Often thought of as an activity just for actors or an elite few, fencing is actually an ideal sport for people of all ages. Fencing develops dexterity, endurance, flexibility, grace, and overall fitness, while also allowing participants the opportunity to hone the mind's problem-solving abilities. It is easily learned and practiced by both young and old, men and women, boys and girls. It has even been molded to fit the needs of the blind and individuals using wheelchairs. This is truly a sport for everyone. The Art and Science of Fencing covers everything from the history of the sport to the specifics of fencing technique, including the psychology of fencing, types of fencing weapons, biographies of great fencers, and information on selecting a fencing school and getting started in the sport. This book is a necessity for everyone who's ever seen an Errol Flynn movie and thought "Hey, that could be me!"
This teaching and reference book covers the most important concepts of training theory in the sport of fencing and their methodological application. Supplemented by the general teaching methods and experiences of Germany's most successful trainers, findings, theories, and methods of training, science-oriented basic concepts are integrated here with application-oriented editing. Through the collaboration of internationally renowned scientists and long-time successful trainers, a fencing book was created that is unique in fencing literature. From the Contents: • Essential information regarding terminology • Basic methods of fencing training • Youth training • Aspects of sports medicine in fencing • Foil fencing • Epée fencing • Saber fencing • International development trends in fencing
This book, written in a style easily comprehended by a child and containing motivating illustrations, was written with the youngest of athletes in mind. By inviting kids to complete individual tasks, to solve puzzles, to answer questions and to complete drawings, the book achieves the feel of an activity book. The little cartoon character "Foily“ accompanies the reader throughout the book, as he offers tips and invites the child to practice independently. The contents correspond to the most basic level of fencing training. It is intended as a teaching tool for fencing instructors and trainers, to help promote understanding of the sport of fencing for fencing students, and to improve independence in training. For the parents of fencing children it is an important motivational companion to fencing instruction.
Crowood Sports Guides provide sound, practical advice that will make you a better sportsperson, whether you are learning the basic skills, discovering more advanced techniques or reviewing the fundamentals of your sport. This book is illustrated in full colour throughout with photographs showing technique sequences, correct positions and competition situations. It covers fencing techniques in a logical progression, starting with the absolute beginner and culminating with the advanced competition fencer, and supplies detailed 'key points' as well as tips and advice on competition fencing. It discusses how to approach fencing as a left-hander and how to deal with left-handed opponents, and includes a valuable section on tactics which explains how to apply techniques in a fight situation. Presents footwork exercises and bladework training drills and provides an introduction to epee and sabre fencing. Aimed at fencers of all levels of ability and those considering taking up the sport and fencing coaches. Superbly illustrated with over 200 colour photographs showing technique sequences, correct positions and competition situations.
First published in 1948, Modern Fencing was used to train generations of fencing students at the U.S. Naval Academy. It is unique among fencing manuals because it contains separate lessons in all three weapons-the foil, épée and sabre-rather than just one. Modern Fencing is still considered one of the best fencing manuals ever written and is often cited by modern fencing masters for its concise lessons and excellent photos. This edition has over 80 digitally restored photographs and clear and concise instructions for fencers of any level.
Camillo Agrippa's widely influential "Treatise on the Science of Arms" was a turning point in the history of fencing. The author - an engineer by trade and not a professional master of arms - was able to radically re-imagine teaching the art of fencing. Agrippa's treatise is the fundamental text of Western swordsmanship. Just as earlier swordsmanship can be better understood from Agrippa's critiques, so too was his book the starting point for the rapier era. Every other treatise of the early-modern period had to deal explicitly or implicitly with Agrippa's startling transformation of the art and science of self-defense with the sword. Likewise, all of the fundamental ideas that are still used today - distance, time, line, blade opposition, counterattacks and countertime - are expressed in this paradigm-shifting treatise. This is a work that should be on the bookshelf of anyone interested in the history, practice or teaching of fencing. His treatise was also a microcosm of sixteenth-century thought. It examines the art, reduces it to its very principles, and reconstructs it according to a way of thinking that incorporated new concepts of art, science and philosophy. Contained within this handy volume are concrete examples of a new questioning of received wisdom and a turn toward empirical proofs, hallmarks of the Enlightenment. The treatise also presents evidence for a redefinition of elite masculinity in the wake of the military revolution of the sixteenth century. At the same time, is offers suggestive clues to the place of the hermetic tradition in the early-modern intellectual life and its implications for the origins of modern science. Camillo Agrippa's "Treatise on the Science of Arms" was first published in Rome in 1553 by the papal printer Antonio Blado. The original treatise was illustrated with 67 engravings that belong to the peak of Renaissance design. They are reproduced here in full. "Mondschein has at last made available to English-speaking readers one of the most important texts in the history of European martial arts. Agrippa marks a turning point in the intellectual history of these arts.... Mondschein's introduction to his work helps the reader understand Agrippa - and the martial practices themselves - as pivotal agents in the evolving cultural and intellectual systems of the sixteenth century. Above all, Mondschein's translation is refreshingly clean and idiomatic, rendering the systematic clarity of the Italian original into equally clear modern English - evidence of the author's familiarity with modern fencing and understanding of the physical realities that his author is trying to express. Mondschein's contextualization of his topic points the way for future scholarly exploration, and his translation will doubtless be valued by both students of cultural history and practitioners of modern sword arts." - Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng, Paul S. Morgan Curator -Higgins Armory Museum, Adj. Assoc. Prof. of Humanities, Worcester Polytechnic Institute First English translation. Hardcover, 234 pages, 67 illustrations, introduction, bibliography, glossary, appendix, index."
In this comprehensive guide to foil technique, a fencing master and Olympic gold medalist offers an unsurpassed wealth of technical and tactical advice. Covers every facet of the game, from attack, defense, and deceit.
