Can you take a hit? Fitness tips.

I took a year and a half of fencing at UNLV starting in 1998. I had an old school Russian coach. One of the best overall fitness excercises you can do as a fencer and probably any type of Sword fighting, is....wait for it...guess?

Jump roping! Yep. Boxers swear by it, and so can you. As a matter of fact, a few boxers have used extensive jump roping in place of some of their roadwork (running).

Jumping rope works your arms and muscles and in a constant rotation. You can spin front and change up spinning back.

Jumping rope works your 'springs' that is, not just your leg muscles but your 'spring' ie your explosive movement muscles. Jumping coils them bad boys up so you can burst into action in any direction when needed.

Jumping rope works your cardiovascular for more energy.

Like doing roadwork you can jump rope for time in order to build stamina. I'm talking about 20 to 30 minutes or even an hour. You don't have to jump in place, you can jog while jumping. We did it in fencing class.

We usually warmed up with jump rope. You do it in place, after a few minutes you stop but you swing your rope in circles, left and then right, and back, to rest, then back to jumping. If you don't understand what I said, I'd have to show you in a video or something but I haven't jumped in years so if I demonstrate its just for us and not for the world, no linking!

You can switch it up anyway you want to as long as you put in the time. Jog forward, jog backward, do both feet, do one foot at a time. There was one move that was really difficult that I couldn't do but thankfully I can't remember what it was. Both feet up while the rope passes twice??? I can't remember.

Anyhow, the key is to do it and do it for a long time. Jump rope is a great way to warm up before practice too.

Konradr

i agree its a great workout!