Who is good at fencing

You cannot just learn one set of moves and rely on it over and over again, there must be constant growth. Fencing is a wonderful sport in part because it offers an equalized playing field. Good strategy can make up for a massive difference in reach, in height, or in speed.

Constant growth and learning is a requirement for becoming great at this sport. Fencers must work hard to learn what changes they need to make and what improvements apply to them. There are a thousand ways to approach an opponent, and every bout is winnable with the right adaptations. Primary among the traits that are necessary for becoming an amazing fencer is experience. How can you get experience? Practice, practice, and more practice.

Time in the club on the strip, time in competition, time in private lessons , and time at home working on forms add up to experienced fencers who win. If someone is constantly having to goad a fencer to go to competitions, to workout at the club, or to schedule those private lessons, then that person is unlikely to become a great fencer.

The more passionate someone is about the sport, the more naturally drawn they are to become enthralled with it, the more likely they are to get more experience and therefore to find success.

No great fencer ever got there because they were anything less than extraordinarily passionate about this sport. High level competition requires a great deal of sacrifice and hard work. Without a passion for it, fencers fizzle out and give up before they have the chance to be great, even if they possess all of the other qualities necessary to be marvelous.

It takes toughness and grit to become great. What qualities do you think it takes to make a great fencer? Which of these qualities do you find to be the most important? Bigger kids that are competing are required to use knickers or fencing pants. In youth classes they only need longer pants or shorts.

Iris : I have been told that fencing is much less expensive than, say, hockey, but more expensive than doing a school sport. The cost at a basic level is not very expensive, but if you want to travel and compete, the costs do go up accordingly as it does with every sport. When you are first starting out, most clubs will provide all of the equipment so you can try out the sport without making a large investment.

KOAA : What should parents look for when examining a fencing program? What kinds of questions should they ask? Iris : Fencing coaches are extremely important to a fencing program.

As with any martial art, the coach provides very important instruction. Coaches should be experts in the weapon they are teaching, use a sound curriculum with a logical progression of skills, have the ability to establish rapport with their students, and have a passion for fencing that carries over to the kids.

Poor coaching can lead to poor habits which, if left unchecked, can make it very difficult to progress. Iris : Our intro to fencing class, rec center classes, or our one-on-one lesson with a coach will go over the basics of footwork, some simple tactics and bladework, and go over the different weapons.

They will be able to fence before the end of the first rec class or the intro to fenicng class to get a taste of what it is like to bout one on one with an opponent. KOAA : If a child becomes good at fencing, what kind of dedication is required from the family for training tournaments, etc? Iris : Many of my students start to commit to fencing somewhere between the ages of 10 and 13 years old.

Some fencers travel to tournaments much earlier but our average is about 10 years old when they decide to pursue the sport almost exclusively. For a first year competitor many of the tournaments they will do will either be at the fencing club or within driving distance. For a second-third year competitive fencer at my club they will be attending more tournaments that are not at the club around of them per year.

Our upper level students attend at least one tournament a month. Practice times vary and all competitive fencers are required to take at least one lesson per week. KOAA : Thanks so much for answering our questions, Iris, and for these great photos that you have supplied!

To readers: If you live in the Rochester, NY area, consider having your kids, teens, or family give fencing a try! Contact Rochester Fencing Club at www. Search form Search. KOAA : What is fencing? KOAA : Tell us about these weapons. KOAA : What do kids get out of fencing? Why do it? KOAA : What might indicate that a child might enjoy fencing?

KOAA : Is fencing safe? KOAA : At what age can kids start fencing? Fencing uses sudden and repetitive movements of the arms and legs, improving muscle tone and sharpening reflexes. It combines speed, agility and flexibility, working many muscle groups, the buttocks, stomach and thighs, in particular. A pound person can burn calories in one hour of fencing.

Fencing tournaments are held locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. These tournaments give fencers the opportunity to visit places they might not otherwise see and to experience new cultures.

Schools with NCAA programs are looking for fencing students and that enhances the chance your child can attend a top-tier school.