Training and Coaching

Six weeks of summer holidays without fencing? That does nothing for true fencing lovers, who will start to miss their fencing life after a couple of weeks. So Leon Paul's training camp in London in early August was the perfect match (and best mix of city trip, fencing fun, and language holiday) for Leon Paul sponsored Valentin Meka, a U14 sabre fencer from Dormagen, Germany. Want to know what happened when he decided to give up on his sunbed at the beach for a fencing piste? Read on...

Ziemowit Wojciechowski is a GB Olympic Coach, Head coach of ZFW fencing club and the coach of world number 3 Richard Kruse. Recently he has taken his club into the future by switching to wireless fencing, here is what he has to say:

Four months ago I purchased 4 wireless machines from Leon Paul for my fencing club, ZFW, and I haven’t looked back.

The first half of every season is always interesting.

As it is, everyone has different approaches, different goals, different vacations and different values. I notice that when I evaluate my first half of the season and discuss it with others. My results this season have not been so great. I was 1 touch from a 64 in Bern, and during the team competition, I got an injury which held me back the rest of year.

I was born with a disability which affects my left leg. Put simply; I have far too many veins in my leg, causing it to swell and hurt constantly. Growing up with a disability is hard; I was always very insecure and shy about my leg, being different can be tough at the best of times.

It’s hard to improve something if you have no idea how to measure it. “Being a better fencer” is a worthy goal, but it is difficult to know if you’re achieving it.

We all want to be better fencers. If you don’t then you can stop reading here - but leave a comment at the bottom because I’m curious why you’re on this site. We train,  drill, spar, compete, pore over old books and read modern fencing handbooks on the sly. All to be better fencers.

How do we know if our training is working?