boxing and fencing relation

[deadly lefty]

the more and more I get into the symantics of fencing I realize how much its like boxing. I have been boxing for just as long as Ive been fencing (thirteen years if you must know) and I just thought I was a natural good fencer

[retardedspleen]

fencing is like boxing...without the brain damage



Fencing has a lot in common with a lot of sports, Jeet Kune do, boxing... they all help each other out, when practiced


Chris Triplett

[frenzl]

all the individual sports are similar because it is all mental- almost

[lfortier]

hmmmm. you would think that youd get alot of that jabbing motion while you fence-Do you?

[Thomas]

*cracks knuckles*

FENCING is so similiar to so many things that its just silly. When I took archery lessons the stance was the right knee slightly bent forward and the left back leg straight. Next my kung fu classes had a stance called a bow stance. Exactly like archery the bow stance was the right leg bent forward and the left back leg straight. Then fencing came along. The lunge stance. Right leg bent forward and left back leg straight. In fencing the cross over step is similiar to the preperation for a hook kick or side kick in kung fu. In tai chi many of the straight sword techniques were thrusts, one was even holds resembelence to a parry four like in fencing. The jacket that fencers wear is the exact same design as a gi in kung fu. I could go on for a few more hours but I need to go to the mall now.

[Rolls]

I think boxing probably has a lot more in common with fencing because it has a similar historic development. They come from the same places, same times, etc.

Rolls.

[GGK]

Uriah Jones was a boxer who came over to foil fencing, late. He became national champion in 1971 (at 51y.o.)

[deadly lefty]

Originally posted by lfortier
hmmmm. you would think that youd get alot of that jabbing motion while you fence-Do you?

yeah I am not a very elegant fencer but it works with all the excitment and my height. I think this is fine as long as I dont get caught up in it myself and kep my head(by that I mean my Brain) relaxed

[retardedspleen]

Originally posted by lfortier
hmmmm. you would think that youd get alot of that jabbing motion while you fence-Do you?

on the retreat close distance, and make a quick attack into prep... seems similar enough to me.


Chris Triplett

[Army Fencer]

Nice avatar, deadly. I suppose I should be flattered...

My plebe year, we had to take boxing as a required class. I'll just say that fencing was absolutely no help. In fact, I was so used to fencing, that I tried to transpose as much as I could, but ended up just getting jabs to the face.

I don't like boxing much.

[deadly lefty]

oh hehe I knew you'd like it. yeah I think its easier to go from boxing to fencing then from fencing to boxing

[741]

Yes, there's a lot similar between the two, but a huge difference between them is that you have to be physically tougher to do boxing.

[walrus418]

I also boxed in my younger days at the Academy and found that boxing caused some training distraction for fencing. Being right handed, the boxing stance (with the right hand back) was just the opposite of the fencing stance (with the right hand forward). In addition, I had to overcome a propensity to jab, which is not the best approach for fencers, especially with the foil. It might be helpful to the epeeists though ...

I wonder whether other "weaponed" sports (such as kendo) might have some training distractors, such as the use of both hands, or the more open (nonlinear) execution of the sport.

[jBirch]

Walrus418,

Yup. I did Iaido, Kendo, Aikido, Judo and Boxing for a while before settling on Fencing. Never played with Kobuto or anything with stick-work so maybe some more of that is applicable. Jo, bokken, shinai and gloves for me!

The motions in Eastern blade arts are more circular and the footwork more oblique then the linearity of fencing. As well, the eastern skills are single time (direct attack with footwork preparation) whereas fencing is double time (Parry-Riposte). Some of the skills transited over very nicely, especially those relating to distance, timing, opponent analysis and calming your mind. The footwork didn't and had to be unlearned as did most of the handwork and body positioning.

Training the two at the same time was quite confusing.

[edit]
Oh yeah, and getting hit in the head is the same in any combat sport. Working through that distraction also came over quite well.
[/edit]

Hope this helps.

[gojujay]

All the "martial" arts, sports, games... rely on the same basic principles. Distance, timing and technique. That triangle is all there is.

Also, single time techniques work very well in fencing... just very difficult to pull off. But, oh, when you do it's like magic.

[Inquartata]

Originally posted by walrus418
Being right handed, the boxing stance (with the right hand back) was just the opposite of the fencing stance (with the right hand forward). In addition, I had to overcome a propensity to jab, which is not the best approach for fencers, especially with the foil. It might be helpful to the epeeists though ...

One of the hottest trends in boxing, though, is right-handers fighting like southpaws: right leg forward, jabbing with the right. Very much like fencing ( and I've read articles drawing direct comparisons between the two sports and even alleging direct influences ).

[Borrissey]

I have boxed/kickboxed for two years now and I started fencing lessons Jan.8.

Because I have use my left-handed jab for so long, I feel more natural holding a weapon in my left hand and using a left-hand stance.

The weird thing? I'm a hard-core righty.

Cheers.

[gojujay]

Power hand forward has a long history in eastern martial arts. I believe Bruce Lee advocated it in his Jeet Kun Do style, although he was kind of re-inventing the wheel. The main reason for the power hand back is to for beginners to generate power. Power hand/leg forward power generation is very advanced for usable techniques. I'm not sure but I think EARLY boxing had a similar stance i.e. power hand forward.

The only place I've seen weak hand forward in fencing is in historical fencing, usually with two weapons or in SCA stuff.