Swordsman's Refuge

A Realisation

2009-10-05T16:48:00.002+01:00

It's been a while since I updated this blog, but here I am. I've been largely busy with trying to get into the GB Squad in fencing, which has been very challenging. I've been going to several competitions, trying to improve and do my best, and I've hardly been to NAF at all. After this last comp. that I've got back from, I've realised something about fencing.

Fencing isn't all about squads, or how good you are. It's about enjoying the sport, living each fight for the thrill of the moment, having a good time, and HAVING FUN. Ever since I started trying to get into the squad, none of these things were happening. I was panicking with each point, and more focused on doing well and earning points than enjoying myself. But since I realised that I get more pleasure from club fencing, that's what I'm going to do more of. You don't have to be in a squad to be told that you have potential, or that you can fence well. People around you can tell you that, and you will know that you can fence at some point. I think that after realising this, I'm going to stop trying to get into the squad, and just have a great time with my fencing. That's where the satisfaction lies.

Carry On Camping

2009-08-15T14:28:00.002+01:00

Last week, I went away to the infamous Millfield fencing camp, and I returned yesterday, full with new ideas and activities. The week was arduous, but incredibly useful. I learnt many new warm up exercises, and games that actually use fencing technique and theory in them. Such things included stepping in time to the rhythm of a song, speeding up and slowing down accordingly, throwing a glove from behind someone, so that they have to lunge and catch it as soon as they see it, and also a dexterity exercise for the times when you feel your arm is going to fall off (which it frequently does, in a lesson). So, I may be able to use some of this newly acquired knowledge in future fencing sessions, as they really helped me to improve my fitness and fencing performance.

The Void

2009-07-28T11:28:00.002+01:00

I've been reading the Book of Five Rings again, and I've been trying to work out what Musashi means by the Void. He says that using it, we can determine our enemies spirit, and use it to influence our own. He doesn't directly describe it, saying that it is nothingness and vice-versa. So, I've been puzzling over it, and I think that I've come across a plausible answer.

The void is nothingness. Nothingness is all around us. Take away the landscape and the air, and there is nothing at all. But the fact is that there can NEVER be nothingness, because there is always something there. Even if you drain the air out of a space, we proclaim that there is a vacuum there, still far from nothingness. But perhaps nothingness doesn't have to be the absence of physical things. It can maybe represent the potential of existence, because there is always the potential for something to exist in a space occupied by nothing. Therefore, we are surrounded by this potential; a potential that enables us to see what could occupy a space, and when it will do so. To use the void is to see past nothingness into potential. If this were to happen, you would be able to see the enemies attack before it happened, because the potential would be there before the physical action of the attack was. So, the true void, I believe, is a realisation that there is a potential to do anything, at any time, and that to become a true follower of the way, a warrior has to interpret and react accordingly and instinctively to the changing of the void.

Sportsmanship and Fencers

2009-07-06T15:35:00.003+01:00

I think that fencing is one of those sports where sportsmanship is of vital importance. It is essential in my opinion to show respect to everyone; your opponent, the referee and even spectators. Yesterday, I met an opponent at the Suffolk Open who ignored all of these values. I was fencing him in the final, and he did not behave in the best of ways. He argued with the referee or what was basically every alternate point, even when it was as simple as a parry riposte against him, he swore that there had to be a mistake. He claimed that I had hit him in the eye, and that it effected his fencing. I should clear this up now: The hit beforehand had hit him on the shoulder. I know this because I placed the point there deliberately, and the hit registered on target. Even if it did flick upwards to the mask, it would never have landed squarely in the eye, since the point was almost level with the back of his head during my recovery. Add all of that on to the fact that he was WEARING A MASK and you can see why I was disbelieving of that (particularly when a few months ago, the same guy claimed I fleched into him, injuring his shoulder and ruining his fencing arm). He also had the nerve to shout at a woman in the audience, claiming that she had said something that had distracted him, which had meant that his attack had been parry riposted. This claim caused most of the spectators, including the referee and my opponents coach amusingly, to tell him to shut up and keep fencing.

This is probably the only thing about fencing that annoys me. You can meet some really nice people when you fence, and they see fencing as a laugh and a fun hobby. Then you see die-hard fencers who believe that mercy is for the weak and to win by any means necessary is fair play. I like to think that I am someone who enjoys fencing as a hobby, and I am friendly when club-fencing, but I also try to be friendly at competitions, and talk to the nervous ones. Yesterday for example, people were introducing themselves to me, and I made some new friends. My final opponent, however, talked to his coach, and told anybody who would listen (which wasn't that many people to be honest) his game plan, and how he would make it to the final. Some people are just annoying, and see fencing as a serious sport. It can be at times, but you have to realise that it isn't restricted to that. It can be a lot of fun as well, and that's what I enjoy about it. It's a hobby as well as a sport. So, it is sort of ironic that the thing about fencing that annoys me is the fencers themselves. Not all of them, I hastily add. Most fencers are kind and respectful of other people. There are only a select few who are not like this.

While I am writing, I would like to thank Joseph Igali for supporting me, and also congratulate him for doing extremely well consistently throughout the day. Good on you!

Return

2009-06-18T11:21:00.002+01:00

I'm back after the GCSE's, completely worn out from revision and essay writing, but I've now got a very long, and I feel, deserved break. So, on my very first day of freedom, I return to my blog, to talk about a particular subject that I've had in mind; practice.
We often get a lot of practice in on the piste. which can prepare us for competitions. We learn how to hit, and what to expect. But its not often that we learn to hit within a 2cm squared area, or what you should do if your opponent doesn't want to fence you. This is why I believe that practice of any kind can be vital. I've tried different methods, such as stringing up a tennis ball to the ceiling and hitting that, and placing a tennis ball on one of those softball tees and lunging at that. I've lunged for light switches, tried to flick-hit a golf ball, and tried to step forwards and backwards with a one kilogram weight on my leg. Obscure training methods can actually be helpful. The person who recommended that I lunge at a tennis ball does it himself, 500 hits a day. Don't just nod and read on, think about it. 500! The first time I tried it, I got 92 hits in an hour! It goes to show that practice makes better than before. I'm still lunging at a tennis ball on a softball tee at school, which has drawn some odd stares and jeers from most people (although the nine and ten year olds are quite interested, I have to say). They may seem odd, but I think that I've improved because of these practice techniques, although I will say now, if you are going to use weights on your legs, make sure that they are lighter than 1 kilo, or you might end up like me and get a killer of a cramp. Oh, and don't lunge at the light switch when relatives are trying to revise for A-levels; you'll only make it worse for yourself. Other than that, go for it!

Changing Times

2009-05-11T17:15:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, I was asked to preside for the U12 team competition. I agreed, and watched a variety of fencers battling it out on the piste. Refereeing is quite a good thing to do, because it helps you to understand how to preside (obviously), but it also shows you a different range of styles and techniques. Unfortunately, the U12 teams were more or less lacking in technique. It seemed to be hit hit hit all the time. However, there were a fair few who were evidently trying to make the best of it. What I find quite annoying in competitions is the fact that people with bad technique seem to win more often than those who are actually 'worthy' of a victory. It's annoying, but we've got to learn to live with it unfortunately. There was a girl there, who seemed quite unfazed by all the points going against her; she was attempting to hit with good technique, which I thought was just brilliant. The only bad side of watching all of these people fence made me realise I wanted to fence. I began to suffer from withdrawal after two hours, and I had to remind myself to stop lunging with the size three foils. I fenced at the end, so that was fine.
I'm going to be away for a good few weeks, since I've got my GCSE's coming up. Coming up very fast. So, I'm going to have to get stuck into revision, and hope that it all works out. See you soon!

