"Show us the good stuff....!"

I was approached by two foilists last night who wished to avail themselves of a lesson. It's always nice to be asked but I was a bit unprepared so asked them if there was anything specific they wanted to look at. Their response was "show us something good that works.....!" This is quite a common request for coaches and is always a tricky one to fulfil. I've posted before on the topic of 'magic techniques', but there is sometimes an expectation that the more complicated and extravagant a technique is the more invincible it will be. Sadly the truth is slightly more mundane in that the real way to be effective lies in doing the basic simple things well.


In my way of practising there are three factors that influence success for a fencer. They are Footwork, Blade work and Brain work.

Footwork is usually regarded as a bit of a poor relation by most club fencers; after all the whole sport is all about swords isn't it?!? Well no, not really. If you can't use your feet properly you won't be able to enter and exit your lungeing distance or influence your opponent to do the same. You won't be able to control your own momentum or balance and you certainly won't be able to confuse your opponent with rhythm changes.
Blade work is the ability to deliver your point to the target area effectively either directly or indirectly, ideally without moving it too far out of line whilst doing so. Your blade movement should be relaxed and controlled and exert just the right amount of force. However, if your feet have not got you within the right range for the technique it will fail.
Brain work is the ability to watch, perceive and react to situations during a fight. This develops subsequent to the other two factors once the mechanics have been understood and mastered. Most people are shown a technique, practice it until it becomes effective then consider the best tactical situations to deploy it. However, no matter how great your thinking is, if you don't have the skills required to make the hit you will once again struggle.
So what did I end up teaching the two foilists? Well, I basically reviewed the previous group lesson that Coach Andy had just done. Step in, beat, feint, disengage lunge. It involves footwork (getting the distance right for the compound action, controlling the momentum on the step): Blade work (the beat, subsequent feint and disengage) and Brain work: getting the distance right and picking the right moment. It can also be made more intellectually challenging by adding in the option to beat-lunge on the opponent's step forward if the distance is close.... brain strainer!!
Other questions I was asked last night were:
"Does it matter if I'm not fast?" No, not if you execute your techniques with good timing and distance.
"What techniques are good in fights?" For foil I would suggest a blend of beat's on the preparation, some sort of compound feint-disengage attack and a decent parry riposte will stand you in good stead if done well. Epee is another matter entirely!

In general there is no wonder-technique there are just techniques that are practiced time and time again. The simplest techniques can be devastating if executed to the best of your ability.