Skill Level Drills
Created by David Littell, fencing coach of Haverford College.
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SKILL LEVEL 1
(Practice each of the skills required for level 1 in the mirror. Work on each for one minute.)
Practice each of the following for one minute
Bend and straighten (think up as you go down), twist (move your whole torso including your pelvis). Bend and straighten add the arms (arms float up as you go down).
Start with 50 percent of weight on both legs, release the front leg a few times, release the back a few times, release and make a few half steps making sure that the weight does not go past center. Then do this with a few full advances and retreats with the same idea.
Make a number of consecutive advances and retreats. Stop periodically to check the distance between your feet.
Take a wide stance (almost a full lunge). Transfer weight forward (keep your back back) and then backward (keep your weight forward). Now occasionally step back to a short on guard position as you go back and step out in to the lunge as you go forward.
Practice lunge and recovery.
Practice lunge and recovery after advance or retreat.
Practice getting arm into on guard position (six) without adding tension to the shoulder.
Check position in mirror. In six the point is in line with the elbow. The point goes up and down primarily from the elbow.
Find each of the other parry positions.
Practice extending in six, without tension and without moving the body.
Practice timing of the hand and foot in a lunge. Try thrust then lunge, thrust and begin to lunge immediately after. Begin to lunge then thrust.
Start by having the teacher start in a parry position (for example four). The student’s blade is not on the parry side, but is on the other side (in this example six). Then make an invitation (opening which was bigger). First standing still, then moving from thrust, advance and lunge distance.
Then the teacher simply creates (and stays) in an (invitation) position. The student goes in foot tempo (when ready at their own initiative).
Now combine the first two exercises. Start in position and make the invitation on an advance. The student lunges into foot tempo (student doesn’t have to attack each time)
The next action is to make accelerating attack. From advance lunge distance, the student advances. If the teacher retreats quickly, the student simply advances again. If the teacher makes a slow retreat, the student makes a lunge (as in the second drill teacher simply maintains an open line). Each advance should be accelerating.
Now the student encourages the opponents attack with an advance. If the teacher attacks the student retreats out of distance and attacks with an advance lunge, taking over the attack.
SKILL LEVEL 2
Practice getting on guard very slowly. Carefully place feet and aim torso. Check head position, arms and knees. Be sure that there is no tension.
Practice separating the leg and letting the weight follow to the middle. Then finish the advance keeping the knee moving forward as the back leg comes up. Try the same going backward. If you don't feel relaxed and grounded when you are done, go back and see where you stopped the movement in your legs. Try the same retreating and lunging.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Advancing fairly quickly and stopping periodically to check balance and foot position.
Practice getting the arm into on guard position (six) without adding tension to the shoulder.
Check position in mirror. In six the point is in line with the elbow. The point goes up and down primarily from the elbow.
Go to each of the other lines and practice thrusting in those lines.
Practice starting in a parry position and hitting in all four lines without tension and without moving the body.
Practice making extensions at different times in relation to your footwork. Try 1) thrust then lunge immediately after. 2) Begin to lunge then thrust. 3) Begin an advance and extend before the back foot comes forward and lung. 4) Take a full advance and extend before the lunge. 5) Advance begin to lunge then extend.
Touching blades at a lunge distance, student follows distance.
Now change distance to advance lunge and keep distance.
From the same distance student attacks in foot tempo as the teacher makes an invitation.
From advance lunge distance, the student advances. If the teacher retreats quickly, the student simply advances again. If the teacher makes a slow retreat, the student makes an accelerated attack. Remember each advance should be accelerating.
Now the student encourages the opponents attack with an advance. If the teacher attacks the student retreats out of distance and attacks with an advance lunge, taking over the attack.
SKILL LEVEL 3
Do all the hand work in the mirror.
Address specific technical problems that you've been working on in the mirror.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Slow motion advance
Slow motion retreat
Steady advance
Steady retreat
Advance and retreat keep changing directions and occasionally stopping.
Take a long step and transfer weight.
From the above position, walk in and out of the lunge.
Lunge for one minute with the same smoothness.
Practice retreating and lunging in foot tempo periodically.
Practice accelerated attacks--explore with the front foot, accelerate with the back.
Practice advance then double retreat advance and lunge (take over the attack).
Practice disengage skills, moving the point with the fingers.
Practice beating skills.
