Today was great, lots of intense fencing the entire morning! I got a lesson from Andre today as well during lunch. After some intense blade work (1 hour long), we moved on to super intense footwork. We spent 45 minutes drilling our legs and calf muscles.
Drills:
1) Squats-get into the engarde position and slowly lower your body down into a squat. X 10
2) Fire Feet Squats-get into engarde and pick up your feet quickly, making sure to keep good form. Drop into a squat every couple of seconds. X 10
3) Fire Feet Squat Jumps-get into engarde and pick up your feet quickly, make sure to keep good form during the exercise. Drop down into a squat, varying the time difference between squats. Once in squat, propel yourself upward in a jump and land softly back in engarde on the toes. X 10
4) Lunge Jumps-get into a lunge and while staying low to the ground hop in and out of the lunge into the engarde. Make sure knee in the lunge is at a 90 degree angle. X 15
5) High Knee Fire Feet-get into engarde and start alternating feet in fire feet workout. Every so often pick up your knees alternating knees 4 times then continue fire feet. Make sure to keep the back straight. X 10
6) Engarde Jumps-get into engarde and jump forward as far as you can, landing softly on your front foot. Keeping your back foot in the air, push back as far as you can. This is one rep. X 15
7) Double Engarde Jumps-get into engarde and jump forward as far as you can just like before, except this time when you land hop in place once on your front foot before you hop back. On the back hop when you land also do another small in place hop on the toe. This is one rep. X 15
8) Engarde Jump Lunges-get into engarde and continue the exercise like above. This time though after the second back hop lunge forward then reset into engarde. X 15
9) Reaction Lunges-Find a partner and a tennis ball. Have your partner extend their arm with tennis ball in hand, when they drop the tennis ball lunge as quickly as possible. The point is to finish the lunge with clean form before the ball hits the ground. 1-2 minutes
10) Short/Long Reaction Lunge-Set up the exercise just like before, except your partner has two tennis balls. When they drop the ball in their left hand you are to do a double lunge before the ball hits the ground. When they drop the ball in the right hand just do a regular lunge. 1-2 minutes
11) Short/Long Hand Target Lunge-Find a partner and have them stand with one hand closer to you than the other. Have them randomly open one hand at a time and you must react quickly to lunge and hit it. The closer hand for the short lunge and the farther hand for the long lunge. X 20
12) Fencing Suicides-get into engarde and start at the very back of the strip. Go as quickly as possibly and keeping good form go to the 2 meter line and back, the engarde line and back, and so on.
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lessons. Show all posts
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Alliance International Fencing Camp Week 1
Well week one is in the books. The Alliance International Fencing Camp has been fantastic! There was over 40 fencers, men and women, this first week and I have been fencing non-stop. This whole week was inconstant motion, everyone was always on the go doing things. Whether it be fencing at camp or going to the movies, shopping mall, frozen yogurt, we were always moving both during practice and afterwards.
I met all new people too. The Russian and Israel National teams are here as well as some French fencers. It has been a little difficult communicating with them, but still fun as well.
Almost every day we began with warm ups and stretching. One day we even learned this funny train dance that worked our coordination skills. We had to kick right twice, kick left twice, hop forward, hop backwards, then forward forward forward. Then the next time we would do the three hops backwards instead of forwards and so on. It was a bit confusing and difficult to coordinate with over 40 people to say the least :P
Every day the camp was divided into two groups, one would do footwork while the other fenced in a giant pool and we would switch at lunch time. Oh and speaking of lunch-we didn't let a day go by without playing an epic game of Egyptian Rat Screw (if you don't know the card game finish reading then IMMEDIATELY google it! best game ever!).
By the end of the week everyone was sore and tired, but pressed on. We held a giant mixed tournament on Friday. It was tough. The tournament was mixed and took all day in the unforgiving heat. Pools were in the morning and we had a shortened lunch in order to have enough time to finish the direct elimination bouts. (I finished 17th).
All in all the week was great. I learned some new great footwork, part of which I included in the footwork page of the blog, and focused on my game's week points while competing with top-notch fencers. We had great bonding activities after practice with camp parties, movies, and shopping nights. I got to know some of the Russian fencers pretty well-Tanya and Nastia. They would teach me some Russian and I taught them some English-there definitely some stumbles on the parts of both parties hahaha. For instance I could not for the life of me pronounce the word for the number 4. It was impossible! I really truly can't wait for the fun to continue this upcoming week!
I met all new people too. The Russian and Israel National teams are here as well as some French fencers. It has been a little difficult communicating with them, but still fun as well.
Almost every day we began with warm ups and stretching. One day we even learned this funny train dance that worked our coordination skills. We had to kick right twice, kick left twice, hop forward, hop backwards, then forward forward forward. Then the next time we would do the three hops backwards instead of forwards and so on. It was a bit confusing and difficult to coordinate with over 40 people to say the least :P
Every day the camp was divided into two groups, one would do footwork while the other fenced in a giant pool and we would switch at lunch time. Oh and speaking of lunch-we didn't let a day go by without playing an epic game of Egyptian Rat Screw (if you don't know the card game finish reading then IMMEDIATELY google it! best game ever!).
