Return

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.