Practice circle parries in all four lines.
Practice parry disengage riposte movement.
Practice 4 invitation positions.
Three response drill parrying occasionally.
Standing still. Parry disengage riposte. Try in all four lines.
Lunge and the teacher makes one parry, student deceives at the right moment or goes straight if teacher parries too late. Try in all four lines.
Same as above with advance lunge but the teacher can make multiple parries.
Accelerated attack, teacher waits until last second to parry.
Taking over the attack, teacher waits until the last second to parry.
Accelerated attack, teacher stops and parries.
Feint deceive in foot tempo.
Invitation, circle parry riposte.
SKILL LEVEL 4
Practice double advance, double retreat and slide in the mirror.
Practice a line without tightening the shoulder or straightening up. Disengage from the line and advance and retreat with the line.
Practice circle parries and the following combinations 1)four circle-four six, 2) circle-six four circle-four. Practice direct riposte and with disengage.
Practice dropping the point clearly as you begin an advance. The action should look to your opponent like you’re unprepared. Make sure that the point moves before the foot and that the point stays forward.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Start with 50 percent of weight on each leg, release the front leg a few times, release the back a few times, release and make a few half steps making sure that the weight does not go past center. Then do this with a few full advances and retreats with the same idea.
Practice lunging with the focus on releasing the leg to begin the lunge.
Starting with 50 percent of weight on each leg. Visualize an oppenent and try an advance retreat or lunge in response.
Mix up advances and double advances.
Mix up retreats and double retreats.
Practice slide and slide pause advance lunge.
Pretend that you are fencing with an opponent. As you go forward make accelerated attack when you image that your opponent has made a distance mistake or parry if they attack in foot tempo. Going backward make foot tempo if you visualize the opponent withdrawing and take over the attack if they attack.
Practice timing with the line. Step back and make the line. Stop and deceive.
Practice line then practice parry and riposte in each of the four positions.
Practice feint and feint deceive.
Practice feint at the beginning of the lunge and deceive and hit (foot tempo).
Practice feint after a half advance. Feint and finish the advance lunge (accelerated
attack).
Practice dropping the point at the beginning of an advance then feint deceive as an accelerated attack.
Standing still from a thrust distance. Student starts in one of the four lines. The student executes a circle parry and direct riposte. Make the drill more complex with multiple parries and/or disengage riposte. Then the teacher simply creates (and stays) in an (invitation) position. The student goes in foot tempo (when ready at their own initiative).
Going backward. Teacher advances and either attacks (student takes over the attack) or withdraws and the student makes a foot tempo action.
Going forward. Student goes forward. Teacher makes a distance error and student makes an accelerated attack or teacher attacks in foot tempo and (??? remainder was lost)
Three option line drill.
Feint deceive in response to an invitation and feint deceive as an accelerated attack.
SKILL LEVEL 5
Practice beginning an advance in a nonthreatening way. Drop the point a bit to make it more believable. Then try the same action with double advance then soft advance and lunge.
Practice lunging and making a parry riposte in the lunge.
Practice low line lateral and circular parries and low line hitting positions.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Make a series of advances then make a double retreat advance lunge.
Retreat and stop and make feint deceive in foot tempo.
Practice double advance soft advance lunge.
Practice slide and slide pause advance lunge.
Rehearse advancing until the opponent stops (half-advance and see that you are now in an attacking distance: instead of attacking stop retreat and take over the attack (typically final phrase is half advance double retreat advance lunge.
Retreat suddenly to open up the distance. If the opponent stops take over the attack.
Practice making any two parries with a half advance. Now add a third as you finish the advance. Add a forth at the beginning of the lunge.
Practice counter riposte in the lunge and after recovery from the lunge.
Continue practicing half retreat feint deceive in foot tempo. (foot tempo).
After dropping the point on a soft advance practice feint deceive as an accelerated attack.
Practice feint deceive as a taking over the attack action (don't feint too early).
Three response drill in the low lines. Lots of counter riposte.
Taking the opponent's line. Make two parries with half advance another as you finish the advance and a forth with the lunge as necessary.
Student establishes line. Let's the teacher take it and makes parry riposte.
Going backward. Teacher advances and either attacks (student takes over the attack) or withdraws and the student makes a foot tempo action or makes invitation and the student makes a feint deceive. Make all options with feint deceive.
