Fencing, Coletrain, and RSS

I don't post here as much as I like - but I try to keep everything interesting and fencing related.

For those of you who are too busy to check my site every week - my newsfeed address is - http://feeds.feedburner.com/LordVaderFencesAllWeapons .

Click the link to add to your newsreader or My Yahoo news page. It will be fun!

In other news, I got beat down at the AFC Open last weekend. Back to the drawing board.

Results from Memphis NAC

I just got back from the NAC A in Memphis, and it was a pretty good time.  I finished 39th in Div 3 Men's Epee, and not so well in Div 2. Apparently, I need early mornings and no food to fence well.  Memphis is a nice town, if difficult to get around - and Beale street was almost as loud as Bourbon Street.  Too bad I was exhausted Saturday night and headed to bed after only one drink and a movie.  I will have to return with reinforcements.

 

The NAC was run really well, although there were some issues.  I was a bit spoiled by the 80% advance rule from Nationals - it forces people to actually try in the pools.  It also would mean that my 14th seed after pools would mean something.  I lost my first DE, even though I had a bye - so I was a bit bitter. 

 

The other significant issue was a nice life lesson for me.  Curvy and hot directors are not necessarily good directors.  Although the fact that this particular director didn't call corps-a-corps - thereby turning a gentleman's game into something akin to the WWE Hardcore Championship match - didn't bother me, it was that I didn't find out until I got touched after I stopped where a halt should have been called.  The "let them slug it out" school of fencing works in my favor, but I prefer not to clock people with a right cross after attacking in prime.  It wouldn't have been so bad except an older gentlemen directed a few bouts in my pool, and the difference in quality was dramatic.

 

Lots of fun, and I learned a lot about my own style and how I need to improve.  Next time, top 8.

 

 

Fencing On A Plateau

First off - it has been a while since I last wrote, which makes sense because of the break in the season after Nationals.  I didn't do too bad in Div III Men's Epee, 125 out of 211 is reasonably respectable for my first time.  My pool bouts were more difficult than I had anticipated, but the 80% advance rule most likely contributed to that.  The upside is that my pools weren't deceptively easy like they can be at locals and the NACs.  I won a couple DEs, and lost to a left hander who had a good day. 

 

However, ever since then I have been on a bit of a plateau while I see my clubmates continue to improve.  This plateau means losing in the round of 16 in highly rated tournaments, and in the round of 8 in Div3s.  My technique and strategy seems to work - I just miss a lot more.  Now, I am not disparging my opponents - I can tell when they have successfully fooled me.  But when I do an action, and you give me a response I anticipate, and then I respone with my real attack and I glaze your uniform - then I tend to beat myself up a little bit.  Especially when those glazes are costing me DEs and more importantly, my next rating. 

 

Being totally clueless feels comfortable.  Expecting only to win one pool bout makes for good cheer.  Expecting to win it all, and the field supports that expectation, only to fail - is miserable.

 

I am not sure how to get out of the rut... so far I am just trying to practice and work out a lot more.  It's just as well, I need to lose weight anyway.