| My students regularly ask me how they can | | | | to do this, but many fencing coaches do not have |
| become better fencers. My answer is always the | | | | a sports science background) who knows modern |
| same, and is applicable to competitive amateur | | | | training methods and match fitness training to |
| fencers, recreational fencers, and classical fencers: | | | | your other training schedules. |
| First, train in group lessons. The group lesson | | | | Fifth, fence. You get to be a better fencer by |
| format focuses on drills to provide the repetitions | | | | fencing. Ideally you fence fencers who are a bit |
| needed to improve any single skill. You have to do | | | | better than you. But if you are the best in your |
| thousands of repetitions to develop smooth | | | | club or salle, use bouts with weaker fencers to |
| execution under pressure, and the group lesson is | | | | practice perfect execution under specific tactical |
| the most efficient way to do this. Any fencer at | | | | conditions. And fence everyone - every opponent |
| any level can benefit from group lessons, even at | | | | poses different challenges. A reasonable monthly |
| the beginner level. | | | | target for a serious competitive fencer is 200 |
| Second, take individual lessons. Time on the | | | | bouts. |
| Fencing Master's plastron has long been the gold | | | | Individual and group lessons are governed by the |
| standard for teaching new techniques, for | | | | schedule of your salle or club. You should practice |
| correcting errors in technique, and for developing | | | | some skills element daily on your own. Your |
| tactical skills for application in the bout. Individual | | | | fitness plan developed by your trainer should |
| lessons teach new skills and fine tune old ones, | | | | require work at the level appropriate for the |
| prepare for competition by reviewing and honing | | | | portion of the season. And you should fence |
| skills and speed, and return the fencer to the | | | | whenever you can. |
| training program after the disruption of a | | | | A balanced program made up of these five areas |
| competition. | | | | is key to developing as a successful fencer. How |
| Third, practice on your own. Every fencer can | | | | the mix is assembled depends on your experience |
| hang a ball and practice hitting the target from | | | | level and the stage of your training. For example, |
| static, advance, lunge, and advance lunge to | | | | beginners need fewer individual lessons, or possibly |
| develop accuracy. Every fencer can do set | | | | none at all - they need to learn to adjust to a |
| amounts of footwork every day. Every fencer | | | | wide variety of skills and abilities, and the best |
| can fence ideomotoric bouts (fencing an imaginary | | | | way to do that is to work with as many different |
| opponent). Every fencer can practice visioning to | | | | opponents as possible. In the period between the |
| improve skills. Every fencer can develop | | | | end of the last season and the start of the new |
| psychological skills to maximize performance. The | | | | season, more emphasis may be needed on the |
| key is to do these on a regular schedule and | | | | development of fitness than on technical |
| according to a training plan prepared by the coach. | | | | perfection. A competent coach can design a |
| Fourth, build fitness. Fencing fitness is a | | | | periodized training program to incorporate the |
| combination of physical strength, core stability, | | | | best mix for each fencer. |
| speed, flexibility, and endurance. Much of what has | | | | The bottom line remains - ultimately you are |
| passed for athlete conditioning over the years has | | | | responsible for your development. So plan your |
| been extensively revised by sports science | | | | training to address all five elements. And then go |
| research. Find a trainer (your coach should be able | | | | train. |