Sloganise

2009-04-11T21:00:00.002+01:00

This blog is very short. So short, that if I digress, it will not be short at all. I'm just posting a slogan that came into my head a few minutes ago:

'This is not a foil which I use, but the embodiment of potential'

It sounds a bit Shakespearean and pretentious, but I think it has the desired effect. There are some fencers who are afraid of their opponent; afraid of being hit. Some even refuse to lunge, and charge forwards, perhaps not mindlessly, but clumsily. It may be due to lack of technique, but is it also a complete avoidance of lunging, or even arm-extending. I had to explain to a beginner at school about how the target area in foil was limited to the torso. Her face fell slightly when I mentioned the word 'limited'. I then improvised a completely random method of making her feel better about the weapon. I didn't use the pretentious slogan above (Thank God, she would have thought I was mad), but I summed it up pretty well. Your target isn't limited to a particular spot on the torso. It doesn't have to be HIT THERE OR SUFFER. You can hit to the shoulder, to the side, slightly to the right, etc. You can almost say you have an infinite amount of target to hit. You don't have to poke and limit yourself to hitting there. Limit yourself to the target, and hit anywhere on it. I think that's alright, and this blog turned out to be not quite short.

Thank you for the Music

2009-03-31T16:54:00.002+01:00

I'm sure that all fencers have a ritual that they go through before they start a competition, or even just a normal match. This is sometimes done for comfort, out of habit, or for inspiration. Inspiration is something that means different things to different people. With me, it can vary between creating a fierce mood, or calming me down. To do these things, I listen to music without fail before a competition. Here are some examples of what I find inspiring in music.

Bat out of Hell
Go the Distance
I'm still Standing
Eye of the Tiger
Everything I do
For Crying out Loud
God of War Montage

These are just a few examples, but they seem to follow a set pattern of inspiration.

The Melody of A Blade

2009-03-26T20:02:00.002Z

I purchased a new foil yesterday, and I used it whilst I was fencing (obviously). I was surprised to find that most of my attacks were landing, and all of the techniques I used were almost flawless. I then switched back to my other foil, and suddenly, my attacks seemed to fail. So, I wonder whether the foil affects how you fence. My philosophical and common sense screams NO!, but I have to consider it. Maybe it was just a pyschological effect; better foil, better style, but I'm still not sure. Musashi says that the weapon does not matter, if you are good enough. So maybe it does matter before you are not good enough? Do blades matter, or don't they? I'll consider his for a while, and then come up with a good answer...

Seeing is Believing

2009-03-21T15:52:00.002Z

Where should we look when we fence? There is so much to take in, and yet we need to focus on one aspect. Where should we start? Study this image, and find the face. When you have found it, study fencers as such:

REALISE THAT THE THING YOU ARE LOOKING FOR LIES NOT IN THE BODY, OR THE HANDS OR FEET, BUT THE FENCER ITSELF.

Lessons

2009-03-08T13:35:00.002Z

It is said that we all learn a lesson; in victory and defeat. There is no such thing as mastery, only bettering yourself, and because of this, there is a lesson in everything. This is my lesson for today:
Today was the day that I fenced in the Norfolk County Junior Championships. Most of the people who turned up were from N.A.F, and there were a few others. I was in the U16, along with six others. Included within the six, was the opponent I beat two weeks ago in the DE, 15-11. I don't think I felt nervous then, just a quiet reminder that I had only beaten him once. I didn't want to get complacent for the poules match. Evidently, he felt differently. Every victory for him seemed to be magnificent, and he frequently told uninterested spectators that her was doing well. Me and him were the last poules match. What did I feel then? Confidence? Determination? I can't say. I don't remember feeling anything. Remembering the technique I used last time, I entered the match, and came out of it a victor, 3-1. He didn't seem fazed by it, but something had changed about his attitude nonetheless.
The DE started, and I found myself in the final, facing none other than the same opponent. This is then where emotions began to gather. There was a desire to beat him, a desire to win, a determination to prove myself and an anxiousness that I would fail. I then realised that these emotions did not matter. None of them would help me on the piste, only hinder my performance. I tried to crush them out, and the DE began.
After two periods, I was in the lead 8-3. I knew that I had the psychological advantage. All I had done was hit him, and exploit his own technique, and suddenly, he had excuses for walking onto my parry ripostes. Amongst them were slippery shoes, a bad foil, and a sore leg. Inwardly, I knew that he believed he had lost. For the final period, I expected him to go all out to attack, but he continued with his previous technique. I think that he knew that he had lost. Some part of me thought that this was bad. The 'Hagukare' tells you to burn with mad death when the time comes, but this acceptance disturbed me a little. However, I was satisfied with a victory of 13-4. I was satisfied, as I had shown once again that gaining points with a bad technique is no substitute for gaining fewer points with a good technique. So, as a winner of the U16 Norfolk Championships, I feel that there is a lesson for everyone.

Always try to better yourself, and you will find that your opponent will then be bettered subsequently.
Even when things look bad, there is always a victory somewhere.
Burn with mad death when the time comes.
Utilize your opponents weaknesses, and attempt to mask your own.

So, I have learnt a lot on this day. Also, well done to all those N.A.F fencers who took part and had victories of their own. Thanks for the partaking, and the support.

Mind tuning

2009-02-22T19:34:00.002Z

I fenced in the Norfolk Senior County Championships today, and I came across a very great challenge whilst I was fencing. In the poules, I fenced someone who I know doesn't have very good technique. To my annoyance, he beat me 5-3, due to the fact that he would constantly run forwards, twisting deliberately and lunging low to avoid being hit. What annoyed me was his victory due to bad fencing, not his victory itself. In the DE, I came up against him, and beforehand, I took a few moments to try and work out how to beat him.

It is a strange thing, and perhaps a hard thing, to change a style of fencing instantly. It needs to be gradual, and sometimes forced. For instance, I was told by one of my fencing instructors to keep my elbow tucked in and turn the wrist over more so that the thumb is at '1:30'. I struggled with this for a few weeks, and then tried to change back to my original form of outward elbow, thumb on top. I was amazed to find that I could not remember how I used to do it. So, was it possible to change my entire style to beat this person?

I don't suppose I changed the whole style. More or less, I just changed my form, and my attacks. Rather than my usual arsenal, I tried a more patient approach. I had nine minutes, so why try to end it in one? After the first period, the score was 3-2 to me. After that, we were never more than one point ahead of each other. Eventually, it was 9-8 to him. I desperately wanted to rush in and finish this, but this little niggling thought kept screaming NO NO NO NO NO NO!. So, I tried to keep calm (by the way Dave, C.U.P, calm under pressure is hard, but good). I scored the next two hits, and I knew then that something had changed in my opponent. Rather than his slow and steady movements, he had speeded up, and his non-fencing arm was rigid with tension. Something had possibly twigged in his brain, that he could lose this, and in my opinion, he abandoned what had been working without knowing it. He began to attack me more often having previously scored on the counter-attack. When he shouted at the referee, who had just awarded me the hit for scoring with a blatant parry riposte compared to his fleche, I knew that he was getting wound up. I won the 15-11, and ended up coming joint third overall.

The point of this blog is to show that everyone has what I like to call 'A Punishment Mind'. This is where the fencer gets into the mindset that if they get angry, they will ferociously beat down their opponent in a flurry. This may work for some people, but the calm way is almost always the best. Aggression is better than anger, and in this case, it proves itself.

