Art of Fencing, Art of Life

Month: October 2018 Page 1 of 2

Five Truths that will Transform Your Fencing Parenting

Five Truths that will Transform Your Fencing ParentingThe biggest single influence on your child is you, their parent. That’s both a wonderful thing and an intimidating thing all at the same time. Learning how to navigate fencing parenting isn’t something you’ll learn from a blog, but there are some “aha!” moments that we’ve found helped us to feel more understanding about the process.

Here are five truths that, if you apply them to your fencing parenting regularly, will transform not only how your child experiences fencing but also how you as a parent experience it! It’s worth exploring what fencing means for you as well as what it means to your child, as well as how those two things affect one another.

10 ways to talk to your friends about fencing

10 ways to talk to your friends about fencingFencers tend to be pretty enthusiastic about our sport, whether we’re adult fencers or kids. We want to encourage other people to learn about the sport and so to share our passion, but how can we best do that?

Sometimes we can be shy about putting our interests out there with our friends because we’re a little afraid that they won’t like things as much as we do. This can be especially true for tweens and teens who are dealing with social pressures and struggling to find their way through their very social worlds. How can you even get that conversation started?

Some fencers are naturally gregarious and just put it out there, but if you or a fencer you know wants some new ways to get the conversation going, then check out these fencing conversation starters.

5 Simple Ways to Become a More Tactical Fencer

Four Simple Ways to Become a More Tactical FencerThere is a great deal of battle in fencing.

By “battle”, what I mean is that to be effective, fencers must think about constantly about the tug of war that is happening between them and their opponent. Who has the high ground, who has the low ground, when to attack, when to retreat. This kind of thinking starts before the bout even begins, and in fact extends after the match is over. Just as a general works to position his troops to his best advantage in battle, so too must a fencer learn to exploit every possible opportunity on the strip.

Keep in mind that chess is a game of war and conquest as well. Just as when you’re in a chess match you’ve got to be thinking one or two or five steps ahead, so too in the physical chess that is fencing you’ve got to be able to think one or two or five steps ahead.

Here are five critical ways you can take advantage of tactical fencing.

Is Fencing a Violent Sport?

Is fencing a violent sport

Swords. Duels. Battle.

What’s the deal with fencing and violence? How is it that a sport that has its origins on the bloody battlefields of Europe considered safe for elementary school children to participate in? How can you put a sword in the hands of a child and say that it is somehow safe? You’re literally telling people to hit each other with swords! What about the movies where swordfighting is all about killing an opponent?

Let’s define what it means to be violent. According to the dictionary – 

Violent (adjective)

using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill someone or something.  

Fencing is NOT a violent sport. That’s because it doesn’t fit the definition of violence! Our purpose in fencing is not to hurt people. It’s not to damage people. It’s certainly not to kill anyone.

If those things aren’t the purpose of fencing, then what is?

The purpose of fencing is self mastery. We are learning to control our bodies and our minds, then using that control to get the better of an opponent in a point match through the use of non-injuring swords. It’s physical chess, played out at a lightning fast pace.

Fencing Online – A Social Media Guide for Fencers and their Families

Fencing Online - A Social Media Guide for Fencers and their Families21st century parenting is complicated. Social media platforms have stormed onto the scene in the last fifteen years, completely changing the way that both parents and kids interact with peer groups and the wider world. Gone are the days of notes passed in class or phone calls to update far away family members on how life is going, now kids text each other and parents post videos on social media.

The online environment can in many ways be a blessing. It allows us to connect with people who have shared interests, interests like fencing. It allows us to connect with family and friends. It allows us to document our children and their accomplishments. However it can also be a curse. It’s easy to fall into negativity in the online world or to post things without thinking. Not only that, online interactions make anonymous bullying easier and can make our connections less real and more virtual.

For better or for worse, social media is here to stay. How it shapes our lives and the lives of our kids is up to us. Here are seven social media guidelines for fencers and their families.

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