Styles of Fencing

[GorillaSmile]

Hello-

We are expanding our club by holding open houses. At our last event we had a parent ask about the different styles of fencing. He wanted more than a brief answer. Does anyone know where I could find some information on the different styles?

[aamct2]

Do you mean modern styles (agressive, absence-based-game, mixed, etc)? Or do you mean classical schools of fencing (French, Italian, etc.)?

Regardless of which you mean, I would check out Istvan Lukovich's "Foil Fencing: Advanced Competitive Training." In the introduction, he gives an outline of the development of fencing and the various classical schools. Later on in the book he describes various "types" of fencers, what their characteristics are, and how best to fence against them.

*Side Note* As Lukovich states, you can't normally classify any given fencer into a single category. It's not without merit to do so, but fencers are much more complicated than simple categories.

~aamct2

[Allen Evans]

I, too, would recommend Lukovich (for more than just his introduction). A few years ago, an Italian fencer master made an very good post on the schools of fencing that I have reproduced (with his permission) here:

http://www.coachescompendium.org/SCHOOLS.HTML

This is NOT a discription of the schools of fencing, but adds a more three-dimensional aspect to aamct2's post.

[GorillaSmile]

Thank you. That was just what I was looking for but it made me think of another recent conundrum. Do you know where I might find the history of, or evolution of the laymans' view for the different classical schools? What I'm getting at is: how do I answer a visiting parent who asks: "my son's coach said his lesson's are 'very German' and his sister's lessons are 'very Hungarian'. What does that mean?". He said their coach got too technical for him and I tried to explain it but didn't do a good job.

[Allen Evans]

For the Hungarian School, I would start with:

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzeegyz6/id5.html

(this is a foil based discusssion).

When people talk about the "German School" they are usually talking about the "Beck System" (I don't believe that there is one "unique" approach to fencing taught throughout all Germany). This is a good explanation--if I must say so myself--but principally concerns epee fencing:

http://www.coachescompendium.org/GERMANEPEE.HTML

these might be good places to start.

[Hauptman]

I would add that national styles are HUGE generalizations.

There are often bigger differences between individual coaches than between countries or "schools".

[GorillaSmile]

Thank you everyone!

That was exactly what I needed.

[MdA]

I don’t think you can classify a national school/style of fencing in modern fencing today. It is all changing very rapidly. To me there are now two styles of fencing today… “What works” … and “What doesn’t work anymore”

If you want to talk about history…you can talk in terms of French, Italian, German, Hungarian, and Russian/Soviet school/style. Only time will tell…the current style of modern international fencing may, in fact, become known someday, as the American school….mixing several different national schools.

[DavidX]

the library is an excellent resource for information
there are more books about fencing than there are that teach fencing

much love

[erooMynohtnA]

http://www.schermaonline.com/scherma...rder=1&thold=0

[Don Badowski]

By the Sword, by Richard Cohen. It gives a great history lesson on fencing schools of the 19th and 20th centuries. I very much doubt you'll find anything technically useful in it, but its a fine read.

Four years ago a student started asking me about this school and that school of fencing. At first I drew a blank. I'm her coach. Should I know this? Then a light went off. "Have you been reading The Princess Bride?" Maybe...

Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Count Rugen: Stop saying that!

[MdA]

http://www.schermaonline.com/scherma...rder=1&thold=0

Sergei did not mention the empirical school. This is the one where the coach relies on his/her practical experience rather than a school or a structured method of instruction.

Fencing Master Diploma – Need one?

[Adler]

http://www.schermaonline.com/scherma...rder=1&thold=0

I've always found that article to be very simplistic and far too generalised to be of much use.
Ziemek's book gives a much more useful break down of tactical styles of foil fencers and the information on how establish who belongs to which group.

[Inquartata]

I would add that national styles are HUGE generalizations.

There are often bigger differences between individual coaches than between countries or "schools".

Or in other words:

the empirical school. This is the one where the coach relies on his/her practical experience rather than a school or a structured method of instruction.

They can probably ALL be characterized as "empirical", since they are being taught by human beings.

[DavidX]

By the Sword, by Richard Cohen. It gives a great history lesson on fencing schools of the 19th and 20th centuries. I very much doubt you'll find anything technically useful in it, but its a fine read.

Four years ago a student started asking me about this school and that school of fencing. At first I drew a blank. I'm her coach. Should I know this? Then a light went off. "Have you been reading The Princess Bride?" Maybe...

Inigo Montoya: Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. Prepare to die.
Count Rugen: Stop saying that!

he actually says

"Stop say that!"

[ddavis]

he actually says

"Stop say that!"

Not in the book :-)

[DavidX]

theres a book?

[ddavis]

http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Bride...1367562&sr=8-1

[DavidX]

omfg i need that

i want to go to there

[handbags]

Yes! I agreed with DavidX that the library is an excellent resource for information.
There are more books about fencing than there are that teach fencing. By the Sword, by Richard Cohen. It gives a great history lesson on fencing schools of the 19th and 20th centuries.