The Three Spheres of Sport Fencing
WHAT'S GOING ON... Using the environmental information before them, a fencer experiences what is seen (vision), what is heard (audition), what they feel (touch).
Knowing what is happening (perception) in the moment of play requires, memory of your experiences in game playing, practice and training. A good fencer is trained to disregard (filters out) unimportant environmental information. They focus and identify the environmental queues (game queues), that create opportunities for their goal achievement.
WHAT TO DO... is knowing what fencing actions (tactics) are needed for accomplishing the goals of the game.
The activities of the response-selection stage (What To DO) begin once those of the stimulus identification stage (What’s Going On) have provided the fencer with sufficient information about the nature of the environment. Using this information, the performer must now decide what, if any, response should be made. If the fencer decides that a response is appropriate, he or she selects one from available movements, such as attacking, defending with blade or distance. Thus, in this stage a translation of sorts occurs between the sensory input that has been identified and one of several possible forms of movement output.
HOW TO DO-IT... is knowing how to do the fencing actions (technique), needed for gold achievement.
If a sport fencer demonstrates "ideal form and technique" in blade and foot work and cannot react successfully to the opposition during the game, the fencer is not successful (not skilled) in terms of the goal of the game.
Consider the instance in which a fencer executes a prescribed technique of movement (e.g. circular six then repost with second intention) relatively well, but fails to achieve the goal of the action to gain advantage and score.
Moving in a particular way is an index of success only in those activities for which the goal is to exhibit a specified technique.
In skills of sport fencing, the characteristics of the movement must be matched to the particular characteristics of the bouting environment, within the general constraints imposed by the biomechanics of fencing and the physical characteristics of the fencer. The goal of sport fencing is, diversity in responses (e.g. successfully paring an attack in a number of ways and setting up a successful repost). The appropriate assessment of fencing skill would seem to involve observing the outcome of performance in a ariable bouting environment, rather than evaluating the technique of movement.
A fencer knows that performance was not "just right," when the goal isn’t attained, the point was not scored (not given). Moving in a particular way in foil and sabre is an index of success only at the moment when the goal is to exhibit a specified technique that queues the referee to the attack. Queuing the referee to an attack before the opponent, is a skill that is advantageous to a sport fencer.
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In skills of sport fencing, the characteristics of the movement must be matched to its particular bouting environment.
Hungarian Methodology for Foil Fencing.
by David Littell, Notes by Coach-GerryDuran.
Definitions.
Learning the system requires an understanding of some terminology. Here are the key terms.
Moments to go. When the time “feels right”. (Making the Attack).
Hand tempo:
Fencer A responds to a hand cue by fencer B. For example fencer A, and fencer B, are at a lunge distance. Fencer A advances or retreats and fencer B maintains the distance. Fencer A, stops and makes a pass at fencer B's blade. Fencer B, deceives, lunges and hits.
Fencer B is responding to the hand tempo.
An offensive fencing action generally involves both a reaction to the opponent’s hand (hand tempo) and a distance opportunity. In the Hungarian system, distance opportunities fall in one of three categories:
*****Foot tempo,
*****Accelerated attack and
*****Taking over the attack.
Attack in foot tempo. Fencers establish advance lunge distance. Fencer A moves forward and back. Periodically, when the time “feels right” instead of retreating when fencer A advances fencer B lunges into an open line (no hand movements required by either fencer). Fencer B must start the lunge when he kinesthetically feels the completion of his step back and feels the beginning of Fencer A's movement, trying to hit before fencer A's front foot hits the ground. See Video Training Page 1.
Accelerated attack. Fencers establish and maintain advance lunge distance. Fencer b leads the distance. Fencer A occasionally makes a distance error failing to retreat quickly and the beginning of fencer B's advance. When the time “feels right” fencer B accelerates the back foot to finish the advance and lunge. The key here is that B must feel (perceive) the distance changing with the kinesthetic sense or awareness we have of the movement of our joints and the tension in our muscles during motor activity at the very beginning of the step. See Video Training Page 1.
Taking over the attack. Fencers establish and maintain advance lunge distance. Fencer A controls the distance and fencer B follows. Fencer A occasionally attacks and recovers. Fencer B does not attempt to parry but retreats out of distance and when the time “feels right”, makes an advance lunge to hit as the attacker is recovering. Fencer B must start the advance lunge when he kinesthetically feels the completion of his defensive step back and feels the beginning of Fencer A's recovering movement.
(Note 1, by Coach-GerryDuran. When ever fencer A begins the movement with the front foot it should be thought of as an invitation, so Fencer B can attempt a foot tempo attack. This action by Fencer A is a preparation for Counter Tempo, witch is converted to accelerated attack if the distance collapses).
Passive & Active Tempo.
Passive tempo:
Actions in foot tempo, accelerated attack and taking over the attack can be accomplished passively or actively. Passive implies that the fencer makes the action simply in response to the opponent’s error or action. For example, Fencer A begins to advance and fencer B fails to retreat. Fencer A makes an accelerated attack.
Active tempo:
Actions in foot tempo, accelerated attack and taking over the attack can be accomplished passively or actively. Active implies that the fencer makes his or her own opportunity. For example, Fencer A makes a half-retreat (only moves the back foot) so that Fencer B will advance in preparation. When Fencer B complies, Fencer A lunges in foot tempo. Or, Fencer A advances quickly then relaxes and begins a slow step forward. Fencer B retreated with Fencer A's quick advance but is a little slow responding to fencer A’s slow step. Fencer A has just created an accelerated attacking opportunity.
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