Introduction:
The skills required for fencing are numerous and those of the fencing coach more so, because, not only is it necessary to have mastery of the actions of fencing, their application and timing, but also how to convey them to the untutored hand. The latter skills require knowledge of the cognitive responses and development of the learner, and the ability to communicate and guide the student in the process of learning, so leading finally to the autonomous and independent performance of the fencer.
Fencing coaches coming as they do from the ranks of the fencer possess to a greater or lesser degree the technical skills of the sport; and early coaching is often simply the demonstration of those skills. This can progress so far with exercises and drills, even increasing the number and complexity of actions. However purposeful development and meaningful progress can only be made when the coach has those additional skills that empower the student to improve by moving on from mechanical repetition to achieve a higher level of application of those skills.
Many syllabuses for coaches list the technical elements required to be taught, and include key points, and sometimes a context (such as timing or distance). Higher levels of such syllabuses will usually include a greater admixture of complexity of technical elements, but not necessarily directly test higher levels of inherent coaching ability. Paradoxically syllabuses which require fundamental fencing actions to be taught at entry level coaching actually list the technical elements that in fact require greater coaching knowledge and application of the cognitive abilities of the learner.
Syllabuses may differ in the interpretation, definition or application of a technical element and for this reason one syllabus may be preferred to another. Yet, regardless of the technical elements, they require good coaching techniques in order to be realised - and good coaching practice can be applied successfully to any technically-based syllabus.
The vast majority of written work on fencing deals with the technique of the foil, épée, and sabre, and the comparatively small volume of text that includes coaching tends to focus on the technical outcome of a coaching session, but, sadly, lack specific coaching skills to achieve that outcome. This is not surprising when the market for books on fencing, although keen, is small and the market for publications on the coaching of the sport almost non-existent.
Thus the aspiring coach is usually thrown back on a technical syllabus for guidance and only the fortunate few have the opportunity to approach that with the guidance of an informed master or mentor.
In a few articles I hope to provide references for good coaching practice regardless of technical syllabus or weapon; to address the pedagogical topics that the aspiring coach should be aware of, and give some guidance for development without being dictatorial or proscriptive.
To start let us review some of the language of the introduction, as three words contained there identify to me fundamental principles for best coaching practice.
”Cognitive” - the adjective of cognition; the mental process by which knowledge and, in our case, skill is acquired. However it is not only skill but perception, intuition and reasoning that are developed. The first consideration of the coach is that “it is the learner who does the learning” and how, therefore, the direction and guidance of the coach is received. An awareness of how instruction is received enables the coach to more efficiently deliver his or her material; to select appropriate cues and involve the appropriate sensory activity for skill acquisition, whilst appropriately limiting verbalisation to prevent interference with an acquired skill.
“Autonomous” – being self-governing and self-reliant in the performance of a skill. Self-reliance can be considered in two forms. First, autonomy from the coach, distraction, or interference in the performance of a set of physical skills thus enabling the fencer to concentrate on, for example, stroke selection or cue discrimination. Secondly, self-reliance in that the performer is not inhibited by awareness of his own cognitive control – such awareness can be brought about by ‘over-teaching’ where the coach gives too detailed or inappropriate information in relation to the task set.
“Empower” – empowerment; giving the responsibility for the performance or choice of an action to the learner is a vital process in progress to autonomy. This is something that a number of technically-based coaches find uneasy as they expect the student to master a stroke or skill before progressing to a further skill or adaptation of the skill. Relinquishing some of the responsibility does not come easy and can lead to what has been termed by some as ‘perfection paralysis’. Remember "continuous improvement beats postponed perfection." At this intermediate or associative stage of skills learning the student will experiment and associate earlier skills into new composites. The technical input of the coach here is to identify when such a composite is not viable, or when the bringing together of two earlier skills actually creates a third.
The three stages of skills learning are Cognitive, Associative and Autonomous.
(c) J E Smith
Academy News
July 2005