Building Confidence in Your Fencing

I’m not sure if I can stress enough how important having confidence is to your success at fencing (or life in general). What I’m talking about is not brash, loud, empty bravado or egotism, but the quiet assuredness you can feel emanating from people who are secure in themselves and their abilities.

 

Some people seem to be born with confidence. I was not one of them.

 

Even after years of fencing, qualifying for World Championship teams, and making some World Cup results, I still had a confidence problem. Whether it was at a local tournament, an NAC, or a World Cup, I clearly remember the feeling of getting en garde for every bout hoping that I would fence well. I felt like a baseball pitcher on the mound praying that his stuff would show up for the big game. It may sound strange, but I used to think my fencing ability was something I was not in control of and I just had to hope that I fenced well at tournaments.

 

My coach repeatedly told me to be confident in myself, but that always seemed so foreign to me. I treated my success more as an accident rather than something of my own making. This mindset prevented me from carrying the confidence I gained from a good result over to the next tournament.

 

It wasn’t until I learned that building confidence was a skill like fencing - one that requires practice, repetition, and effort - that my fencing finally reached its highest level.

 

Here are the things I did to build and sustain my confidence:

 

Before a tournament:

1. Visualize success - One of the skills I learned from sports psychologist Dr. Rob Udewitz was to visualize my success in a bout before it happened. This technique was especially effective in the 2004 Olympics. In the days leading up to both the individual and team events, I spent time visualizing myself beating my first round opponents.
2. Develop a physical trigger that activates your confidence - I actually had two. After I hooked up to the reel and before I got to the en garde line, I used to squat down at the end of the strip with my back to my opponent so they could read the name on my lamé. I don’t know if my opponents paid attention to this, but it made me feel more confident because I was reminding them who they were fencing.

    

   And, as I mentioned in my post about the en garde position, I also developed a trigger that focused me at the start of a bout. I used to get en garde, squat down almost all the way to the strip, and get back up lower than where I started.

    

   You need to figure out what works for you.

 

During a tournament:

1. Remember who you are - Before a bout, review the strengths of your fencing game. What do you do well? How do you set up that action?

    

   Prime your mind for victory in the coming bout. Again, visualize your success.

2. Remember how you feel - After a bout where you think you performed particularly well, pay attention to your body and the sensations you feel. How did your body feel in the bout? Did you feel fast? Moving smoothly? Was your point moving ahead of your body?

 

After a tournament:

1. Write everything down - Write down what actions worked in a bout, what didn’t. Write down how you felt when you were fencing well. It’s important to make sure you get everything down on paper for future reference.

 

I’ve had many conversations with top fencers and we all agree that once you reach a certain level, it’s confidence and mental toughness that set the best fencers apart from the rest of the pack. Don’t neglect to train your mind for success as well as your body. There’s nothing more important than believing in yourself.

 

Related Posts:

• I’m Giving Fencing Lessons…
• Is It Okay to Yell After You Get a Touch?
• Great News for U.S. Fencing!
• Respect the ‘Stache
• 2003 Copa Venezuela Grand Prix World Cup

Tags: confidence, Dan Kellner, Dr. Rob Udewitz, Fencing

Category: Fencing.

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2 Comments on “Building Confidence in Your Fencing”

1. Etay says:

   I used to look at the rival, do some hamming and smile and then, just before the fight, would make an angry face/voice. Usually, that caught them by surprise…

   [Reply to This Comment]

   
   January 18th, 2009 at 12:05 am

2. Robert says:

   I’ve heard the recommendation to keep a training journal but I’ve a hard time with just a free-flow writing of what went on in my lesson/bouts. I’ve tried to organize it into: physical, mental, technical/tactical, competition/bouts. What form did your own journals take and can you think of other categories that might need attention when journaling?

   [Reply to This Comment]

   
   January 21st, 2009 at 11:36 am

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