The Trackless Road

2009-02-09T17:50:00.002Z

Having seen the behaviour of fencers at competitions, arrogant and modest, fierce, angry and confident, I decided to see what a samurai thought of such behaviours. I personally dislike arrogance, anger and misplaced agression, as they often lead to bad fencing and bad habits for younger fencers. I consulted Yamamoto's book on The Way of the Samurai, and this is what he says:

At the lowest level of skill and ability, one thinks of himself and others as poor. He thinks this because he has mastered only a little. Needless to say, a person at this level is not at all useful. At the middle level , one is still useless, but he can at least understand that he and others have mastered only a little. At a high level, since a person has made something his own, he is proud of his accomplishment. And he is also glad of the praise of others. He grieves over the shortcomings of others. This kind of person is at least useful. At a higher level, one pretens to know nothing, yet others understand that he holds an upper hand. The majority of people cannot get beyond this level. Beyond this higher level, there is one further step: the level of the trackless road. If you travel deeper into the trackless road, infinite secrets will finally appear. Then you can never see the end of your mastery. Then you realise how lacking you are. You only have to go ahead with your intention of mastery in mind You go forward without pride and without humility

I don't need to explain this as it speaks for itself.

Obvious?

2009-02-03T19:43:00.002Z

Our strangest thoughts usually occur when we are tired, so naturally, before I sleep, I seem to come up with weird ideas and scenarios. However, on Sunday, I came up with a question that seemed really obvious, but actually required deeper thought. The question was simply 'How do I beat people when I fence?'. I can think of how I would answer that, but there is probably an answer for everyone.

I asked someone today how they beat an opponent they had just fenced. The answer was 'I was just faster than them' I don't think that this was true. I think that the opponent just didn't realise that they were not reacting to their speed. There was nothing to do with speed. People claim that fencers are sometimes too fast, or too forceful to beat. If a fencer has reached a certain stage, they should be able to beat any opponent with any traits, in my opinion.

Thinking about this, I came up with a metaphorical scene. Imagine a test that you and someone else are sitting. You both finish the test, and are then given access to the answers, and the other person's answers. The people who claim that the fencers are too fast will look at the test papers and see only their mistakes, and the other person's correct answers. Other people will focus on their correct answers, and see only them, even though their other answers may be wrong. This is what I would do.

I have the answers, and so I would correct my own mistakes at first. Then, having looked at the other person's paper, I could see their mistakes, and I could then make good use of them. In the fencing world, this means exploiting their mistakes until your opponent is mentally and physically drained by your onslaught. Correct your mistakes, and exploit your opponents.

Unexpected

2009-01-25T18:19:00.004Z

Today, I fenced in the Cambridge County Individual 'MegaFoil' Competition. Recently, with competitions, I have been intending to just score points, and try to fence my best. I frequently see people smacking themselves over the head in exasperation and fury as they loose matches. I want to just fence at a competition and feel completely relaxed.
There were two rounds of poules. I won the first set, loosing only five points, and came second in the second set, loosing one match and two other points. The man I lost to was also in the first poule. I had beaten him 5-2. He then beat me 5-2. The DE's got underway, and I told myself to remain focused and to remain calm. I won the first match, and then the second, and then the third. I hadn't been expecting it, but I was suddenly in the final. I didn't really have time to feel shocked, and I was just trying to remain calm. This became quite hard when I realised my opponent was none other than the man who I had beaten in the first poule, who had then beaten me. He was obviously a favourite to win, seeing as though he had most of the room in his corner. Every time he scored a hit, applause rang in the air, along with shouts of 'Come on!' and other such encouragement. There were only three people from my club backing me. It was fairly discouraging, but it made me all the more determined to score hits off him.

Most of that match passed in a blur. Eventually, I began the final three minutes with the score of 10-10. My opponent promptly scored the first hit, much to the crowd's pleasure. It was then that I made a counter-attack, expecting him to parry it. Instead, I hit him just below the arm. 11-11. I then realised what had happened. My opponent had grown relaxed with the first hit, and he had let his guard slip. This seemed to spark the idea off in me that he was more than beatable. He was just any other fencer. Any fencer can make mistakes. They just need to be exploited. Confidence and adrenaline running, I attacked. After a minute and a half, I had beaten him, 15-11. Afterwards, people asked me what it felt like to have won the competition. To be honest, I didn't feel anything. It was simply a quiet satisfaction of my achievement, and confidence in my abilities. It was a good day, all in all. I felt great then, but I'm exhausted now! That's probably one thing that was expected.

Running on Empty

2009-01-23T13:28:00.003Z

Despite what the title may seem like, I'm not going to write about the film starring River Phoenix or anything like that. This is going to be about how we feel while we fence. I noticed on Wednesday that we feel different things when fencing a variety of opponents. When I first began fencing, I became nervous around anyone wearing a white jacket or breeches. Since I have now fenced a variety of opponents, I don't really feel anything when I fence people. I feel calm, in a way. I only begin to feel pressured in a competition, in a DE. When I feel pressured, I tend to increase the pace a lot, but this leads to wild parries and bad footwork more often than not. Very rarely, my adrenaline kicks in. I can't really say for sure when this happens. I think that I get energised when I am fencing someone who I subconsciously want to do well against.

We don't always get emotional while we fence. There are also times when we have various states of fatigue. Since my injury, I become tired more often, but I always try to work to the best of my ability. In my opinion, there is tired, fatigued and empty. Tired is when we feel a slight nagging feeling in our muscles, telling us to slow down. Fatigued is when we feel drained, and feel as if we can't go on anymore. Empty is a feeling that I have only had twice in my fencing career. It occurred for the second time on Wednesday. It happens when you bypass tired, and then appear at fatigue. My legs were seriously aching, but I kept telling myself that fatigue is a message, and messages can be ignored. I pressed on, and I hit empty. It was very strange. I couldn't actually feel anything, and I felt as if I could keep on fencing for hours. Nothing seemed to be tiring anymore. Perhaps the strangest thing was that I wasn't thinking. I mean that I was thinking as in: functioning. Whenever my opponent attacked me, I was able to respond very quickly. After the fight, this feeling promptly left, and fatigue set in. Empty is very weird for me, but it is also very good. Maybe this forms the trance-like meditation that Buddhist's and Samurai seek for. If it is, I have only seen a glimpse of it. Or maybe I was just exhausted. Who knows?

Mocks

2009-01-21T12:47:00.002Z

I have returned from my exams, and I have a few results so far. Some of them are pretty good, and some of them are not as good. I noticed that the subjects that I did well in are the subjects that I actually enjoy doing. If I don't like a subject, I tend to spend less time doing it. This is a direct parallel to my fencing style. I perform moves that I generally like, or that work on certain opponents. If something I do on the piste doesn't work, or if I don't like the feel of it, I often don't do it. Because of this, I feel that I should spend more time attempting to improve my lesser skills, instead of using something that I feel is easy. I shall try this experiment, and see how it goes.

The Last Post (for now)

2008-12-20T11:36:00.003Z

As we are getting closer to Christmas, I have decided to stay off the air for a while, so this will be my last post for quite a while. Normally this wouldn't be the case, but I've got my mocks coming up, so I'm getting stuck into revision, which leaves little time for blogging, unfortunately. So, I am abandoning my blogging world, and withdrawing into the world of figures and annoying passages of German I have to learn.

So, Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to everybody!

The mocks finish on 16th January, so watch this space. (figuratively of course)

Also, here's another Poser Picture to look at:

Equal Lines

2008-12-14T11:24:00.002Z

It's not often that you find a fencing fable or philosophy, so I was quite surprised when I came across one when I was reading. I have changed it slightly, but in essence, it's the same thing.

