Fencing Ratings

Fencing Ratings You may have heard of rated fencers, but what does it all mean? In this article, we’ll discuss what ratings are, how you earn them, and what their use is. Please note that for purposes of this discussion, we are setting aside the intricacies of fencing eligibility determined by age, sex, country, or […]

Practice Fencing at Home

Everyone, We’re working on video to help home practice for you, but here are a few things to make sure you have: Enough open space to make at least a double advance lunge Foil: targets for point thrusts:  wall target,  hanging ball (tennis ball, golf ball, even coin will do) or multiple hanging balls. You […]

Practice Fencing with Video

Hello All, Below is a link to some fencing training videos, suitable for all levels.  For those who are more advanced, the preparatory footwork review is work!   When you are a new beginner you don’t realize how much strength and control some of the basic exercises require (partly because as a new beginner you […]

Practice Makes Better

Hello All, Although this is a foil lesson (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CSBmGC6z_E0), it is a good example of a solid working lesson for an experienced young fencer. I chose this particular lesson because the fencer demonstrates what we are trying to achieve in our daily fencing academy practice. Note the depth of the guard position that facilitates: the […]

Hitting Vs. Fencing

post by guest blogger Dr. Matthew Mitchell Some observations from my fall competition and refereeing experience will follow over the next little while, if you’d like to share them with other members. Hitting vs. fencing One night in fencing practice, answering a question of mine about what to do when your opponent doesn’t respond when […]

Aaaaannnnnd This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things…

With the rise of the Regional circuit events in all age groups, the local schedule has dwindled to the point where instead of 15-20 fencers of a variety of skill levels, local events are lucky to draw enough bodies to even run the event  (events are not sanctioned by Philadelphia Division or USA Fencing unless […]

Who’s Hungary?

Hello All, In the interest of giving interested parties as much lead time as possible, we have decided to start earlier this season to find out who is interested in going on the 2020 trip. Estimated trip cost at this time is $3500. This includes: Roundtrip airfare Hotel in Budapest Transport to and from airport […]

It’s Just a Fleche Wound

Whenever I tell someone that I am a competitive fencer, they usually ask one of the following questions: “Doesn’t it hurt to get stabbed with a sword?” “You must get injured a lot in a sport like that.” Now these are reasonable questions especially, to somebody who doesn’t know a whole lot about the sport […]

College Club Fencing

Fencing at Competitions

Here is a great article from guest blogger, Dr. Matthew Mitchell,  Dr. Matt is a fencing parent, as well as a competitive epee and saber fencer. In his spare time, Dr. Matt likes to relax by playing ice hockey. Are you a high school fencer?  Parent of a high school fencer?  Mark your calendar for […]

When Will We Learn?

Coaching Fencing

For those who don’t play video games, the concept of ‘joysticking’ as a coach refers to coaches who are micro-managing the performance of their athletes in every bout, telling them what to do and when to do it every step of the way, with the athlete merely a conduit for the coach’s thoughts, like a […]