Newb Question..

[Toedwy]

Thanks again for the information and motivation, I am very excited!

In one month the kids and I start lessons. I have not told them about the "surprise lessons" because it is part of the Xmas gifts. (That is if they take it as a gift or not is another story. haha.) However, they are content kids that enjoy doing anything with Dad.

I started a jogging program with them this week to develop an aerobic base and planned on beginning some overall body calisthenics.

Are there any suggested “must watch” online videos of fencing? I did a generic search for fencing and watched a number of tournament clips.

To sound more geeked up, are there any suggested books. Maybe a history, biographies, inspirational stories, even fiction regarding fencing?

Thanks again for your kind helpful information.

[Greg]

Lots of leg strengthening work especially for the knees. Also, have a good sports medicine doctor and don't hesitate to see them when something starts to hurt. Good luck.

[theLuz]

I do say, I do like the active online community and the helpful info.

This afternoon I ordered a practice foil as a Christmas gift for my 14 y/o son and 13 y/o daughter along with beginner lessons for both at a local Fencing club. I signed up to take the lessons with them.

I am looking forward to the fun

that's the attitude! Get some lessons (lots) and keep it up. Look through the threads about older fencers and discover a lot. A great many people take the sport up in their 50's and beyond. Remembere to have a good time.

[Phaeton]

No one can really say what your limits are, that you define, but more important than potential is what you put into it. Fencing is a sport that anyone can be decent at if they put enough time and effort into it, and even someone who perhaps doesn't even have the ability to think and recognize situations can be trained to some level using soley closed response sets, although that level is arguably low.

Fencers practical peaks don't necissarily coincide with their physical peaks and fencers rarely have consistent results until they are in their mid twenties because they are gaining experience. You may be a bit past your prime but with decent physical fitness you should be able to more than hold your own. There are plenty of fencers that are older.

Some things will be harder to learn such as blade angularity when you hit especially for epee. "Pointing" seems to be easier learned pedagogicly. With enough effort you'll pick most anything up.

In terms of things to read I'm pulling a blank...

But if you want to watch some good footage just go to FencingChannel.tv | FencingChannel.tv . There's a bunch of decent videos on there for free.

[Toedwy]

Gentlemen/Gentleladies!

My Son and I started our basic classes last evening at a local club. It was enjoyable and we both are looking forward to practicing between lessons.

i.e. our initial foot work drills.

Holding "On Guard", "Advance", "Retreat", and "Advance/Lunge".

I thankfully have a big empty basement and plan on setting up a fencing workout environment to help with practice. I was thinking of laying tape on the ground to provide a straight line reference to practice Advance, Retreat, and Lunges. I feel this will allow me to learn to keep my front foot in proper position. I also thought of taping perpendicular increment lines to show a 6" step. Do you feel this is a good practice to maintain 6" steps initially?

Are there any routines out there that one could develop a workout with. Such as a system of Sets drills with reps that include advance/retreat/lunge?

We started jogging as well to help with aerobic and some quad strenghtening.

Thanks for any time.

Matt

[HDG]

I also thought of taping perpendicular increment lines to show a 6" step. Do you feel this is a good practice to maintain 6" steps initially?

Don't get too fixed on numbers and formulae; if you were given a figure of 6", it was a guideline or rule of thumb your coach uses. There is no set footwork distance; that will vary by height, speed, and sometimes deliberately for tactical purposes. You're better off installing mirrors so you can keep an eye on your form.

Are there any routines out there that one could develop a workout with. Such as a system of Sets drills with reps that include advance/retreat/lunge?

Don't do fixed sets of things, mix it up. You and your son can take turns calling the moves the other will do, or you can face each other as if you were fencing and have one person take the lead and the other follow, switching periodically. Also, take note of the drills your coach is having you do, and use those.

Whatever you do, stay attuned to form b/c this is the period when bad habits set in.

[Toedwy]

Thank you for your information.

Would anyone suggest where to by frameless mirrors?

