Managing Your DE Bout

The First Period: reconnaissance This first period is the reconnaissance period, rather than trying to score, instead you should test the opponent’s range, mobility and adaptability, generally try to develop a feeling for how the opponent likes to fence. Below are some considerations to take into account while building your hit. Is your opponent an […]

Results–Capital Clash, February 3, 2019

WEEKEND RESULTS David DiSimone wins D3 Epee at Atlantic Fencing Club , 8th in Open Epee CAPITOL CLASH  SYC and Cadet Friday:         Cadet   WFoil           Natalie Adams-Kim 23                                                       Ashley […]

Preparing for the Direct Elimination Tableau

Preparing for the tableau starts as soon as you finish your last bout, check your scores, sign your scoresheet and shake your referee’s hand after the pool round. Between the rounds you have to eat, drink, use the restroom, check your weapons, refill your water bottles, warm up again (including fencing again) and maybe even […]

Competitive Goals Part 2

Managing your DE Bouts  ELIMINATION ROUNDS ARE DIFFERENT! These are longer than pool bouts, so require more mental preparation and determination and there are a host of mistakes waiting to ambush you.  Below are some examples of some of the most common DE bout issues.  When you are in the elimination table the biggest management […]

Competitive Goals for the Fencer

Fencing at Competitions

Managing your pool round Let’s assume that you have been training regularly, have all the equipment you need to compete and have made sure that you are otherwise ready for your competition (you are rested, you are at the event an hour before check in closes to get a good warm-up, including practice bouts, you […]

Ruminations on Returning to the Strip

Coaching Fencing

Back to the strip.  In the summer of 2017 I shepherded a small group of FAP athletes to the Solti training camp in Hungary.  Earlier that summer I had suddenly realized how overweight and out of condition I had become over the last ten years and I started on the road to better health and […]

Why Learn to Fence…?

Kids Learning to Fence

Why learn to do anything? Because it’s an adventure!  Whether you thought of fencing because you watched too many sword-fighting movies as a child (Zorro, The Three Musketeers, The Princess Bride, Pirates of the Caribbean, etc.) or because you are just looking for something to do that’s a little different; fencing is an adventure.  While […]