teaching footwork

[Blackbird]

I'm a college student with two friends who have recently taken up an interest in sabre. Since they have no interest in joining the team and we have no money I've been trying to teach them myself and have found it near impossible to convince them that footwork is necessary.
I've tried telling them the things that I've been told over my brief fencing career: the stance is good for balance, it lets you change direction quickly, it gives power to your lunge, it helps prevent the dreaded foot crossing, etc, but they still insist they're fine allowing their back foot to drift over and bringing their feet together as their front feet point to the side.
So does anyone have any advice for these reluctant students? I really don't want to give up on them; one of them is wonderful with blade work, while the other has amazing patience that would make for an excellent drill partner.
The only big problem is the feet.

[Goldgar]

I'm a college student with two friends who have recently taken up an interest in sabre. Since they have no interest in joining the team and we have no money I've been trying to teach them myself and have found it near impossible to convince them that footwork is necessary.

<pause to laugh> Footwork important to sabre fencing? Surely you jest.

So does anyone have any advice for these reluctant students? I really don't want to give up on them; one of them is wonderful with blade work, while the other has amazing patience that would make for an excellent drill partner.
The only big problem is the feet.

Show them videos of high-level sabre fencing. Ask them if they can find anyone in the videos who routinely does footwork the way they do --occasional tricks don't count. Ask them to look how footwork is used to set up the touch, and whether they can do that with the footwork they're using.

[Allen Evans]

Why are you training these two friends? What's your goal with them? if it's to develop partners for you to fence with, they need to be doing footwork with you , or you will get nothing out of this, defeating your (presumed, on my part) goal.

If they aren't interested in learning footwork, then, no matter what their skills in other areas, they aren't interested in learning to fence. You might couch your instruction in these terms.

[oiuyt]

Why are you training these two friends? What's your goal with them?

Might also want to consider THEIR goals from the training....

-B

[Blackbird]

I have asked them why they're bothering with fencing if they aren't willing to learn footwork. They find it to be fun >.> and it's so uncommon to find people fencing for fun rather than just to win I really don't want to crush that
XD and I do desperately want practice buddies. Real sabres are champs at avoiding extra work
Is there any sort of drill I could use that would force them to use better footwork other than just making them stop and correct after each step?

[Jason]

They find it to be fun

They have already given you the answer, grasshopper.

[Wetmelon]

Is there any sort of drill I could use that would force them to use better footwork other than just making them stop and correct after each step?

Lashes. They mess up, you whip them.

Really though, the videos sound like a great idea, and the other idea is to never attack with your blade, only parry. Then use your (obviously much better) footwork to run your blade into them. Dramatic use of footwork, but maybe making them feel like fools a couple times will convince them. AMAZE THEM!

(Or never parry, just back away and out of reach, which will bug them just as much...)

[Spursfan]

(Or never parry, just back away and out of reach, which will bug them just as much...)

This literally is the only way to teach a vast majority of new fencers. I think I've had two students ever who immediately recognized footwork as an essential part of fencing.

[thekoby]

I feel that the problem is they are your friends, and thus won't take you completely seriously when you are instructing them. They are just wanting to hang out, have fun, and later have the ability to brag that they "know" how to fence. I see it all the time in my club when some of the younger members bring in their friends and try to teach them without consulting any of the instructors first.

Unfortunately you said they have no money, so can't afford to join a club to get help from an experienced coach. It's nice that they want to fence because it looks like a fun sport (AND IT IS!!), but it's not going to be any fun for you bouting with someone you will always beat because they can't do proper footwork. I'll agree with everybody here that you should have them watch some videos of high-end sabre bouts. When you are teaching them blade work, incorporate footwork drills into it (i.e. when they learn to attack in 5 for example have them do two slow advances then a fast advance-luge, or step-lunge for some people, and cut to 5...then eventually speed it up as their footwork gets better so everything is the same, fast tempo).