Practice Roadmap

Focus: en garde position, advance, retreat

Try to stay balanced and relaxed

Keep your movements small and controlled

Common mistake: leaning too far forward

I see a lot of beginners lose balance when they move too fast too early

How to know you’re improving:

You can advance and retreat multiple times without wobbling or crossing your feet

Focus: lunge from a stable position

Start slow — control matters more than speed

Pay attention to your back arm and posture

Common mistake: back arm drops or body collapses forward

A lot of beginners rush the lunge instead of building it step by step

Drill:

Lunge to a wall target, ~20 reps per session

Focus: parry 4 and parry 6

Use your wrist, not your whole arm

Keep movements small and efficient

Common mistake: swinging the arm too much

I notice beginners often overreact instead of making small adjustments

Drill:

Have a partner tap your blade — redirect instead of blocking hard

No partner? Practice the wrist movement in front of a mirror — focus on keeping the arm still.

Focus: advance + lunge combination

Start connecting movement with attack

Stay controlled even when things feel faster

Common mistake: losing form when trying to go faster

This is where things start to feel messy, and that’s normal

Goal:

Your first light sparring session

Progress in fencing isn’t linear.

Some days you’ll feel like you’re improving, and some days you won’t — that’s part of the process.

From what I’ve seen, the biggest difference isn’t speed, but control and timing.

If you experience any breathing difficulties during intense drills, don't ignore it — check out the Athlete Health page.