I Think I'm Getting Better

This is a vast improvement from my fencing just a year ago. From DFC's March Wind outdoor fencing event.

Kendo vs. Fencing

Just for fun... Personally I think that an epee fencer is not going to be so ambitious if he was facing a sharp katana vs. a wooden shinai. Shinai's rarely hurt when they hit you - unless you make no attempt to parry and your drunken neighbor hits you in the back. Sorry D.

This next one is a fencing commercial that played during the NCAA March Madness tournament. The fencing was very nicely choreographed and shot.

Searching For the Perfect Epee

I have never had great luck with weapons. Especially epees. When I started to pick up epee, I was mainly a foil competitor, but epee was a small deal for adults at Minnesota Sword. This meant that if I picked up epee, I was guaranteed virtually private lessons for free, since there were only two or three adults learning epee with me. The first weapons I bought for epee competition actually came from eBay - an Uhlmann FIE from some lady who bought the best of the line for class, then realized she hated the sport; and an STM FIE from some guy who just got tired of playing. I bought these weapons at a huge discount three years ago, and they are the only ones that are still in my gig bag.

As for the others...

• Leon Paul epees are nice, but the tips always fail shims for the first tournament. I learned this after buying two and hearing from others. The gutter blades protect the wire, but they vibrate like a tuning fork, and I had one snap in my hands.
• BF Blade snapped in my hands at Birmingham. Totally inflexible.
• Non Leon Paul tips are worthless... the screws pop out all the time, and there is nothing that pisses me off more as a director than some guy who brings a weapon to the strip without screws in.

I would buy only Uhlmann FIEs, but a) they are expensive as hell and b) the wires at the tip tend to corrode, causing the weapon to pass tests but be completely worthless in the bout. I never will forget fencing a VERY good B rated fencer in a pool bout. I had a chance to at least lose respectably 4-5 - but my weapon refused to go off, even after nailing the guy square in the chest. It passed a test by the director, so I had to resign myself to run away as much as possible.

I realize that expecting a piece of steel and electronics to work consistently under obvious duress is a little nuts - but if Panasonic can make a Toughbook laptop, I want a durable epee too.

Meet Me At Zaban Park - We Cross Swords At Dawn

Fencing outdoors in Georgia never really sounds like a good idea. There is the heat, the pollen, the bugs, the humidity - all this before you calculate the health of the equipment, logistics for keeping the fencers healthy, and trying to adjust to moving around outside - on a rubberized concrete basketball court no less.

But the DFC's March Wind competition went about as well as it could. And the cool March winds were actually quite welcome. The original venue dropped out at the last second, and my club had no choice but to fence outside or cancel. A lot of folks didn't show up at all - but thankfully the Open was still an A1 event with 15 no shows. The DivIII Epee event dropped to a D1, which took the wind out of everyone who was hoping to power to the four and at least be guaranteed a D in the promised C2. But as I have said before on this blog - local C2s are pipe dreams without a huge number of D fencers. If there aren't more than six D's in a C2 - expect no ratings changes to occur, or for less than 4 D's to advance to the round of 8. I suppose it's just as well - it's better to play to win it all than to play just to make it to the final four.

My performance in both events doesn't bare mentioning - not good, not bad, just adjust and move on. The one bonus was that I had a chance to test out my new Triplette weapon and my rewired Uhlmann FIE epee - both received at the Georgia High School Fencing League championships. Directing from 9am to 7pm was worth it to get my Uhlmann fixed for free.

Next up, fencing at Vanderbilt Easter Weekend.

15-14 In the Final - So Close, Yet So Far

"Sometimes nothing you do makes any difference"

Holy crap. Not again. After I got railed in the AFC Peach State Open in Open Epee, I figured I had a shot at my D in the E and Under. Of course, it was a D1 - which meant I had to win. And I got close, too close. I handly won my pool, in fact there was only one match I didn't dominate - the final. At 14-13 in my favor, I went for one final fleche to end it all, and came up short. At 14-14, I tried to set up an opening for a wrist flick/touch that never came.

The sense of failure was overwhelming. I was so upset, I drove home in a huff and nearly put my fist through my car window. Thank God I bought a boxing dummy... I put on Limp Biskit's "Break Stuff" (only one of three LB songs worth listening to) and screamed and roared and beat on the thing until I was too tired to be angry.

The worst was that no one seemed to think I fenced poorly, it simply just wasn't my day. I made some mistakes - like trying to run up the score when I was already two touches ahead, or not playing to my strengths and just beating her around - but nothing incredibly fatal.

I am sure I will be fine in time for the Dundwoody FC March Wind - but the sense of frustration and need for self-destruction is hard to contain. I'd get drunk, but I have work tomorrow.

