Fun Skill-Building Games for Very Young Fencers?

[Mannie Bothans]

Greetings, from a TOTAL newbie...

I am a parent of a six year old and a one year old. My oldest child really wants to begin taking lessons at the local fencing club, and our resident maestro has given the green light.

I do not know the first thing about fencing, but when my son first began doing soccer a couple of years ago, I found www.soccerhelp.com and it really gave me a ton of fun games that I could do with my son to help him really enjoy learning the skills he would need for that sport.

Are there particular websites, DVDs, books, that describe similar fun skill-building games that would make the learning as fun as possible?

I want to help increase my son's self confidence and I want to make it really fun for him and work with him between lessons. (We will rent the equipment for a while, but when we are sure that this is a good fit for my son, we will invest in his own gear.)

My son also responds amazingly well to positive encouragement. He received three "game balls" the one season that he played tee-ball and that really made all the difference in the world in his attitude and performance. Any similar (though fencing-related) ideas that work for encouragement would also be appreciated.

Here is a list of games that a family member sent to me, but I am sorry I do not know where they found this info. Does anyone else know where I might be able to get even more ideas for fun, effective, things I could do to work with my son?



Footwork and Distance Games

Drake and Josh.
Two teams, one is "Drake", the other "Josh." They line up facing each other at a center line, on guard. Each has a rear line some distance back. Instructor shouts DRAKE or JOSH, then the team named must try to tag all the members of the opposing team before they make it over their rear line, using correct fencing footwork.

Jelly Bean Race (AKA "The carrot and the stick")
Fencers pair up at one end of the strip/training area. One holds a small bag containing Jelly Beans or other inducement (Nerds, Starburst). They then retreat as the 2nd fencer pursues them down the strip, using whatever footwork has been approved. The treat-holder must not move their hand from the on-guard position, and must not cause the distance between them to increase substantially. The pursuer must attempt to grab the bag. If they succeed, they get to have a treat, if they reach the far end without success, the treat-holder gets one.
At the far end, the bag gets exchanged and now the 1st fencer pursues while the 2nd fencer retreats. If you want to use the fleche, the treat holder should be allowed some minimal arm movement to try and avoid the attack.

Simon Says (and other childrens games)
I think we all know the rules to this one. If Simon says it, you do it, if the coach says it, you don't. A darned cruel game in my opinion, but perhaps that's just because I'm bad at it. It's intended to make you think before you react.

A similar adaption is "What's the time (Mr Wolf/Lord Voldemort/other Evil Person)".
Traditionally this involves the group of kids shouting the above line, and Mr Wolf replying a certain time, say 6 o'clock, which sees everyone take 6 steps forward. When Mr Wolf decides they're close enough, he replies "dinner time" and attempts to catch one of them.
So, substitute fencing footwork for the stepping forward/running away, and voila, instant fencing game.
If you want to be really clever, ask for fencing-time, and perform footwork equal to that timing.

Hand Fencing (1)
This is fencing without a weapon, a bit of fun that most fencers indulge in sometime when they're feeling jumpy and don't have a weapon close at hand. The aim is to hit you opponent according to whatever rules you've set up. Generally parries aren't allowed (after all, when is wrist hit a parry?) but everything is optional.
The trick is to use distance and footwork to overcome your shorter reach, particularly effective if you otherwise try to maintain normal fencing distance. Works well in conjunction with limited moves:

Hand Fencing (2)
Fencers face each other without weapons, hands held palm out. Using only footwork, they must attempt to slap the others hand while avoiding having their own slapped.
Resisting the urge to move your arm is the hardest part of this game... Variations:
1. Use both hands.
2. Use feet (ie: try to stamp on the other persons leading foot).

Resistance footwork
This is intended to achieve the same thing as dragging a tyre around is supposed to achieve for runners. One fencer does their footwork, while another holds them back by some means or another. A towel around the waist apparently works, simply grabbing their waist is less than ideal (from personal experience).

Mask Game
One fencer holds a mask in front of them, the other places their hand lightly on the front mesh. The holder of the mask must then try to make their partner loose contact with the mask using only footwork (no arm movements allowed). This may include limiting how many steps can be taken in each direction.

