Various actions are done in very slow motion. \n\nImperfect balance is clearly seen and felt.

Fencers go to different exercise stations and do the drills there. \n\nThey stay at the station until the coach says "next!" (A few minutes each.)

Each fencer holds one end of a towel / glove, one pulls on it, and the other follows with a lunge. \n\n//Rationale:// To enforce the "lead with the arm" rule of lunging.\n

Fencers take turns being the attacker.\nOn the attack, you are allowed one advance and one lunge.\nOn defense, you can use any footwork that you want.\nNo parries are allowed.\nThe attacker hits the forearm with the glove. No head or body shots.\n

* Two fencers stand in on guard position, facing each other.\n* Coach knocks one of the fencer's blades aside.\n* That fencer retreats as fast as possible.\n* The other fencer lunges as fast as possible to hit. \n\n//Variation:// The fencer advances and lunges to hit.\n

//Rationale:// Divide attention from footwork and distance. Readiness.\n\nStanding a couple of meters apart, one fencer is designated leader and he controls distance. \n\nThe leader may throw his ball in an arc to his partner whenever he likes, the partner then throws their ball to him, and catches the one first thrown.

A warm-up exercise. Stretch net across the room, play volleyball with the feet. Allow one bounce. \n\n//Variation:// No bounces.

//Rationale:// To introduce or reinforce Right of Way sensibility among fencers. (Do this after an exhausting drill, so the fencers will sit and listen.)\n\nEach fencer gets one "turn". A turn is one (optional) leg movement, and one hand movement.\n\nExample phrase: \n* Fencer A does something for his turn — lunges. \n* Then Fencer B gets to do something — parry-riposte. \n* Then Fencer A gets to do something again — Counter-parry riposte.\n\nEach phase is discussed, before Fencers A/B do the next thing.\n\nSometimes, a coach will flip a coin, and one of the fencers will get 2 moves. A touch may well result.\n

These are (hopefully) high-speed fencing bouts with special rules to accommodate the foam sabre. The idea is to get fast movement from the fencers, and for touches to be earned with footwork: speed, timing, distance.\n\n//Rules://\n* Whomever attacks first gets the RoW.\n* There are no parries; near-simultaneous hits go to the attacker.\n* Arm-hits must land above the wrist.\n* Attacks are started with the forward-moving hand, the attack is continuous through the lunge / advance preceding the lunge.\n* Attacks are concluded when the front foot lands in the lunge.\n* Defenders must use distance to stay safe, and trickery to get the attacker to finish his/her attack.

//Rationale:// Introduction to group lessons.\n\nGroups on both sides of the strip. The coach, holding a mask, backs up as student from one side advances towards him. \n\nWhen the mask goes up, student lunges, hits mask, recovers back. \n\nWhen the pair get near the other group of fencers, the fencer goes to the back of the line. \nCoach turns around and the first fencer on that side the drill. Back and forth until all the fencers get a chance.\n\n* Coach can vary the pace of retreating. \n* Coach can fake out the fencer by pretending to lift the mask.\n\n//Variation:// "Kill Each Other"\nPairs of fencers, doing the Kill the Coach drill, but trading off the mask and the sabre.\n

Fencers A & B stand in lunge distance. \n\nA tries to hit with a straight head-cut lunge. B tries to parry 5 and riposte. \n\nIf A executes correctly, there should be no way that B can successfully parry—the trick is the hand strikes like a snake, and the feet follow. If you don't lead with the hand, your partner will be able to get the parry.\n\n//Variation:// Chest cut game\nSame as above, but A attacks to chest and B parries 4 and ripostes. Ask what the difference is, the answer is: It's a lot easier to parry 4.\n

* C A4; S P4 R4; C P4 R4... etc. \n* Different parries.

Rationale: To show how distance is the main tool, and to prompt footwork trickery.\n\nOne fencer is unarmed, the other has a sabre. \n\nFencers keep distance. \n\nWhen the armed fencer attacks, the other fencer tries to retreat out of distance.\nStudents will try to cheat, and merely advance until there is no strip left. If the defender reaches the end of the strip, the defender wins. (And then, make new rules so the defender can’t just retreat to the back of the strip.)\n

//Rationale:// To make the footwork explosive.\n\nFencer A does an advance lunge, tries to hit Fencer B.\nFencer B retreats out of distance, distance parry of attack.\nFencer B then "turns the corner", advances and lunges.\n

Rationale for Nazlymov drills: Teaching basic decisional attacks.\n\nFencers form a line across the gym, facing the coach. Coach retreats, calling out the time of the advance ("eeeeh-one"). Fencers bring the back foot forward on the "eeeeh," landing the heel, and snap into the guard on the "one."\n\nCoach sometimes changes direction on the advance, in which case the 1/2-advance becomes a retreat.\n\n(Props to Allen Evans for recording the Nazlymov drills)

Coach leads the line of fencers in slow advances. Then coach changes direction, and the fencers quickly retreat several times. Then coach signals, and fencers take over the attack.\n\nCoach either:\n* Closes a line with a parry, which prompts fencers to lunge to open line, or \n* Counter-attacks, which prompts fencers to conclude their attack.

* One fencer is the attacker, one is the defender.\n* Attacker makes a slow initial advance.\n* If the defender stands still, the attacker should lunge with hit.\n* If the defender makes a retreat on the initial attack, the attacker should make another faster advance.\n* This causes the defender to parry early, the attacker cuts to the opening line.\n* Eventually the defender has a third option, pulling lots of distance. The attacker finishes with a lunge that falls short, upon which the defender attacks. The attacker recovers back, parries and ripostes. (Second intention.)

Fencers A and B attack simultaneously with advance-lunges.\nA attacks with advance lunge. B advances, retreats w/ a parry, ripostes

//Rationale:// Instill tip awareness. (Better for foil/epee?)\n\nIn pairs (or one thrower for a group), a glove is tossed to a fencer on guard who must try to catch it on his point. \n\n//Variations://\n* Throw the glove from the side instead of from the front.\n* Throw a ring which the fencer must get his point through the middle of.\n* Throw a tennis ball which must be hit.\n* Include footwork.

Second intention game: A cuts chest with an advance. B parries 4 w/ retreat, ripostes to head, A parries 5 riposte to head.\n\n//Variation:// \nB takes any parry after A's 5 parry and A ripostes to the opening line.\n

Strip suicides

Fencer A walks forward, making slow cuts to 3,4,5.\n \nFencer B, in low guard, takes parries and ripostes.

M: cuts 3, cuts 3, cuts 4, cuts 4. \nS: parry 3-headcut x 2; parry 4-headcut x 4.

Same as "[[Chopping Block]]", but fencers are at longer distance. \n\nFencer A walks forward, making slow cuts to 3,4,5. \n\nFencer B, in low guard, takes parries and ripostes.\n

M: cut 5, cut 5, cut 5. \nS: stop, 5 parry, flank x 2; stop, 5 parry, chest. \n

The Coach's Grimoire

Games and Drills for Fencing Instructors

Coach swings the blade around. \n\nThe student hits whenever the target is open, keeps the point on until the coach's blade comes near, and then derobes.\n\n//Variations://\n* The coach begins moving forward and backwards\n* The coach varies the speed of the foot and hand\n** Fast hand, slow feet\n** Slow hand, fast feet