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**Arkadiyas** · 10-17-2007, 08:27 AM

As a former fencer myself (foil and sabre).

They are very different and very similar, you can describe actions in one using the vocabulary of another.

There are differences in attitude, certainly after about two years in fencing I stopped doing basics (This is in the UK YMMV), in Kendo after 5 years I am still practise the basics, almost every session (and I understand better about the fact that I should have been doing this in fencing).

Footwork takes time as you need to get that backfoot parallel rather than perpendicular (but everybody suffers there).

Kendo you kiai during the point while the observers are mostly silent, Fencing is silent until the point then you get a shout, but the observers are noisier all the time.
Fencing you don't clash bodies at all, Kendo you attack and go through and either end up clashing or he gets out the way.
Kendo is not all in line, Fencing is on a narrow piste.

I suspect to be a good fencer you need to understand Seme but it isn't taught.

And as also said the other mental processes all come in useful.

(My wife still fences, I gave up after our first child (10 years ago), I started Kendo 5 years ago).

10-17-2007, 08:27 AM	#7
Arkadiyas Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 692 Senior Member	As a former fencer myself (foil and sabre). They are very different and very similar, you can describe actions in one using the vocabulary of another. There are differences in attitude, certainly after about two years in fencing I stopped doing basics (This is in the UK YMMV), in Kendo after 5 years I am still practise the basics, almost every session (and I understand better about the fact that I should have been doing this in fencing). Footwork takes time as you need to get that backfoot parallel rather than perpendicular (but everybody suffers there). Kendo you kiai during the point while the observers are mostly silent, Fencing is silent until the point then you get a shout, but the observers are noisier all the time. Fencing you don't clash bodies at all, Kendo you attack and go through and either end up clashing or he gets out the way. Kendo is not all in line, Fencing is on a narrow piste. I suspect to be a good fencer you need to understand Seme but it isn't taught. And as also said the other mental processes all come in useful. (My wife still fences, I gave up after our first child (10 years ago), I started Kendo 5 years ago).
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