A coach is watching his students fence. He is more focused on one, than the other. He focuses on the one who is winning, and looks at his forms and tactics. He is waiting for his opponent to attack, and then hitting him with either a counter-attack or parry riposte, exploiting his opponent's shorter reach. He wins the fight 10-2. Afterwards, the coach calls him over, and shows him a piece of paper. He then draws two lines on it. A long one, and a short one. He then tells the student o make them equal, and hands him a pencil and an eraser. The student thinks for a moment, and then draws a line through the long line, cutting it so that it is the same length as the short line. He then rubs out the off cut. He hands the sheet of parer back to the coach. The coach smiles knowingly, and rubs out both the lines. 'Here's how you should do it', he says. He redraws the lines, and takes the pencil. He draws on a section to the short line, so that they are both equal. He pauses, and then draws another section onto it, making it longer. The lines have now been inversed. He hands the piece of paper to the pupil, and says to him:

Concentrate on improving your own game, rather than finding fault with your opponents. Extend your own line; extend yourself.

It's so simple, yet it is a great metaphor. I need to find some more of these, and if I do, I shall interpret them, and hopefully learn.

Original or Modern

2008-12-07T15:18:00.006Z

Recently, they have been playing reruns of the Star Wars saga on TV, and I've noticed how much the original trilogy differs from the most modern films. The original trilogy focuses of the Force more or less as a religion, whilst the modern ones hardly seem to bring it into the film, and if they do, it is only as a type of power. Episodes 1, 2 and 3 demonstrate how the Jedi and the Sith conquer each other only through saber duels. The original trilogy brings a more religious attitude towards it, with meditation, empty minds and other such exercises. Following on from this, I think that people can be separated into the categories of people who fence from the original trilogy, and people who fence from the modern films. The latter want to be a form of Yoda who leaps around like Orville on speed. They want to become masters in a matter of years, and then duel to the death at competitions. The former are the people who realise that there is more to fencing than the foil. The foil is only as powerful as the fencer who wields it. Episode 5 demonstrates this perfectly. Luke spends half a year training with Yoda, and never once is told to use his weapon. These types of people spend longer training, and strive to perfect simple movements, rather than flashy, twirly ones. The modern trilogy people become dissatisfied quickly with fencing, as they realise that real fencing is not a lightsaber duel. I was refereeing a couple of beginners on Thursday. As soon as they began, one of them charged down the piste, casting aside all technique and form, literally running forwards, foil raised above his head. I promptly called halt, and told the fencer in question that this wasn't a film. I explained that the representation of swordplay in films is a Hollywood error, and that it was not the way to fence. I got an uncouth remark back, but I at least put my point across.

I think that I am closer to the original trilogy. I want to get better at individual techniques, rather than just win, and I also consider the mental side, rather than just the ideal place to hit just to puncture an artery. The majority of beginners are the modern trilogy, but there are a few who genuinely want to be like the original.

Up at the top of the page is a random picture of a Jedi Knight I made on Poser (a brilliant computer program). Rob, if you spot your own resemblance, I had you in mind with your Jedi interest.

Fencing Types

2008-12-02T17:21:00.004Z

I brought a book on Saturday by an Olympic fencer with the name of Ziemowit Wojciechowski. His book is mainly for coaches, but I found it really good. It gives you lesson advice and group activities, but also tactical advice and fitness planning. It also gives you odd science formulas. For example:

i = Nc / Nc + Nr

One of the books highlights is probably the types of fencer. It divides them into four categories. Permanently-pressing, Maneuvering-attacking, Maneuvering-defending and Permanently defending. There are descriptions of them, examples, and ways how to beat them. I'm not really sure what my category is, but I think it is a Maneuvering-Defending type of style. For the record, here is the description:

Fencers of this style blend attacks and defensive strokes equally, paying a lot of attention to preparatory actions. They like manoeuvring on the piste while discovering their opponents intentions and playing a tactical game. They produce various parry-ripostes and counter attacks with equal ease as well as many attacks with the ability to switch to another action. Their initiative is sometimes hidden. They often create situations where an opponent reacts in a premeditated way but is not adequately successful.

Not all of this is true about me, but I think that it is the one I can relate to the most. However, I linger more towards parry ripostes and I don't maneuver that much. Still, I fall into a category at least. I'm not going to say how to beat the categories. I don't want to divulge all my secrets!

The Answer

2008-12-01T13:35:00.002Z

Here it finally is, the answer to the question. It gets inside your head, the way questions do, always niggling at the back of your mind, but now it will leave, once the answer has been given.

Q: Who would win in a fight between the Wombles and the Clangers?

In the event of a draw, what if it were the Wombles versus the Clangers and Bagpuss?

A: Bagpuss.

Reason: I've been thinking about this, and I'm sure that Bagpuss is the solution. The fight has to be completely fair, so there can be no advantages. Because of this, the fight will have to take place in some half gravitational world. Also, it's just the Wombles and the Clangers, so the Clangers can't have the soup dragon as a killing machine, and the Wombles can't construct their own tank like contraption out of recycled waste. Although Tomsk was indeed the only 'hard' Womble, but he probably isn't used to half-gravity. Also, the Clangers would not be used to it either. At this point, no-one has the advantage. Call in Bagpuss, and there is a clear winner. He has the added advantage of a huge bulk, and although he wouldn't be able to move in normal gravity (because of his bulk), he has limited movement in this world. Even if he is wounded, another layer of fat would slide out from the wound. If the battle draws on, Bagpuss could live off his own stomach contents for decades to come. Therefore Bagpuss is the winner, and we should use him for all future conflicts in the world.

The answer has been told, and I hope that no-one is dissappointed.

And Now for Something Completely Different...

2008-11-24T19:05:00.004Z

For a fencing blog, this is a totally random point. It's not exactly philosophical, and it might have a simple answer, but I'm struggling to find it. I got talking to someone about this, and we still haven't found the answer. News of the debate has spread around my school, and I hear most of my classmates discussing it. Different points are discussed, and different angles are considered. My philosophy teacher has struggled to solve it, and I am sure that may men will push their pens aside and weep before the question is answered. Maybe it will never be answered, and it will linger on as a void meaningless entity, up in the high spots with 'What is the meaning of Life?' and 'If bullets bounce off Superman's chest, how come he ducks when you throw a gun at him?'. Maybe when I am dead and buried, some faceless stranger will lay the answer on a piece of paper on my grave and walk off into the sunset. Until then, I'll ask as many people as possible. To solve this, you'll need a clear mind, some form of beverage, a calculator, a pencil and a piece of paper. Here is the question:

Who would win in a fight between the Wombles and the Clangers?

In the event of a draw, what would happen if it were the Wombles versus the Clangers and Bagpuss?

I told you it was random. There is a random side to us all, I feel.

Fencers on Gaming

2008-11-24T18:51:00.002Z

Though I feel that I'm beginning to mature (or am I?) I still have a passion for gaming. Set me up with any console, no matter how old, and I'll get stuck in. I've only been a serious gamer for about four years, but I improve rapidly. One good game I have is a Japanese Kendo game, which I personally think is quite realistic. You choose a starting character, and train him up until he is excelling in speed, power, spirit, insight and other such attributes. You then work your way through towns, defeating dojos and wandering samurai until you begin to participate in Imperial Matches, and eventually fight your own master, and yourself in a dream like scene. It sounds weird and cliche, but it is good. I noticed while on it the other day, how the other warriors are beaten. There's this one guy, who I think is called Jengo, who's incredibly fast. He will leap upon you with many screeches, and beat you down with a bokken until you collapse. There's another called Nuatsamoa who attacks with an oar, Musashi style. My point is this: They can all be beaten. I'm sure anybody reading this will think of course they are beatable, they are computer generated pixels on a screen. I know this, but the point is that your style may change to beat them, but you can always beat them. You cannot be affected by their speed, or their power, because there is always a way around it. No opponent is unstoppable; Rocky Balboa got beaten once by Mr. T, so if he can be beaten everyone can be! It may take a while to work it out, but there is always a way. To use a matrix quotation 'They are part of a world that is limited by rules. That is why they will never be as strong or as fast as you'. There is a way around every opponent. Nick Evangelista said this, because it's true. If they are quick, upset their rhythm, if they are powerful, make them work to hit you, if they are quick and powerful, make them work harder. There is always a road. Just find it in the shrubbery.

