PREPARATION FOR COMPETITIONS

This article appeared in A GUIDE TO FENCING COMPETITIONS Edited by J. Forsyth and Published by the Sala Bella Vista Fencing Club, Victoria, Australia in 1968

     PREPARATION FOR COMPETITIONS

TECHNICAL

Without technical proficiency one will not reach full fencing capacity.   Technique consists of blade manipulation and point accuracy, and linked to this, of course, is sense of distance and cadence.   The pupil's training is gradually increased in quantity and tempo as the competition draws near.   The Master will guide his pupil and will always devote part of the lesson to technique.   Pure repetitive and technical exercises will be continued during the two months preparation for the competition.   In these exercises the pupil is working on complete mastery of the blade, the deceptions and evasions of opponents' parries and attempts to take the blade, remises and redoubles, parries and ripostes, and all in a continuous and repetitive pattern.   A fencer must be able to continue a phase and must not break off or revert to instinctive jabs.   Point control is continually practised in the training lesson, and the placing of the hit must be planned so that the pupil is always able to hit a given part of the target.   The Master will also concentrate on the pupil's cadence, making sure that pure unrelated speed (blind, thoughtless rush) does not creep in but that the actions are executed with correct timing and  cadence.   With the experienced and controlled fencer the Master will vary his cadence and so induce adaptations and changes in the pupil's timing/   However, these must be controlled, and the Master must ease off if panic reactions develop.   During the last month of training the lessons develop into fighting lessons.   Commands are kept to a minimum, and pupil must react by observation and sense of touch.   The Master re-creates examples and patterns of reactions likely to be met with in a competition.   He will fight the pupil and lead him to the right strokes, perfecting the pupil's ability to pick the weak spots in a fencer's game.   The fencer must continue his training in the club, diligently perfecting his strokes and changing his opponents frequently, and finishing each bout with a contest for five hits.   Competition training must be regular and progressive.   During the first month the training nights should be "stepped up" to a minimum of three times a week and increased to at least four times in the second and final month up to the last week.   During the last week, two visits to the club should be made for a lesson.   The pupil should leave early without any bouting.

PHYSICAL

The physical training should also start two months before the competition.   This of course must be done voluntarily, with the pupil keeping a timetable and performance sheet which will be checked at regular intervals by the Master.   The programme should include running (short bursts), weight training and power-training.   Power-training consists of warm-up (skipping, kicking, trunk bending, jumping and arm exercises), stretching exercises with light weights and circuit training.   The programme will gradually increase until a week before the event.   During the last week, muscle tone is maintained by light stretching exercises.   Again, the training must be regular and preferably daily during the last month, excluding the final week.   The Master must help the pupil as to the amount of P.T. to be done, making sure that it is sufficient and not tiring the pupil, taking into consideration his job, sedentary or active, the amount of fencing being done and his/her physical capabilities and conditions. 

MENTAL

This is a very important and often neglected part of a fencer's preparation.   During the training period a feeling of expectancy and desire to "do battle" must be built up.   Ambition to succeed must be paramount, and the whole approach must be "forward looking".   There are many outside factors that can hinder the development of the right approach to competition.   Apathetic fencers, the ridicule of enthusiasm in others, insufficient build-up (publicity) of a competition, a badly organised competition, the sameness of competitions and the unfortunate habit of not giving a championship the worth and merit it should have or the merit due to the champion.   Every competition must be "an event", a Gala day, and the champions must be "feted" while they remain on top.   Once a championship has been lost, the loser should not be ridiculed.   With this approach it is a reasonably easy task to obtain enthusiasm and ambition from the fencers.   To prepare the fencers' mental approach for the competition the Master must know his pupil and have confidence in him.   The pupil must feel this and so have confidence in himself.   Enthusiasm is maintained by the Master's own enthusiasm.   Discussions arising from the training are serious and analytical.   With confidence gained through the Master's approach, his lessons and his guidance of physical training, the pupil is now nearly ready for the competition.   However he must be made to feel "competition hungry".   He is  therefore forbidden to fence during the last week but permitted to take two lessons in order to keep his form.   On the day of the competition the pupil must arrive before the listed starting time and be ready to fence at least tree-quarters of an hour before his name is called.   Naturally the Master will also be there giving moral support and confidence.   A quarter of an hour should be spent warming up with light P.T. and running followed by a quarter-hour lesson from the Master.   This lesson should be smooth and relaxing from the start, concentrating on rhythm, timing, blade manipulation, point control and distance.   During the last five minutes of the lesson the rhythm is increased and the fighting lesson developed.   This is followed by a corrective tone-down.   The pupil should now be physically co-ordinated and relaxed but mentally alert.   This now leaves a quarter of an hour for complete rest, where the pupil will keep warm and wait.   He must have no distractions but must let the atmosphere of competition soak in, expectantly waiting to hear his name called for the first bout.