'll be telling us about the size of your cup.

What! You missed that post???

[RITFencing]

Tsk, such vanity! Next you'll be telling us about the size of your cup.

http://www.fencing.net/forums/post458431-43.html

[RITFencing]

Mr. E: I have never seen Ni Le fence, nor have I heard of her (him?) I googled the name combined with fencing and epee, and came up with nothing each time.

[Purple Fencer]

About all I have to offer is from when I sparred with a guy who had a foot and a half on me (me: 5' 4.5"....him, 6' 10")...and this probably only worked because he was fairly inexperienced.

I knew I could not get inside him...so I had to make him play MY game. I lowered my weapon arm to present a nice, tasty target, and when he went for my chest, I was in a position to do a nice foil-like, circle 6 to pick him up and nail him...5 times in a row.

Your fencer should figure out what her strength are from her size 9and there ARE some) and make her opponent play HER game...not theirs.

[Goldgar]

http://www.fencing.net/forums/post458431-43.html

Isn't it MyrddinsPrecint who warns us about oversharing?

[Mr Epee]

What do you mean by more physical? More motion?

It could be lots of creative motion, or the ability to basically wrestle down an opponent's blade all the way to the target.

[RITFencing]

Isn't it MyrddinsPrecint who warns us about oversharing?

No, oversharing is when I talk about the size of my c***. Oops.

[Goldgar]

Also, she tends to get very frustrated in tournaments (and I think at practice), does anyone have any experience helping fencers through that? I think the frustration is one thing that's hurting her; if a fencer feels something (say, hand picks) won't work, then they are reluctant to try them. Practice, practice, practice until you know it can work?

Work with her to build a complete "game" -- sets of actions and tactics that complement one another and cope with the various situations that are likely to arise. "If they're doing this, I do *this* or *this*. If they respond by doing *that*, I switch to *this other*. The important thing is that she know what she ought to do in a given situation -- then it's just a matter of proper execution. Knowing what to do, but failing to do it, isn't nearly as frustrating as not knowing what you ought to do.

Again, distance control is crucial, to minimize the possibilities for the much taller opponent.

[RITFencing]

Work with her to build a complete "game" -- sets of actions and tactics that complement one another and cope with the various situations that are likely to arise. "If they're doing this, I do *this* or *this*. If they respond by doing *that*, I switch to *this other*. The important thing is that she know what she ought to do in a given situation -- then it's just a matter of proper execution. Knowing what to do, but failing to do it, isn't nearly as frustrating as not knowing what you ought to do.

Again, distance control is crucial, to minimize the possibilities for the much taller opponent.

See, this is good advice, but it's very general and it's what I would do with anyone, regardless of height. It's filling in those blanks of "If they do ______ I should do ______, or to get them to do ______ I should do ______." that I need some help with.

[Fencergrl]

If you want to have her watch tapes get some of Harada from Japan. She's the woman's epeeist that came in second at the the Vancouver World Cup.

She does a lot of stop hits and second intentions. She fenced Tol from the Neatherlands in the finals (then she faced Sherraine). Tol is a lot taller than her and was beating her, then Harada came back to win the bout.

I would contact f-netter pkt to see if he has video footage (he did at last year's WC).

[Goldgar]

Drat! I was trying to get away with a short answer. I'll try to work something up for you later, if there's anything left to be said after everyone else jumps in. Unfortunately, I have to go earn a living now.

[RITFencing]

Drat! I was trying to get away with a short answer. I'll try to work something up for you later, if there's anything left to be said after everyone else jumps in. Unfortunately, I have to go earn a living now.

Loser.



Thanks, Dirk; I look forward to it.

[Fencergrl]

IAlso, she tends to get very frustrated in tournaments (and I think at practice), does anyone have any experience helping fencers through that?

I found listening to tapes at night improved my mental game. Being in the right frame of mind helps you to focus on your drills and your bouts.

You can't drill relaxation into your athletes, this is something they need to find. You can only make recommendations. My coach recommended "Practicing in the Zone" & "Competing in the Zone" CD’s by Terry Orlick. I listen to them nightly prior to competitions.

[keropie]

Mr. E: I have never seen Ni Le fence, nor have I heard of her (him?) I googled the name combined with fencing and epee, and came up with nothing each time.

I expect he means Nhi Lan Le (female epee fencer) from UNC-Chapel Hill. Finished 37 in W. Epee individual in 1996, and was nearly five feet tall. She still holds the record @ UNC for the standing broad jump by a women on the fencing team (part of the yearly physical testing) at something absurd, along the lines of 270 cms I think.

[RITFencing]

I expect he means Nhi Lan Le (female epee fencer) from UNC-Chapel Hill. Finished 37 in W. Epee individual in 1996, and was nearly five feet tall. She still holds the record @ UNC for the standing broad jump by a women on the fencing team (part of the yearly physical testing) at something absurd, along the lines of 270 cms I think.

Wow. That's a big jump.