Olde Town Fencing Gang
Eight-Week Introductory Foil Class
Week 1
Welcome Lecture
History of fencing
- Swords were just sharp clubs for breaking through armor.
- Once gunpowder made armor obsolete, swords got lighter
and speed became more important than strength.
- Renaissance: swords became an accoutrement of nobility.
- 17th century: French and Italian fencing masters set up
business all over europe. That's why fencing terms are in
those languages. Elaborate theories of blade placement.
- 20th century: end of nationalism. Commies invented the
idea of doing whatever worked. Footwork more important than
blade placement.
The three weapons:
- foil is a thrusting weapon with limited target and right of way
- epee is a thrusting weapon with no right of way
- sabre is the cut & thrust weapon with right of way
We'll teach foil because
- that's what it's for
- a valid foil touch is valid in all three weapons.
Footwork
- basic position
- en garde
- advance
- retreat
- combinations of advances and retreats
- lunge
Electric Fencing Demo
- How a bout is organized
- Structure of a tournament
- Define terms: attack, parry, riposte, counter-riposte,
remise, counterattack, engage, disengage.
Administrivia
- 8 weeks,
- closed on holidays,
- wear sneakers & sweats,
- you'll need to get a glove, canvas or leather, with a broad cuff. Gardening gloves are good. If you spend more than about $5, you're buying the wrong thing.
- registration is at Chinquapin, pay fees there, don't ask me, I don't
know anything.
Week 2
Stretching and footwork
Combinations of footwork
during which we review terms and basics;
lecture on the importance of distance.
moving and changing direction: verbal commands
moving and changing direction: keeping distance, hand signals
Beginning Distance
Mask game
Controlling distance
Importance of changing direction quickly
Glove-slapping game
attack can be step, lunge, or step-lunge, defense can be anything.
basic nature of the attack,
changing length of attack,
surprise,
setting up a pattern and breaking it
Controlling the foil
facing the mirror, not each other!
Holding a french grip foil
Position of the arm on guard
Extending and withdrawing the arm
Circling motions (the kind you use in an attack with disengage)
Straight 4 and 6 parries
Circular 6 and 4 parries
Combinations of extension & circle, withdrawing and parrying
Extend-parry in two lines
4-counter4-6-counter6 a zillion times
Week 3.
Footwork, with review of names of blade motions
extending and lunging with weapon
Line drills:
(rotate the lines a couple of times if possible)
- straight attack from extension distance
- ditto, advance distance
- ditto, lunge distance
- add parry 4
- add parry 4, riposte direct
- attack 4, counter 6 parry (retreat with parry from now on)
- add riposte
Week 4.
footwork
Line-drill review until they're back in the game
Long Distance
re-do above attacks with advance-lunge
parrying with distance
extending the attack
Composed attacks
Explain feint and evasion
- evading the parry
- attack with feint 4-6
- playing off: will the attack be straight or feint?
- will the defender parry or not?
Week 5.
footwork
Line-drill review until they're back in the game
Attacks on the Blade
Explain :
- beat attack, & why it's different from a parry
- presentation of the blade, or inviting the beat.
- short distance action.
Line drills:
- A presents; B beat-attacks.
- A presents; B beat-attacks; A parries & ripostes.
- A presents; B beats & disengages.
- turn them loose to choose whichever of the first 3 they like.
Week 6.
footwork
Line-drill review until they're back in the game
Prise-de-fer
Begin with attack in 4, counter-6 riposte.
Explain:
- prise-de-fer attacks
- prise-de-fer ripostes
- correct distance is longer than for beats.
Line drills:
- A presents; B attacks.
- A presents; B attacks; A parries & ripostes.
- A presents; B beats & disengages.
- turn them loose
Week 7.
footwork
Line-drill review until they're back in the game
Second Intention
Explain how the last two weeks have been elements of a single idea.
Line drills:
- show attack, intending counter-riposte
- show close distance, intending riposte.
- body feints
- pulling distance
Week 8.
footwork
Line Drills
- feinting on the riposte
- extending the riposte
Bouts
(If time permits.)
how to side-judge a bout
referreed bouts
invitation to come back anytime
farewell