How Top Fencers Succeed and How You Can Too
This piece was written by staff writer Angel Zhang
Welcome to the behind-the-scenes of fencing, where underneath all the glory and glitz of the sport lies rigorous training, unwavering determination, and much more. Even if you don’t do fencing, knowing what elite athletes put into their sport may help you understand and appreciate them more. From genetic makeup to mental resilience and intense training, we are tackling the question: How do the top fencers, the ones whose names you can find at the top of the word ranking, perfect their art and succeed?
Fencing is an artful blend of physical strength, biological advantage, and mental resilience. Only with a balanced combination of those factors can a fencer truly succeed and rise to the top. Take Aron Szilagyi, for instance. In the world of fencing, his name resonates like the clash of swords. This Hungarian fencer has sculpted his journey with three Olympic gold medals and an array of World Championship titles. He has quicksilver reflexes and is known to read opponents like open books. With a style that is based on precision and flair, his strategies have redefined the sport. It's not just his titles that make him stand out, but his ability to harness his physicality, fine-tune his biological strengths, and alter his mindset for the best. So how do fencers like Szilagyi develop those extraordinary characteristics?
Having the right mindset
Fencing is very much a mental sport. Having the right mindset can change everything. You have to win the mental battle against yourself first before fencing others. You need to train your mind to adapt to the parameters of fencing.
2. Staying focused
The fencing strip can often feel like a narrow precipice suspended above an abyss of distractions. In the heat of the moment (or a touch), as adrenaline surges and the crowd's murmurs fade into the background, your focus and concentration become your most valuable asset as a top fencer. One little slip in your concentration, even for a millisecond, can result in a point for your opponent. Olga Kharlan, four-time Olympic medalist and world champion, describes fencing as “chess at 200kph.” She also adds that “you have to make a decision very, very quickly, in one second.” To train her focus and rapid decision-making, her coach gives her mental challenges at the end of each tiring training session, such as “balancing stones on top of each other without them falling over.”
3. Not relying on impulse
Though it is important to act without hesitation during a touch, top fencers often use the precious time between touches (usually only a few sections) to think, refocus, and plan. During a fencing bout, it is normal and usual for you to act on impulse, without thinking. However, fencers gradually learn to calm their minds, think about their tactics, and alter them based on their opponent’s moves. This also helps them better observe their opponent and execute their actions in the next touch.
4. Staying calm and being in control of emotions
Sometimes (to be honest, a lot of times), during a bout, fencers experience heavy emotional strain. Experienced fencers know what to say to themselves to maintain composure through emotionally draining matches. Fencing bouts are normally very short, but a lot can happen and change within those minutes. Let's say you are winning 8-4 by the end of the first half of the match. Feeling confident that you can win this match easily, you spend your 1-minute break relaxing and thinking about your victory. Meanwhile, your opponent, determined to catch up, spends their break analyzing your tactics and coming up with ways to score touches. Just a minute into the second half of the match, your opponent leveled the score, making it 8-8. Now you are starting to get nervous. Your opponent gained 2 more points, taking advantage of your panicked state to make you fall behind. Now what? If you let your emotions, instead of what you observe, lead you, you will make wrong decisions. The only way to combat emotions is to take a deep breath, calm down and think about how you can counter your opponent’s strategies. Think about what you did in the first half to score touches. It is important that you don’t blame yourself for losing your lead – just learn from the experience and try to avoid it next time. After all, even the elite fencers struggle with not falling behind and keeping their lead during a match.
Another situation that is frustrating but fairly common is when the referee makes a wrong call. In foil and especially sabre fencing, the referee decides who gets the point. You are in a competition fencing a match, and you think the point is yours, but the referee gives it to your opponent. Now you have two options – argue with the referee or continue on. You can argue as much as you want, but the call can’t be changed after the point is given. The only thing you can do is to accept the call and keep fencing. At the end of the day, referees are human, and humans aren’t always 100% correct. Top fencers recognize that wrong calls are just part of competing. They won’t let that interfere with their emotional state or performance in the match. However, can a referee be blamed for your loss? Yes. In his article, “The Referee: Friend, or Foe?”, James A. Weiss said, “if a referee continually makes incorrect calls that drastically alter the score of the bout … takes suggestions from nearby coaches regarding a call, … grants bias on a fencer simply because of who the fencer is, or what he or she has done throughout his or her career, the referee is to blame.” But can you blame the referee if he or she made a single wrong call and you got so emotionally disrupted that you lost? No.
The “right” mindset is not limited to during competition, though. For elite fencers, their mindsets when they are training, preparing for a competition, or after a competition is also equally important.
5. Motivation and resilience in the face of challenges
Like athletes of any sport, intrinsic drive, rather than extrinsic drive, is one of the key factors to success. You have to find your sport personally rewarding to constantly improve and succeed. Top athletes think positively, motivate themselves, and never give up. Setbacks and obstacles are unavoidable. Losses and minor injuries happen all the time, but top athletes learn to overcome them and learn from every match, no matter the outcome. As American Olympic Medalist fencer Miles Chamley Watson says, “never a loss, always a lesson.”
6. Reflecting after competition
After the competition, taking time to reflect on your performance is crucial for personal growth and development. This step involves a thoughtful analysis of how you performed, enabling you to pinpoint your strengths and areas that need improvement. By identifying what you did well, you can build upon those strengths in future competitions. Likewise, recognizing areas for improvement allows you to focus your efforts on enhancing those aspects, leading to overall better performance. This reflection process ultimately propels you towards being a more successful athlete and fencer.
