By
eHow Sports & Fitness Editor
Difficulty: Moderately Easy
Things You’ll Need:
Step1
Inspect your clothing thoroughly to be sure that it is free of holes.
Step2
Tuck the sleeve of your fencing jacket inside the cuff of your glove to prevent accidentally trapping a hostile blade inside the sleeve.
Step3
Wear an underarm protector always.
Step4
Warm up before fencing with smooth, gentle stretching exercises and slow, easy lunges to loosen up your groin, thighs, calves, ankles and feet.
Step5
Look before you step out onto a busy floor to avoid a collision with an actively engaged fencer.
Step6
Put on your mask before crossing blades, for any reason, with another person, including the teacher.
Step7
Stop fencing if your blade becomes unnaturally bent, and restore your blade to the proper curve.
Step8
Avoid fencing any closer to your opponent than the length of your sword arm and blade.
Step9
Break off your attack if you see that your adversary is about to retreat into an obstacle to his rear.
Step10
Strike your leading foot to the floor twice, in rapid succession, to signal your intention to immediately break off action, for any reason.
Step11
Respect your adversary's weapon as though it were sharp.
Step12
Finish your fencing workouts with stretching exercises for your groin, thighs, calves, ankles and feet.
Comments
Anonymous said
on 3/21/2006 If you want to flick-hit (and you probably will) you must get your coach to teach you to do it properly first. A poorly executed flick-hit can really hurt your opponent. Worse, your opponent might decide to match the weight of your hits - and it's easier to dish it out with a fencing weapon than to take it! Even after the recent timing changes in foil, flick-hitting remains a useful technique, but it's vital that it is executed properly.
Anonymous said
on 11/22/2005 If you are far enough away, put your non-weapon hand up, palm facing your opponent, and say "Halt!". I have had to do this when my glasses become sweaty. This is not legal to do in competition, however, and may result in a penalty for unsporting behavior.