Coaching Awards

British Academy of Fencing Coaching Awards

Candidates may:

Subject to sponsorship, take examinations at any level. Awards do not need to be followed in numerical order

Submit themselves for examination for one or more weapons up to and including Diploma Level. There is no compulsion to study all three weapons.

Titles

Those qualifying at Diploma Level in one or two weapons may use the title ‘Maître d’Escrime’.

Those qualifying at Diploma Level in all three weapons become ‘Masters’ of the Academy and may use the title ‘Professor’.

A more detailed description of the standards required at each level may be found by following the links on the left.

To fully appreciate these notes, it is essential that the reader should fully understand the difference between teaching and coaching as it applies to the sport of fencing.

In a teaching lesson, a teacher, imparts to an individual/class, the knowledge and/or technique to enable them to execute a fencing stroke (or group of strokes). The teacher should assume that the class/individual receiving the lesson has no previous knowledge or experience of that fencing stroke (or group of strokes).

The teacher’s class/pupil control and ability to impart the necessary knowledge and technique whilst maintaining the interest of the class/pupil are the essential factors in assessing his/her ability as a teacher.

In a coaching session, a coach takes a class/individual, having previous knowledge or technical ability with a fencing stroke (or group of strokes), and formulates exercises and practices that will improve the class/individual’s ability to execute that stroke (or strokes) under a range of competitive conditions.

As in teaching, the coach’s class/pupil control and his/her ability to maintain the interest of the class/pupil are very important. Important also is the need for the exercises provided to be realistic from a competitive point of view.

To obtain a copy of the most recent Coaching Award Syllabuses, or further information, please contact the Course Officer.

Please send you suggestions/observations to Course Officer