The Road To Miami Goes Through Statesboro

It looks like Georgia Southern University in Statesboro is hosting the GA Divisional Qualifiers, again. GSU has a great facility, I know some good people there - but man, the drive down there S-U-X sucks. Plus, since I will be going for Div II, Div III, and hopefully Senior Team - I will need to stay two nights there. More money, more problems.

As I've mentioned before, I usually do really well in Statesboro. And there is no reason that won't be true this time. I am twice the fencer I was a year ago - faster, stronger, smarter, and most importantly... lighter. The problem is that a) I have friends in Miami, so I am more invested in trying to qualify so I can visit them, and b) not being able to crawl out of bed with a hangover and drive 20 minutes to the venue makes the whole thing seem a bit more serious. The last 3rd place medal I picked up started with a hangover and me getting railed by a guy I fence all the time in my first bout of the day. That kind of obnoxiousness can't happen in Statesboro.

"I Don't Care About You... I Care About Fencing"

Fencing is my favorite pastime. More than football, more than girls, more than just about anything.

The last person I had to explain this to was an 8 year old who wanted to take my club's beginner's class. Unfortunately for him, there was an Regional Youth Circuit (RYC) tournament going on... so he was the only one in the class. The kid never fenced before, and learned the joys of teaching your body to hold an en garde position. Anyone who has ever fenced before remembers that the first time hurts... a lot.

Of course, this kid didn't suck it up like most future successful fencers do, he decided to moan and cry. And he even got upset that his pain didn't bother me. Or that I freely admitted that I really could care less. Which was true... if he wanted to make an effort, I was more than willing to help him along. But I don't baby anyone, not even the little ones in my family. It's just not dignified.

On a similar note, I had a conversation with a cute girl from Houston the night before Men's Division III Epee qualifiers. She wanted me to assemble a crew and come and hang out with her and her friends. I demurred, because I had to be on the road to Statesboro in less than five hours. Then she said I could come alone, and I knew what that meant. And I still said no. That was the day fencing officially became my favorite thing to do.

So Close, Yet So Far...

I did everything I was supposed to do. I had a rough start in the pools at the AFC Grand Prix (D and Under Epee), but I made the most of it. My record was 2-3, but my two wins were decisive (5-0, 5-1) which helped my indicator. I came in at 18th of 27 before the DEs, and I fought tooth and nail all the way to the semifinal. One strong high schooler kept me from the final round, but I should have been happy because I would have earned my D07.

But it doesn't always happen that way. Because most of the Ds got knocked out of the tournament before the round of 8, the whole event was downgraded from a C2 to a D1. So for me to win my D, I would have had to win it all. Not to say I didn't try to win it all anyway, but it would have been nice to have a new rating to reward me for the slogging I was doing all day. I will just have to settle for a third place medal.

New Year - More Fencing

With my first competition of the new year coming up in Statesboro, I am pretty excited.

The last time I was in Statesboro I renewed my "E" and qualified for DivIII Nationals, so there is some good karma there. I have also been watching what I eat and trying to get on the treadmill more. Will Smith said in Reader's Digest that you meet your worst enemy on the treadmill - your lazy self. This is the guy that says that you have run enough, you are running too hard, and that three miles is just as good as five. Smith also said he uses the treadmill to learn about other people - and that he has nothing to fear from the kind of guy that commits himself to running five miles, but stops at three. I am not a Will Smith fan, but I want him to fear me - so I do everything I can to go the whole boat every time.

Another reason I am trying to slim down is a speed issue. I think my bladework is relatively solid - but while parry-ripostes aren't that common at the local level in epee, they still work extremely well if the speed is there. And I fear holiday meals, late nights at the bar, and brewskies watching football have slowed me down considerably. My ultimate goal weight is right around 215-220lbs - which is crazy to imagine that I would actually be almost svelte at that number. I guess I am a big guy.

Some Things Just Don't Mix

I double book a lot. Especially around the holidays. I think it is mostly because I rarely have just one thing going on - when it comes to planning a weekend, it is feast or famine. Same thing for last weekend - I had a company Xmas party that I felt compelled to go to, and my club had its December tournament that next morning. I just joined a new company, and skipping the party just seemed like a bad move. I had an excuse (my date dropped out, and finding another one was difficult at best), but honestly I need every advantage at work. I didn't want to miss the Southern Star either - after all, fencing is my favorite thing to do.

So, I did both. And just like my bright idea of visiting my fraternity brothers in Saint Louis AND partying with a flaky girl I knew - I had fun, but the experience would have been much richer if I chose one event and stuck with it.

Saturday morning I woke up at 8am - still feeling it from the night before. I sleep again until 11am, throw on some clothes, grab my gig bag and head to Dunwoody. My pool bouts were a disaster. I hate to think what I looked like out there - it was as though my opponents were thinking, "He's good, but he isn't taking me down. If I lunge, I will beat him." And I got killed.