Frustration

2008-11-18T17:18:00.002Z

I think that I'm now more depressed and frustrated then I've ever been. I've been fencing for about a week and a half since my injury, and it is incredibly frustrating. I can't lunge, and it's only now that I realise how big a role it has in fencing. I have to wait for fencers to come to me most of the time. This is fine with beginners, but more experienced people realise what I want them to do, and just back away. I've won most of my matches so far, but I prefer to focus on how I'm doing technique wise. I'm loosing more points than I should be, and I've been told it's going to be at least another four weeks before I'm back to normal. It's incredibly annoying to not be able to fence with my usual form and style. I arranged a match with the Norwich High School for the 29th, and I doubt whether I will be able to compete. The NFC is doing their annual competition and I know that I cannot compete in this, despite me looking forward to it. I'm told that I just have to deal with it and be patient, but it hasn't helped. Fencing was a way in which I could escape from the world of everyday problems and trivia, and now I can't, so I'm getting really wound up, fed up and frustrated.

ID and Ego

2008-11-12T13:20:00.004Z

Once again, my English teacher has shed some light on my confusion, relating to why I become more angry than usual at this time in my fencing role. We were reading Kuhbla Kahn in the lesson, and this led to a discussion on Sigmund Freud. Freud stated that there were three divisions in the mind. There is the superego, which is what we aspired to be, which is usually influenced by other people. There is the ego, which is what we are. Finally, there is the ID, which is everything that we were. This represents what we want, and what unconscious thoughts are made up of. Most of the time, the ID is repressed by the ego, but sometimes, the ID escapes, and this is known as a 'Freudian Slip'.

In fencing, I try to focus on my ego, because focusing on the superego makes you forget about what is happening on the piste in front of you. Most of the time, I manage to keep my ID under control. When a hit is awarded unfairly or without proper consideration, my ID begins to beg me to question the hit, and argue against it, but my ego knows that I should respect the referee. If the hit is then awarded against me unfairly, my ID becomes very angry, but I usually manage to restrain myself from becoming angry. It has been recently though, that my ID is overcoming my ego, and I don't know why. I find myself becoming angry sometimes, and I argue against hits more frequently than normal. I don't want to become a bad loser or anything like that, and there is no guarantee that it will happen. Even so, the ID is always there, waiting to be released onto the world. I guess Rob would call this my dark side. Maybe I just need to balance the two out. Freud said that we have a safety valve for our ID, which lies in jokes and dreams, ways of skirting around the political correctness and prejudice. So, when I fence, I shall just try and have a laugh along the way.

Romanticism

2008-11-09T12:21:00.003Z

The title of this post may seem a little odd, but that will be explained later on. The subject of this post starts with Ernest Hemmingway, an author who wrote several diverse culture novels. We were discussing this in English, and the teacher explained why the dialogue is so odd in The Old Man and the Sea. He said it reads in such a boring way because it emphasises romanticism. Romanticism is said to be the fusion of man and nature. This meant that the old man in the story is only named near the end so that he retains his archetype and highlights his romanticism with the sea, as the same description applies to both the old man and the sea. The teacher then singled me out, and asked me to describe what it felt like when I was 'in the zone' while fencing. This is now where I discuss it.

When I get in the zone, I don't feel very energetic. It's not really a sort of 'Eye of the Tiger' mood, despite what people expect it to be. It is basically, an example of romanticism. I feel very peaceful, aware of everything going on around me, and not just in the environment, but part of it. All the troubles and trivia of the world are brushed aside when I'm on the piste. I don't have to think, because my brain and my body are perfectly co-ordinated. They don't stop to think, and they are not harboured by the limits of the physical anatomy. Everything just seems to flow. A second seems like a minute and vice versa. My mind never stops, and only remembers that I am a person after the bout. Before that I am just a fencer. So when people ask me what happened at points in the fight, if I have been in the zone, I can't honestly remember. My mind will not have stopped to consider it, as it will have automatically responded.

Romanticism for me happens very rarely, but when it all snaps into place, it feels great. Maybe that's why I fence. To achieve a state of mind that men search for over decades of meditation and philosophy. Perhaps.

Injuries

2008-11-01T17:18:00.002Z

Today was meant to be a happy day, of all things. I was going to be fencing in the Eastern Regions competition, but in the end I didn't. Not really anyway. I got there. I was in fencing gear. I fenced someone who I had fenced before, and I was not up to my usual standard. My hamstring muscle was twinging and aching. I did some stretching, and it went away. It was halfway through my first fight that my leg began to twinge again. I tried to ignore it, and I lunged. I felt a brief popping sensation before my hamstring muscle flared with a brutal agony. After the fight, I hobbled over to the benches, and stayed there for the rest of the day. As I was applying ice, I was informed that I had torn my hamstring and would not be able to fence for at least four weeks. Disaster! There goes Cambridge Leon Paul series, my school match on Monday against the UEA, my London training days. Four weeks of non-fencing! At the minute, I am still in pain, but it has dimmed slightly. Thankfully, other N.A.F fencers who were there kept me informed of their progress. I have to note they all did well.

When I first started fencing, I thought it would be exciting to be injured. I have no idea why, but I did. Now, I never want to be injured EVER AGAIN. I'll still attend my clubs though, but as a spectator.

Do not stand by my piste and weep,

I am not there, I'm on the side holding the clipboards and stopwatches.

My Right Foot

2008-10-30T13:10:00.002Z

I was told yesterday that my right foot, is, in fact, wrong. David pointed out that when I lunge, my foot turns outward. When he had told me this, I started fencing again, and I suddenly noticed it. It was only a few inches off course, but it looked so obvious, I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed it before. I know it isn't a disaster, but it is slightly worrying how these habits take hold. I will need to coax it back into its rightful place. On this note, one should look closely at themselves fencing. A full-length mirror is quite useful. Practice some basic moves, and see whether anything else needs a slight adjustment.

