Web Classes?

[Padawan]

The Information Super Highway has brought online classes for everything from auto repair to aerobics to every home in America. If someone were to offer online classes for fencing, what do you think would be most helpful to you or other fencers in your club?

[oiuyt]

By far the #1 on the list would be refereeing, with armory being something else that's likely to be useful to some people.

-B

[academe]

Referee and armory would be the top two on my list. Certainly worth looking into.

[Bryn Ralph]

Interesting idea: on-line courses for fencers. Perhaps we [fencers] are not ready for a Pandora's cache, or even say, a Trojan equine; it begs the question of credentialing, certification, intellectual property, and so forth. And what paradigm will advance such a cyberspace venue? Still, an interesting idea.

[jrgunn]

Agreed that refereeing and armory are best suited to an online venue.
The first I would see as a way that us common folks could learn how to interpret the rules of fencing, as that is what a ref does on the strip. The rules are available of course, but for many of us it might as well be written in Syro-Pheonician for the understanding it communicates of the game we so passionately play. Of course, that's true of any wargame.
Armory would have to include illustrations and text in plain English so that the great unwashed and un-initiated could understand and practice the craft.

Great idea. Who's gonna do it?

Oh...just a note. There are already many books, articles, and discussions regarding specific fencing technique. As these are skills primarily learned physically from a coach, IMHO they are not suitable for online learning. But maybe that's just me.

[KD5MDK]

I would imagine the less physical the role, the easier to teach online, thus I agree with oiuyt that refereeing and armoury are the best choices so far.

[sabreur]

An archive of high-level bouts, with new bouts added every World Cup, would be very useful as well. The more people are exposed to top-level fencing, the less you will have local aberrations in understanding of how actions should be called/executed.

[RebelFencer]

*echoes* It could work for ref'ing and armoury...but I really couldn't see it working for actual fencing. You get too much more out of actually being there.

[IHateMrPotatohead]

I agree, but what if they hooked up a webcam or something and gave "live" classes? Just a thought.

[RebelFencer]

I think that's the plan. But it's one of those things, you may learn the proper en guarde, how to lunge and how to advance and retreat....but there are just too many complexities in our sport. For example: I can watch Kolobkov fence many times via DVD and I can get a general idea of what he's doing...but that isn't enough to make it to where I can go out and mimic his actions (in most cases).

[RITFencing]

I agree, but what if they hooked up a webcam or something and gave "live" classes? Just a thought.

I think the classes would have to be structured very differently, because the coach can't give the students advice on what they're doing right and wrong nearly as easily. What I think would be very useful to fencers is in depth anaylsis of bouts, going into technique, tactics, tempo and distance, why fencers did things, why they did or didn't work, as well as demonstrations of drills that can be run with partners. So not really a web class, per se, but more of a web demo.

EDIT: Also, you would need very high quality video to capture some of the faster, more intricate lessons. And now that I think about it, live might not be the best format; this I think is the sort of thing that would benefit from slow motion replays and dubbed over commentary, etc.

SECOND EDIT: Bouts and drills could be very well combined by this; pick apart a really great bout, focus on a few things, and then show drills teaching the things that really worked out in that bout.

[oiuyt]

I'm convinced that fencing CAN be taught remotely. With the repeated demand for it I just think that refereeing and armory should be the first targets.

-B

[Padawan]

We agree with that a remote class can not replace the same instruction given live. We believe that the remote class on the web could serve as the next bridge up from a book and be even better served if it was interactive.

[RITFencing]

It is much better than a book on technique, and could be an excellent supplement to lessons, classes, etc. I know the coaches college people were working on a cdrom with videos of a lot of basic actions when I was there last year.

[Allen Evans]

I'm convinced that fencing CAN be taught remotely.

I'm not sure what you are including in this statement Brad, but I don't think fencing can be taught remotely, merely demonstrated. The sort of mental/physical pathways that someone has to learn doesn't lend itself to watching it on television (hell, I have a hard enough time teaching fencing standing right IN FRONT of some of the students I have had). Perhaps you didn't mean the statement as specifically as I'm taking it?

I do think that THINKING about fencing and ANALYSING fencing can be done - to some extent via video. I really liked all of the suggestions RITFencing gave...is that more what you were thinking of?

As a side note: why is armoring so difficult that we need videos to teach it? I assume armoring must be hard, because so few fencers seem to do it, despite the fact that (except for boxes) the technology dates from the 1920's and few tools are needed.

[noodle]

refereeing would be the first target for this, imo, as there are plainly available video clips that can be taken and used to help practice. armoring would require a bit more preparation and contribution.

i'd be willing to contribute, also.

[oiuyt]

I'm not sure what you are including in this statement Brad, but I don't think fencing can be taught remotely, merely demonstrated. The sort of mental/physical pathways that someone has to learn doesn't lend itself to watching it on television (hell, I have a hard enough time teaching fencing standing right IN FRONT of some of the students I have had). Perhaps you didn't mean the statement as specifically as I'm taking it?

All KINDS of things can and are taught remotely. Surf around some of the distance learning sites that various colleges and universities are starting to come out with.

Does fencing (or any other activity involving significant physical skills) lend itself to the medium? No. Can it be done? Yes, although it's harder. Especially if there was an interactive set-up (video transmission both directions) this could be done. Ideal? No, I'd prefer traditional in-person teaching for fencing. Better than what's otherwise available in some areas? Absolutely.

It's very difficult to do well, but I'm convinced that almost anything can be taught remotely.

-B

[Mr Epee]

Are fencing clubs becoming overcrowded?

What's the market?

What's the cost?

What is really being gained.

Penetration into the previously untapped fencing markets of North Dakota?

[Peach]

I believe that 90% of teaching and learning happens when you get to know your students well. If you know them well, teaching them is easy.

Remote teaching allows someone who knows himself or herself very well to learn some of the outward aspects of a subject.

But I suspect we all know an auto-didact whose understanding of the subject is faulty and lacking in proportion because of the weaknesses of the method.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

It's very difficult to do well, but I'm convinced that almost anything can be taught remotely.

-B

I would imagine it would also depend on the person.

A number of people in the world can see a person do something, and then mimic it. And I can do that for a number of things.

When it comes to fencing, I cannot count the number of times that my coach has, instead of telling me or showing me, just moved my hand. She now knows that when it comes to anything that I am doing wrong, or don't know at all, the easiest way for me to learn is by feeling it done the right way.

I imagine SOME people could learn without that aspect, but I am certainly not one of them.