Introduction
In this segment I will be talking about my fencing experience and the things I've learnt so that I can hopefully help someone. I've been fencing for 9 years now and even though the initial excitement of the sport is gone, I still adore it and continue to be motivated. If you have never tried fencing I highly recommend it.
- My Tips
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I am not the best at fencing but I have learnt some important things that I want to share with you so here is my list of tips:
- Watch your opponents. When I was younger my father used to come with me to every competition and together we would watch my opponents playing analyse their playing style and find a way to defeat them. Adaptability is important, you have to play differently for each opponent which is why you shouldn't be afraid to lose the first few points while testing how they react to various things.
- Be defensive. This applies to you if you are short like me. In fencing, arm length is a major factor so if you are on the short end of the spectrum you need every advantage that you can get and being defensive is an advantage. If you stay in a pattern of moving backwards while your opponent moves forwards this is an advantage for you because if they attack while you're moving backwards, you will easily escape by continuing with your motion but if you attack them mid-step they will have much more trouble defending themselves.
- Focus on your footwork. Although it's undeniable that bladework is essential, I would recommend that you perfect your footwork especially if you are small like me since you won't have the strength required to win in a blade to blade fight, you must rely on agility.