Most fencers remember a bout as a feeling: “I was too slow,” “they were annoying.” That is hard to train from. Writing down what happened on each touch turns the feeling into a pattern you can do something about, for your own fencing and for the opponents you will meet again.
The system below needs a notebook or a phone and about a minute per bout.
(y-) Mental model
Every touch has an answer to four questions: who started it, what action scored, from what distance, and why the other fencer did not stop it. Twenty touches into a competition the answers start to repeat, and the repeats tell you what to train.
(y-) The touch log
Write one line per touch, as soon as you can after the bout.
| Column | What to note | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Score | The score after the touch. | 3-2 |
| For / against | Whether you scored it, or a double. | For |
| Who started | You, the opponent, or both at once. | Opponent |
| Action | What landed. | Stop-hit, wrist |
| Distance | Out, lunge, or close. | Lunge |
| Why | One short reason. | They advanced with the hand low |
Short abbreviations help. After a few competitions you will have your own.
(y-) Scouting an opponent
Watching someone fence before you meet them is the cheapest preparation there is. In a pool you can often watch most of your future DE opponents. Note these things.
| Question | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Where do they keep the point? | High and forward suggests an attacker. Low suggests they wait for you. |
| Do they attack first? | Decides whether you prepare or counter. |
| How many steps before an attack? | Tells you where the attack starts, see (y-) Distance Drills. |
| What do they do when hit? | Some get aggressive, some get careful. Either can be used. |
| Favorite target | Wrist, toe, body. Protect it and bait it. |
| Left or right handed | Lefties need their own plan, see (y-) Fencing Lefties. |
Write three lines at most per opponent. You will not read more than that in the minute before a bout.
(y-) After the competition
Go through the touch log within a day or two, while you still remember the bouts.
- Count the touches against you by action. The largest group is your first training priority.
- Count the touches you scored by action. These are what to build your game around.
- Look at the doubles. A lot of doubles often means you are counter-attacking into attacks without enough time advantage.
- Look at the “who started” column. If most touches against you came from your own attacks, your preparation needs work. If they came from the opponent’s attacks, your defense does.
- Pick one thing for the next few weeks of training. Take it to your coach.
(y-) Using video
If someone films your bouts, watch each one twice. The first time, just watch. The second time, pause at each touch and fill in the touch log. Video shows things you cannot feel during a bout, like how often you step back on reflex or how far forward you lean when you lunge.
Look at distance first, then the hand, then the feet.
(y-) A sample entry
Pool bout 4 vs. a left-handed fencer, lost 3-5. 0-1 against, they attacked my wrist from lunge distance, I was flat-footed. 1-1 for, stop-hit to the wrist as they advanced. 1-2 against, toe touch while I advanced with a big step. 2-3 double. 2-4 against, wrist again, same as the first. 3-4 for, counter to the toe. 3-5 against, wrist. Pattern: three of the five touches against me were their long attack to my wrist. Train: holding distance and parrying a lefty’s long wrist attack.
(y-) Common mistakes
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Writing it days later | Write right after the bout, even if it is only a few words. |
| Too much detail | One line per touch. Keep the columns short. |
| Only noting losses | Log the touches you scored too, so you know what works. |
| Analysing without acting | Pick one training goal from each competition. |
| Scouting everything | Three lines per opponent, focused on what you will use. |
Sources
(y-) Tactics | (y-) Competition Day | (y-) Distance Drills | (y-) Fencing Lefties
(y) Return to Fencing | (y) Return to Notes | (y) Return to Home