What qualities make a good fencer?

All of them. On the athletic side, speed and cardiovascular fitness rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for explosive speed, not heavy handedness), manual dexterity, and flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the mental side, a fencer must be adaptable and observant, and have a good mind for strategy and tactics. Psychologically, he or she must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. As far as body type goes, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits. Even so, height seems to be most useful in epee. Small or thin people are harder to hit in foil. A long reach helps in epee, and long legs are an asset in foil. It should be noted that left handers seem to enjoy a slight advantage, especially against less experienced fencers. This may account for the fact that lefties make up 15% of novice fencers, but close to half of FIE world ...  more

There are many. On the athletic side, speed and endurance must rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength, precision, and flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the intellectual side, a good mind for strategy and tactics is essential. The ability to quickly size up your opponent and adapt your style accordingly is essential. Psychologically, a fencer must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. Stress management, visualization, and relaxation techniques are all helpful to putting in winning performances. As far as body type goes, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits. Even so, height seems to be useful in epee, but not necessarily in sabre. Small or thin people are harder to hit in foil. A long reach helps in epee, and long legs are an asset in foil. It should be noted that left handers usually enjoy a slight advantage, especially ...  more

There are many. On the athletic side, speed and endurance must rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for explosive speed, not heavy handedness), precision, and flexibility. Quick reaction time=20 is extremely important. On the intellectual side, a good mind for strategy and tactics is essential. The ability to quickly size up your opponent and adapt your style accordingly is essential. Psychologically, a fencer must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. Stress management, visualization, and relaxation techniques are all helpful to putting in winning performances. As far as body type goes, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits. Even so, height seems to be useful in epee, but not necessarily in sabre. Small or thin people are harder to hit in foil. A long reach helps in epee, and long legs are an asset in foil. It should be noted that left ...  more

All of them. On the athletic side, speed and cardiovascular fitness rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for explosive power, not heavy handedness), manual dexterity, and flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the mental side, a fencer must be adaptable and observant, and have a good mind for strategy and tactics. Psychologically, he or she must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. As far as body type is concerned, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits.  more

All of them. On the athletic side, speed and cardiovascular fitness rank foremost. Other traits that can be exploited are strength (for explosive power, not heavy handedness), manual dexterity, and flexibility. Quick reaction time is extremely important. On the mental side, a fencer must be adaptable and observant, and have a good mind for strategy and tactics. Psychologically, he or she must be able to maintain focus, concentration, and emotional level-headedness under intense conditions of combat. As far as body type goes, it is always possible to adapt your style to take advantage of your natural traits. Even so, height seems to be most useful in epee. Small or thin people are harder to hit in foil. A long reach helps in epee, and long legs are an asset in foil. It should be noted that left handers seem to enjoy a slight advantage, especially against less experienced fencers. This may account for the fact that lefties make up 15% of novice fencers, but close to half of FIE world ...  more