VCU HEMA Foundational Skill Drills
Rot drills are the club's way of training the 5 fundamental skills of fencing effectively and efficiently. The class is broken up into small groups and do these drills for…
Structure
A rot is a small squad of students placed under a junior instructor to give them teaching practice and to help break up large classes
The club teaches five core skills that make great fencers; footwork, striking, master cuts, winding, and reading
Each skill has three drills that teach the key parts of those skills
These drills are practiced during the rot drills and are done three at a time. Footwork is used every practice then paired with two others for the first week and the other 2 for the second week
For example, the first week you might do footwork, striking and master cuts, and the second week you do footwork winding and reading
The same drills are practiced for one month before switching to the second drill next month
For example, September you would do sledgehammer, buffalo and seven up, alternated with sledgehammer, thrusting and spyglass
For October you would do distance drill, parrying and Zwerch it, alternating with distance drill, twitch response, and fencer vision
Every rot drill should end with the in response to the oberhau drill
Games are to be employed each practice and serve to simulate the fight in some way; instructors should look to see if the skills that fencers have practiced are being used in competition
Beginner drills are designed to teach the basics of fencing and should be used the first and second practice
For pairs of new students, instructors can give feedback and ensure that it is properly implemented
When giving feedback instructors/students should say one thing the other is doing well and give one concrete, actionable suggestion
“Hit harder to displace the blade” is vague and useless. “Twist your hips to engage your core as you strike to hit harder and displace the blade” is useful, give them something actionable that they can focus on and replicate.
A good sentence starter for positive feedback is “I really like it when…” a good sentence starter for corrections is “next time try…”
A stands for attacker and D stands for defender
Footwork
Sledgehammer drill
The purpose of this drill is to train voiding and reading the opponent while maintaining an awareness of zufechten and Kreig.
Fencer A and Fencer D star in Vom Tag
Both are limited to only Oberhaus and neither can defend
The goal is to get in range, hit them, and get out without getting hit
This trains distance management and appropriate force
This can also be done with thrusts from Pflug
The drill lasts for 1 minute, after that each fencer shares 1 thing the other did well, and gives 1 concrete actionable correction. Repeat the drill 3 more times focusing on implementing those corrections
Switch roles and repeat
Distance drill
This drill is designed to train how to read the other person and improve quick footwork.
Fencer A and B start unarmed out of range
Fencer A changes the distance by moving forward or backward
Fencer D must keep the distance constant using whatever footwork they like
If they get too close, Fencer A may tag them at which point the drill resets
After 1 minute each fencer should tell the other one thing that they did well and gives 1 concrete actionable correction. repeat the drill with the same roles for another minute
Switch roles and repeat
Note: the goal is not to tag the other person, the goal is to maintain the distance between you.
Minefield
This drill trains how to maneuver and manipulate people with footwork
Fencer A and D stand unarmed in a small circle with a glove (mine) at the center
Fencer A’s job is to either touch Fencer D or make them touch the glove
If either of those happens Fencer D exits the circle and they switch roles
If Fencer A cant tag Fencer D or make them touch the glove in 10 seconds or less then they switch roles and go again
Striking
Buffalo drill
This drill trains the most common opening move in tournaments, and teaches how to recognize strong and weak bind
Fencer A and D stand in Vom Tag with helmets and gloves
A strikes an Oberhau
D defends with an Oberhau
If the structure is good, then the blow will be blocked, and D will likely control the center
If the structure is poor, then D’s arms will collapse, and A will hit them
After each strike, both fencers must pause and say if they are strong or weak in the bind
Do four right side Oberhaus, then four left side Oberhaus
After eight strikes A tells D one thing they did well and one concrete, actionable correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing the correction
Switch roles and repeat
Parrying drill
The goal of this drill is to perfect the ability to parry and repost using both the four hangers and the zwerchhau
Fencer A and D stand in zufechten
Fencer A performs four Oberhaus alternating left and right sides, Fencer D parries the first 2 with a simple parry and the last two with Ochs (absetzen), thrusting or striking after each parry
Without breaking rhythm fencer A performs four unterhaus, Fencer D parries the first 2 in Plfug, and the last 2 with an Unterzwerch, thrusting or striking after each parry
After the eight strikes, Fencer A tells one thing D did well and provides one concrete, actionable correction to improve, feedback should take less than 10 seconds
Repeat the drill three times with A attacking and D defending, incorporating the feedback
Fencer D now attacks A with four Oberhaus and four unterhaus, A responds accordingly, after the sequence D gives feedback and they repeat the drill with A incorporating the feedback
Turret defense
This drill is designed to perfect the ability to parry any attack and build confidence even when facing an aggressive opponent
Fencer D stands with their back foot against a wall in langort Fencer A stands in zufechten
Fencer A can make four attacks of their choosing with a triangle step; Fencer D must parry them without leaving Langort, they should be focusing on the opponent and relying on peripheral vision to parry
After the four attacks fencer A gives one thing they did well and 1 actionable correction
Repeat the drill three times focusing on incorporating that feedback
After four total rounds switch roles
Mater cuts
Zwerch it (in full kit)
The goal of this drill is to make the Zwerchhau muscle memory and to reflexively target openings as they appear
Fencer A and D stand in a guard of their choosing
Fencer A performs eight zwerchhau targeting one of the four openings as they open up while B mirrors them to defend
After eight strikes D tells A one thing they did well and one actionable, concrete correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing that correction
Switch roles and repeat
Seven up
The purpose of this drill is to familiarize the fencer with which master cut goes to which guard and train them to attack while the opponent is transitioning between guards
Fencer A and D stand in vom tag
Fencer A moves through the eight guards with D performing the correct master cut for each
Fencer A then pauses in kron then assumes a guard of their choosing, as soon as D sees what guard it is they must perform the correct master cut as quickly as possible, preferably before A has settled in the guard
After four guards, pausing in kron between each one A tells D one thing they did well and one concrete, actionable suggestion.
