7:37 yessss PBT type "A" grip the true king of fencing grips 😍 imo Belgian grips are actually way too big for most people, especially on the women's foil side. The "A" is in most aspects like a size "small" belgian grip, and so you can keep the benefit of letting the prong save your grip strength and take the burden off your fingers when making a forceful action, while still having it actually be maneuverable in your hand like a visconti. I've noticed the benefits and amazing control feeling of the grip don't really come though unless you put a quite severe inward cant on your foil personally. So if people who like a big inward cant are interested I would recommend trying it, at the very least you'll have fun experimenting
I completely agree. Unless you're over 6' tall, you probably shouldn't be using the black Belgian grips. This is a great point! Belgian grips require a much more intense tang (bend downwards and to the left side) for right-handed fencers.
I trained professionally for several years. When you say "as a lot of people like to do" in regards to putting tape on your handle... I literally NEVER saw a single person in my entire fencing studio do that, regardless of which style they fenced. I have no idea who taught you that, but that is absolutely not typical practice. Good luck finding an Olympian who does it.
I fenced with a French grip in foil for years though I would switch it up in competition depending on who I was fencing to a Belgian grip the only grip I really didn't like was a pistol grip I only used it a few times when fencing epee so it kind of ruined the sword for me and I mainly stuck to foil and sabre
Honestly, no. At least not in foil. While there are some niche examples of relatively high performance with a French grip, foil is dominated by pistol grips because angulation matters so much. The pommel, when held properly, restricts wrist movement and give you a different leverage on the blade rendering flicks all but useless with a French grip. In epee, however, there are many examples of high level French grip users, many of whom employ a technique known as pommeling, where they hold the tail end of the blade (the pommel). This grants them extra reach. Can you train and teach a high level with French grip? Yeah, I’d say probably, but I think you’d need to come up with some really clever adaptations to make it viable in foil
It’s physically larger than a small which is going to influence how you hold it. Personally, we think smalls or extra smalls encourage better finger control. But, use whatever you think feels comfortable
@@s-class8871My hands are a size medium in terms of glove size (right at the top end). I take it a small is still preferable for me with visconti grips?
Please help me out. I just started fencing, foil to be specific. I hold the foil and put my elbow tight into my body, then turn my wrist inwards to my foil?
Sir. Thank you for replying. I know how to hold the foil itself, but the proper way to stand on guarde, is it to tuck the elbow in to your body and turn your wrist inwards? @@s-class8871
When holding the foil. I stand on guard, face the oponent with my foil. I hold the foil correcly. The next step is? So I heard that your elbow should move into your ribs, then turn your wrist inwards or something like that. When I trained with a guy, when he held his foil, he said that my foil should always touch his blade, then I do it correcly but I forgot. I have not been able to train for two weeks.
@@simulki7108 the first thing I’d focus on is what your fingers are doing. Make sure the index finger and the thumb are punching the very base of the grip. Some people apply a claw grip where they punch the base with 3 fingers. Either option is fine. Next make sure the angle of the wrist is correct. The pommel of the French grip should rest in line with your forearm. Finally, we teach that there should be a small gap between your elbow and your body. You don’t need your elbow to be touching your rib cage. Of course, this is just what we teach, there are many schools out their with their own variations of en guarde. If you want we can make a video on the subject :)
Thank you so much sir. I'd love a video of the very proper way because I have had problems. Sure, it's only my sixth time I am fencing but they say I am doing wrong with my arm. I have problem relaxing my arm so it is like I am lifting weight. Very nervous of doing wrong. I do understand that my arm should be paralell, yes. What I do not understand is when I fought a guy that were teaching me some, he said, hold your arm correcly so your blade is always touching mine when he is hoilding his foil in guard position, which makes no sense to me because he is a lefty, so when I face a right handen, then it wont be the same. @@s-class8871
Several times I lost track of which grip he was demonstrating. It would have been more helpful if, when he switched over to a different grip, he said which grip it is.
![Mongoose Style | | Fencing Tutorial [Movement Style] (Foil, Epee, Saber)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lQa-jES1EB0/mqdefault.jpg)
![Mongoose Style | | Fencing Tutorial [Movement Style] (Foil, Epee, Saber)](/img/tr.png)
![How to Hold the Pistol Grip | Fencing Tutorial [Bladework Style] (Foil, Epee, Saber)](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YiRuqXSZKxQ/mqdefault.jpg)
7:37 yessss PBT type "A" grip the true king of fencing grips 😍
imo Belgian grips are actually way too big for most people, especially on the women's foil side. The "A" is in most aspects like a size "small" belgian grip, and so you can keep the benefit of letting the prong save your grip strength and take the burden off your fingers when making a forceful action, while still having it actually be maneuverable in your hand like a visconti.
I've noticed the benefits and amazing control feeling of the grip don't really come though unless you put a quite severe inward cant on your foil personally.
So if people who like a big inward cant are interested I would recommend trying it, at the very least you'll have fun experimenting
I completely agree. Unless you're over 6' tall, you probably shouldn't be using the black Belgian grips.
