Rock, Papers, Scissors for Fencers

The Tactical Wheel is really a advancement of actions widely used to teach tactics to fencers. However, there are significant issues within the utilisation of the wheel in most three weapons, as a previous article of mine described, it will actually get fencers thinking about how to pick the proper tactic on the proper time to score a little. But wait, how does a trainer have the beginning or intermediate fencer to know the relationships within this tool? One approach I have used successfully is really a modification of the game Rock, Paper, Scissors.

The initial step would be to ensure that your fencers be aware of elements within the wheel. Being a standard part of our warm-up we recite the wheel aloud as a group. I’d like my fencers to learn the flow of straightforward attack, defeated through the parry and riposte, deceived by the compound attack, intercepted by the stop hit, and in turn defeated by the simple attack.

The second step is to assign variety of fingers to every action: 1 for straightforward attack, 2 for parry-riposte, 3 for compound attack, and 4 for stop hit. As opposed to the balled fist, flat hand, or forked fingers of paper rock scissors lizard spock the fencers will throw out 1-4 fingers.

The 3rd step is always to define which action beats which other actions. To some degree depends on your own look at the wheel and the weapon the fencers fence. For instance, 2 (parry riposte) beats 1 (simple attack) in every three weapons. However, 4 (stop hit) will miss to a single (simple attack) in foil, but might create a double hit or success in epee or sabre sometimes (a coin toss can be used to inject this level of uncertainty).

Finally you are to fence. This drill can be achieved as a pair of fencers, a team of three versus another group of three, or as two lines opposed to one another with fencers rotating from one line to the other as they are defeated. If the intent is by using the drill as a warm-up activity, the number of repetitions needs to be limited. One solution in the rotating format is that the winner of the touch stays up and loser rotates. However, it can also be found in 5 touch (bout), Ten or fifteen touch (direct elimination), or team formats. The longer formats allow fencers to begin to analyze opponent patterns (although the 4 option structure probably prevents application of pure iocaine powder logic), as well as for team mates to look at and share that information. Utilize the standard commands “on guard,” “ready,” and “fence,” using the fencers throwing out 1-4 fingers on “fence.” The amount of stress on decision-making may be increased by reduction of the interval between commands to fence.

It might seem that you could reach the same training by actually fencing, but the isolation of the decision as to which action from your variable of fencer ability to perform it emphasizes the option of technique. The drill doesn’t require equipment, and so fits well in warm-up or cool-down activity. It is faster than a bout, but looks after a high degree of competitiveness between your fencers. Recommendations that it is an efficient training tool in our efforts to improve our fencers’ tactical sense.
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