Training
Fencing is also very physically demanding. Fencers need to possess exceptional agility, speed, and coordination to swiftly maneuver around the fencing strip. The explosive bursts of movement involved in lunging and parrying place demands on muscular strength and endurance. Additionally, maintaining a strong core and balance is crucial for stability during quick directional changes. Top fencers train rigorously to achieve these characteristics, usually around 4-6 hours a day, 5-6 days a week. They include fencing sessions, freestyle matches, physical and mental training, and more in their training.
Fencing sessions
Fencing sessions take up the bulk of a fencer’s training. These sessions encompass a range of fencing-specific activities that target precise skills and techniques. Fencers engage in repetitive drills that focus on perfecting their lunges, parries, and ripostes, aiming for precision and fluidity in their movements. Footwork exercises are vital, enhancing their agility and allowing them to swiftly navigate the fencing strip. They dedicate significant time to honing their distance control and timing–vital aspects that ensure effective offensive and defensive maneuvers. Moreover, tactical sparring sessions simulate real match scenarios, enabling fencers to sharpen their strategic thinking and adaptability. Most fencers also take individual lessons with their coaches, receiving personalized feedback and tactical training.
2. Physical conditioning
Physical conditioning is an unavoidable part of a fencer’s training. It helps top fencers endure the constant fencing sessions and competitions. It also gives fencers the muscles and strength they need to execute the actions during a match. Most fencers do cardio every day, paired with a few sessions of fencing-specific physical training per week. It can also help prevent injuries during competitions.
3. Mental training and studying
Some fencers also incorporate mental training such as meditation into their workouts. This type of training is used to prevent nerves from affecting your physical abilities and limiting your potential during competitions.
Fencers also take time to study their opponents and do video analyses of matches. They learn from watching other people fence and analyzing their strategies and tactics.
4. Making the most out of training
Top fencers try to get the most out of each training session. They go to training with a clear goal in mind and a plan on how to achieve that goal, trying to train smart, not hard. They recognize the importance of not over-training, so they try to train enough that they achieve their goals but not too much that they injure themselves. These days, athletes focus a lot on injury prevention and career longevity. They use specific training techniques to minimize injuries.
Genetics
While genetics undoubtedly play a role in the success of top fencers, it's important to recognize that they are not the sole defining characteristics of a fencer's achievements. Genetic factors, however, can offer a subtle advantage that, when combined with dedicated training and an exceptional mindset, contributes to elite performance. Researchers have found that around 220 genes contribute to athletic performance. According to Stephen Roth, a University of Maryland associate professor of exercise physiology, aging, and genetics, "elite performance is necessarily a combination of genetically based talent and training that exploits those gifts."
Possible physical advantages
Some individuals may possess muscles with a composition and traits that are suitable for fencing. For example, the human body produces 2 types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch (type 1) and fast-twitch (type 2). A person’s genes may give them the ability to produce a lot of muscle, either type 1 or type 2 – or both. 18% of the population in Europe carry the ACTN3 gene, which makes a protein called alpha (α)-actinin-3 that is predominantly found in fast-twitch muscle fibers. Fast-twitch muscle fibers are able to contract with more force and speed but tire more quickly than slow-twitch ones, which is why sprinters have a larger proportion of fast-twitch fibers, while marathon runners have more slow-twitch fibers. Whereas muscle size can be altered through training, it is hard to change the type of muscle, so genetics plays a large role in determining if an individual is more suitable for a fast, explosive sport, or an endurance sport. Fencing has a lot of explosive movements, so fast-twitch muscle fibers are more useful as they help with quick lunges and swift directional changes.
Genetic variations can also affect how quickly muscles recover and adapt to training. Some fencers might possess genes that facilitate faster recovery after intense workouts, allowing them to maintain a higher training volume without overtraining, leading to better long-term progress. Two of those genes are the MMP3 and CKM, which help with muscle repair and recovery.
Another advantage caused by genetics is injury resilience. Certain genetic variations can contribute to stronger connective tissues and better injury resilience. Fencers with these genetic advantages might experience fewer injuries or recover more quickly from minor setbacks, allowing them to consistently maintain their training and competition routines.
2. Possible psychological advantages
As mentioned earlier, a fencer’s mentality also greatly influences his or her performance. Genetics can influence cognitive traits such as focus, reaction speed, and decision-making. While these traits can be developed through training and experience, genetic variations may confer a baseline advantage that can be honed further with the right mindset and preparation.
Another possible advantage is rapid skill acquisition and adaptability, enabling fencers who possess this trait to grasp fencing techniques more swiftly and effectively. Genetic traits can also affect how an individual responds to pressure and stress. Some fencers might possess genetic characteristics that enable them to remain calmer and more composed in high-pressure situations, allowing them to make better decisions during crucial moments in a match.
In conclusion, whether you're a passionate fencer, an enthusiastic supporter, a dedicated athlete, or someone who is seeking inspiration or motivation, the captivating world of fencing invites you to delve deeper and admire the unwavering commitment of fencers in honing their skills both on and off the strip.
References
https://olympics.com/en/athletes/aron-szilagyi
https://www.theantiblueprintproject.com/people/miles
https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-intrinsic-motivation-2795385
https://fie.org/athletes/13741
https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/fencing-champion-olga-kharlan-interview
https://blog.pbtfencing.com/aron-szilagyi-fitness-training
https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/understanding/traits/athleticperformance/
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/muscles-genes-cheats-2012-olympics-london/
https://www.xcode.life/genes-and-fitness/how-genes-influence-exercise-recovery/