By the end of the week everyone was sore and tired, but pressed on. We held a giant mixed tournament on Friday. It was tough. The tournament was mixed and took all day in the unforgiving heat. Pools were in the morning and we had a shortened lunch in order to have enough time to finish the direct elimination bouts. (I finished 17th).
All in all the week was great. I learned some new great footwork, part of which I included in the footwork page of the blog, and focused on my game's week points while competing with top-notch fencers. We had great bonding activities after practice with camp parties, movies, and shopping nights. I got to know some of the Russian fencers pretty well-Tanya and Nastia. They would teach me some Russian and I taught them some English-there definitely some stumbles on the parts of both parties hahaha. For instance I could not for the life of me pronounce the word for the number 4. It was impossible! I really truly can't wait for the fun to continue this upcoming week!
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Lessons Learned, Reno Summer Nationals 2011
So I'm finally back from Reno, Nevada. It was a lot of fun, although there was nothing but desert all around the hotel. This year I competed in Juniors and Division 1A. The competition was fierce and unrelenting.
There ended up being a total of 186 fencers in the Junior event. I blasted my way through the pools after a shaky opening bout that I won in priority, 3-2. The confidence was flowing and the actions were swift. My lunges and fleches flowed with ease and my mental game was sharp.
With the assistance of my tournament personalized playlist and the support of Amanda Sirico of DCFC and my Hooked on Fencing teammates, I pounded out a 6-0 record in the pools with a plus 18 indicator (touches scored minus touches received). Everything was working pretty well and I was confident moving into the direct elimination round.
By the DEs my fencing was strong, but not up to the caliber it was at Junior Olympics where I finished second. The footwork was just not as crisp and the distance was shaky. I struggled to put away my opponents, even though I won by 4 or more points. The flow just wasn't energetic or agile. I had to rely on my counter attack much more often than I felt comfortable with.
After fighting my way through to double elimination I finally lost a close bout to Signe Furguson, 15-14. We had doubled all the way from 10-10 to 14 all! The bout was intense and nerves were high. As she pushed and pressed me, I finally took the initiative and fleched in the 8 line, but I missed the blade take! I ran right into her counter attack and lost a hard fought bout 15-14.
After a long wait for my second chance DE, I regretfully was nervous and jumpy. I doubted my skills as a fencer and was scared to lose. I had come all this way just to fence like I had 3 years ago. My bout against Jennifer Horowitz was dismal. I would close the distance or allow my self to be pushed around the strip as a result of my timid fencing. I didn't fully commit to actions and lunged half-heartedly. After all my hard work I lost 15-9 in a bout that I will never forget.
A fencer can never be timid. If you compete scared you will in all likelihood fail. That is what happened to me. I forgot my training and my mental preparation. I had no "general"-mental prowess, to lead my "army"-skill set and ability. Without a general your army is worthless. You could have the best army in the world, but without a leader to command their movements, they are an unorganized mess. This is why I lost the bout and it is a lesson learned and will not be easily forgotten.
May this be a lesson to all you out there not to be afraid to risk it all. In competition the worst you can do is lose, but if you are afraid to lose and compete in that manner then your opponent has ALREADY WON.
Courtney Dumas
There ended up being a total of 186 fencers in the Junior event. I blasted my way through the pools after a shaky opening bout that I won in priority, 3-2. The confidence was flowing and the actions were swift. My lunges and fleches flowed with ease and my mental game was sharp.
With the assistance of my tournament personalized playlist and the support of Amanda Sirico of DCFC and my Hooked on Fencing teammates, I pounded out a 6-0 record in the pools with a plus 18 indicator (touches scored minus touches received). Everything was working pretty well and I was confident moving into the direct elimination round.
By the DEs my fencing was strong, but not up to the caliber it was at Junior Olympics where I finished second. The footwork was just not as crisp and the distance was shaky. I struggled to put away my opponents, even though I won by 4 or more points. The flow just wasn't energetic or agile. I had to rely on my counter attack much more often than I felt comfortable with.
After fighting my way through to double elimination I finally lost a close bout to Signe Furguson, 15-14. We had doubled all the way from 10-10 to 14 all! The bout was intense and nerves were high. As she pushed and pressed me, I finally took the initiative and fleched in the 8 line, but I missed the blade take! I ran right into her counter attack and lost a hard fought bout 15-14.
After a long wait for my second chance DE, I regretfully was nervous and jumpy. I doubted my skills as a fencer and was scared to lose. I had come all this way just to fence like I had 3 years ago. My bout against Jennifer Horowitz was dismal. I would close the distance or allow my self to be pushed around the strip as a result of my timid fencing. I didn't fully commit to actions and lunged half-heartedly. After all my hard work I lost 15-9 in a bout that I will never forget.
A fencer can never be timid. If you compete scared you will in all likelihood fail. That is what happened to me. I forgot my training and my mental preparation. I had no "general"-mental prowess, to lead my "army"-skill set and ability. Without a general your army is worthless. You could have the best army in the world, but without a leader to command their movements, they are an unorganized mess. This is why I lost the bout and it is a lesson learned and will not be easily forgotten.
May this be a lesson to all you out there not to be afraid to risk it all. In competition the worst you can do is lose, but if you are afraid to lose and compete in that manner then your opponent has ALREADY WON.
Courtney Dumas
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