[oiuyt]

http://www.fencing.net/content/blogsection/5/39/

Or the footwork specific section: http://www.fencing.net/content/category/5/86/38/

Useful training bits available on this very site...

-B

[OROD]

Get some DVDs of high level fencing (i.e. olympics, world championships) and watch them to see what good fencers do. Notice especially their distance keeping, footwork, timing. Then if you have a video camera, set it up on a tripod and tape yourself whenever you practice. Afterwards you can compare what you're doing to what the top fencers do. You'll learn a lot, I guarantee it. =)

Also, since you're just starting out, focus more on simple arm/blade actions. Try to attack and defend as much as possible with distance rather than fancy bladework.

.

[eac]

I beg to differ with OROD. Trying directly to imitate world championship finalists as someone who's been fencing for a month is like trying to learn to bat by imitating Barry Bonds's little bat-waving dance before he swings. It's great for enthusiasm, but the point is that these high-level people develop deviations from stuff that works for everybody, and they either make them work because of their own physical/mental idiosyncrasies, or they work around them. You don't, for instance, want to immediately start trying to do big crazy running attacks with fast remises just because you saw Joppich do that effectively in Torino 06. You'd just end up flailing, running at people, crashing into people, hitting them too hard, etc.

I'm a big fan of watching videos, but not to learn footwork as a beginner. Watch videos once you've been to a competition (hopefully not more than a year after you start fencing), so you have a framework in which to process what you're seeing. Learning footwork is much better done by finding an accomplished coach and doing what he/she says.

[OROD]

I beg to differ with OROD. Trying directly to imitate world championship finalists...

Try reading what I wrote instead of what you think I wrote. The actual words I used were "watch", "notice", and "compare".

<sigh>

Dont schools teach reading comprehension anymore?

.

[eac]

Oh, so you're supposed to compare, not imitate. What the *hell* are you supposed to glean from comparing, if you're not going to incorporate anything yourself?

And, if you are going to incorporate something, the previous point applies.

[Toedwy]

Thanks guys for the info.

No need to "poke" each other. (Pun intended )

I have been tracking down where to buy full-sized mirros. Lowes has a nice one that I can make a mirror-wall to watch my form.

I also found some books that have exercises that are progressive.

http://www.amazon.com/Basic-Foil-Fen.../dp/0757516807

Mr. Simonian is actually a member of my club that I am taking my beginners class. How fortunate!

Matt

[Peach]

Good luck! And BTW, 35 in my opinion is a little too young to start fencing. I started when I was 43 and it worked out very well for me.

But you'll catch up.

[lindajdunn]

If you are exercising in your basement, please be careful of your knees. I don't know what type of floor you have in your basement and some of the newer homes have wood-floored basements but concrete (imho) is a little hard on the knees and can sabotage your attempt to improve your footwork.

I note that when I began, I did some drills on the concrete driveway and realilzed after a few weeks that this didn't work well for older knees... or at least, not MY older knees.

Has anyone told you about the quarter trick for lunging? If not, ask someone to demonstrate. You put a quarter under the front portion of your lead foot and when you lunge, the quarter should scoot across the floor. If it doesn't, you're probably not lifting your lead foot properly. Then again, you may simply be putting the quarter in the wrong place.

Remember Peach's immortal words for guiding the new adult fencer (although it's used most frequently for veteran fencers):

No pain; no physical therapy.

[Toedwy]

Thanks Peach and Linda.

I do have concrete basement floors! I better keep that in mind.

So the Quarter trick...

I will definately ask about this. This is how I have been currently doing lunges (not saying I am correct): With my hands on my hips. I lift the toes of my lead foot upward, approximately 2-3 inches. I then slightly lift my heel while simultaneously straigtening my back leg to cause me to lunge forward. The quarter trick sounds as if I barely need to life my toes at all. Is this true? Is the quarter at the ball of the foot or closer to the heel? So the lead foot would barely skim across the floor while lunging?

Thanks for any info.

Matt