Women fencers who explain the choices behind their own bouts

Pulenaz: a short bout, one choice at a time

Pulenaz shares a short foil practice bout at her adult club, stopping the replay after each touch to explain what she intended and what actually happened. The first exchange is useful even though she loses it: she moves straight in from too far away, and her partner has time to retreat before answering. Pulenaz points to the distance between them and says she committed before she had made the gap small enough.

At the next start she takes a smaller step forward and waits. Her partner gives ground, so Pulenaz advances again and then lunges. The touch lands, and on the replay she shows how the first step drew a retreat while leaving her room to follow. That small setup makes the attack easier to understand than a clip that begins with the lunge itself.

Her partner then stops retreating and attacks as Pulenaz steps forward. Pulenaz loses the exchange and explains that the same setup is no longer working: she had expected another retreat and did not leave herself time to respond to an advance. On the next start she holds her ground briefly. When her partner steps toward her, Pulenaz steps back, lets the attack fall short and answers as the partner recovers.

The final exchange returns to her own attack. She approaches with a small step, pauses to see whether her partner will move, and only goes forward when the partner retreats. Her touch ends the short practice bout. Pulenaz’s replay is particularly helpful for someone new to fencing because she names a choice before describing its result, including the time the same idea failed.

Marissa Ponich: watch the change of timing

Marissa Ponich is a Canadian sabre fencer. In her CAN Fund profile she says she started fencing at 19 and gives her Instagram account as @mponichfencer; the Canadian Fencing Federation identifies her weapon as sabre.

References: Canadian Athletes Now · Canadian Fencing Federation

In a replay of her own sabre bout, Ponich first shows an attack that falls short when her opponent pulls back. She explains that she had gone in at the first movement without checking whether the opponent was still within reach. On the next exchange she approaches with a shorter step and pauses, inviting the opponent to advance. When the opponent does, Ponich retreats to create space and then attacks as the opponent finishes moving forward.

She returns to the earlier miss before showing the successful exchange again. The useful contrast is the timing: the first attack chased an opponent who was already moving away; the second followed a forward movement that brought the opponent closer. Ponich’s replay suits someone ready to follow a faster exchange, while Pulenaz gives the beginner more time to see each adjustment in a short club bout.

Sources and attribution

1. Canadian Athletes Now

   Marissa PonichPublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026

2. Canadian Fencing Federation

   Marissa Ponich - Women’s/Femme SabrePublication date not listed · Recorded Oct 29, 2026