Building Body Awareness

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• Research Corner

• HEMA Hot Take

• Coach's Corner

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Research Corner

In this edition's Research Corner, we explore the significance of foundational movement skills (FMS) in athletic development and how adults entering HEMA without prior sports experience can enhance these skills to improve their fencing performance.

• Foundational Movement Skills:

  FMS are the basic movements that form the building blocks for more complex physical activities. They include skills such as running, jumping, throwing, and balancing. Proficiency in these movements is crucial for engaging effectively in various sports and physical activities, and carry with a person from activity to activity throughout their lifespan.

• The Impact of Early Development:

  Research indicates that children who develop FMS through play and sports are more likely to maintain physical activity into adulthood. These skills are also positively associated with numerous health benefits as well as weight status and activity level in adulthood.

• Adults without FMS: Failure to develop these skills earlier in life make learning more advanced or specialized skills profoundly more difficult. When athletes lack a wide range of basic fundamental movement skills, they also are a higher risk of acute or overuse injuries, burn out, decreased motivation, and limited long-term physical activity participation. The good news is, there is no expiration on when these skills can be learned - even older adults can train FMS and reap the benefits!

  Hulteen RM, Morgan PJ, Barnett LM, Stodden DF, Lubans DR. Development of Foundational Movement Skills: A Conceptual Model for Physical Activity Across the Lifespan. Sports Med. 2018 Jul;48(7):1533-1540. doi: 10.1007/s40279-018-0892-6. PMID: 29524160.

HEMA Hot Take: The Adult Learner

Adults who did not engage in sports during childhood may lack proficiency in FMS, leading to difficulties in activities like HEMA that require coordination, balance, and spatial awareness. This gap can hinder progress, as understanding techniques intellectually does not always translate to physical execution.

The good news is that adults can develop FMS through targeted practice. Engaging in activities that focus on balance, agility, and coordination can build the necessary foundation for effective fencing movements.

For HEMA practitioners, dedicating time to develop FMS can lead to better body control, improved spatial awareness, and more effective execution of techniques. Integrating movement skill training into regular practice sessions can bridge the gap between understanding and performing complex fencing maneuvers.

By acknowledging the importance of foundational movement skills and actively working to enhance them, adult learners can overcome initial limitations and achieve greater success in their HEMA journey.

How to (continue to) work on your FMS:

• Participate in fun, low-states fencing games that encourage a wide range of movement and creative thinking.

• Incorporate exercises such as balance drills, agility ladders, and plyometric exercises into your training

• Participate in other complex athletics like eastern martial arts, dance, yoga, or team sports.

• Train through traditional conditioning work like cycling, running, swimming, or lifting weights.

Coach’s Corner

Helping Students Build Body Awareness and Movement Skills
As a coach, you can often spot the students who struggle with body awareness and foundational movement skills (FMS) from their very first class. They have difficulty coordinating sword and feet at the same time, executing smooth, controlled movements, or struggle to mirror an exercise even after multiple demonstrations. These students often grasp fencing concepts intellectually but struggle to translate them into effective physical actions.

In a large beginner class these are the students that can become increasingly lost or frustrated, and may even abandon HEMA all together if they feel others are progressing more quickly with less effort.

So how do we help these students? Here’s where to start:

1. Incorporate Movement Drills into Warm-Ups:
   Introduce exercises that improve balance, coordination, and spatial awareness and make them a routine part of every class. For example:

   1. Toss & Catch warmups: Glove toss games solo or with a partner to work on basic hand-eye coordination without the complexity of weaponswork.

   2. Agility exercises: Use cones, ladders, or small markers to create obstacle courses for footwork practice.

   3. Dynamic stretches: Include movements like leg swings or torso twists to increase mobility and practice single-leg balancing.

2. Give Simple, Actionable Feedback:

   1. Avoid overwhelming them with too many corrections at once. Instead, focus on one or two key improvements per session.

      1. Body Related: “Let’s focus on keeping your knees bent during footwork to stay balanced,” or, “Think about keeping your weight forward during lunges.”

      2. Sword Related: “Reach the tip of your sword towards your opponent”, to help them avoid collapsing their arms.

3. Encourage Cross-Training:

   1. Beginners are eager to try to practice at home, but lack the knowledge or equipment to do so. Instead, recommend activities outside of fencing that help build FMS, such as yoga, dance, or other martial arts. These disciplines emphasize body control, spatial awareness, and fluidity of movement and the skills are directly applicable to fencing.

4. Foster a Supportive Environment:

   1. Students with less athletic experience may feel self-conscious. Celebrate their effort and progress, no matter how small.

   2. Avoid comparisons with other students. Instead, focus on each individual’s growth.

   3. Praise effort and commitment over results. Acknowledge fencers who show up to every practice and stay focused the entire time, even if they never win or are slow to progress.

5. Be Patient and Persistent:

   1. Building body awareness takes time, especially for students without a sports background. Regular, focused practice will yield results over time, so encourage them to stay consistent and not get discouraged.

Helping students develop their movement proficiency isn’t just about making them better fencers—it’s also about empowering them to feel confident and capable in their bodies. With a supportive, skill-focused approach, you can guide even the most movement-challenged students toward growth and success.

Health & Fitness Tips

Building Balance and Body Awareness

If you’re looking to improve your fencing performance, one of the most overlooked areas is balance and body awareness. These skills aren’t just for gymnasts or dancers—they’re essential for controlling your footwork, executing precise lunges, and staying stable during rapid movements. The good news is that you don’t need to be in a gym or the fencing salle to work on balance - you can work on it throughout your day!

Here are a couple simple and creative ways to develop better balance this month:

1. Single-Leg Balances…at Home!

   • Stand on one leg for 30 seconds, then switch.

   • Sound simple? Practice while you’re brushing your teeth, standing in line at the grocery store, or on a phone call.

   • Work towards a single leg stance for a full 60 seconds. Once that’s easy, add in some arm movements. Can you do it while washing the dishes? Doing your morning routine at the sink?

2. Controlled Movement

   • Slow down a routine activity to focus on the muscles used and turn nearly anything into a balance exercise.

   • Sound simple? Try SLOWLY reaching down to pet the dog, SLOWLY returning from a lunge to your en guard position, SLOWLY squatting down to pick up an object off the floor. I promise you’ll feel it in a whole new way!

Conditioning Move of the Week

Single Leg Touchdown with scaption

This advanced move combines balance, hip hinging, and shoulder mobility. This exercise enhances total body coordination while strengthening the posterior chain. I love this move because it works so many things at once - balance, flexibility, strength, and coordination, and engages so many of the muscles we need in historical fencing.

Too challenging? Take the weight away and do “bodyweight” scaption instead. Start off with 2-3 sets of 8-10 reps and work up to 3-4 sets of 12-15.

Upcoming Events and Offers

P.S. I have some epic, end-of-year coaching specials running! Reach out on social media or email to take advantage before the New Year!