INTRODUCTION  

Schools may well become the major player in introducing fencing to the masses, but the clubs will remain the breeding grounds for the serious competitors.  This Learn-to-Fence program of awards has been specifically designed for both School and Fencing Clubs.

Class instruction as taught by the Instructor-Moniteur should be used in the Schools for teaching fencing en-mass but for quality instruction nothing equals the individual lesson.  The Club Coach or Entraineur must be proficient in both of these forms of instruction.

For the Fencing Club Coach/Entraineur this is the most up-to-date, learn-to-fence introduction available.    As the student's progress through the various levels of fencing skill proficiency (bronze, silver and gold), the Coach learns to teach the program through both class instruction (bronze level), and through a series of individual lessons (bronze, silver and gold levels).   At the end of the entire course of instruction, the student has acquired a competent level of competition fencing performance and the Coach has given over 30 individual lessons to each student.    The pedagogy works, it has successfully been taught to thousands of fencers both in Canada and Australia, many of whom have progressed to attained Provincial-State, National and International levels of competition fencing proficiency.

When teaching a physical activity, you attempt to create ways of making the student aware of the kinaesthetic (feelings and sensations), along with the psychology (control of the thought process) that accompany the performance of the activity.  The sport-specific psychology becomes a natural development of maintaining these sensations and thought, against the numerous and varying inhibitors found in competition performance.

Student's learn totally, through an awareness of each and every sport-specific action.   This must be a total awareness, and not just a partial awareness, of say, the mechanics and/or the technique of the skill.    The Coach's goal is to teach the physical biomechanics and the sport-specific thought that accompanies the successful performance of each skill. Pedagogically, this awareness should be continually, positively reinforced.  The key to making this program effective comes from the fun ways that the skills can be reinforced in games, drills, bouting and competition formats. 

Often, the initial introduction to fencing is taught through class instruction.   This instruction should be based on the Whole-Part-Whole and Project learning coupled with neuro-linguistic-programming.  Students learn the principles of play by developing an awareness of the kinaesthetic feel and the mental-thought that accompanies the performance of the fundamental sport-specific fencing skills. The Whole-Part-Whole concept means that you firstly look at the Whole (playing the game - the fundamental principle of Distance or Priority Fencing and then you examine a Part of the game (the individual skills) and finally, return to the Whole and apply the newly learnt part into the game, round-robin bouting or various competition formats.  Each class should follow this Whole-Part-Whole structure.

Successful competitive fencing cannot be taught entirely through class instruction.  It is essential to create competitive sport-specific situations and examine the associated feelings and thought that accompany this higher level of performance.  This can only be achieved through one-on-one interaction found in the individual lesson.  

In clubs it is often the case that students are still not confident enough after an 8-10 week learn-to-fence course to leave the security of the class environment.  They need an intermediate class, to bridge the gap, before receiving instruction entirely through individual tuition. In this situation when an intermediate class is used to teach the silver syllabus,  one of the objectives is to introduce the students to the individual lesson.  This is achieved by reinforcing the "parts" instruction through mini (5 min) one-on-one tuition while progressively developing the various stages of an individual lesson.  The gold level syllabus of fencing proficiency can only be achieved through a series of individual lessons. 

The sport-specific pedagogical stepping stones:

The basics must be first established before competitive training can be incorporated, these are the fundamental skills (distance and priority awareness) needed to start performing the activity.  These pre-requisite skills are first established, and then used in practicing the fundamental principles of play (simple attacks, parry & riposte and feint deception attacks) by experiencing fencing through a modified version of the game (distance fencing).   Students start to learn to monitor their awareness of the sport-specific skills that comprise the fundamental principles of play. 

The pedagogy of whole-part-whole allows the student to better relate the new instructional part, to the complete game.   The initial whole is a simplified version of fencing (Distance fencing) which involves the pre-requisite skills of footwork (en-garde and lunge positions, advance and retreat) and distance.  This becomes a warm-up exercise for the serious fencers' training.   The parts are the instructional components of the game: Simple attacks, Parries and ripostes, Compound attacks i.e. Feint deception attacks, Preparations of attack, Lines and Derobements, Counter-time, etc.  The final whole is putting all together in a variety of formats used in fencing competition and training (round robins, pools with bouts of 5 touches, direct-elimination with bouts of 15 touches, teams of 3-4 and progressive team matches, etc.).

