Okay, well I'm going to a private school next year and they dont have a "real" fencing team, so I'm planning on starting one. However, they do have theatrical fencing taught by an olympic fencer (I think her name was Dara....something, sry i'm not too famaliar with her). So wut exactly is the difference between theatrical and competitive fencing? Would I gain anything by being in that class? Or will i get some bad habits?
No, you won't get anything out of that class if you want to learn how to fence.
If she was an Olympic fencer, why doesn't she teach sport fencing? Perhaps you could get your school to let you start a club with her as the coach. That would be your best option.
Originally posted by star00girl Okay, well I'm going to a private school next year and they dont have a "real" fencing team, so I'm planning on starting one. However, they do have theatrical fencing taught by an olympic fencer (I think her name was Dara....something, sry i'm not too famaliar with her). So wut exactly is the difference between theatrical and competitive fencing? Would I gain anything by being in that class? Or will i get some bad habits?
yeah....i just researched it on google. It's so....so exaggerated *shudders* I'm praying that fencing will never become like wut I saw....
Competetive fencing is fought with only three weapons, theatrical fencing can use any weapon. Competetive fencing is about being efficient, theatrical fencing is about being flashy. Competetive fencing is about hitting the target, deceivin your opponent, and is totally improvisational; theatrical fencing is prescripted, totally visible, and not hitting your opponent for a long time. Competetive fencing is lamented for being too fast for spectators to see, theatrical fencing is slow enough to always be seen.
If it's between theatrical and nothing, I'd say go for theatrical. It's better than nothing.
Originally posted by star00girl umm....u guys... I know how to fence, it's not like this is my first class
Ummm, well we really would have no way of knowing that,since you are "just joined" to this forum.
Why not see if you can get her to be the faculty advisor of a club? Have you suggested that?
I can not imagine why your school would have a theatrical fencing class, rather than sport fencing. (unless , perhaps, it is a performing arts school?)
I can not imagine why your school would have a theatrical fencing class, rather than sport fencing. (unless , perhaps, it is a performing arts school?)
I could see it. There's a good chance they aren't even making contact in the theatrical class. That means that there is no need for protective equipment, cheaper costs, no liability issues, and so forth. Plus, it'd probably be a lot easier to convince a school to do a theatrical fencing class that costs virtually nothing than to get them to add a new sport. Sports tend to be expensive.
I would say take the class, but bear in mind that it WON'T be helping your fencing at all. It would be a nice addition to your "fencing resume". Also, you might learn a little about the history of fencing not to mention that it might be fun.
Stage fencing is entirely different from sport fencing. Stage fencing, you're going for two things 1. not having anyone actually get hurt 2. making it look pretty, including for the poor schmucks in the back row. This means few real thrusts, lots of parries and huge actions. I see stage combat( of all kinds not just sword fights), from what little I know about it, as dance. When they say they choreograph it that's a very appropriate term. I will disclaim that I learned this from watching other's choreograph fights, and that I am in no way qualified to do so myself, thought I'd love to learn, or teach anyone else how to do so. But the way stage combat works is you work out what you're going to do and then do it in ultra slow motion (okay I thrust at you, you parry, step aside, then close distance, we lock blades I push you away, you stumble) You either don't hit anyone, or you barely touch them, they provide the reaction themselves (they aren't stumbling back because you pushed them, they make themselves stumble back at the appropriate moment). Gradually you work it up so that it goes thrust-parry-sidestep-close-push-stumble., but that's not how it starts and by the time you see it on stage it has been worked to death. It seems that in stage fencing the emphasis is on the parry, in sport fencing it's on the hit. Although at my high school the foils looked like regular dry fencing foils with a French grip. What they really were I wouldn't know.
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I'd say look into starting your own club. That's what I would do anyway. The key to having a succesful club if you don't have coaching experience is to do a lot of footwork drills.
-la bouche
Originally posted by Wizardly If it's between theatrical and nothing, I'd say go for theatrical. It's better than nothing.
I don't necessarily agree with that. One can pick up a ton of bad habits with theatrical fencing that can really be harmful if one goes back to competative fencing. And once someone gets set in their ways...
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