When in doubt stick your arm out!

-the best piece of fencing advice I've recently red :D And indeed when I see a fleche comming I stick my arm out automatically and many times I'm lucky and people run into my blade :p

So, as my Semester has come to an end I shall soon leave rainy Germany for warmer climates and I wont be posting for a little while.
But first let me post two videos for Epee beginners, from a fencing-techniques series which I've watched quite a few times. It has been heavily criticised by more advanced fencers but for a starter-level I find it very helpful and I haven't found anything better online anyway.

The following video is on finding vulnerabilties on the opponent.

Flicks and Angles for Epee-fencing:

That's all for now! Have fun watching!

Warm greetings to Beno  ;)

Fencing ads

Curtain falls for european senior fencing championship '11

And yes it's all over, today was the 7th and last day of spectacular fencing - no longer will I seat all comfy on my bed with a cup of coffee watching fencers exert themselves. This fantastic event was held in Sheffield, Britain, and I must say the online coverage was great appart from some MASK problems. The streaming video quality was high and the commentators were truly witty. I also enjoyed chatting with other viewers (mostly fencers themselves) on the chat at the screen-side :)

Vezzali (who not so long ago had a baby) celebrating her victory -

a living proof that fencing is not just for the very young.

So here is the medal table:

Rank	Nation	Gold	Silver	Bronze	Total
1	Italy (ITA)	5	2	2	9
2	France (FRA)	1	2	0	3
3	Russia (RUS)	1	1	6	8
4	Germany (GER)	1	1	2	4
5	Ukraine (UKR)	1	1	1	3
6	Switzerland (SUI)	1	0	1	2
7	Hungary (HUN)	0	1	2	3
8	Poland (POL)	0	1	1	2
9	Netherlands (NED)	0	1	0	1
10	Romania (ROU)	0	0	1	1
Total		10	10	16	36

For further results see here.


Being the Epee-biased fencing chick that I am, let me quote from wiki some women's epee results.

Individual

Position	Name	Country
1 !	Tiffany Geoudet	Switzerland
2 !	Britta Heidemann	Germany
3 !	Ana Branza	Romania
3 !	Nathalie Moellhausen	Italy
5.	Malgorzata Stroka	Poland
6.	Bianca del Carretto	Italy
7.	Laura Flessel-Colovic	France
8.	Rossella Fiamingo	Italy

Fencing equipment online

Here are some fencing equipment providers on the web:

• http://www.allstar.de/
• http://www.uhlmann-fechtsport.com/
• http://www.pbtfencing.com/home.html
• http://www.leonpaul.com/
• http://www.duellistfencing.com/

Another place to shop fencing equipment online is ebay. I got my second-hand FIE fencing uniform  there for a fair price. For an amateur like me  second-hand stuff is just fine. Although I'm thinking on investing on a good FIE electric Epee sometime soon.

Fancy Epee guards  for sale on fencing.net

Epee colour blades from StM

Please note this post is non-commercial, I do not claim any of the above to be better than other brands.

Just burbling....

I came back a while ago from my last training for the summer, it was perfect! I just have this wonderful feeling of knowing I did my best. I swetted like a pig^^ and had tones of fun. First I practised parries etc. with the coach and he seemed quite pleased. I think I'm finally improving my 8th and 7th. Then I had a few bouts with a fellow amateuer fencer, who hasn't been training for a while though, so victory was easy. Then I lost from an older member of the club 10-5 but I'm very pleased that I even scored that much. I hope he didn't give any points away but I'm sure he didn't fence to his maximum. Last time we fenced I remember getting an arm dotted with four blue bruises, today I got away with just one so I must be doing something right! Well I think I'm slowly achieving making smaller movements, keeping my arm stretched out and keeping  better distance.
Oh I'm a bit sad I wont be fencing in August... I hope I won't forget everything.

Fencing in the dark!

Lightsaberish combat by junior fencers using "El-wire" (some kind of glowy tape).

