Mary Spohn

European Swordsmanship and Fencing Expert

Mary Spohn is a European Swordsmanship and Fencing expert based in Los Angeles, CA. With over 20 years of fencing experience and a decade of swordsmanship and stunt training, Mary is the owner of Swordplay LA, a premier training center for fencing, stunts, and historical European martial arts. She has worked in film and television for more than 10 years, training under several of Hollywood’s top swordmasters and bringing historical precision to modern action storytelling. Mary is currently ranked among the top 15% of women’s longsword fighters in the world. She has trained and choreographed with a range of talent, including Charlize Theron, Ricky Whittle, Lulu Wilson, and The Try Guys, as well as Academy Award-winning actors, Olympic athletes, and child film and TV stars. Since taking over Swordplay LA, Mary has grown it from a small 900-square-foot studio with 40 fencers into a community of over 150 members in a 2,600-square-foot facility dedicated to fencing, stunt training, and historical combat.

Education

BA, Radio, Television, & Film, Northwestern University

Professional Achievements

3-Time National Top 8 Medalist in the United States
4-Time national medalist and former NCAA Division 1 Fencer
DIV 1 Foil Team Conference Championship

Favorite Piece of Advice

The best advice I can give is to train in things that not only excite you but challenge you mentally, physically, and spiritually.

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Q&A Comments (2)

How does fencing terminology differ based on the weapon you're using?

Most of the terminology in fencing is French, which specifically means blocking or intercepting an attack and then initiating a new attack. That is going to be in foil and saber, which are two weapons that have what we call "right of way". Right of way is how the referees basically interpret the action and what is considered a scoring action. Epee is the only weapon out of the three that does not have "right of way".

What types of workouts should I focus on to supplement my fencing practice?

Plyometric and explosive movements are important. Fencing is not an endurance sport in the sense of distance running, where you have to maintain a level heart rate, but the heart rate goes up and down. I'd recommend doing training that involves box jumps, resistance bands, and any functional movements that train fast-twitch muscle reaction.

Co-authored Articles (4)

How to Write the Most Epic Fight Scenes: 20+ Creative Tricks

European swordsmanship and fencing expert Mary Spohn shares tips for writing a good fight sceneYou’re writing a story, you’ve chosen a setting and developed all of your characters, but now it’s time for the first b...

How to

Sharpen a Sword

Collecting swords and other edged weapons is popular among hobbyists. But over time, any sword's edge will begin getting dull and require a sharpening. This seems like an intimidating job, but it just takes some practice...

How to

Understand Basic Fencing Terminology

Fencing expert Mary Spohn goes over the basic terminology in fencingIf you're new to fencing or you're "checking it out" to determine if it is the sport for you (and it is, if challenging yourself physically, mentally an...

How to

Learn to Fence

Fencing expert Mary Spohn explains how to get into fencingHave you ever wanted to know how to fight with a sword? Unbelievably for some, the sport fencing has not died out. Far from it. The rules have become fairly compl...

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Mary Spohn

Q&A Comments (2)

Co-authored Articles (4)