Fencing Hopscotch
You all know hopscotch, right? A lot of sqares that you hop along, jumping over a stone which you have to pick up on your way back.
In fencing hopscotch the squares are bigger, and in a straight line, but otherwise essentially the same. Each square must be entered in a specific way, it might just be step-forward, or it might include balestra's, crossing-over, etc. Throw your rock/equivilent onto each square in turn. I think an example is needed at this point

Throw rock/equivilent on square 3 of 5. Step into 1, step into 2, lunge over 3, recovering forwards into 4, stept into 5, turn around. Lunge to pick up the stone in 3 recover backwards, step into 4, step into 3, 2, 1, finish.
I'm not sure how you cope with a stone in 5, perhaps you're supposed to get bored and give up before then. Until someone corrects me, let's say you lunge from 3 on your way up.

Races
Nothing like a traditional race to get people moving. It can be straight up and back, or for a bit more exercise break it into stages. ie; forward 1/3 of the way, back, forward 2/3 of the way, back, forward all the way and back again. (And optionally repeat in reverse order).

[Mannie Bothans]

Bladework

Pokemon Battles (Also goes by many other names)
One fencer is the Pokemon Trainer, and s/he has a number of Pokemon defenders, usually 4. It's up to you whether you let the trainer have a sword or not. The rest of the fencers are charged with tagging the trainer before s/he reaches the far end of the training area. If a Pokemon is tagged, s/he has to go back to the start line and catch up with the trainer from there. If an attacker is tagged, they go back to the end line and try again.

Another variation is to have two opposing trainers. This means you must fight your way through the opposing pokemon to get to the unarmed, opposing pokemon wrangler, without letting the opposition get through to tag your trainer. Fencers who are hit on target leave the field.

Battle Lines (AKA "The Line" and "Musketeers & Guardsmen")
The fencers line up on either side of a visible line, in two equal groups. They are not allowed to cross the line with both feet to attack, but must wait for the other fencers to stray within reach. (Timid fencers make for long battles). Fencers who ae hit join the other team.

The Bridge
The strip is a bridge. One fencer guards the bridge. The rest of the fencers want to cross the bridge, but to cross the Bridge, they must defeat the guard. When they defeat him, the victor takes his place, and you keep going/start again. Defeated fencers fall into the river and leave the field/magically come back to life at the end of the line.

Limited Moves Fencing / Scenario Fencing
Okay, so these tend to be more drills than games, but they deserve a mention.
Limited moves means, of course, that you can only use certain moves. This can be anything from "What the beginners know", to "attack only with feint disengage, no parries allowed."
Scenario fencing means you're given a scenario, and have to fence accordingly. This can be as simple as "the score is 4-4, next score wins" to "The referee seems to be counting any forward movement as an attack".
The two can of course be combined with considerable success, and the two fencers can be given different (possibly secret) instructions.

Speed and Reflex Games
Glove Game
Surely the oldest of all speed games. Your partner drops a glove in front of a wall. Your task: To lunge quickly enough to pin the glove against the wall with your point.
Easy, right?

Dropping Balls
In pairs, one holds a ball at shoulder height, hand pronated. (ie: hand on top of ball, ready to drop it to the ground). When they're ready, they drop it and their partner has to try and catch it.

Variations:
1. Catch the ball with a lunge.
2. First person has two balls, one in each hand, and can drop either one for their partner to catch.
3. Both hold one or two balls, have to drop one of their balls and catch their partners.
4. Partner places their hand over top of first fencers, where they can feel as well as see the drop.
5. As for 4, but close your eyes.

Dropping Weapons
If you have a partner, get them to drop a foil (held horizontally) in front of you. Then try to catch it by bringing your hand down on top of it.
Alternatively, drop it yourself. Either hold it from above, and then catch it from underneath, or vice-versa. If this is proving too easy, try clapping your hands in between the drop and the catch.
I strongly recommend you do not use electric foils for this if you can avoid it. Practice foils are much less touchy when it comes to be dropped on the floor, your armourer will thank you.

Variations:
1. Catch the weapon on the lunge.
2. Hold and drop the weapon vertically, so that it will land on the pommel if they're not quick enough.
3. Catcher gently rests their hand on the weapon (held vertically) and closes their eyes. Try to feel when it is released.
4. Stand the weapon on its pommel on the ground. When ready, let it tilt away from the fencer who must lunge to catch it before it falls over.
5. Use a glove instead of a weapon. (A change of pace is often useful).

Catch.
In pairs (or one thrower for a group), a glove is tossed to a fencer on guard who must try to catch it on his point.