Fencing gadgets

Free gadget to downlad for planning tournaments and creating a databace on you pc is fencing time

European Fencing Championship '11

Oh yey tomorrow starts the European Fencing Championship which goes on until the 18 of this month! And you can watch it all online for free here: https://www.247.tv/fencing/freestream
I can't wait!

Just for fun :)

A great site to go on and dilly dally on an extra-rainy day like this is www.fencingsucs.com
where I found ....

The Fencer's Song
(to the tune of "The Lumberjack Song" by Monty Python)

I'm a fencer and I'm okay
I attack all night and retreat all day

I wear a mask, a leather glove
A jacket and lamé
In my dreams, I'm d'Artagnon
The hero of the day

He's a fencer and he's okayHe attacks all night and retreats all day

He wears a mask, a leather glove
A jacket and lamé
In his dreams, he's d'Artagnon
The hero of the day

I'm a fencer and I'm okay
I feint all night and deceive all day

I parry four and circle six
I have a master plan
To be the greatest fencer
To come from Salle Duran

He's a fencer and he's okay
He feints all night and deceives all day

He parries four and circles six
He has a master plan
To be the greatest fencer
To come from Salle Duran

I'm a fencer and I'm okay
I lunge all night and ache all day

My knees are shot, my feet are numb
In traction I should be
Bear the pain to get the gain
Endorphins are the key

He's a fencer and he's okay
He lunges all night and aches all day

His knees are shot, his feet are numb
In traction he should be
His doctors think he's crazy
And frankly, so do we!

And if you don't know the Lumberjack Song by Monty Python you should youtube it asap!
You can also check out The duel, a great fencing themed short-film by C. Peabody

p.s. I tried on Monday (before and after my fencing class) some of the warm-up and cool-down exercises and stretches I posted earlier and they worked!!! I had absolutely no stiff muscles the following day although I had done a good deal of lunges and had even felt my legs quivering after practising parries for 10 minutes continuously. Amazing!

Training a chick: the sequel

I had a training session tonight but instead of the usual exuberance I feel kind of down although it was a great work-out. There was no competition today, just lesson. It's a bummer realising how many things I have been doing wrong - but then again I can now finally start doing them right.
Starting out at the university beginners class was a great idea at the time. But it's not taken so seriously, it's let's say an introduction to the basics of fencing for two months and then just free fencing.
So now I have to correct all these things I have been doing wrong for the past few months which is in itself harder than learning something right from the beginning.
Like my new coach said today: "How can you build a house if the fundaments are weak?"
I shall continue then with my list of do's and don'ts hoping someone else can benefit from it too.

• Never ever shift your torso forward during a lunge! In other words don't lean, you should cover the distance needed to hit the target using your legs.
• Lunge with the heel of the front foot taking off last off the ground but not very high. It should land first on the ground too. (A trick to check if you are doing it right: place a coin under your heel, if you lunge and it has moved you are doing it right.)
• The shoulder holding the weapon should be loose, not tense.
• The end of the grip of the Epee is meant to be right in the middle of the palm and pressing lightly on it- not in the air.

I also had technique problems with my parries but I don't want to go into such great detail now. There's one way to fence the right way and that is to practice hard and be corrected upon again and again.
 I shall leave it to that and go to bed thinking of what my coach replied to my complaints tonight:  you are 25 you can do everything. :)

Complete fencing cool-down stretching routine

stretch it real good!

I think  this very detailed static stretching routine from www. swordmaster.co
is absolutely worth sharing !!!


1. Long Calf Muscle:

• Place your hands on wall with one leg to rear.
• Keep your rear leg locked straight and foot flat.
• Turn your rear foot toe forwards.
• Bend your front leg, taking the calf stretch through the rear calf.
• Change legs and repeat
Notes:
• Keep the toes of both feet facing forwards

2. Short Calf Muscle:

• Place your hands on the wall, taking the weight through your rear leg.
• Turn your rear foot slightly inwards and keep your heel flat.
• Bend your rear knee forward over your rear foot.
• Change leg and repeat.
Note:
• Keep the toes of both feet facing forwards.

