The grip and en garde, without a weapon
Ready when: Safety words and the referee commands (b1) started.
What you are learning
How to hold a fencing weapon lightly, using a wooden spoon, and the en garde stance: feet on a line, knees bent, weight even. A light grip lets the tip move quickly; a steady stance lets the fencer step forward or back at any moment.
Words on this card Target, En garde, Tip
- Target
- The part of the body where a touch counts.
- En garde
- The referee's calls: take your stance; get ready; start fencing; stop.
- Tip
- The blunt point of the weapon.
Set up
A wooden spoon or a rolled newspaper; the tape line.
Weather: any weather
Show it first for the one teaching
- Hold the spoon handle between the thumb and the side of the first finger; wrap the other fingers loosely round it. Point the end at the wall.
- Stand with both heels on the tape line, a shoulder-width apart; front foot pointing forward, back foot turned across.
- Bend both knees and keep the weight even between the feet, back straight.
Your part while they practise
Show the grip and stance from the side.
Step by step
- Hold the spoon or newspaper lightly between thumb and first finger, the other fingers wrapped loosely, the tip toward the target.
- Feet on the tape line about shoulder-width apart.
- Front foot pointing forward, back foot across.
- Knees bent, weight even. Hold.
How much: 10 holds of 10 seconds 5 min a session 3 days a week
Say one thing Pick one line from "What you will see" for today and say only that.
The game: Statues
Freeze in en garde; the steadiest wins.
Who plays: the child against you, or two children.
How to play, turn by turn
- Turns
- Both take the en garde stance on the line
- Count slowly to 10
- The judge (you, or the other child) watches for any wobble, straight knees or a hard grip
- 5 rounds
- Fair play
- A grown-up holds for 20 seconds.
- Points
- 1 point for each 10-second hold with no wobble; 1 point for bent knees all the way through.
- Fouls
- No points that round
- Straight knees
- A tight fist round the handle
- The feet off the line
- Winning
- More points after 5 rounds.
- 4 points for 1 star
- 7 points for 2 stars
- 10 points for 3 stars
Easier or harder
No stick first.
Hold on one leg for 3 seconds.
What you will see, and what to say
- the child grips hard
Loose fingers
The thumb and first finger do the work. - the knees are straight
Sit into your knees
As if about to sit on a high stool.
Self-check
Hold en garde for 10 seconds without a wobble, 3 times.
Stop and get a coach when
Pain in the wrist or knee.
Fitness for this
Warm up first: how to warm up, at workonfitness.com. For strength and stretching, its exercise library shows each exercise step by step, with an easier version.
This card trains stance, balance.
awiseathlete.com/sports/fencing/fencing-b2