00:02Combining agility, grace and muscle control, fencing is an unassuming sport that requires enormous skill.
00:08Often overlooked, this Olympic sport is a combination of physicality and mental focus.
00:13While highly athletic, strategy is key.
00:16Success depends on reading your opponent perfectly.
00:19Let's see what it takes to be a badass at fencing.
00:28What exactly is fencing?
00:30There's three different kinds of blades in fencing.
00:33There's epee, foil and sabre.
00:34Today we're learning foil.
00:36You go at it and first to get a touch gets to the point.
00:39So what kind of training goes into fencing?
00:42You have to have really great agility.
00:44You have to have great footwork, coordination, reflexes.
00:47You have to be strategic and it's a very mental and physical sport.
00:51So they call it physical chest.
00:54Well I see the ladder is out, which I actually love doing footwork.
00:57So what are we going to be doing here?
00:58Right, so we're going to use the agility ladder and do some plyometrics.
01:02So what's great about plyometrics is you want to be able to coordinate your feet,
01:05but also keep your posture up.
01:07So you're pretty much telling your two parts of your body to do different things,
01:10which is great for fencing because you have to remember your blade work and your footwork.
01:18Alright, so fencing footwork.
01:20There's a few basic moves.
01:21The one we know is a big word.
01:24You shout it.
01:24You go on guard.
01:25And on guard's your ready position.
01:27So when we do an on guard, we want to put our more dominant foot, our right foot, in front
01:31of us.
01:32Our back foot, we're going to turn it 90 degrees from our front foot and have a point towards the
01:37left wall.
01:40Our first move we're going to learn how to do is called the advance.
01:43And when we advance, we move forward with our front foot first.
01:46So we're going to go heel, and as we move to toe, we take a step with our back foot.
01:51Great.
01:52Perfect.
01:53And when we move backwards, we're going to do a retreat.
01:56We're going to move with our back foot first, and go toe, and roll off toe to heel with our
02:01front foot.
02:01And go step, step.
02:09So now we want to hit someone, right?
02:10So the first thing that always leads our body is our fingers.
02:14So we push our fingers out and push from behind the elbow, and that's called a thrust.
02:17So sometimes we can't just hit someone by thrusting our arm.
02:20They're a little farther away, which is why we have to do our fencer's lunge.
02:24So there's a few parts to the lunge.
02:26First is the arm.
02:27And then when your front arm comes out, your back arm shoots in the opposite direction.
02:31And you're going, ta-da!
02:35Excellent.
02:36I can feel the inner thigh already starting to burn.
02:39You definitely work off your butt and your glutes and your hamstring.
02:44How common is it for women to fence?
02:47You know, I think it's getting more and more common.
02:49I feel like there needs to be more of an empowerment drive to get these young girls who want to
02:54pick up a sword and go at it.
03:00So let's say we're both across from each other.
03:03I take an advance, and you take a retreat.
03:06And we both hit each other.
03:08Who do you think gets the point?
03:10You would.
03:10I would, because I'm establishing the attack by coming forward.
03:13Yes, for the offense.
03:14Yep, on the offense.
03:15But there's a way for you to get the point.
03:17And that's by blocking my blade.
03:19So now, let's say we both hit.
03:21You would get the point now, because you took the right of way from my blade.
03:25Retreat.
03:26Parry.
03:27Exhale.
03:28Good.
03:28Go advance.
03:29Boom.
03:30Retreat.
03:31Alright, so the next move you're going to learn is an offensive move.
03:34You did a defensive move before, but now you're going to be coming at me.
03:37You're going to do a feint.
03:38It's where you come out only halfway.
03:40You're just faking me out.
03:41When I come to parry, you're going to do a little b with your fingertips.
03:44And go and score the point.
03:46Go advance.
03:46Just need to push that.
03:52I can confidently say that attempting to learn how to fence was one of the hardest things
03:58I've ever done.
03:59I definitely felt fierce upon immediately putting on the mask and the jacket.
04:05It's awesome.
04:06Like, thank you.
04:10You need to chat a little bit.
04:10As soon as you're by the moment, you're going to pull your fingers down.
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