Coach Teaching Multiple Weapons

[phidias99]

Is it realistic to think that a coach who has trained and has more experience with one weapon be a good coach in other weapons even though he never fenced with them competitively? For instance, if a coach teaches mainly sabre can he be a good foil/epee coach, as well?

[Szermierz]

Originally Posted by phidias99

Is it realistic to think that a coach who has trained and has more experience with one weapon be a good coach in other weapons even though he never fenced with them competitively? For instance, if a coach teaches mainly sabre can he be a good foil/epee coach, as well?

There are some excellent examples of this:

-Janusz Smolenski at DCFC is an extremely well-regarded epee coach. He trained and competed as a sabre fencer.

-Dariusz Gilman also at DCFC is a sabre fencer and coach, but did coach a Vet World Champion women's epee fencer.

-Aladar Kogler is considered one of the best epee coaches this country has ever had. He too, was a sabre fencer.

-Ed Korfanty and Arkady Burdan each had top epee fencers before they became big names in women's sabre.

-David Tyshler and Zbigniew Czajkowski are world coaching legends and have had an impact in all three weapons. They were predominantly sabre fencers (though, they each had experience in ll three weapons).

The most important thing here might be that these people are all trained as coaches. A casual competitor in one weapon may not be th best pick for coaching another.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Szermierz

-Aladar Kogler is considered one of the best epee coaches this country has ever had. He too, was a sabre fencer.

Aladar has had a lot of success in all three weapons. Keeth and Erin Smart, for example, were both originally his students and each became top US fencers while working with him.

[MdA]

Originally Posted by Szermierz

.....
The most important thing here might be that these people are all trained as coaches. A casual competitor in one weapon may not be th best pick for coaching another.

I agree with this statement. If a person has a good foundation in fencing pedagogy, they can successfully teach all three weapons with some specialized training.

There is a danger with so-called "hobby" coaches who may be missing some basic fundamental concepts. They may incorrectly apply these fundamentals when teaching the weapons with which they are least familiar.

A very high level competitor has an advantage. Although they may not have specialized training in the other weapons, they have usually been around fencing competitions and training for a long time. They will become intrinsically aware of the differences between the different weapons.

[catwood1]

I don't think Andy Ma was ever a competitive foil fencers, although I would say he is one of the better foil coaches in the country, and consistently has fencers in the top of points lists in both sabre AND foil.

[whiteandbluefencer]

My coach at my club back home is mainly a foil coach, and she competed in foil when she was competitive... but when I ask for them, she gives me lessons in epee.

[DangerMouse]

Some of the best epee lessons I've had are from coaches that used to fence foil primarily:
Szele (I don't have another name) from Budapest and
Jean Claude Magnon, one of the great French foilists, now in Marseille running an epee only club.

[Wetmelon]

Bernie at my club is 70+ - he fences sabre when he's competing, but he teaches (And is very good at) all 3 weapons. A coach teaching several weapons doesn't matter...

"Those who can't do teach."

By this cliché, you don't even have to be good at the weapon to teach it