Alone

2008-10-27T10:54:00.004Z

At a refereeing course yesterday, I noticed a slightly disturbing thing. We were watching Olympic finals, and during this, one fencer scored a brilliant riposte. The entire audience cheered, but when his opponent scored a hit, only a tiny fraction cheered. I realised that it must feel quite bad to have no-one supporting you. I have seen fencers at competitions have crowds of people at their end of the piste, whereas their opponent only has his or her parents or coach. It struck a chord within me. The feeling of loneliness must lower your fencing performance dramatically, because of it's psychological disadvantages. Now, I have realised, that that is not the case. However many people support someone, it doesn't make an ounce of difference when they are on the piste. For on the piste, no-one else can fight with you. More often than not, you have to fight with yourself, to overcome your emotions. Although I may not have many people up my end of the piste, there is always support in my mind. Fencers shouldn't base their skill on their number of supporters. Likewise, their opponents shouldn't be put off by the opposing numbers. As long as they have confidence in their own abilities, they will always have the largest amount of support. Here's a line from a poem I found:

'When the mind opens, the twin sword will fall

For it has seen the hopeless cause of its passion

And so the same person fights hand in hand with himself

Gives himself hope

Gives himself voice... '

The Line of Duty

2008-10-23T16:46:00.004+01:00

A few months ago, I was asked had I ever been injured in my fencing. I had honestly replied no. My answer has now changed, as of yesterday.
I was fencing, when my opponent lunged at me. Realising that he would try for a riposte to shoulder, like he had done before, I parried with a pronation. This carried his point straight into my knuckle with a small crack. Pain. My opponent hurriedly asked me if I was alright. For some reason, I said I was fine, and we continued. Several fights later, I checked under my glove, and saw a red bruise beginning to set in. Turning my hand over, I felt the knuckle in question 'pop' and a flare of agony shoot down my finger. Even as I type now, it's still pretty sore.
I know it's not a major injury, but it still hurts enough to be classified as an injury. Someone I know once got a sabre blade through their shoulder, so I was thankful that didn't happen to me. I think it's changed my style in some way though. Today, I was fencing someone, and I didn't want to get hit, for fear of repercussion. I fenced as if I wouldn't get hit by anything. Not panicky, not arrogant, just good old 'middle way' lunging. Surprisingly, it seems to work. If I can get injured in different ways, what else would change about my style? I won't try it out, but it's a thought...

The Simple Things

2008-10-21T17:38:00.004+01:00

For some reason, while I was fencing last week, I got really frustrated with myself. This is quite unlike me, as I try to remain placid throughout the match. However, none of my hits were landing, and my opponent, someone who tended to whip the point in rather than place it, kept hitting me solely on the counter attack. I kept thinking, he shouldn't be getting points for my mistakes. Every point, I had to keep tugging my left handed glove down. I don't actually have a left hand, just a stumpish type thing. I have to wear a sock-like glove to cover it, so it doesn't get hurt. I have to pull it down, as it keeps slipping off. Today, I decided to just take it off. My opponent watched me cast aside my glove, and at his lead 7-2, we began to fence.

I felt better for some reason. The lack of glove seemed to have some kind of physical effect. In the open air, it felt free, and comfortable. I physically and mentally relaxed, and resumed fencing. The final score was 10-7 to me. Somehow, my lack of glove had completely changed me. Perhaps it was a pyschological thing. Casting off the remnant of a frustrating period, had mentally rid me of it, and so I relaxed. Perhaps. Or maybe my opponent was just bamboozled by my actions. Both valid points. Of course, I wouldn't recommend ripping off your mask half-way through a bout, so as to breathe a little easier. Just try and do something simple, like taking off your glove, and putting it back on again. Simple things produce great changes. A breakthrough, I feel!

Fighting with Fire

2008-10-12T21:13:00.004+01:00

I attended yet another competition in Camden on Saturday (missing Rob's grand return to Norfolk), which turned out to be quite productive. After a slow and generally unorganised start, the fencing began. After the first poule, I felt great. The adrenaline was flowing, and all of my pent up energy from a two hour journey was bursting out of me. I had won two matches, and lost two matches. The two that I lost, I lost 5-4, both to fencers who had rankings above 15. After a half hour wait, the second round of poules began. Afterwards, I still felt great. This time, I had won three and lost two. Once again, the two that I lost were both 5-4. Incidentally, the second loss was against someone who had beaten me in the English Youth Championships, 5-1. He won this time on a simultaneous lunge, in which he had the point in line first. A significant improvement. After an hours wait, the Direct Elimination started, and I lost 15-10. I wasn't particularly disappointed, as the fencer in question said he felt genuinely challenged by me, and his father said that I gave him a hell of a fight. It was only afterwards that I was told he was seeded 2nd in the Leon Paul series.

That day, I feel that I fenced really well, but how did I manage it? I think that initially I felt relaxed, and confident in my abilities. When I fenced the EYC fencer, however, I was loosing 4-2. I have to admit, I was pretty angry. My ripostes and beat attacks had landed flat, and he had scored on the counter. I felt pretty raging. I brought it back up to 4-4, and then lost 5-4, but only after several off-targets and simultaneous hits. The same thing happened in the DE. Parry ripostes were just landing flat on this guy. After the first break, I was down 8-4. A man approached me and said 'Try getting low. Left handers don't like that.'. It seemed they didn't. 8-6. Then it went to 12-9. I was angry. I had clearly lost the DE. I had done all the right techniques, but none of them had registered. Why? Was the equipment against me, or something bizarre like that? I was angry. Rage. 12-10. What? How did that happen? 15-10. It seemed to pass in a seething blur. Thankfully, my rage subsided on the thirteenth point, and I managed to accept my defeat gracefully.

Branching off, the Sith said that your anger made you more powerful, and the Jedi said that it would eventually destroy you. Which one? It certainly doesn't seem evil, but then again, it probably doesn't until it's far too late. However, there are two sides to every sword. Rage, and relaxation. The challenge will be to balance them out. I accept the challenge. En guarde!

The Limp Shouldered Man

2008-10-09T21:40:00.002+01:00

This post is the neat version of an idea I half-formed yesterday afternoon. Whenever, I do a one on one lesson, my arm tends to ache after about five minutes. I am told that this is because we place emphasis on our wrist and finger work, and so we grip the foil tightly. Thus, our arm muscles are in a permanent grip mode. They will ache. Yesterday, after loosing a math 5-4, I wondered why I had lost it. I had won the previous match 5-1, and I had fenced this person several times, and always won convincingly. I think that when it got up to 4-4, I became cautious. I didn't want to throw this match away. I focused on getting the point, rather than the process with which to get the point. The result was that I tensed up majorly, and promptly became jerky and panicky.

Whenever you are relaxed, you tend to fare well, because you are not concerned with the points or the technique. You're just enjoying yourself; like a twig on the shoulders of a mighty stream. You tense, and suddenly, it's all about points. You can't really help it. It becomes vital. I think that this is the goal to aim for to gain a degree of success. Relax all of your limbs, and get out of the permanent grip mode. It doesn't really matter if you lose. You've lost nothing, except from your tenseness. Relaxation builds confidence, and vice versa.

A Couple of Competitions

2008-10-05T17:43:00.005+01:00

Instead of attending the N.A.F this weekend, I went to Sheffield for the British Cadet competition and Junior competition. I am glad that I did. The location was a huge sports hall, and I have to admit, I felt nervous just by this. It gave the impression this wasn't just any old competition. To talk about the experiences I had, I will need to subdivide; there's too much to talk about normally!

STANDARDS

The standard of fencers was very good. Most of the people there had a ranking, so I felt a little out of place. When I casually asked someone how long they had been fencing, they replied since they were 4! Some people had brilliant technique, while others relied purely on speed. All of the fencers adapted their technique to each fight. Most of the time anyway.

TECHNIQUES

Most of the fencers were fast and flashy, flicking in ripostes and broken time attacks. Occasionally, someone would be more calm and collected, but still win fights. On the first day, I was told that to win in these competitions, you had to constantly attack. So I did. I promptly lost two matches. Looking back, I realise that those sort of fencers fight attacking styled people very often in these competitions. The next day, I changed my approach to a more relaxed, defensive approach. I won some.

ADVICE

Some of the fencers had advice to offer. Some said that you should chase your opponent to the back line where they can't retreat. Others said that you should go to the back line so that you could stand a better chance of hitting with a parry riposte. The general advice was don't let your opponent dictate the fight. Sometimes, comments like 'pronate the hand more' and 'don't argue with the referee' would surface. It's all good.

