How To Stand When Sabre Fencing

Video Transcript

"JASON SHERIDAN: On behalf of Expert Village, my name is Jason Sheridan from the Sheridan Fencing Academy here in New York City, and today, we're going to demonstrate some intermediate sabre fencing. Very important is how we are standing, how we're moving when we're fencing. Note carefully, how I'm positioning my feet. I'm right-handed. I set my feet at about 90 degrees. Actually, I like it subtly narrower than 90 degrees like so. From here, what I'm going to do is just step out a little bit, slightly less than shoulder length, and I'm going to bend my knees like so. My weight mostly center, maybe even slightly forward. You don't want your weight all the way on one end or all the way on the other end but to be mostly centered, maybe slightly forward. My arm is going to be bent like so, my forearm parallel to the floor, my tip up in the air. Watch it from here, the guard to the side. Here is my en garde position. From here, I'm going to be able to do everything. I can move. I can make my cuts, my parries, my lunges, all of which we'll learn in a bit. Everything here is balanced and controlled and, most importantly, relaxed."