This page contains links to various exercises that you can do at home to support the training given at the club or, if you have signed up for a course, some of them will give you a good introduction and even get you ahead of the game!
If you are ‘staying home’ then there are some which make good home exercise routines. Do make sure you are exercising in a safe place with good flooring, no obstacles to jump or fall into and especially if using any makeshift swords!
These videos have been chosen as being the best available for their subject and most closely match the techniques taught at Blackheath. Where they are hosted on Youtube feel free to follow suggested links, but preferably from the same coach. Even top class fencers do not necessarily make the best coaches! If they are hosted on Facebook you should be able to watch them without an account.
This page is NOT on the website menu but is made available to Club Members and Adult trainees so please bookmark the page so that you can find it again! Tip: You may find it useful to go into Youtube video settings and increase the speed to 1.25x on some of these.
Although split into footwork and bladework sections, the key to fencing well is combining the two skills effectively. This is done by getting the timing right!
“Arm first, legs last” is the general rule for an attack (in Foil and Sabre) but sometimes there are preparatory footwork steps that need to be taken. Footwork is absolutely key to getting that touch!
As we find appropriate online resources we will add them to the page
A brief history of fencing (British Fencing website) The author, Malcolm Fare, is owner/curator of the Fencing Museum in Cheshire which can be visited on appointment
General training

Footwork
Blade work – Fundamentals
“Hold your weapon like a bird. Too tight, you will strangle it. Too lightly, it will fly away”
Scaramouche – Film 1954
More advanced Footwork
Blade work – Advanced
Zemowitz Wojiekowski (Ziemeck) is UK coach of World No2 Richard Kruse and runs ZFW Fencing in north London
More of Ziemek’s training videos below on the FCL FB page. If you do not have a Facebook account you should still be able to see them, otherwise consider creating an account with minimal information about yourself and set the security levels really tight.