REACTIONS

I for one think that a fencer should be modest in victory and humble in defeat. Evidently, my opinion was not shared by many. Some fencers would scream with ecstasy whenever a hit was awarded, whereas others would sink to their knees if they failed. There were several arguments with judges about right of way and covering, which resulted in several yellow and red cards. The worst, and perhaps most amusing reaction I saw was when the fencer, who had been ranked highly in the pools, lost in the direct elimination. He slunk into a corner of the gym, threw his foil onto the ground, and sobbed weakly into his lame. It was quite painful to watch. The quarter-finals especially were pitiful. Basically, every hit was argued for, and the victor gloated in his opponents face. I long for the time when two fencers accept their victories and defeats without hysteria.

JUDGES

Some of the judges were quite fair, while others were tougher than something very tough indeed. Fortunately, the judge that I had was very nice, and dashed off to get my foil taped when it stopped working. In one fight I watched, one judge gave two red cards to a boy who slightly bowed his head when lunging (one after the other for the same offence) . He also gave another out when the boy argued against it. Whilst I agreed with his decisions (the boy was being very argumentative and abrupt) it was still quite moving to see the boy reduced to tears. Still, I suppose the judge is always right.

I think that that's about it then. A good experience all round, I suppose!

Questions

2008-10-03T13:28:00.004+01:00

I was doing some creative writing the other day (just a hobby) and I was suddenly struck by the question, 'Why do I fence?' It seems an odd question (especially occuring to me when writing a novellete), but I have been trying to find the answer. It's not really a 'crisis of confidence' question, just a 'I got into this, and why am I still going?' type thing. If my memory serves well enough, I started fencing two years ago, as part of a compulsory sports fixture. A few lessons in, and I was hooked. But why did I continue? David once told me that the sword that gives life (katsujinken) is more important than the sword that takes life (setsunito). I think this means that you fence, so you don't have to fence. Paradoxical? There is a story of two samurai, staring at each other over a crowd, neither breaking their gaze. Their outer visages served as their weapons. When one realised that he had been beaten, he turned, and left. Musashi was once accosted, saying one of his opponents had in fact sliced a flap of skin from his scalp. Musashi then approached him, saying that because of a tumour growing on his head, any scars would still be intact. He invited the accoster to check. The accoster, completely unnerved by his presence, refused, and left. Zen master Bo Mun said that 'The other aspect is the sword that gives life: the experience of empowering ourselves, doing things which come naturally, that we love to do and find fulfillment in. When we do too many of these things, most of us get a certain softness or flatness. There's no keen working edge to our practice. It's hard to believe in ourselves if we go too far to that side. ' According to this, we fight so we can keep ourselves alert to our everyday pleasures. My own opinion is that the sword that gives life is symbolic. It symbolises cutting through the illusions of life, like false images of happiness. In a sense, the sword that gives life is a zen term that represents a tool used to reach enlightenment.

So why do I fence? I think I fence to gain something. I don't know what it is, but I will know what it is when I get to it.

In a Corner

2008-10-01T13:02:00.003+01:00

On Saturday, I went to a coaching session, wherein I fenced someone from the N. F .C. This person was quite arrogant, with no real sense of technique. His attacks were simply: Rush forward, possible parry riposte, hit. As I said, no real technique. So, I was quite determined to beat him, which is quite unlike me. I think I wanted to prove that technique can triumph over force. So, we started fencing, and I was soon losing 7-2. I was trying to stay where I was as he rushed at me, so most of the time, my ripostes were landing flat over his shoulder. I knew I wasn't going to win it. I stopped trying to win. What was the point of trying to win? The score that followed was 9-7. To me. What had I done? I had transmogrified into a comeback specialist. I was quite suprised at this; so suprised, that I promptly lost 10-9. However, I didn't really care. I felt more satisfied with my comeback than I would have been in victory. How had I done it?
I think that when we are in pressured situations, we have an apathy for our success.I know that I did. So we stop trying to win. We start fencing. The margin is quite small, but greatly important.So, in future when I am in a bout. I will not fight to win. I will fence, and see how it goes.

Beyond Comfort

2008-09-26T19:05:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, I asked my coach David to fence, and he willingly agreed. At first, I was getting most of the hits, but then everything seemed to change. David began to bob up and down on his feet, and began to move much more quickly. I was very surprised by this; after all, David had taught me that you mustn't bob up and down a lot (see The Graceful Swan). I don't mind admitting that it unsettled me. Fencing is not just played physically, it is also a thinking game. The problem was, that I couldn't see what he was trying to achieve. To unsettle me? Match my style? I was unsure, and because of this, I instantly became wary. Confidence on the piste is important, because even if you are panicking, if you remain confident on the exterior, you can keep up a good performance. However, I was incredibly wary of David, because I didn't know what he was doing. My confident exterior crumbled promptly, and David began to get point after point after point. Afterwards, he explained what he had done:
Everyone has a comfort zone, and it is in this zone that we fence at our very best. Yesterday, David succeeded in bringing me out of it, and so he scored plenty of hits. If we have a small comfort zone, then we will not fare as well. Perhaps beginners have a smaller comfort zone, which is why they are more easily unsettled. I would say that the comfort zone grows with experience. It's just a matter of expanding it. Now armed with this knowledge, I look forward to fencing David next time!

A Simple Error

2008-09-20T18:32:00.002+01:00

Fencing today, I was helping to preside a group of younger fencers, which included some beginners. One fencer had been fencing for at least three months, while the other fencer had been fencing one month. We'll call then 3m and 1m. Watching them, I could see that 3m was performing fairly basic technique. 1m was doing likewise, however, it was slightly better. At the end of the match, fencer 1m had won, and 3m was confused why. I think I have the answer.

No criticism is intended for any beginner fencers reading, and I hope I do not offend anyone. Beginner fencers are split into two groups. For an example, let us say that 3m and 1m are watching a coach give a lesson on the beat attack. Fencer 3m will take the technique, and shape it into his own style. He will still beat the blade, but his point will then fly off here and there until he finally succeeds in hitting or wounding his opponent. With the point his, he assumes that he hit because his technique was good, and that he is doing the attack right. He will not attempt to change it, using the most hated sentence in the fencer's vocabulary: Well it worked didn't it?

Fencer 1m however, will try to copy what the teacher does. He will not view the technique, but how it should be applied. Unfortunately, these fencers are often scorned or failed attacks. Fencer 1m should just keep trying until it is a perfect technique. He should realise that he is doing something wrong, but instead of not using it because it isn't working, he should continue to try it; find out why it isn't working, correct himself.

The simple error for beginners is to use their own style initially. Fencers starting the sport should try and follow their teachers, and this includes everything. They need to assume a proper stance, so that they will be able to have a centre of balance, and they need to learn how to adopt, adapt and improve in every technique. To quote from Nick Evangelista:

'Without this, you will always be a poker, never a fencer'

A Change of Scene

2008-09-18T17:49:00.002+01:00

Yesterday, instead of attending the N.F.C as per usual, I went to visit another club, which someone had recommended to me. I was a little wary of this, mainly because I wanted to stick with just attending one club. I like the N.F.C. This club, however, was not how I expected it to be. There were only about fifteen members, and they were all quite young. The session got underway with a warm-up, which I was expecting. However, I was not expecting to be continuing with it half an hour later. This is not an exaggeration either! The fencing then got underway, and it was just about free for all. It was basically grab someone, monopolize a piste, and fence away. I was amazed by the standard there. I was probably the only person there who didn't have a ranking. Although I was beaten several times, I managed to score at least two points off everyone, and even win four of my matches. I found it a great experience, but I will stick with the N.F.C. From this, I would say that everyone should break the routine every now and then with a change of scene.