Going forward. Student goes forward. Teacher makes a distance error and student makes an accelerated attack or teacher attacks in foot tempo or teacher advances and student takes over the attack. Make all options with feint deceive.
Three option line drill.
Student goes forward until the teacher stops. Step back and take over the attack.
Teacher keeps perfect distance, student practices fast soft fast, slide pause to steal the distance (use feint deceive attack). After student gets some skill then teacher should be sure to respond unpredictably.
Teacher goes forward and student stretches out the distance. If the teacher stops take over the attack, if the teacher rushes to keep up, make a false action, foot tempo or parry riposte as appropriate.
SKILL LEVEL 6
Practice half retreat advance and half advance retreat.
Practice lunging and making parry riposte in the lunge or making a remise.
Practice beats and circle beats.
Rehearse false parry and false counter attack in mirror. Retreat, pause, retreat.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Make a series of advances then make half retreat foot tempo.
Make a series of retreats then make half retreat foot tempo.
Make a series of advances half retreat advance lunge.
Retreat quickly to lengthen the distance then advance lunge.
Try lunge recover, lunge and counter riposte and lunge remise.
Practice false distance going backward then taking over the attack or making foot tempo.
Practice making beats against the side of a chair. Try in all four lines. Also make counter beats.
Practice counter riposte in the lunge and remise (then counter riposte} in the lunge.
Practice invitation circle six riposte.
Three response drill with counter riposte and remise options.
Slide pause taking over the attack. Use feint deceive as the attack. Teacher provides a variety of responses.
Advancing then half retreat smoothly and make lunge when the teacher advances. Advance then half retreat suddenly to extend the distance then take over the attack. Be careful of right of way and take the blade if the opponent is attacking.
Combine going backward and going forward drill. Teacher advances and either attacks (student takes over the attack) or withdraws and the student makes a foot tempo action or makes invitation and the student makes a feint deceive. Student goes forward. Teacher makes a distance error and student makes an accelerated attack or teacher attacks in foot tempo or teacher advances and student takes over the attack.
Beat attack in all three timings.
Invitation circle beat parry riposte.
SKILL LEVEL 7
Practice timing of invitation. Hand moves suddenly before foot, with body following smoothly. Rehearse opponent’s potential responses, parry, attack, ignore.
Practice lunge forward recovery lunge.
Practice each of the following for one minute
Lunge forward recovery lunge.
Advance and retreat lunge and recover. Occasionally lunge forward recover lunge.
Make a series of advances half retreat advance lunge.
Rehearse tactics pretending to react to an opponent moving forward and backward responding to passive actions.
Rehearse tactics setting up active footwork tactics, soft fast, fast soft fast, invitation, false action going backwards, stretching out the distance.
Practice flicks in the air, getting a full range of motion from the elbow. Also practice against a pillow, chair or target.
Practice beat parry riposte with circle and lateral, riposte direct and indirect.
Warm up with multiple beats to all lines and counterbeat to each line
Now try to take the blade while other tries to deceive--start with blades touching.
Now beat disengage with accelerated attack and beat attack in foot tempo
Three response drill adding the possibility that the teacher will lean back and parry so the student redoubles.
Student begins to lunge. When teacher parries, student avoids the blade and flicks. Same with advance lunge. Then try as accelerated attack and taking over the attack.
Can step forward and invite and deal with parry riposte, finish the advance and lunge if the opponent freezes or pause advance lunge if the opponent steps back and stops.
Practice false counterattack parry riposte.
Practice second intention attack.
SKILL LEVEL 8
Practice each of the following for one minute
Deceive extend and hit and parry riposte. Now add footwork. Retreat until teacher reaches for the blade. Stop, deceive and hit step back and parry riposte.
Teacher goes forward and student stretches out the distance. If the teacher stops take over the attack, if the teacher rushes to keep up, make a false action, foot tempo or parry riposte as appropriate.
SKILL LEVEL 9
Practice each of the following for one minute
Reacting to a false parry or counter attack. If the opponent is a little to close when they make the false action attack. Make a feint deceive or withdraw and finish to the open line. If the false action is from further away, pause (be aware of the possible foot tempo) then take over the attack with feint deceive. Or simply follow and make accelerated attack later. Deceive and hit and step back and parry riposte.
SKILL LEVEL 10
Practice each of the following for one minute