I woke up for my first DE - and manage to get up 6-2 with a lot of straight lunges. I was tired, and I didn't have any more in me. Instead of hanging back and letting him come to me, I still brought the battle to him - I was just less scary, and therefore easier to hit. After the third double touch with the score now 14-13, I knew I was in trouble - because he only has to hit me twice to catch up, and I haven't made a single in a few touches now. So I lost that one 15-14, and my opponent's daughter was actually sad I lost.

If this was really all in fun - it wouldn't have mattered. But I did honestly want to do well. I really need to get much more serious about this stuff. The ironic thing is most of my friends think I am fanatical about it already.

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.

Is Fencing "Real?"

Most of my friends are interested in martial arts, even my female friends. Whether it be shotokan, PRIDE fighting, judo, or even bread and butter stuff like boxing or shooting - they love sports that approximate battle. So when fencing comes up, they want to know - does modern Olympic fencing have anything to do with fighting someone with a sharp sword?

It's a simple question with a complex answer. The question, as short as it is - really asks a couple questions. The first is how well does modern fencing approximate dueling with sharp weapons. The second is how well does fencing prepare you for an actual sword fight. The third is are the weapons in fencing suitable for actual fighting (if they were sharp).

Let's start with the last question, since it is the easiest to answer. The modern foil, whose design is determined by the Federation Internationale D'Escrime (FIE), is no more a real weapon than a similar sized piece of rebar. The blade is rectangular, allowing no edges, and its flex refuses to send any amount of force into its target - making it ideal as a safe weapon for beginners as well as competition. Only when the blade is broken does it become anywhere near life threatening - but in that state the techniques used to wield the weapon become useless. (Although I know one demented fencer who keeps a sharpened foil near his bedside for protection.)

The sabre, with a grip that facilitates the cut, is similar to the foil. Again, its flex and square cross-section makes it useless as an actual weapon - unless the blade breaks. And then it is QUITE dangerous.

The competition epee, however, was always designed to accurately approximate a real dueling sword. Aldo Nadi, a world champion fencer, famously dueled with his competition epee sans pointe d'arret. The weapon's heft is strong enough to leave deep bruises even when the opponent is properly attired in a fencing uniform, and many styles of blade have only enough flex to prevent accidental breakage - but no more. So it seems out of the three key weapons in Olympic fencing, only the epee would be suitable for combat if sharp.

The next question in increasing difficulty is whether or not the movements in Olympic fencing resemble a real swordfight. Only those who fence AND remember the days of fighting with yardsticks when the teacher was away from the classroom know the answer... and it is absolutely yes. While an observer might simply see two people hacking at each others blades - a combatant has a clear intention of parrying an impending attack - whether that attack come by fencing sabre, sharp broadsword, or yardstick. An advanced technique that was developed by broadswordsmen and still used by fencers and schoolboys everywhere is the feint and the second intention attack. A second intention attack simply means I am going to convince you I am attacking in one line (or area of your body) or feint , draw your parry to that line, and then attack another newly undefended line. While in modern fencing this strategy may or may not always work - it was highly effective when fighting in suits of armour. The combined weight of the sword and the armour insured that a missed parry or counter attack sealed your doom. Here the second intention attack is quite deadly. So yes, most techniques you learn in fencing today would directly apply to most types of actual swordfighting.

Now that we know that an epee but not a foil or sabre is useful in a real fight, and the techniques in fencing are applicable to sharp weapons - now we can answer if fencing would prepare you to handle yourself in a real fight. The answer is not necessarily. For a sport that is designed around time honored techniques used to kill people, it is very safe. Materials with the same properties as kevlar are used in the uniforms - and the tips are flat and round to the point that successful fencers rarely cause their opponents any pain. Due to the rules in fencing - getting hit is also not necessarily a bad thing. In foil and sabre, if you are hit off target or you hit off target before your opponent touches you - there is no point scored. In epee, a double touch means both sides get a point - and if you are winning, then simply attempting double touches until the bout ends is a reasonable strategy. As Aldo Nadi noted, thinking like this in an actual fight is going to get you killed. As someone who fences and has been in a knife fight (many years ago thankfully), the mindset is completely different between the two - and one doesn't prepare you for the other. While the techniques are similar - sport is not war.

So is fencing "real?" In most ways that count, yes it is.

Gotta Love Fencing in Atlanta

From Fencing.net:

Overheard in the venue:

Fencer: "Check it out! White boy in handcuffs! White boy in handcuffs!"

Fencer's Mom: "And even better, the cops are black!"

Made my day.

