The Science of Fencing: A Comprehensive Training Manual for Master and Student: Including Lesson Plans for Foil, Sabre and Epee Instruction

by William M. Gaugler and Aldo Nadi

The Science of Fencing. A Comprenhensive Training Manual for Master and Student This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1884528058
• ISBN13: 9781884528057
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Laureate Press
• Length: 392 Pages
• Weight: 1.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.2" x 5.5" x 8.4"

Customer Reviews

An excellent primer

Gaugler's book on the Science of Fencing is an excellent primer for fencing students and coaches, and is a superb work on basic fencing actions and helps to illustrate to newer fencers good fencing technique. For coaches, this reinforces what should be taught and what the coach should keep an eye on when working with fencers. Which is very helpful in teaching the basics as well as simply reinforcing good technique. The book is primarily broken into 3 different sections, one for each of the three different weapons. Each section of the book covers basic technique for each of the weapons, talking about target area and basic lines of attack as well as the parries. Even the basics of holding the weapon are covered, to ensure that a proper grip is reinforced for the fencer. Each section also has several prictures (of Gaugler and his students) to demonstrate some of the fencing actions. This helps to understand some of the more complicated actions, as well as blade positions. Overall, this ensures that the technique that Gaugler is discussing is adequately explained and that the reader can get what is going on here. As a coach, I've found the text to be invaluable for drills, whether it be for beginning fencers or more experienced fencers. Reading the text gives a coach or advanced fencers some areas to explore by using the drills presented as a jumping off point for other drills. Some of the critics have found one of the following faults with the book: Firstly, it is too focused on the Italian school. Gaugler makes no excuse for this, and himself mentions that the focus of the book is training in the Italian school; afterall, that's what he says he was trained in. So, you know what you are getting into from the beginning. And, speaking as someone who has read Vass, learning about the Italian school and gaining an understanding of that system is not a bad thing. Secondly, it is too basic in nature. This is not meant to be an exhaustive text on fencing and tactics. In fact, I would be wary of any book that promises that, as fencing tactics is a difficult subject to cover (and strongly biased depending on your focus). Instead, it reinforces the basics and technique that all fencers should be well grounded in. Even as an advanced fencer, I find myself more focused on practicing the basics and reinforcing good fencing technique first; then reflecting on tactics later on. Thirdly, the book is too dated. Gaugler is admitedly a historical fencer. As such his book is not geared towards competitive fencing. He does not decry competitive fencing (as some do), just that is not his focus. That being said, even competitive fencers should be able to learn something from his books. Certainly it will not focus on the what is applicable on the piste in a close bout, but it gives enough good technique that competitive fencers should come back to this for their drills and continuing development. Overall, I've found the book to be an excellent re

A Must for Students of the Italian School

Every student of the classical Italian school of fencing should own a copy of this book. In fact, to understand the fundamentals of the Italian school, and hence Italian-schooled opponents, every thinking fencer should read this book. As the editor of FENCERS QUARTERLY MAGAZINE, and the author of THE INNER GAME OF FENCING, I highly recommend THE SCIENCE OF FENCING.

perspective of a fencing master

This book should be seen as a technical encyclopedia of modern fencing. Although it will seem dated to some "modern" fencers this book deals with all the fundamentals of modern fencing in a thorough manner. In some way it complements the author's book on the history of fencing. The only weakness might be that due to it's technical nature it is less accessible for laymen.

useless other that for historical information

This book is written in a very cold, unpersonal manner, and all it presents is very basic technical material. (20 lines on fencing tactics, can you believe it?). although the book is some 300 pages thick, it has an appendix of 100 pages for sample lessons, which can only interest a fencing master. The rest is equally divided into the 3 weapons. If you further remove all the space taken by the 100odd pictures, you'll understand there isn't really much written material. Even what I did find there is not very useful, as it's exclusively centered on italian style, 40 years back... If you fence foil I'd much rather recommend you the book by Aldo Nadi...

A fencing book that really "gets to the point."

Many fencing books provide a basic introduction to the sport of fencing, but this book provides substantial information for the fencer who is past the introductory stage. The instructional information actually provides a sufficient description of compound attacks and defenses to enable the reader to visualize and practice the described moves. It also has an extremely useful summary of attacks and defenses, including for each attack suggested parries and ripostes. Truly the fencing book for the fencing scholar. But, be warned that Maestro Gaugler describes the Italian school of fencing, which has terminology and techniques notably different from the perhaps more familiar French school and therefore some adjustment of your mindset may be necessary to get the most out of this book. En garde!