3. Hamstring Muscle:

• Kneel on one leg with your other leg straight out in front with the foot flexed, and toe upright.
• Keep your back straight.
• Bend forward at the hips.
• Slide hands down leg towards foot and feel the stretch down the back of your leg.
• Change leg and repeat.
Note:
• Keep toe upright, back straight.
• Only go as far as is comfortable, it is not necessary to touch the toes
• An alternative is to stand and support the leg to be stretched on an object that is lower than hip height. In this case the foot on the ground should be at right angles to the leg being stretched and the standing leg slightly flexed.

4. Front Of Thigh (Quadriceps):

• Stand up straight, feet together, then bend one leg so as to lift one foot upwards and backwards while balancing on the other leg.
• Keep your knees close together and in line throughout the stretch.
• Lift the foot rearwards and upwards, pulling the heel towards your buttock.
• Maintain the knee position, close together and in line.
• Keep your back straight.
• Change leg and repeat.
Note:
• Keep back straight and stomach flat, do not allow hips to tilt as heal moves rearward and up
• Keep knees as close together as possible.

5. Groin:

• Sit on the floor with your back straight, legs bent, knees outwards with the soles of feet touching each other.
• Grasp your ankles and draw the heals of both feet in towards your groin.
• Keep the knees outwards and down by using your elbows or hands to apply a gradual downward and outward pressure on your knees.
Note:
• Apply only a slight downwards pressure to the knees to achieve the stretch and keep them from rising.

6. Hip Flexor Muscles:

• Kneel, with one knee on ground, the other leg bent with the foot flat on the ground forwards of the knee on the ground.
• begin with the knees at right angles.
• Make yourself tall, tilt your pelvis forwards by moving the bottom of the pelvis forwards.
• Keep your back straight and head up.
• Change leg and repeat.
Note:
• Maintain abdominal tension and minimize trunk/torso movement.
• Additional stretch can be achieved by a slight front wards movement of the forward knee.

7. Buttock Muscles (Gluteal & Piriformis):

• Part 1. The Gluteal:
• Lie on your back with both hands around one knee.
• Pull your knee towards your opposite shoulder.
• Keep your head, shoulder and opposite leg relaxed.
• Change knee and repeat.
Note:
• Apply each stretch slowly - take it to where tension can be felt, but not pain.

Part 2. The Piriformis:

• Lie on your back.
• Hold your knee to your chest.
• Pull your knee and ankle towards your opposite shoulder.
• Change knee and repeat.

Note:
• Apply each stretch slowly - take it to where tension can be felt, but not pain.

---

8. Lower Back (Cobra):

• Lie face down, legs straight, feet and knees together, arms out with elbows at shoulder height.
• Lift head and shoulders off the ground, assisted by pushing with arms, arching back.
• With weight from shoulders supported with elbows on the ground, allow the back to sag, hips remaining on the ground.
• Support weight through the shoulders and the arms, keeping the forearm and hands on the ground.
Note:
• Only push upwards sufficient for the back to be arched, normally no higher than elbows on the ground.
• The hips remain in contact with the ground throughout the stretch

 

9. Trunk Side Flexor:

• Stand with your feet comfortably apart.
• Fold your arms above your head.
• Bend to the side slowly.
• Keeping the arms folded, extend upwards with the upper most elbow.
• Change sides and repeat.
Note:
• Maintain abdominal tension and minimize trunk/torso movement.
• Keep both feet flat on the ground, do not let the heals rise of the ground.

 

10. Triceps Muscles:

• Move your hand over your head to place your hand between shoulder blades.
• Lift the elbow high to get the hand as low as possible behind the back.
• Place your opposite hand on your elbow.
• Use your hand to move the elbow slightly towards your body midline (inwards and rearwards) so the of the arm behind your back is closer to the vertical position.
• Change arms and repeat.
Note:
• Keep head up and maintain abdominal tension and minimize trunk/torso movement.
• Keep both feet flat on the ground.