This is a great point! Belgian grips require a much more intense tang (bend downwards and to the left side) for right-handed fencers.
Is this kind of grip as easy to handle with the fingertips as a visconti? Especially with the index finger on the sides of the grip?
Literally the only RUclips video I could find explaining very clearly and succinctly the different grip styles. Thanks for this (Vancouver)!
the return of the king.
Why weren’t you at practice!
@@s-class8871 class.
I trained professionally for several years. When you say "as a lot of people like to do" in regards to putting tape on your handle... I literally NEVER saw a single person in my entire fencing studio do that, regardless of which style they fenced. I have no idea who taught you that, but that is absolutely not typical practice. Good luck finding an Olympian who does it.
@@KaiLucasZachary I’m an Olympian who does it
he's back
We never left, just been super busy (might even have to make a video about what else we've been up to) ;D
This is a great and very helpful video, thanks so much
beginners should start with a french. we have to many hack artists in the game.
it really confuses me that clubs let beginners use pistol grips... they start using their wrists without knowing it... sigh
I fenced with a French grip in foil for years though I would switch it up in competition depending on who I was fencing to a Belgian grip the only grip I really didn't like was a pistol grip I only used it a few times when fencing epee so it kind of ruined the sword for me and I mainly stuck to foil and sabre
Also my French grip was right handed and red with a silver pommel 😅 might have thrown new opponents off thinking I was left-handed
If your glove is size 9,10 or 11 dont bother with the pistol grip and get a belgium one for both epee and foil.
Do you think that at the highest levels of foil fencing, a great fencer with a French grip could still be a top ranked fencer?
Honestly, no. At least not in foil. While there are some niche examples of relatively high performance with a French grip, foil is dominated by pistol grips because angulation matters so much. The pommel, when held properly, restricts wrist movement and give you a different leverage on the blade rendering flicks all but useless with a French grip.
In epee, however, there are many examples of high level French grip users, many of whom employ a technique known as pommeling, where they hold the tail end of the blade (the pommel). This grants them extra reach.
Can you train and teach a high level with French grip? Yeah, I’d say probably, but I think you’d need to come up with some really clever adaptations to make it viable in foil
@@s-class8871 thanks for the response, really appreciate it. I think you’re 100% right. And loving the content. Keep it coming!
What's the issue with the larger Visconti grip (the blue one)? What makes it too big?
It’s physically larger than a small which is going to influence how you hold it. Personally, we think smalls or extra smalls encourage better finger control. But, use whatever you think feels comfortable
@@s-class8871 And the smaller ones allow more control because they force your fingers to be closer together?
@@s-class8871My hands are a size medium in terms of glove size (right at the top end). I take it a small is still preferable for me with visconti grips?
@@HipposHateWater again, it’s all about what’s comfortable for you. We’re both M size gloves (8.5) but use small Visconti grips. Hope that helps!
@@s-class8871 Thanks! That's actually my exact glove size so I'll give that a try when I try switching from frenchie
Please help me out. I just started fencing, foil to be specific. I hold the foil and put my elbow tight into my body, then turn my wrist inwards to my foil?
Hello happy to help just not quite sure what you’re asking? Are you asking for the proper way to hold the foil?
Sir. Thank you for replying. I know how to hold the foil itself, but the proper way to stand on guarde, is it to tuck the elbow in to your body and turn your wrist inwards? @@s-class8871
When holding the foil. I stand on guard, face the oponent with my foil. I hold the foil correcly. The next step is? So I heard that your elbow should move into your ribs, then turn your wrist inwards or something like that. When I trained with a guy, when he held his foil, he said that my foil should always touch his blade, then I do it correcly but I forgot. I have not been able to train for two weeks.
@@simulki7108 the first thing I’d focus on is what your fingers are doing. Make sure the index finger and the thumb are punching the very base of the grip. Some people apply a claw grip where they punch the base with 3 fingers. Either option is fine. Next make sure the angle of the wrist is correct. The pommel of the French grip should rest in line with your forearm. Finally, we teach that there should be a small gap between your elbow and your body. You don’t need your elbow to be touching your rib cage.
Of course, this is just what we teach, there are many schools out their with their own variations of en guarde. If you want we can make a video on the subject :)
Thank you so much sir. I'd love a video of the very proper way because I have had problems. Sure, it's only my sixth time I am fencing but they say I am doing wrong with my arm. I have problem relaxing my arm so it is like I am lifting weight. Very nervous of doing wrong. I do understand that my arm should be paralell, yes.
What I do not understand is when I fought a guy that were teaching me some, he said, hold your arm correcly so your blade is always touching mine when he is hoilding his foil in guard position, which makes no sense to me because he is a lefty, so when I face a right handen, then it wont be the same. @@s-class8871
Several times I lost track of which grip he was demonstrating. It would have been more helpful if, when he switched over to a different grip, he said which grip it is.
*promo sm* 👀