The pre-requisite fencing skills includes:

• The stance (en-garde)

• Footwork (advance/retreat)

• Attack (lunge)

• and an understanding of distance and priority, as well as a practical knowledge of the performance procedure (en-garde, ready, fence, halt, handshake and elementary officiating which also reinforces the understanding of priority), distance fencing, basic defence (parry and riposte) and the concept of fake (feint) deceive (the response) and attack (compound attacks). 

The Entraineur/Coach should start by teaching form, i.e. the  technique of the actions.  That is,  how to lunge, parry quarte, feint, etc. 

The actions should be taught along with:

 a.        An understanding of the conventions

• a parry, to be successful, should momentarily deflect the attack,  

• a feint, to be successful, should create a response (most often defensive i.e.. parry/s), etc.

 b.        An awareness of the feelings and sensations that accompany correct performance.

When teaching these actions attempt to make the student feel how they are performed.   Some examples might be:

• the feel of the point pulling the fingers and arm forward at the start of the lunge.

• the feel of continuous, smooth flowing progression of point, hand, arm and foot in the performance of the lunge.

• the feel of the balance of the body remaining the same from the en-garde position to the conclusion of the lunge.

• the awareness of focusing on a specific spot on the target, and the accuracy of touching that exact spot when lunging.

• the feel of stability and balance at the conclusion of the lunge. Feeling the back foot flat and firm on the ground.

• the feel of the touch (not a punch, poke, wallop, smash or jab) at the conclusion of the lunge.

c.         An awareness of focus & direction-of-thought, that accompany successful performance such as:

• during attacks the focus-of-attention should be on a particular spot on the target, and when the response occurs (an attempt to parry, no response at all, or an offensive response (stop-hit/counter-attack) the direction-of-thought must be maintained on the target and not allowed to transfer (it will often transfer to the opponent's blade).

• during parry/ripostes, the focus is again on a particular spot on the opponent's target.   Maintaining distance and at the last possible moment, the attack is parried.   The timing of when to parry is associated with the opponent's body and not their blade.

The awareness must be on the target and your touch/riposte.  If either, the focus or the thought is distracted to the opponent's blade then you have lost control.

Fencing must be one of the most demanding sports for control, not only of reflexes and movement, but also of focus of attention and thought.  The athlete needs to understand that competition becomes the ultimate test of self-control.

Once these actions have been taught and a fairly decent understanding of the conventions of the game have been laid, the lesson format should change to:

• Expressing the moves - a feint is not simply an extension of the arm but an expressed provocation, and

• Reinforcing these competitive skills against all the possibilities that can be expected from the opponent.  i.e. When a student does a feint of an attack, he/she should be quite comfortable with all the possible responses that might occur, such as an attempt to parry (all types of parries), a  stop-hit/counter-attack, or nothing at all.   This is reinforcing focus and thought control.

When teaching attacks emphasize timing (when to attack) and distance awareness.  A simple attack is an attack which attempts to score before the opponent can parry while a compound attack incorporates a feint which provokes and deceives a parry/s in an attempt to score.    The student must be aware of the target area as it moves.   If the student is told to concentrate completely on the target, to that exact spot that they intend to touch, then this forces their central-vision to focus on that spot and their direction-of-thought (external narrow) to concentrate on the task at hand, i.e. to touch that particular spot to score the point.   With this form of concentration (central-focused, external-narrow) this allows peripheral-vision to be utilized for the deception of the blade, which of course, is the better type of vision suited for fast movement.

Once a student has mastered the techniques, completely understands the conventions, is able to express their intent and can competitively cope with the various sport-specific reactions and responses of an opponent, the role of the individual lesson must change to specific examples of tactics, where the student and coach work co-operatively, setting up situations (opponents) and looking at possible solutions.   At this stage, the fencer is honing in on specific tactics (setting up and preparing  tactics) tuning-in to the correct movement patterns (timing and distance) and reinforcing positive, focused thought. 

The student needs to learn more of the application of tactics in fencing, so emphasize the need to practice these skills while bouting.   Start by giving as many individual lessons as possible.  One lesson a week will give a slow, but progressive development.   Increase the number of lessons per week and you'll increase the speed of development.   Successful and competent fencing proficiency can take anywhere from 3 to 5 years to accomplish but once achieved will provide an elite level of satisfaction.

