Sabre Fencing Techniques

Fencing is the ultimate gentleman's sport, taking the brutality of sword play and mixing it with dance and gymnastics. Fencing takes a keen mind and subtle play of the wrist, and is as hard as sports come. Learning the correct sabre technique is essential to becoming a good fencer. Learning bad habits early on may make you sloppy and clumsy. No one wants to look clumsy with a sword bearing down on him.

  1. Holding the sabre

    • Do not grip the sabre too tight. A tight grip ruins the control you have over the weapon and limits wrist movement. Holding the grip too tight also compromises accuracy, since hindered wrist movement means the arm must move, throwing off balance. You will want to hold your sabre using two or three fingers, never the full fist. Using the fingers gives the sabre a lot of freedom in movement. Some fencers, especially with the French foil, which boasts a longer grip, tend to hold the sabre closer to the end of the grip to gain a few inches on their opponent. This is a valid maneuver, but can limit some finesse with the blade if the technique is new to you.

    Movement

    • Make sure to keep the sabre movement to a minimum when attacking. If you are doing large sabre movements, you are losing speed. When attacking with your sabre, the wrist should be doing the majority of the work, while your arm moves very little. Practice your technique by holding the sabre and moving it in different attack positions using only the wrist. Although large movements may give your attack more speed at the blade, the time it takes to perform the movement may cost you points. A good opponent will use your body movement against you, and larger movements give your opponent more time to see the move coming. There is also greater accuracy in small movements.

    Arm Form

    • Do not bend the arm excessively at the elbow. Extending your arm when being attacked can leave you open for injury, and will give your opponent the upper hand. After en garde, bend your elbow slightly, and bring it toward your body. Keeping the elbow close to the body forces you to use your wrist during attack and defense, and since there are no targets protruding from your body for your opponent to attack, it gives you more time to defend yourself. If you are having a hard time with accuracy, you are probably letting your elbow float outward. Try to keep it as close to the body as possible. It may feel uncomfortable, but with experience you will get used to the sensation.