Variations:
1. Throw the glove from the side instead of from the front.
2. Throw a ring which the fencer must get his point through the middle of.
3. Throw a tennis ball which must be hit.
4. Include footwork.

Quick Lunge
Two fencers stand on guard (without foils), back foot to back foot. A third party shouts "left" or "right" (or some other identifying word) at random, at which point the nominated fencer (say left) must lunge as quickly as possible, while the right fencer throws their hand back and attempts to hit the left fencer.
The idea here is that if you lunge quickly enough, you'll be out of the way and they won't hit you. It does work provided you don't pair up an archetypal epeeist with an archetypal sabreur.

Ball Fencing
Standing a couple of meters apart, one fencer is designated leader and he controls distance. The leader may throw his ball in an arc to his partner whenever he likes, the partner then throws their ball to him, and catches the one first thrown.
Variation: bounce the balls as you move.

Towel Game
Each fencer holds one end of a towel, one pulls on it, and the other follows with a lunge. This is intended to enforce the "lead with the arm" rule of lunging.

Shoot Out
This one is probably most suited to epee, where counter attacks are encouraged. However it could concievably also be used to cure fencers that break off their attack as soon as their opponent launches a counter-attack.
Fencers stand at a little over lunge or step-lunge distance (or whatever attack you wish to practice). On command, they both launch immediately into the designated attack as quickly as possible.
I suspect it's very important to get the distance right, or there'll be some horrible bruises after a while.

Balance and Co-ordination Games

Slow Motion / Stop Motion
Much as it sounds. Fence a bout or drill in slow motion, the step and the lunge are where your balance is going to be tested. It also gives you a chance to really think about the timing of your parries.
Stop motion involves making your movements at full speed, but breaking them up into their component parts, it's up to you whether you allow hand and leg movements to be made simultaneously or not.

Eg. balestra/feint, stop, disengage/lunge, stop, recover, stop. retreat, stop, parry, stop, riposte, stop.
With this one, any lack of balance after the balestra or lunge will become embarrasingly obvious.

Log Fencing
This involves fencing along a narrow raised surface. I think we can all see the danger in this, so let me stress that this is only for experienced foolhardy fencers. From personal experience, I suggest using a flat surface, rather than the traditional rounded log, and a straight one. (Not, for example, a raised round flowerbed. Retreating in an arc is quite tricky.)
A safer alternative may be to fence along a narrow line, with people keeping a close eye on your feet to make sure you don't step off it.

Hop Fencing

As you can probably guess, this involves fencing on one leg, advancing and retreating is achieved by hopping. Your challenge: to split your attention between staying upright and parrying that attack.
For an added challenge, try using your non-preferred leg.

Pass.
Two groups, line up at either end of the area. Person at head passes the ball to the person at the head of the other team with a bounce, or rather they throw it off at some angle after various feints requiring the other person to run after it while they run to join the end of the other team.
Variation: Give them two balls, only one of which will be thrown. Makes it harder for the recipient to guess which way to run.

[Mo]

OH MYGAWD!!! What are you a nut?
Your kid is six years old. He doesn't need to be in a fencing concentration camp at home.
Take him to the park and chase him around with Wacky Wackers.
Let him swim and swing on swings. Let that child be a kid.
All the stuff is going to ruin it for him.
Let him learn to use his body at the playground and not closed up in some stinky sweat filled fencing salle.
LET HIM BE FREEEEEEE
The Momster

[Empty Wallet]

Hi Mannie Bothans

I think that I will agree with Mo's sentiments, if not quite the way she has said them.

Kids need to play in order to develop themselves, their host of skills, competencies, friendships etc. They especially need to have age-appropriate experiences in order to develop as whole, real people.

The list you have given are the sorts of things that I see the 10-13 year olds doing as some of their workouts. Fun activities that teach them a lot of skill work in a fun envirnoment.

For a 6 y/o, this is way too much activity and way too focused on a very limited range of skills and competencies. Fun in learning is good, drilling like this will drive them away pretty quickly.

So, balance is really nice. So is the chance to be a kid, climb trees, chase butterflies, and eat some dirt. I am a big advocate of kids having a chance to get dirty and to eat some dirt -- it is really good for them

EW

[Zilverzmurfen]

I suggest you buy the DVD of the Italian national team doing footwork etc.

Your child might find the drills difficult and boring in the beginning, but nothing a little carrot on a stick will not fix in a whim!

