| As we discussed in the previous lessons,
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| | simple. Peel the toes of the front foot
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| the fencing stance is intregal to the
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| | off floor, kick the foot forward from the
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| success of the fencer. Placing the body
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| | knee (without lifting the knee or the
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| in the best compromise between comfort
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| | hip) until the leg is nearly straight,
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| and effectiveness is essential for
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| | plant the heel again (which causes the
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| minimizing the target area while allowing
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| | body to move forward) and then allow the
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| for freedom to advance and retreat. It is
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| | toes to roll back down to the floor. The
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| the advance and retreat, which we are
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| | rear foot should be lifted at the knee,
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| going to discuss today.
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| | brought forward until the feet are again
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| Movement up and down the strip is what
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| | about shoulder width apart and planted
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| controls the bout. We talked in the last
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| | firmly back to the ground with a light
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| lesson about fencing distance. Fencing
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| | stomp. You should end in exactly the same
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| distance is the optimal distance a fencer
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| | position you were in before the step, one
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| attempts to maintain from his/her
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| | step further down the strip. This seems
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| opponent, where they are close enough to
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| | like a difficult and detailed way to say
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| launch a successful attack, and yet far
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| | “take a step”, however this process
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| enough away to defend or outdistance an
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| | is more important than it seems.
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| opposing attack. This distance usually
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| | Stance (Slightly too far forward.) The
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| falls around one and a half blade lengths
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| | Step (Note that shoulders remain level
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| from the opponent and the obvious fallacy
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| | throughout step.) One of the goals to
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| of it should jump immediately to mind.
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| | advancing and retreating is to maintain
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| With all but the most mis-matched fencers
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| | as much solid contact with the ground for
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| (in the area of height and reach) once a
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| | as long as possible. A primary factor in
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| fencer has moved close enough to attack,
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| | the constant jockeying for position is
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| he/she has also moved close enough to be
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| | how suddenly the need to advance can turn
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| attacked. So how does one maintain
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| | into the need for retreat. Being caught
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| “fencing distance?” The answer is
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| | with one foot off the ground, off
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| dynamically, by moving into and out of
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| | balance, when your opponent suddenly
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| attack distance as your strategy
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| | lunges makes it difficult to distance
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| requires.
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| | yourself from the attack forcing you to
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| This constant changing of the distance,
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| | completely depend on the parry. If the
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| forward and back is, perhaps, the
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| | parry fails, you lose. Regardless of the
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| greatest single offensive and defensive
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| | success of the parry, a riposte' would be
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| tool. Each fencer attempts to maintain
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| | difficult without retreating.
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| distance to his or her advantage while
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| | This step allows for the foot to be off
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| maintaining sync with their strategy’s
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| | the ground for the minimum amount of
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| timing. A properly timed advance will add
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| | time. The kicking forward motion holds a
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| speed and surprise to an attack, whereas
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| | secret as well. Next time you are at the
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| an appropriately timed retreat will
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| | mall, watch how people walk. The relaxed
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| devastate the best executed counter
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| | walking we do in our day-to-day errands
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| attack by simply causing it to fall short
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| | is really more of a controlled fall. We
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| of the target.
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| | thrust our weight forward, and catch
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| If any of you have taken the opportunity
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| | ourselves in a sort of loping action.
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| to visit the “Fencing Footage” site
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| | This is terrible for fencing on two
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| listed with the links, you will see that
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| | levels. First, if during the falling
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| movement is the vital part of attack and
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| | forward portion of the step your
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| defense. You will also see on this site,
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| | opponent, again, lunges you are left with
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| unfortunately, people advancing and
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| | little option as well as being completely
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| retreating in manners completely
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| | off balance. This can be enough to ruin a
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| contradictory to this article, which
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| | retreat and a parry.
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| stands to emphasize the two laws of any
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| | Second, the loping motion brings your
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| athletic training… 1. Master proper
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| | target off defense from your arm. Each
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| form first.
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| | bounce up opens your lower torso to
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| 2. Do whatever it takes to score the
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| | attack and each bounce down opens the
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| point (within the rules of the game and
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| | upper torso. As it is relatively easy to
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| sportsmanship) including ignoring rule
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| | predict which part of the body will open
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| number one.
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| | up as you are loping down into the step,
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| The moral of these rules are, of course,
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| | it creates a perfect opportunity for an
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| that without proper form it is impossible
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| | attack.
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| to generate the foundation from which one
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| | The step we have created here will keep
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| may take ‘artistic license.’ The
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| | the body level and balanced. Although, it
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| basics of advancing and retreating in a
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| | is necessary to come slightly off
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| controlled, balanced manner is key to
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| | balance, simply to remove the forward
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| controlling your timing, and ruining the
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| | foot from the floor, the motion is
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| timing of your opponent.
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| | subtle, fast and low which allows for
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| When I was instructing, I preferred to
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| | balance to be immediately recovered the
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| have my students drill in the advance and
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| | instant the forward foot is again dropped
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| retreat for weeks before even allowing
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| | to the floor regardless of at what point
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| them a foil.
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| | during the step it is dropped. This
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| As we recall, the basic stance is
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| | allows for an advance to be reversed
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| obtained as follows… 1. Stand straight,
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| | instantly into a retreat (and vice versa
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| facing forward, with both feet together
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| | again) if necessary. Remember, the step
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| at the heels.
