Hi, I am new to fencing and this forum

[Invictious]

Hello Everyone, I am 15 and I live in Hong Kong. I began fencing 1 week ago, I learn the foil.
I take 2 lessons every week.

I practice footwork at home regularly, such as moving forward and backwards at varying paces, and lunges or course.

I know the basic rules of fencing and whatnot.

There are a few questions that I'd like to ask:

1) Is the Fleche an advanced move?
2) how should I practice my footwork properly? bear in mind that the apartments in Hong Kong are pretty small.
3) BIG Question here: Of course as we all know, most people are right handed, but in competitions, why do the fencer's bodies face the same way? Logically speaking, if both fencers fence with right hand, then their bodies should pointing in the opposite directions. Seeing both fencer's body facing the same way is pretty common in the footages I see, what's happening?

e.g.
http://www.cwru.edu/orgs/fencing/pics/cwrufoils.jpg

As you can see from above, their bodies face the opposite direction.

http://homepages.westminster.org.uk/...cing.sized.jpg

However on here, their bodies face the same way, which means one of them is facing left handed. Why?

Is it required that we also have to learn fencing left handed or what? Because seeing fencer's bodies facing the same direction is pretty common in what I see from footages.

[Gav]

Welcome to the forum. You made a good choice of sport. The questions you ask are quite common amongst those new to the sport. If you do a search you will find quite a lot of advice already out there.

2 of your points I will answer here [briefly]:

footwork:
Try this (it works for me):
Take one step forward, one back, two forward, two back, three forward three back, one forward one back and so on. Do it slowly at first and take your time to make sure the movements feel right. Resist the urge to stare at your feet. If you have a mirror practise in front of it - if it's big enough you can even take the time to check out profile views. Once you are comfortable with the movements vary the exercise: vary the step sizes, vary the speed (slow-fast,fast-slow,fast-fast etc). Remember that you live in an apartment and your neighbours may not appreciate you thumping around over their heads.

Regarding body positions: some people are left handed.

[Invictious]

Well then there seems to be an awful lot of people who play fencing left handed.

let's assume there are more right handed people out there who fence
I am ambidextrous, would it be more beneficial for me to fence left handed? or does it not matter.

[Gav]

Search the forum...

Thre are numerous threads on whether being left handed is good or not. At the lower leverls; definitely, at the higher end; not as much.

[VELISARIOS]

Hello, and wellcome to the world of Fencing and to the forum.

[Go? Fencing?]

There is a disproportionate number of lefties in the fencing world. Some fencers, such as myself, fence with either hand. I started off righty and added lefty this year.

[Invictious]

Would it be benificial if I learnt to fence with left hand? If it does, how and why?

Why are there so many left handed fencers? The number of them is just shocking.

[Inquartata]

Just something about the way their brains are wired attracts them to fencing in higher relative numbers than right-handers, I think. Maybe something about spatial relationships or something?


Pay attention when you watch movies and TV shows and you will notice a very disproportionate number of left-handed actors, too.

[Gav]

There IS a search function. Perform a search. There are numerous debates on why left handedness is so popular in fencing (and btw lefties are still in the minority).

Fencing Left Handed Fencers
Fencing the Left-handed Opponent
Going Left
Left v Right handed fencers

And all from a very quick search. If you spend a few minutes you will find a ton of advice, debate (regularly heated), pictures and just about anything to do with being left handed. The answers you have been looking for are actually already there.

It's not important anyway. Fence with the hand you feel most comfortable with. I'd recommend left handed fencing because so long as lefties remain in the minority you will gain a slight leg up over other inexperienced fencers.

[Invictious]

Thanks Gav for the links, of course I have plenty of experiences in the forums and I know what to do best, but the problem is I didn't know what to search for about being left handed, and now you guided me, thanks!

I have concluded that fencing left handed in the long term is not beneficial, because you are fencing with your 'undominant' hand and side, which makes things abit uncomfortable and unfamiliar, and you might win a few games against inexperienced people, but ultimately, against experience fencers, it doesn't make a different.

[WordRider]

Welcome to the forum Invictious!!!!

espiritusaberTerrance