Coaching - Bow legged student?

[RITFencing]

So, I started coaching my humongous group of high schoolers (it's going better than one might think, but they talk too damn much and take too long to start any exercises... they think that "now" means "when you're done talking." They'll learn.) and one of the group is bow legged and so having trouble with the footwork. His knees point out and his feet point in. Any suggestions in helping him out, different types of on guard stances he can use? He hasn't chosen a weapon yet, to my knowledge.

[Phaeton]

I can't think of anything, but fencing may not be a sport for him or he may need some support in some way (perhaps the nike fencing boots ). Proper mechanics in footwork are safe mechanics most of the time, and your knee doesn't do well when you are lunging with it pointing the wrong way and neither does the ankle. I'd say for balance reasons and health reasons having a proper knee position is far more important than ankle position, so I'd probably go with footwork with the knee pointed forward and the foot pointing inward (I'm no doctor though). In terms of weapon, Epee would probably be the way to go.

I'd possibly reccomend doing a popping up of the back heel like Korfanty. Seems like it may help with mobility, lunge wise. Ultimately, I'd be careful and do what doesn't hurt or feel uncomfortable. Find something that makes sense to both of you, teach it, and tell him to let you know if he has any pain or problems that aren't soreness, then you need to change things up.

[Durando]

Originally Posted by RITFencing

Any suggestions in helping him out, different types of on guard stances he can use?

Absolutely a question for a specialist. Until then I'd work on general movement skills and balance until he figures it out for himself. I guess this is common sense, but still I'd be reluctant to go farther without expert guidance.

[RITFencing]

Originally Posted by Durando

Absolutely a question for a specialist. Until then I'd work on general movement skills and balance until he figures it out for himself. I guess this is common sense, but still I'd be reluctant to go farther without expert guidance.

Yeah, that's along the lines of what I was thinking. What sort of specialist should I talk to about this?

[MyrddinsPrecint]

We have a girl this year who's partially bowlegged--- just enough so that her default position is the badness you've described, but when we remind her what she's doing, she can (and does) fix it.


After having fenced sabre and epee on a variety of annoyed body parts in my legs, I would agree that he should fence epee---- I also agree that he should talk to someone that can tell him whether he's going to pop his kneecap off someday soon doing it at all.............

[RoninX]

Originally Posted by RITFencing

Yeah, that's along the lines of what I was thinking. What sort of specialist should I talk to about this?

Well you need to find out if he has talked to his doctor about his condition. If it is not a severe condition there may be excercises he can do to reverse his condition - but sometimes surgery is required, it depends on why he is bowlegged.

Is he overweight at all? Is it a condition that runs in the family? Has he suffered knee injuries in the past?

Bow leggedness can be a sign of deteriorating knee conditions, sometimes linked to ligament problems. If it is serious enough to affect his footwork *he* should talk to his doctor about it. There are different causes so *you* talking to a specialist may not help that much, someone who knows what they are doing needs to take a look at the kid.

[counterattack]

How bowlegged? A good measure might be how far apart are his knees when is feet are together? I am mildly bowlegged, only about 4 inches (a little more than a fist width). I am an epeeist and have had knee surgery to repair cartilage damage (a nickel sized piece ripped right off) in my knee that was possibly caused by the strange route pressure takes through my knees. I would suspect there is a critical level of body weight and bowleggedness at which you couldn't fence without definite damage.

[Jane2008]

hi
i need to know do anyone have a bowlegs correction surgery? i am searching for a right doctor long time. I find some information about Ilizarov and Ilizarov-Veklich apparatus. Are they safe? If some one could help me with his experience - i be happy
Please let me know
Jane

[Fechter1]

My knees are only very slightly misaligned, but that is the underlying cause (compounded by the shape of my feet) of all my knee problems (6 meniscal tears and counting). To clarify, I am right now looking for a good surgeon for meniscus replacement surgery, and I've been told that I am going to need corrective surgery for my knee alignment as well (where they take a wedge of bone out of the joint head).
That's actually the reason I've not been able to train properly for over a year now...

I'm also suffering from misaligned kneecaps, which may or may not be a related issue.

I would say, have the guy see a sports medicine doctor or an orthopedic surgeon to judge his ability to put his body through the rigors of fencing training and competition.

$.02

[Hauptman]

Interesting article on the subject: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Genu_varum

There may be underlying medical issues, but maybe not. If not the student may not have any particular needs, but might find themselves having joint problems at an earlier age then most people. A check-out by a specialist as suggested certainly couldn't hurt.

[Rock]

Bow-legged by itself is not a bad thing - as earlier posters said, it depends on how much to determine if it's a medical problem or not.

Mild to moderate bowleggedness (?) - slightly pidgeon-toed, but knees outside the line between the middle of the hip joint and the middle of the ankle - can be good for the the fencer's effectiveness and knee safety RELATIVE to the alternative of being knock-kneed (knee inside the hip joint- ankle line).