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| | is performed from the knees and not the
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| 2. Rotate the left foot (if you are
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| | hip as when walking normally.
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| right-handed. Reverse this if you are
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| | The peeling of the foot off the floor,
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| left-handed) to a 90-degree position
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| | and the rolling return are important as
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| relative to the right foot. The heels
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| | well, however mostly for safety. As you
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| should still be touching.
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| | master the advance and the retreat, you
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| 3. With the right, or forward foot, step
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| | will begin moving up and down the length
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| forward until the feet are about shoulder
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| | of the strip at surprising speeds. This
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| width apart. This change will
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| | peeling is vital to keeping the toe from
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| automatically turn the body to the side.
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| | inadvertently catching the floor. At
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| The feet are still at right angles.
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| | these speeds, and in the middle of a
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| 4. Bend at the knees equally (as if you
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| | bout, there is nothing more frustrating
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| were squatting down), until the knees are
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| | and dangerous than a full speed face
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| directly above the toes. This is where
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| | plant. Not to mention that if the fall is
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| the really sore muscles come from, but is
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| | onto your opponent, you will lose the
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| the imperative part of the stance from
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| | point and perhaps the bout.
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| which the movement is generated. Now, the
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| | The retreat is very similar, however
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| compromise. Your body should have
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| | reversed. To step back, the rear foot is
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| naturally turned to face in the direction
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| | lifted slightly at the knee (again there
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| the rear foot is pointing. This turn
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| | should be little or no raise in the hip)
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| slims your target from the view of your
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| | kicked back and placed to the ground
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| opponent, making it harder to hit. You
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| | again. The body is then pulled back by
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| wish to turn as much as possible
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| | the rear foot as the front foot is
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| (slimming the target as much as possible)
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| | “peeled, placed and rolled” as before
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| without the stance becoming awkward, or
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| | and then balance is centered between both
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| causing the forward knee to move off-line
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| | feet again. The front foot should be
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| from over the toe. The amount of this
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| | peeled from the toe, placed on the heel
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| turn will vary from competitor to
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| | and rolled to the toe just as in the
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| competitor. You will need to experiment
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| | advance…not reversed. One of the
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| to find your position. At this point,
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| | secrets to the rear step (as well as the
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| your body should be balanced between your
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| | last part of the advance step) is that
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| feet such that a straight line drawn from
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| | the rear foot should be lifted as a
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| the tip of your nose, through the center
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| | single unit and placed as a single unit,
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| of the groin, will fall exactly
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| | with almost a stomp. You do not want to
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| equidistant between your feet. Keep the
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| | lift either the toes or heel first on the
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| back straight and avoid hunching or
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| | rear foot, but rather the entire foot.
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| sticking the buttocks out.
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| | The rear foot is your anchor. It is where
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| 5. With the knees bent and the body
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| | the strength and push for your attacks
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| turned, turn your face to look at your
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| | come from and it is the pull which allows
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| opponent and raise your forward (or
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| | for a quick retreat and recovery from
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| sword) arm towards your opponent. The arm
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| | lunges.
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| will remain bent at the elbow and
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| | This foot needs to be as firmly attached
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| straight at the wrist, and should form a
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| | to the ground, and as often, as possible.
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| 90-degree angle at the elbow. The elbow
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| | That is simply (and I DO use the term
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| should be about one fist’s length from
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| | loosely) the whole of it. What is hard is
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| the body and the hand (or point of the
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| | the mastery. Aside from the tired, shaky
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| blade) should be pointing at the eyes of
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| | feeling most of you are probably having
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| the opponent.
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| | in your thigh muscles right now (this is
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| 6. The rear arm’s position will vary
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| | fantastic for the glutes, by the way) the
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| depending on the weapon, however the
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| | step must be practiced religiously to
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| basic stance (based on foil) will curl up
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| | maintain speed, balance, anchor and
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| behind the head for balance. To do this,
| |
| | smoothness. The body must not bounce when
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| point the rear arm exactly away from the
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| | steps, forward or back, are taken. One of
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| opponent, level with the shoulder. Bend
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| | the drills I have my students practice is
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| the arm at the elbow so there is a
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| | to fill a bowl of water and carry it in
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| 90-degree bend and then allow the hand to
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| | the forward hand instead of a sword.
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| fall relaxed. This relaxation is also
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| | The student then advances to the end of
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| necessary for balance and speed.
| |
| | the strip, and retreats to the other end
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| This basic stance provides an easily
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| | of the strip without spilling the water
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| defendable position with a minimum of
| |
| | and, eventually, without allowing it to
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| target showing, opens the lungs for good
| |
| | ripple. The graduation from this exercise
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| respiration and allows for a relaxed
| |
| | is to be able to advance and retreat at
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| position to advance and retreat. The
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| | full speed with the water brimming above
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| balance should be dead center between the
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| | the edge of the bowl and not spill a
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| feet, with weight equally on both feet.
| |
| | drop. Just as a word of encouragement,
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| If this feels uncomfortable, wait till we
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| | the “graduation” from this drill
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| start moving. Most beginning fencers
| |
| | usually takes 15 or twenty years. Try it.
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| discover muscles they never knew existed.
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| | At minimum your will get the best leg
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| The forward movement is relatively
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| | workout of your life.
|