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing that feedback
Switch roles and repeat
Master cuts Vs Oberhaus
The goal of this drill is to show how master cuts can be used against Oberhaus, the most common strike, and to drill using them effectively and efficiently
Fencer A and D stand in Vom Tag
Fencer A performs four Oberhaus from each side
Fencer D responds with zornhau, zwerchhau, krumphau and schielhau on the left and right, striking the opponent after each strike
After 1 round fencer A tells fencer D one thing they did well and gives 1 actionable, concrete suggestion
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing that feedback
Switch roles and repeat
Winding
Twitch response drill
The goal is to teach and internalize how to respond to varying pressure on the sword in the bind
Fencer A and D stand in Langort wit the last ¾ of their blades touching
D closes their eyes and gently moves their sword along A’s length while A either becomes strong or weak in the bind
As soon as D feels the shift, they should thrust if they are strong and duplieren if they are weak
After four responses A tell D 1 thing they did well and one concrete, actionable suggestion
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing the feedback
Switch roles and repeat
The goal of this drill is to hone their ability to detect if they are strong or weak through Fühlen (feeling) and respond as soon as they identify which it is
An advanced version is for A to vary the strength of a strong bind or weakness of a weak bind to prompt different responses from D
Thrusting drill
The goal is to learn how to deal with ranged fighters and read the opponent for when and how they will thrust and how to respond
Fencer A and D stand in Langort
The only way to win is to thrust the opponent; A can only attack, D can only defend
A performs four thrusts while D parries or counters
After four thrusts D tells A 1 thing they did well and one concrete, actionable correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing the feedback
Switch roles and repeat
MADS defense drill
This drill gives a simple decision tree for binding after an oberhau. The name is an acronym for the drill Muterin, Absetzen, Duplerin, Schnapen.
A and B stand in guards of their choosing; A strikes an oberhau and D binds
If D is strong in the bind, then he can either thrust, Absetzen, or Mutieren
If D is weak in the bind, he can either lift off, Schnappen, or duplieren
After five binds on the right switch to 5 Oberhaus from the left
After the ten strikes A tell D one thing they did well and one concrete, actionable correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing that correction
Switch roles and repeat
Reading drills
Fencer vision
The goal of this drill is to develop “fencer vision” the ability to see the opening and know what attacks would best exploit them, this can be done without helmet or gloves
Fencer A and D stand in a guard of their choosing
Fencer A makes an attack and D defends, both fencers freeze
Fencer A mimes attacking the available openings before returning to their original position and attacking one of the openings which D again defends
After four rounds D tells A one thing they did well and one actionable, concrete correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing the correction
Switch roles and repeat
Spyglass drill
The goal of this drill is to train students to be judges and watch a fight and see what happens. It also trains all of them to identify zucfechten, Kreig, vor and nach. Lastly, it provides a good way to give critique to fight styles
Students split up into groups of three. Fencer A and D stand in a guard of their choosing with O observing them
A and D fight and spar until O calls a halt at which point the fighters freeze
O asks both fighters: Who is in zufechten and who is in Kreig, who has the Vor and who has the Nach, and what each fencer plans to do
After three halts rotate roles
After all three students have held each role, they should each give the others one thing they did well and 1 actionable, concrete correction, at the end of the feedback each person should have two corrections to work on
Repeat the drill focusing on each correction
Gorillas and cavemen
The goal of this drill is to learn how to keep a charging attacker at bay, how to get past the point to grapple, and how to read the opponent and anticipate their actions
Fencer A and D stand in zufechten in a guard of their choosing
The only way to win is to either thrust or grapple (pommel to the helmet)
Both fencers can attack or defend as they wish
Both should focus on looking for signs that indicate what their opponent is going to do like shifting focus, feet, hands, and body language
After four exchanges pause and each fencer tells the other one thing they did well and one concrete, actionable correction
Repeat the drill four more times focusing on implementing that feedback
In response to the oberhau
This is designed to efficiently and succinctly review and drill the “club recommendations” for how to deal with the oberhau
Fencer A and D stand in Vom Tag
A performs two Oberhaus from the left and the right that D voids, using Nachreisen to strike A
A performs two Oberhaus that D parries and counters
A performs two Oberhaus that D parries with Ochs or a Zwerch (Absetzen), thrusting to the face
A performs two Oberhaus and D performs a schielhau, thrusting A in the face
A intentionally takes the center of the bind and D winds from the weak (Duplerin or schnapin or lifting off)
A intentionally lets D take the center of the bind and D winds from the strong (wind to ochs, muterin, thrust to the chest)
After 1 round A tells D one thing they did well and one concrete, actionable correction
Repeat the drill three more times focusing on implementing the correction
Switch roles and repeat
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