The question I am most often asked is: How do you deal with nerves before a competition? There are of course many different techniques for eliminating distractions and managing frustration. But I believe the key to a strong mental game is to master one simple trick. It’s called reframing. What causes nervousness at competitions? Well, a lot of things. But for now, let’s focus on the most common: uncertainty. Competitions introduce variables that you don’t often deal with in your everyday life: new surroundings, new stakes, new expectations, etc. Naturally, your mind clamors to predict what is ..read more

Nearly every experienced fencer has spent a few precious moments in “the zone,” that place we reach in our minds when our best fencing happens naturally. It’s the feeling we all strive for, especially in competition. But the zone is a temperamental state, one that you slide into sideways, rather than stepping into directly. Let’s look at it more closely. What does the zone feel like in fencing? Every person’s experience in the zone is different, but one of the key similarities is that it is often described as a “flow” state, a term coined by the psychologist, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. When you ..read more

When you wake up in the morning, do you experience resistance? Wait, let me clarify that question. Do you get that feeling in your gut that makes you avoid or pull away from what lies ahead of you? Resistance is one of the strongest forces in our lives and can manifest itself in many ways. Here are a few examples: Resistance to pushing yourself Resistance to trying something you don’t know how to do Resistance to changing old routines Professionals tackle resistance head on I hate to say it, but resistance is common among fencers of all levels, from beginner to Olympian. It can be str ..read more

We all know that fencing can be expensive. There are so many little things to spend money on – equipment often breaks, lessons aren’t cheap and travel can really strain your finances. However, it’s not all bad news. At least fencers don’t need to stable their own horse or maintain a sailboat. So, the good news is that it’s not the most expensive sport out there either. And the real truth is, if you want to get serious about any sport, it’ll cost you a fair bit of money. We don’t need to go over why you should fence (if you need a refresher on some of the benefits fencing has in store for you ..read more

Advance, retreat and lunge. These are foundational movements in fencing. Fencers go the gym to perform squats, lunges, deadlifts, leg curls, leg extensions, glute bridges, kettlebell swings and countless other exercises to facilitate the execution of these foundations. But, what about your brakes? Huh? What? Yes, brakes. You know, they’re the last thing you think about when you’re looking wide-eyed at a sleek Ferrari at the International Auto Show. However, all that speed and power is wasted if the brakes aren’t in tip-top shape. If not, that mean machine won’t be on the road for very long. L ..read more

By Dr. Justin Tausig It’s no secret that focus is an essential ingredient to performing well as a fencer. However, fencing competitions bring a revolving door of distractions that can draw your attention away from what is most important. In this article, we are going to look at one of the most effective mental tools I used in my own career as a national team member to stay focused so that I could perform at my best. Distractions are the things you don’t control I define distractions as things you focus attention on that are outside of your direct control. Venues are often big, brightly lit an ..read more

We get it: going to your first tournament can be scary. There’s a lot of pressure on a newer fencer to perform and prove to themselves that it’s worth continuing to travel and fence. On top of performance pressure, there are a lot of rules and small details you’ll have trouble picking up on before you get there. We’re here to help alleviate your stress. In this guide, we give a barebones description of everything you should expect going into your first few tournaments, including an overview of rankings, how to know whether you’ll get points, and a few general rules for qualification. How are ..read more

Chances are the you noticed fencers wearing national team warm ups at various fencing competitions, but have you ever wondered how those fencers actually qualify to be on the national team? This is a continuation of our series covering how to follow fencing. In this article, we will go over how a fencing season works at the US national level as well as how fencers are ranked nationally, how tournaments contribute to national rankings, and how long the fencing seasons go. At the end of this article, you should know everything you need to know to follow fencing standings and the qualification p ..read more

By Dr. Justin Tausig One of the unfortunate realities of fencing is that you can do everything right and STILL get hit.  That is, you can select a good action and execute it with the right distance and timing, but if your opponent guesses correctly, you can still lose the touch! It is natural to feel frustration in these moments, but when we let it get the best of us, our fencing suffers. In this article, we will talk about some of the negative effects frustration has on our fencing and how we can improve our tolerance for this emotion when it arises. First, take a few deep breaths When ..read more

Fencing has a lot of misconceptions associated with it. The number of times that someone has brought up Zorro when they find out I fence is too many to count. This isn’t anyone’s fault. Swordfighting is in mainstream culture - it’s in movies, tv shows, and plays. However, the sport of modern fencing is less familiar to many than its Hollywood counterpart, and is as different from Zorro as Mad Max is from Formula One. This article is an attempt to clearly lay out what fencing is and isn’t as a sport in the modern Olympics. Through this article, we’ll cover what makes fencing - well, fencing ..read more