11. Pectoral Muscles:

• Stand side-on to a wall.
• Move the leg closest to the wall forward.
• Place your forearm on the wall with your elbow slightly above shoulder height (elbow slightly more than a right angle).
• Maintain the forearm and elbow against the wall then turn your upper body away from wall.
Note:
• Maintain abdominal tension and minimize trunk/torso movement.
• Keep both feet flat on the ground, do not let the heals rise of the ground.

12. Bicep and Deltoid Muscles:

• Stand with your head up, chin in, hands clasped behind your back.
• Feet, shoulder width apart.
• Pull your shoulders backwards and down.
• Press your shoulder blades together and down.
• Pull your stomach in, to prevent arching of the lower back.
Note:
• Maintain abdominal tension and minimize trunk/torso movement.
• Keep both feet flat on the ground.

For more stretching routines vist the above mentioned site.

General fencing fitness regime

I have been looking for some general fitness regime recently which could enhance my speed and agility and tone the muscles. I was never a sporty person appart from some regular swimming but the truth is that the muscles you use in fencing are different from the ones you use in cycling for example, so there's only one thing that really improves fencing fitness and that is ...fencing! Well sadly it isn't possible for me to fence three or four times during a week, which I think goes for most amateur fencers. So I searched and I found! Golden advice from a member of the fencing forum. So here it is:

1. Footwork with nicely bent knees - guess I had to say that didn't I...
2. Squats without weights - 20 - thighs just below knees but not all the way down. Feet flat on the ground, back straight and head up. As you build strength do more sets of 20 - up to 4.
3. Push ups - you have to have fast arm speed and hold an epee [??] up for quite a bit. Minimum 10. Progress to clapping push ups when you can do 20 regular. You too girls.
4. A short jog interspersed with 25 metre sprints. Say a kilometre with say 6 sprints. Add sprints when your fitness increases.
5. Rope skipping if you have the space - otherwise C.L. Beaumont's exercise of going down on the balls of your feet, then spring up as high as you can. Ten of them without undue pause - more sets as you strengthen up.
6. Sit ups. Fencing strengthens your back, but does nothing for your stomach. Some crunches and the plank are good to support the core back muscles.
7. Stretch in front of the TV. Hold 3/4 stretches for 15 minutes. E.g. with the balls of your feet up on a telephone book for calves. Also splits (all ways), butterfly, glutes and hamstrings. Holding 3/4 for a long time lets the muscle relax and lengthen naturally.

I have also read that yoga ( not yoda) can contribute lots to fencers. I will try to do some of these things during the holidays although I'm sooo undisciplined and lazy too.
Oh what am I going to do during August/September with no fencing classes? *sigh*

Fencing warm-up

 Before our training at my club  we usually do some running and some simple arm and leg streches. I find however that during the first two matches my body is quite stiff. I came across this fencing performance preparation video and tried it out this morning in my room. Seems to work, I will try some of it out on Monday. I always forget though to do some stretching afterwards.

I'm a forum rabbit!

I registered today as a forum member on the fencing forum ! I do recommend it.
And voila my first discovery as "a forum rabbit" : Epee coach manual level 3 which you can download and cherish! I started reading it and I'm very excited. Of course you can't really learn anything unless you do it but it's good to keep some theoretical things in mind.

Manuals on other levels or Swordtypes can be found here (www.fencing.ca).

El Maestro de Esgrima

The fencing master: a fencing novel by Arturo Perez-Reverte! It's easy to read and intriguing. I red it when I didn't know anything about fencing so I missed out on a lot of fierce battle descriptions!

Synopsis: In 1866 Spain, Don Jaime is an old-fashioned fencing master, unaware of the political conspiracies around him. A mysterious and beautiful woman (Adela de Otero) enters his life, asking to be instructed in this old gentlemans art. Once he accepts, he is thrown into an entangled plot of intrigue and death.  
I think I'm going to buy it as a present for my coach, but in German "Der Fechtmeister".

Fencing and art

Fencing's wild athletic character tinged with a note of romanticism in combination with the elegant but dynamic transformartions of the body during battle is excellent material for art.
I saw some beautiful sketches and watercolour paintings on Princess Rashid painting blog !

Also check out Max Garret's charcoal on art board creations.