Salem Classical Fencing

What is a "duelling ladder"?

(based on material from Metro Tacoma/Blue Steel and
Eastern Michigan University fencing clubs)

Ladders have been used in many sports and in different forms. In fencing salles of the past it was a traditional element of the culture. Often they were used to determine who would represent the salle in competitions. Today this concept can work to provide healthy internal competition.

Fencing the same people over and over isn’t necessarily a good thing. Fencers need to fence with a variety of people to learn tactics and improve their skills. A dueling ladder is a great motivational tool that fosters problem solving as a necessary outcome for success.

A dueling ladder consists of published results of an ongoing intra-salle tournament. It is used as a way to motivate club fencers to excel. Fencers must bout regularly to maintain their position or to move up the ladder. The ladder may include a visual representation showing the positions of actively competing ladder fencers. Ladders can be created for each weapon, by age group or competitive level, if desired.

What are the benefits of a dueling ladder?

The ladder becomes a motivational impetus to improve.
Because it is an ongoing process, students are regularly challenged in order to maintain or increase their ranking. This fosters regular attendance and a desire to improve.
The ladder becomes a central and lively aspect of the salle’s culture.
The ladder board becomes a lasting legacy of the salle’s activity.

How are the initial placements in the dueling ladder established?

The first step in creating a ladder is to hold a competition to establish the initial ranking. This can be done either with a tournament à la American Fencing League rules, or you can simply declare the initial seeding by fiat.

Do I have to participate?

Of course not! Participation in dueling ladders is purely optional. But, it is a lot of fun….