There'll still be lots of time for him to play in the sandpit, build treehouses, go on swings and slides when his fencing career is over. Good luck!


(And yes, I am ironic.)

[jfarmer]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

I suggest you buy the DVD of the Italian national team doing footwork etc.

Your child might find the drills difficult and boring in the beginning, but nothing a little carrot on a stick will not fix in a whim!

There'll still be lots of time for him to play in the sandpit, build treehouses, go on swings and slides when his fencing career is over. Good luck!


(And yes, I am ironic.)

I know you're being ironic.... But, does such a DVD exist? available where? :-)

[Hyena]

Some of these things sound like the kind of craziness my coach likes to inflict on us, except we're all around age 15 or so.

It really sounds like these games would be more appropriate my age group, really. I can't imagine putting a littlun--Particularly a six-year-old-- through something that rigorous. But I always had trouble focusing on games like this when I was younger, sooo...

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by jfarmer

I know you're being ironic.... But, does such a DVD exist? available where? :-)

It does indeed exist. It contains Sanzo (I think) and Vezzali doing jawdropping footwork, strength and coordination exercises.

However...I don't have this DVD myself, don't know the official name of it and can't seem to find it online. It looks like http://shop.fencing.net sold it once, but they don't seem to have it any longer.

Hope someone else can help out!


Edit 1: Found it at Allstar GER.
Edit 2: Also found at Negrini ITA.

The original title is "La Ginnastica per la Scherma".

[ESLyon]

Originally Posted by Mannie Bothans

The Bridge
The strip is a bridge. One fencer guards the bridge. The rest of the fencers want to cross the bridge, but to cross the Bridge, they must defeat the guard. When they defeat him, the victor takes his place, and you keep going/start again. Defeated fencers fall into the river and leave the field/magically come back to life at the end of the line.

Limited Moves Fencing / Scenario Fencing
Okay, so these tend to be more drills than games, but they deserve a mention.
Limited moves means, of course, that you can only use certain moves. This can be anything from "What the beginners know", to "attack only with feint disengage, no parries allowed."
Scenario fencing means you're given a scenario, and have to fence accordingly. This can be as simple as "the score is 4-4, next score wins" to "The referee seems to be counting any forward movement as an attack".
The two can of course be combined with considerable success, and the two fencers can be given different (possibly secret) instructions.


Speed and Reflex Games
Glove Game
Surely the oldest of all speed games. Your partner drops a glove in front of a wall. Your task: To lunge quickly enough to pin the glove against the wall with your point.
Easy, right?



Catch.
In pairs (or one thrower for a group), a glove is tossed to a fencer on guard who must try to catch it on his point.

Variations:
1. Throw the glove from the side instead of from the front.
2. Throw a ring which the fencer must get his point through the middle of.
3. Throw a tennis ball which must be hit.
4. Include footwork.

I really like those, especially the tennis ball variation of catch, you can tell how accurate you are with your tip by how directly the ball is deflected. Awesome ideas!

[qatet]

Originally Posted by Zilverzmurfen

It does indeed exist. It contains Sanzo (I think) and Vezzali doing jawdropping footwork, strength and coordination exercises.

However...I don't have this DVD myself, don't know the official name of it and can't seem to find it online. It looks like http://shop.fencing.net sold it once, but they don't seem to have it any longer.

Hope someone else can help out!


Edit 1: Found it at Allstar GER.
Edit 2: Also found at Negrini ITA.

The original title is "La Ginnastica per la Scherma".

Oh god. That's a seriously fantastic DVD (not for six year olds). I've been looking for a copy for years (not for six year olds). Does anybody know if either company ships to the US? Or if there's any particular benefit to ordering from one or from the other?

[Zilverzmurfen]

Originally Posted by qatet

Oh god. That's a seriously fantastic DVD (not for six year olds). I've been looking for a copy for years (not for six year olds). Does anybody know if either company ships to the US? Or if there's any particular benefit to ordering from one or from the other?

I think Allstar has that weird policy that you have to order from Allstar USA (whose e-mail address is alstarusa btw LOL) rather than directly from Germany. However, if they have any thoughts about customer service they should "take it home" from Germany for you.

Negrini seems to be able to shop directly to the US, however:

NOTE. For international orders the total order must be over 50 Euro. For more information negrini@negrini.com

The price for the DVD is 25 € both in and outside of EU. No idea of shipping cost, but it shouldn't be more than ~5 € (roughly guessing only).