Practice Against Everyone Throughout your fencing career you will encounter many different opponents varying in skill and experience level. One of the most beneficial forms of practice is bouting. The
The Referee. As a competitive fencer, you will at some point disagree with the calls the referee makes. As a young competitor, I often found myself infuriated with referees who
“The will to win is nothing without the will to prepare,” Juma Ikangaa When I was a young student, my coach Hristo would occasionally halt our practice, and have the
Whether this is your first or fifth season as a member of the RFC’s competitive program, there are a number of things you will need to do to make the
Fencing Lessons for Life: What else are you walking away with other than getting really good at hitting people with swords? Competitive fencers spend hours upon hours perfecting hits, timing,
Goal Setting: Outcome verses Process Very few athletes, if any, set out not wanting to win during competition. Everyone wants to do their best, and everyone hopes to win. However,
Off the Piste: Food, Hydration, and all that stuff that keeps you going. While I’ve spent a lot of time writing about all the things you can do to enhance
Intensity of Awareness: How to Improve Your Control of the Moment What is intensity? What I mean by intensity isn’t so much related to how much speed and force your
Practice Bouting: Competitive vs. Skill Enhancement Over the course of your fencing career, you are going to spend a lot of time training with practice bouts; 5 touch, 15
When I first started fencing at the Sacramento Fencing Club, there was a gangly fencer named James who always came in early, warmed up on his own and started doing
