Art of Fencing, Art of Life

Month: November 2017 Page 1 of 2

Why Do Fencers Sometimes Perform Better in Practice than in Competition?

Why Do Fencers Sometimes Perform Better in Practice than in CompetitionAs fencers, we practice practice practice. More time on the strip – be it in class, in camp, taking lessons, or going to open fencing events, is what fencers are always chasing. The goal is for our fencing to become second nature, for it to be something that we don’t even think about anymore, we just do it.

Something that it’s not uncommon to hear is that fencers find themselves performing better in practice than they do in competition. They might be killing it on the strip when they’re at the club, but once they hit the road and go to compete, they underperform. Why is this? And what can fencers do to help stop this process?

Holiday Fencing Gift Guide 2017

Holiday Fencing Gift Guide 2017It’s that time of year again! Everyone is thinking about the holidays right now as we start to prepare for the wonderful season of giving. The holidays just happen to fall right in the middle of fencing season, which makes it a great time to give the fencer in your life something really special. Here are some ideas for things to give the fencer in your life that will support their passion.

Thanksgiving Thoughts – Practicing Gratitude in Fencing

Thanksgiving Thoughts - Practicing Gratitude in FencingIt’s nearly Thanksgiving, and this is a time of year when we start to think about the things that we’re thankful for in our lives. We’re meditating on the good people in our lives and the good things that have happened to us this year. But gratitude isn’t something that we should focus on only once a year, it’s a sensibility and a system of living that we need to bring into our lives all year long.

Gratitude isn’t something you think, it’s something that you live. Practicing gratitude is a proven way for athletes to not only improve their performance, but also for them to improve the quality of their lives as a whole. That’s because fencing is not just the art of the sword, it’s the art of living.

Always Push Your Fencing Higher – Don’t Adjust Down!

Always Push Your Fencing Higher – Don’t Adjust Down!Oftentimes we find that fencers fence fantastically when they are up against very strong opponents, but then when they come up against less advanced fencers they come up short. This is especially true with novice fencers. Why is that?

Focusing Too Much on Winning

Focusing on winning is why fencers quitWithout thinking, without overanalyzing, answer this question – “What’s the most important thing in fencing?”

If your answer was “winning the match”, then we need to talk. Though winning is the ultimate goal of any sport, it’s not the driving force behind playing. Winning is not the reason that we play! Yet somewhere along the line, winning became this ultimate, hugely important thing. That’s not just in fencing, it’s something that we see across the board in sports. Everyone seems to think that winning is the thing that’s at the top of the list! The problem is that putting that kind of emphasis on winning is ultimately detrimental to everyone – especially new fencers.

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