Although the eye is drawn more to the blade than the feet in fencing, the sport is based in proper footwork. Jim Helge of the University of California, Berkeley, Fencing Club, says, "Footwork is the foundation of fencing expertise. Without mastering the fundamentals of footwork, no one should be allowed to handle a weapon." In the past, beginner fencers were sometimes forced to study footwork for years before they were allowed to pick up a sword. Today, beginners are introduced to the sword much more quickly, though the importance of footwork remains the same.
Balance
Fencers perform complex sequences of movements. Without a foundation of proper footwork, it's easy to lose your balance. Learning the pattern of footwork under movements, including rapid changes in direction, enables smooth execution without loss of balance. Move slowly at first and increase the speed when you can smoothly move through a pattern such as jump forward, retreat or lunge.
Distance
The distance between you and your opponent is a key factor in fencing. Controlling this distance through footwork is vital to success, whether you're moving in close for an attack or back to avoid an attack. Beyond the basics, use footwork to entice your opponent into a trap or to escape a tricky situation.
Types
Footwork in fencing comes in two varieties: simple and compound. Compound movements are a combination of two or more simple moves. Simple footwork movements include the half advance, retreat, lunge and forward crossover. Complex combinations of simple moves underlie all footwork in fencing.
Purpose
From the on-guard position, proper footwork provides you with a variety of advantages from enhanced balance to ease in changing direction. According to the United States Fencing Association, it also keeps your body's center of gravity where it should be, not moving up or down, and helps you move your legs and trunk simultaneously instead of independently. Attacking, defending and counterattacking are easier with a foundation of proper footwork. According to the Vermont Fencing Alliance, "The most important thing in fencing is how you move your body. What you do with the blade is secondary to this."
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