Getting Ready For Nationals

Living in the venue city for Summer Nationals has a few advantages. Chief of which is that I can check out things whenever I please, and take care of purchases and weapon checks early. On Saturday I bought a brand new Leon Paul epee - and since I didn't bring my equipment bag with me I had to carry it around. No less than three people stopped me: one of my former opponents who made fun of the rain gutter look (I prefer it to my STM FIE, screw 'em), a ragged looking guy on the street who begged to hold it, and one of my attractive neighbors who recognized it and wanted me to show it to her three year old son. He was so careful holding the handle, and I asked if he wanted to learn to use it someday and he yelled "YES!!" Awesome. Nothing like encouraging stylized violence and emptying a parent's pocketbook all at the same time.

Speaking of pocketbooks - I try to avoid spending a whole lot of money on this sport. Cost is an issue when I look at clubs, and I buy lessons when I know for a fact that I need them and they will help. I buy weapons based on their reputation and reliability - while at the same time I am always on the look out for a deal. My uniform is a LP Atlanta Range FIE, and I spent the money for two reasons. First, I spent $180 or so on my old club Santelli and it was literally falling apart at the seams after three years. Second, the elastic in the knicker braces was loose, making my knickers fall below my waist, and the stretch jacket was bunching up. I looked like a joke on the strip. Paying $400 for a comfortable uniform that will last for years and look good seems like a wise investment. There is a huge mental component to this sport - and sewing seams every weekend and pulling up my knickers and pulling down my jacket after every touch doesn't help.

My mask however, a Santelli, hasn't given me much problems. It smells, but it smells like me. The bib folds up, but I fold it back down and we are good. It's rusty, but not where it matters. So when I am getting my masked checked this morning, I really wasn't interested watching the armourers bemoan the state of my mask, deride me and it and suggest I buy a new one. I like my mask, it works, and if you want me to buy a new one - fail it. Of course it passes the punch test (which is all I cared about), and I get my stamp and go on my way. I love the look of the new LP masks with the comfort disk and all - but if my current mask is rated for competition, why bother?

Nationals in Three Weeks

6000 fencers. 65 strips. 96 events for heaven's sake! This could be the largest fencing tournament the world has ever seen. Literally. Guiness will be showing up. Hopefully they will bring a keg.

I am competing in Division III Men's Epee, and Senior Team Epee. I have no clue how the team event will go, but for DIII - I am playing to win the whole damned thing.

Holding On To A Lead

Even though I was only seeded 39 out of 57, Georgia Games was an unmidigated disaster. I had a tough pool - two Bs, two Cs, and a U (who beat me); but my record of 1-4 with a -9 indicator was inexcusable. Especially since in two of the lost bouts I was up 4-2 at one point. I really need to learn to hold on to a lead. The same thing happened in Reno; I would get ahead, and I just couldn't push through to get that last touch. The other losses were less annoying: I lost 5-2 to a B06 fencer who has owned me for a while, and I lost 5-0 to a C06 fencer from my club. He is normally beatable, but not when he is fresh off a triumph and I am still rubbing sleep out of my eyes.

Between now and nationals if I learn one thing - it will be to hold on to a lead till the end. A 3-2 record would have made life a little easier on me in DEs, and at the very least I would have finished with a respectable place.

I Nearly Lost My Head

Today I fenced the first half of Dunwoody FC's May Melee - and I am in so much pain. Tomorrow is Open Epee (possible B2) and Team Epee.

Fencing sabre is a lot different than the other two weapons. The distance is completely different. What may appear to be dangerously close but still safe distance in epee - is still distance in sabre. Especially since all the guy has to do is whack you. Out of the three weapons, I never would have guessed the sabre is the whippiest of them all. Even on a clear parry-riposte action, the intial attack could still wrap completely around my blade and touch me.

The best was during my DE - when my opponent was making a cut to my quarte and slashed me across the neck. My mask was knocked clean off and I almost came to my knees. Dammit - I thought I was about to give up the Quickening. My head is still ringing hours later.

If I can find a cheap helmet and lame I will probably keep up with it. It was a great time, especially since I won two pool bouts (out of six).

My only regret is that all the energy put into sabre could have been redirected into getting my D06. I lost it in a DE to a guy who was beatable, but was very tough. I've had my E for about six months or so... and I have re-earned it three times. I think I need to push myself to get to the next level.

A Woman's Hand Stops the Blade - Mercy in the Arab World

I just read a powerful exerpt about Saudi executioners from Lew Rockwell's blog. In it, Charles Featherstone relates the story of a Saudi executioner - who beheads his victims with a sword. However, Saudi executioners are not just deadly swordsmen, they are counselors to the victim's family and often try to convince the family to give clemency. Apparently in conservative Islam, the victim's family can stop an execution at any point - even as the sword is raised above the convict's neck.

While Saudi Arabia and North Africa have horrible reputations for dispensing corporal punishment, the fact that they put clemency in the hands of a victim's family is quite ingenious. If an advocate for the accused can convince a family member that he should not die for his crime, then he certainly deserves to live.

Also interesting is that the executioner has a special sword on reserve when he must behead more than five people in a short time. Wow.