As the fencer progresses in standard, less formal lessons are required but the actual sport-specific bouting should increase proportionally.

The lesson then becomes the reinforcement of the feelings accompanying correct technique and  the expression of actions, while maintaining control over focus and direction-of-attention by the fencer, throughout the entire lesson as the Entraineur/Coach attempts to stress, distract and inhibit this control with a variety of possible responses that can occur during competition situations.

Open-Eye instruction becomes the athlete's competition and bouting warm-up. By time the competition comes around the student should not only know the moves, but be training open-eye reactions and responses, controlling neuro-muscular performance and fine-tuning psychological, technical, and tactical aspects of the sport-specific actions.

The levels of proficiency should be taught in relation to the open-eye individual lesson:  

The Bronze is taught using whole-part-whole and project, learning principles with neuro-linguistic programming to examine the physiological, technical, psychological and tactical sport-specific components of the sport.  The teaching goals are to create a sound foundation for future sport-specific development and to prepare the student for competition fencing. 

Many Government Education Department's policies on sport education recommend schools and local community sports-clubs develop pathways to allow students to further develop their sporting interests.     Fencing clubs should consider providing a trained and accredited Entraineur-Coach to run an after-school fencing class/club at local primary and/or secondary schools.  This school-to-club link is essential for successful sport growth and development.   You can be assured, this strategy will eventually become the club's main source of membership and after a number of years, will develop a reasonable level of competition success.

The Silver level of the Proficiency Achievement Awards Program introduces the athlete to the individual lesson.     At the conclusion of this level the student will have a firm grasp of the fundamental principles and sport-specific basics of fencing along with an understanding and application of tactics.  Schools can continue into this level, however the class should be run as an after-school fencing club that provides group footwork, instruction, bouting and games as well as mini (5 min) individual foil lessons.   The silver level is the transition from class instruction and group training to individual lessons and training in pairs.   The FENCING THEORY booklet can be inexpensively photocopied and distributed during the silver level.  The booklet must be photocopied in totality, however there is nothing stopping you from including additional pages at the front and rear of the booklet to publicize your club.

The Gold level concludes the Proficiency Achievement Awards Program.   At the conclusion of a further series of individual lessons the student will be proficient in the sport-specific skills and will have a firm understanding and application of a variety of additional ways in which to score touches (preparations of attack, sur la marche attacks, counter-offensive actions, renewed actions, lines and derobements and counter-time).  At this level the student has the option to continue with foil or to try the other weapons (epee and sabre). If the student so desires they can be introduced to all 3 weapons over the series of individual lessons - i.e. 5 lessons on each weapon.  The syllabus can be covered over the 3 weapons, i.e.. Renewed and opposition actions are easily taught in epee, and lines, derobements and counter-time are well suited to sabre.

Certificates of accomplishment are available at each level: Bronze certificate (introduction), Silver certificate (established fundamental fencing-skills) are available only in Foil, while Gold certificates can be issued in all weapons:

PROFICIENCY ACHIEVEMENT AWARDS

LEARN TO FENCE

This is the athletes introduction to fencing.  The teaching goal is to establish a sound foundation for future development and to prepare the student for competition bouting.   At the end of the course students will be able to fence, preside (officiate) and score bouts in both pool and direct elimination competition formats.   The course can be taught through either class instruction or through a series of individual lessons.

The second level reinforces the sport's fundamental principles and sport-specific basics while developing tactical extensions of the game.   This intermediate level (the silver award) introduces the individual lesson as the primary source of instruction.  The silver award is taught either through an intermediate class or over a further series of individual lessons.   The teaching goals for the silver award are:

• To reduce gross motor actions to more refined specific technique.

• To reinforce and develop a heightened awareness of fencing priority.

• To reinforce and develop a sense of timing.

• To develop sport-specific responses to game situations.

• To introduce other than visual perception skills ie. develop a sense of touch and feel through blade as in "sentiment de fer/feel of the blade".

