Injuries?

[shenyingwu]

I'm just wondering what kind of injuries are common to the world of fencing? I am also wondering are injuries more common when fencing sabre then with foil or epee? I have become interested in fencing however my job requires that i do not break any fingers or hands, lol. I have trained in martial arts all my life however had recently been switching to less and less high impact arts(muay thai to gung-fu then to taekwando). As with any strenuous physical activity one risks being injured. However, in fencing, what is usually most commonly injured or subjected to the most strain and stress. Are you likely to take disorienting blows to the head or maybe get stabbed in the eye?

[corinna2u]

When you first join, the biggest thing that gets injured is your ego. But don't worry, it usually recovers to a much healthier level.

[wflaschka]

I also cherish my fingers. I've hurt my non-weapon hand more than my weapon hand -- getting zinged with whip-overs from bendy blades.

Over the years, I have:
Slipped and done the splits while lunging, it is not soothing. Sprained an ankle. Blisters. Large calluses stripping off. Detatched toe-nail. Punctured thigh. None of it incapacitating.

I have seen:
A fat sabre fencer break a leg. A young sabre fencer pop his achilles tendon.

I have heard of:
Torn things in the knee. Loss of eye. Sabre fencer's lung punctured. Death by penetrated mask. (Not all the same guy.)

These last episodes are commonly known, but mostly because they're so rare and shocking. The lesson is clear: Don't fence sabre.

Common complaints arising from bad form = sore back, twisted ankles, pulled thigh muscles. Long-time fencers can worry about their knees -- lunging creates a lot of stress on them. Flickers of a certain sort have experienced a form of tennis elbow. If you make it to the finals of a high-level tournament, chances are you will fall off the elevated strip at some point.

As far as I can see, fencing is one of the safest sports around. In 20 years, I've seen very little injury drama. A few weeks ago we took a fencer to the hospital and I went along just for the fun of it. We thought his finger was broken from a whip-over, but it was just a bruise. He was a sabre fencer.

Once, years ago during high school choir, a girl persevered in somehow dislocating her knee. We were all surprised.

[jeff]

To echo wflaschka's comments: serious injuries due to the weapon are spectacular but incredibly rare. The overwhelming majority of fencing injuries are athletic ones, and most of those are leg-related (especially knees *sigh*) or related to excessive use.

Biggest risk to your hands probably is blisters... if you're prone to that then put tape or band-aids around your fingers till your callouses come in.

Good luck, and enjoy fencing.

Oh, unrelated but useful: In fencing, hand motion preceeds foot motion, unlike the unarmed martial arts where typically it's "stance before strike".

[shenyingwu]

Is Fencing Full Contact. Well i guess this question only applies to sabre(well i don't know how hard you can poke or stab someone with a foil or epee) Well i guess my question is when fencing sabre are you free to strike one(slash) as hard as you want? I know in fencing you try to gain a point by touch not necessarily render your opponent unconcious but is it legal? I've had training in escrima and kendo both of which utilizes thick and protective armor. Fencing seems to use a lot thinner clothing.

[sabrebelle]

Are you free to strike as hard as you want? To an extent, and at your own risk.

You only need to make contact with your opponant's target area to register a touch in sabre, so there is no need to hit hard. However, you can hit fairly hard without penalty, as long as the director doesn't decide that you have used excessive violence in the action, which is a cardable offense, but rarely called.

As a rule, it is better to hit as lightly as possible. If for no other reason than the satisfaction of landing a touch without your opponant feeling it.

Also, to hit hard you usually have to wind up--attack from the shoulder, so to speak--which can be a symptom of an improper extension. Winding up also means that your opponant knows where you're attacking from, which will make landing a touch on any decent fencer very difficult.

In competition, the director will probably ignore how hard you hit, but your opponant will take revenge. An opponant that has been pounded on in the first two exchanges will either a) return the favor, or b) stop letting you hit them at all....both of which are unpleasant and undermining to your fencing and your reputation.

[WoodsideDr]

I find it interesting that the newer the fencer the harder the hit. Subtlety comes with practice, and creates a lot of advantages as well.

One piece of advice re: injuries. Wear your platron or chest protector, even in practice. You just never know. Left mine off last week and have bruised rib to show for it.

[jeff]

You are absolutely not allowed to hit as hard as you can. While different directors tolerate different levels of force, the rules are very clear. "Brutal" force, and deliberately hitting as hard as possible can get you ejected from the competition, and from future competitions as well. It won't make you popular in your club, either (and more experienced fencers may either avoid you or punish you in turn to teach you a lesson). Don't do it.

Hitting and being hit is part of the game - it is a contact sport after all. We've all gone home wearing bruises (and handed out a few), but the less of that the better. As mentioned, winding up for a hard hit will probably telegraph or slow your attack, so it's not the best strategy anyway. The sabre is (in concept) a sharp weapon, not a club.

Yes, wear your plastron and other safety equipment at all times. I know a good foil fencer who got a punctured lung from fencing without one.