Teaching a Powerful Lunge

[Flunge]

I'm looking for specific exercises and drills to help students develop longer and more explosive lunges. I coach a high school team, and when my team kids run up against nationally-active fencers, the difference in power of attack is painfully noticeable to me. Part of the problem that I'll never overcome is that I only see my students from November to February. The "natural athletes" develop explosiveness, but many seem to be standing up at the end of their lunge, and fall short on attacks they might be able to land.

Any coaches want to share their secrets?

[Dav3ey]

I knew a coach who recommended this:

Stand at the bottom of a set of steps with one foot at the bottom and other on a comfortable step (maybe the second) as if the steps were the piste and you were fencing "upward".

Practice lunging up the steps -- start short and comfortable, maybe the second to the fourth step.

As you get warmed up and streched out, extend the lunge to end on the next step, then the next. Eventually, the lunge should be almost a one-footed jump up the stairs, landing in a sound lunge position

The theory is that the exercise should
(i) develop strength by increasing the angle at which the thigh must propel the body,
(ii) encourage that explosive lunge by training this almost as a jumping motion, rather than a motion of stepping or falling forward, and
(iii) train the final lunge position to be longer and deeper by creating muscle memory of ending with the knee nearer the chest.

As with any ballistic exercise, all the caveats of stretching, warming up and general care apply.

[veeco]

You mean the difference between a lunge like this:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uczxfen/pics/lunge.jpg

and a lunge like this:

http://www.users.on.net/dtcook/lisa/...os/STfoil2.jpg

You need to explain and show to your fencers that they can land their front foot much further than they are landing it right now, and still be able to recover correctly.

The problem is a lack of both self-confidence and balance.

Start off by putting them in the right lunge position with the fully extended back leg. They don't have to do the right movement to get there, just show them what it feels like to be in the right final position. Show them that their balance sucks (nudge a little bit at their front knee). Now put them back into position and have them extend their back arm and stretch their back shoulder. Nudge again their knee and have them realize that they can stay in position.

Once they have a good feeling of what is the position they should end up in is, have them do lunges and try and attain that position every time. Don't let them slack off. If they are tired then they can make slower lunges but they have to go full length.

You can also:

- Have them do lunges with a large elastic band that has one end attached to their front foot and the other end attached to a pillar of a fixed spot on the wall. This will help them recover and also give them some resitance that they have to work against when doing the actual lunge. Without the elastic in a real bout it will seem really easy.

- If they have strong knees they can do lunges with some weight on a bar on their shoulders (just like they would do when doing squats)

- Practice with those weighted balls: 2 partners facing each other, one lunges and at the end of the lunge throws the ball, the other needs to recover and catch it at the same time. Then the one who caught it sends it back.

- Finally, you can have a long piece of rope go around their back, stand in front of them with the ends of the rope in your hands, and when you pull on the rope, they must lunge. This will increase their distance, and they have to work against the rope to recover.

[angrylemur]

for actual pushing power, you can try this (this will make them understand the pushing part of the lunge a lot better)

have them do a few lunges. they have them squat as low as they can on their back leg and jump up (using only their back leg) 5 or 6 times. have them do a few more lunges, and i guaruntee you will notice an increase in lunging power.

anyone who doesn't believe me, try this next day you train. it can work miracles.

[Artisan]

Originally posted by veeco
You mean the difference between a lunge like this:

http://www.ucl.ac.uk/~uczxfen/pics/lunge.jpg

and a lunge like this:

http://www.users.on.net/dtcook/lisa/...os/STfoil2.jpg

Veeco:
Excellent use of obscure web references to illustrate a principle!

I would add as a highlight to your point that there is a distinction regarding the the components of a "powerful" lunge. The lunge itself is not about strength as much as it is about form and economy. For example, motion that is not forward is wasted. Do the shoulders travel in an arc because of a hopping motion, or is it a straight line to the final position? Where I'm learning to fence, a form of "accelerated attack" is taught that relies on a slow start and increasing velocity until its termination, the effect of which is that to the opponent it seems like it is incredibly fast since the slow start phase occurs "below the radar " and is easily disguised as the beginning of an advance or other preparation.
WHat has been helpfull to me is during lunge drills is to a) concentrate on the BACK leg, and b) focus on the measured exhalation of breath during a lunge. The breathing thing tends to counteract the natural tendancy for the entire torso to tighten during a concerted aggressive action like a lunge. With a relaxed torso (and weapon arm) composed attackes or parries can be better implemented.

BTW: how did you manage to pull those phot ref's out of the ether?

[veeco]

Originally posted by Artisan

BTW: how did you manage to pull those phot ref's out of the ether?

I went to google image search, and typed the words "lunge fencing" in the search box. I was presented with a list of thumbnails from which I chose the ones I was interested in.

Google rocks.

[Flunge]

These are great suggestions. Thanks! I'm going to give each a try. It really is confidence at its heart. I can show them how to launch a strong lunge and land well, but until it becomes "comfortable territory" they're loathe to use it.

-Searching for the Perfect Lunge

[Flunge]

Luckily, none of my kids lunge like that first image. But they certainly aren't at the second.

(I decided I should take those pictures down -- another of my former fencers recognized them, and those were both good high school fencers caught at a bad moment -- your critiques of them were right on target, by the way)

[veeco]

Originally posted by Flunge


Not all that bad

He or She is compensating for the lack of length in the lunge by over reaching with the body. It's bad because the lack of balance at this point means that it's going to be hard to come back on guard. Also, it seems like his or her butt is sticking out, but it may be because of the over reaching with the body.

Originally posted by Flunge

Welll, maybe she didn't need to lunge to reach her opponent

Yes, but she also has her front knee in a pretty bad position. It's inside instead of inline with her ankle. Also, her butt is sticking out too.

Tell your students to stand proud, lift those torsos up when fencing and show that they are superior!

[Dav3ey]

Neither of these fencers is driving forward with the back hip. The best way to extend one's lunge is to press the back hip down and forward toward the front foot. The further you need to lunge, the further you should step out and the more you need to drive with the back hip.

Leaning forward with the torso shifts your center of gravity over your front foot making it impossible to advance or -- more dangerously for us parry-risposte (read: risk-averse) fencers -- retreat. You've become the proverbial one-legged wo/man in an ***-kicking contest.

It also taxes your lower back. (Hey, that's a big deal for we who are on the down-slope of the "hill"!)