The gold level concludes the Proficiency Achievement Awards Program and examines all the other sport-specific possibilities of scoring touches.   At this level students can continue to pursue foil or start learning epee and/or sabre.   This level provides the Entraineur-Coach with additional individual lessons.   The goals for the gold award are :

• To develop fine motor coordinated technique. (Footwork & blade-work)

• Refine hand to foot co-ordination. (Point before hand, hand before arm, arm before foot).

• To make the student kinesthetically aware of the feel of correct technique and the thought process of attention control that accompanies successful performance.

• To develop an awareness and feel of Distance, Timing and Priority.

• To allow the student to maintain psychological control against sport-specific distractions/inhibitors.

• To allow the student to sport-specifically express their intent.

• To examine all the various ways of provoking responses.

• To observe and develop an awareness of the opponent and to apply appropriate sport-specific tactics.

To create in the student a sound foundation for future development and to prepare the student for classical competition bouting.

The student will be exposed to the general procedures  (salute,"en-garde, ready ? fence ! ", handshake, refereeing, scoring and bouting systems (pools & D.E.) conventions (fencing time, priority and distance) and  concepts (attack and defence) of fencing.

The students will be encourage to learn through experiencing and analyzing the kinesthetic feel of each of the sport specific skills.

The student will develop skills in movement, distance, attack and defence leading to the controlled simultaneous use of these interrelated skills.

Sport-specific Skills

• Positioning, movement & responses:  En-garde position, advance, retreat, lunge, recovery and distance awareness.

• Fencing Time of each movement and the Timing peculiar to compound (feint and deception) attacks and parry-ripostes.

• Equipment safety and warm-up uses.

• Etiquette including salute and handshake.

• Procedure en-garde, ready ? fence !  halt !

• Bouting Rules: touches (on target, off target, flat, passe) piste rules (dimensions, en-garde line, rear limit, side limit) & penalties (covering target, corps-a-corps, falling, violent actions).

• Distance fencing performed at lunging distance.

• Timing of when to attack and when to parry.

• Priority examples:   Attack verses counter-attack, attack that finishes short (no) verses attack that scores, simultaneous attacks, attack verses line,  attack (parry-riposte) verses remise of the attack, counter-riposte verses remise of the previous riposte.

• Priority Fencing performed at advance-lunging distance.

• Parries (sixte and quarte) and Ripostes (aiming the point before arm movement)

• Attacks: Feint and deception with advance lunge co-ordination. Feint-deceive attacks to be done as two identifiable movements within the sequence.

• Presiding recognizing priority and applying the rules.

• Competition bouting and scoring procedure of both pools and direct elimination formats.

INDIVIDUAL LESSON   Duration 5-10 minutes

En-Garde position.

• Attention to the biomechanics of the position.

Mobility - advance, retreat and lunge.

• Attention to the biomechanics, cues, fencing-time and distance perception of each move.

Touch at close distance (direct and indirect).

• Attention to the cues, timing and co-ordination of the point (finger manipulation) along with the arm (elbow) extension.

Touch (direct and indirect) at advancing distance.

• Attention to the cues, timing,  co-ordination and distance.   The touch should be focused, and make accurate contact with firm delivery. At this stage accuracy is more important than speed.  

Simple Attacks (direct and indirect) with lunge.

• Attention to the cues, timing, co-ordination and distance.

Parries and Ripostes

• Attention to the timing of when to parry - at the last possible moment. 

• The biomechanics involved with the parry position itself.

• The co-ordination of the point (finger control aims the point) with the extension (elbow) of the riposte.

• Parry quarte, riposte.

• Parry sixte, riposte.

Ripostes with advance.

• Attention to the co-ordination of the point and arm extension with the movement of the feet and body.

Counter ripostes.

• Exchange using quarte and sixte ripostes.

Compound Attacks (feint direct and indirect) with advance lunge.

• Establish priority on the first step.  Attention to the cues, timing and co-ordination.

• Point deception of the attempted parry occurs prior to the lunge.

• The point of the foil should touch as the front foot of the lunge lands.

Compound Attacks with an advance lunge.

• Reinforce the awareness of priority by establishing "open-eye" control to the various responses.  That is, when the student attacks, you act as the opponent who:     

Over the course of lessons the Entraineur-Coach slowly and progressively increases and mixes-up these various responses.

Date Last Modified: 07 Dec 2011