The Graceful Swan

2008-09-15T13:29:00.002+01:00

As promised, here is the post on 'the graceful swan'. Fencers who enter into competitions are more often then not, fast movers. They bob around quite a lot, ducking and weaving. At one competition I saw, one fencer was doing just that when I was fencing him. He evidently thought that my firm rooted stance was nowhere near as good as his, obviously better, light of foot technique. He openly laughed as I set off after him, and he sprung backwards lightly. I began to feel slightly annoyed at this point, and I decided to attack. I lunged forward, and simultaneously, my opponent jabbed at me , hitting me on the shoulder. Both of our lights came on at the same time. My opponent turned to the referee, expectantly. It was clear that he was expecting the point.

'The attack is from this side' The referee said, indicating me. My opponent literally screamed 'What?!', and demanded an explanation. This is it:

Fencers should try and be like a swan. Bobbing is all very well, but it turns your lunges into jabs, which makes you draw your arm backwards, instead of an extension. Keeping your feet on the ground, you can still move quickly, but you can control your upper body, keeping your cool. Be like a swan. Be calm in the upper body, fast in the lower body. Make fast one. Silence the other.

Visitors

2008-09-13T16:53:00.004+01:00

The N.A.F started again today, and we had a new influx of people. We also had a surprise visitor; Anna Bentley. David often talks about her, and I was naturally pleased to meet her. But I didn't expect David to ask me to fence her. Somehow, I didn't think that I would be fencing the Woman's Foil Champion of Britain. However, it turned out to be very interesting. She was left handed, which didn't surprise me. A lot of people I see at competitions are left-handed (I once had the misfortune of having six out of eight left-handed fencers in one pool). What surprised me though, was her movement. Most competitive fencers are very light on their feet, bobbing around quite a lot. Her movements were light, but not bobby. They were firm on the ground, and yet speedy. I expect that David taught her about the 'graceful swan' some time ago (I will do a post on that one shortly). The fight started, and initially, I was in the lead 2-0. Then she got a few points, and I did as well, making the score then 4-2. Anna then began waiting for me to attack, and hitting me on the back twice with excellently placed parry ripostes. The score was then 4-4. The final point. At this stage in a fight, both fencers are either very tentative, or very aggressive. Anna and I were tentative. We were unsure of what to do, and so I decided to take the initiative. I did a beat attack, which, to my immense surprise, hit. Now, some fencing champions, when they are beaten, get very shirty. The most eventful one I have seen was a few months ago, when the fencer in question screamed in rage, hurled his foil away, and literally ripped his mask off. However, Anna just took her mask off and shook my hand, smiling and telling me that I had done well. To me, that is the attitude that all fencers should have. David obviously taught her well!
When you are fencing, you can either fence to win, or not to lose. When you fence to win, you are hurried, frantic and unfocused. When you fence not to lose, you are relaxed, calculating and focused. However, when I fenced Anna Bentley, I did neither. I just fenced.

Sacrifices

2008-09-10T13:00:00.003+01:00

I am in a bit of a problematic stage at the moment. After viewing the techniques of fencers who compete at a national level, I think I have managed to see why they succeed. Some of them are good at attacking on the preperation, while others are good at feint attacks. However, most of them attack simply. The most complicated move I saw at a recent competition was a beat attack. The attacks work, I think, because of the speed and ferocity which they execute. The ferocity in particular, is startling to a fencer like me. It is essentially extend the arm, parry, extend, parry, parry, lunge, all in a matter of two seconds. The problem is this: To achieve victory against these fencers, I may have to match their techniques, become fast and aggressive. Conversely, I do not think I want to. I believe that you do not need speed to beat an opponent; I prefer to use cunning and technique to beat an opponent. I think I lack aggressiveness, though. I don't like to chase a beginner fencer down the piste, it seems to lack honour in some way. Also, if I try to be speedy and agressive, I find that my technique becomes bad, and my lunges aren't powerful or fully formed. I noticed that at the competition, that speedy and agressive fencers are the same; lunges are done with bent knees and with rolled over feet.

This may seem a bit old-fashioned, but I want to retain my technique. I have been taught that good technique is something good. However, I want to do well in competitions, and to do this, I need speed and agressiveness. So, do I stay a technical fencer, ordo I become a fast and furious one? I will think about it...

The Unfettered Orb

2008-09-07T13:11:00.004+01:00

In my opinion, you need to have a number of things to succeed in fencing. You need to have commitment, you need to be open-minded, and you need to be determined. Skill, patience and speed will come later, as well as dexterity, control and, most importantly, adaption. Adaption is one of the most important skills a fencer needs to learn. People I know will try a move out, and find that it works on an opponent. However, they wil continue to use this move on different opponents. In a direct elimination at a recent competition, I saw one fencer lunge, and hit his opponent. When they started again, he lunged again, and was instantly parried and riposted. In this situation, I hope I would think Alright, I need another attack. Unfortunately, the fencer in question just kept doing the same attack, and kept getting parry riposted. I think the term, flogging a dead horse is appropriate. The fencer's logic must have been: I hit him with it once, why isn't it working now? The simple answer: He knows what you're going to do.

Fencers should try and be like a ball., always on the move, constantly changing angles and not stopping. If an opponent is beating you, stop and think about the following:

Why aren't my attacks working?
Why are his attacks working?
How do I need to adapt? Is it possible?
Do I have a back-up plan if it fails?

In this way, you shall become the unfettered orb.

Respect

2008-09-06T18:19:00.000+01:00

I was fencing in a competition in Essex today, which turned out to be suprisingly illuminating. However, I couldn't help but notice one fencer, who obviously thought a lot of himself. After every hit he landed, he would scream out at the top of his voice in what was obviously some fit of ecstasy. While it may be satisfactory to hit with a lunge, I find it very disrespectful to scorn an opponent, even if the hit is brilliant. I also find that not much respect is being shown to anyone on the piste anymore. The ecstatic screaming is just the tip of a very big iceberg. Some fencers are contradicting every hit that is given against them. Asking why the hit wasn't theirs is fine, but effing and blinding at the president for a clear decision is another matter. I was once presiding a normal fencing match, and the following happened:

Fencer A attacked.
Fencer B parried, but didn't riposte immediately.
Fencer A continued the attack, and hit.
Fencer B riposted and hit.
Both fencer's hits registered at the same time.

I thought about it, but eventually awarded the point to fencer A. Although a parry riposte grants you right of way, it can only be awarded, if the riposte is immediate. Therefore, fencer A seized priority by continuing his attack into the delayed riposte. I told them of my decision, and fencer B didn't take it very well. He ripped off his mask, and demanded that I phrase the attacks. I explained to him my reasons behind the decision, and eventually, he put his mask back on, and walked back on to the piste, grumbling as he went.

I can't respect anyone who accosts the referee for making the 'wrong decision', anyone who tries to scrape points together by accosting the referee, or anyone who refuses to acknowledge a clear hit.

Introductions

2008-09-06T17:29:00.000+01:00

My name is Chris Seaman, and I am a fencer from Norwich. I captain the Norfolk Academy of Fencing, and I intend to tell the world about the sport of fencing. I must note that there are other fencing blogs that are worth looking at. There is Autumn Lighting, by my fencing coach, David, and there is a link to Musings of a Warrior from there, written by Robert Page, friend and coach. Both are well worth a look. On this blog, I will list some of my experiences and lessons which I have learnt, and I hope people out there will read my thoughts and perhaps comment on them.