Individual Instruction

Drawing by Jim Biehold

Start Off Looking Like A Beginner

Individual lessons are for fencers who want to progress at an accelerated pace. Lessons increase understanding and lower development time. They are tailored to fit each fencer's needs and are scheduled for days the fencer would normally attend a class or to practice. It's said that fencers learn 70% through group instruction and bouting, but the other 30% occurs only with one on one training. The details of technique and strategy are learned when the coach is in front of the fencer setting up the situation. It is not that coaches don't try to teach these details in group practice, it just doesn't seem to work as well. Similar to the need for individual instruction in music, tennis and golf, the Minnesota Sword Club provides this most important element. Both recreational and competitive fencers take individual lessons to develop their skills. You will find the more successful a fencer, the more lessons he/she has taken. Lessons are 15 minutes in length, one or two times a week.

Individual lessons are scheduled for a two-month period or longer on a regular basis. It is expected that some lessons will be missed. Because of this the fee is only for 5 lessons in an 8 week period. A fencer who attends all 8 weeks receives 8 lessons but, if you miss a lot you may receive less then 5 lessons. Fencers who attend regularly have a real deal. Fencers who sign up and don't show make a bad choice since the lessons are gone. Sometimes we try to help by letting fencers double up lessons to make up lost sessions.

When is the right time to start individual lessons? Well, it's really up to the fencer. Commitment is a first step but a minimum of three group lessons should be taken first. The sure thing is that the fencer will improve faster with individual instruction enhancing the group practices.

Individual Lessons (Each lesson is approximetly 15 minutes.)

Drawing by Jim Biehold

End As A Skilled Fencer

An interesting note on the  drawings of the female fencers on this page and the one at the bottom of the page titled "The Game" in this website. One evening Jim Biehold brought in the three drawings to show me. I told him that I really liked them but don't you think that one was of an awfully timid person and the other a scared women. The third drawing was of a real fighter. He looked at me with an astonished face and said "REALLY, you can see it! That is exactly what I wanted." The female images may be slightly overdone but if you realize that Jim is an animator then you understand why. Within a month he left the Minnesota Sword Club for California to work at Walt Disney Studios. I very much appreciated that he gave the Minnesota Sword Club the drawings. Unfortunetly, over the years Timid and Scared have been lost with only poor copies remaining.