I've been foiling around for about 5 years now. I fence recreationally, will never be one of the GOOD ONES. I like the light tick of the weapon on weapon, the slimming, sexy lame, the exciting parry-riposte action, and the satisfying way the blade bends on the touch. Foils appeals to my personality-- I'm one who goes by rules. There are no rules in epee!

At competitions the foilists make a respectable showing. The serious women foilists enter mixed and women's matches; women's foil is a pretty small group. On one-day events foilists wait forever for the epeeists to give up a strip or two to start our own pools. It's not that epeeists hog the strips; it's just from sheer numbers of epee entries! Why is epee so popular?

In the last couple years I've noticed more and more new fencers picking up epee right after beginning classes- at the high school levels, in other clubs, and lately in my own club,too. It's getting difficult to find a sparring partner. What the heck???!!!

My epee friends keep inviting me to "come over to the dark side." These are the very same friends who complain loudly about off-target touches. Why would they want to put a heavier weapon in my hand and make those touches LEGAL?

These self-same friends also commisserate over epee ruining their foil moves and vice versa. (I have enough trouble with foil; why would I purposefully screw it up by trying epee?)

So, last week, at the request of a birthday epeeist, I tried it. I had no weapon of my own, so someone put a left handle on a right handed weapon, and we fenced. I did well, although I did not have fun at it. Epee is slow, kinda boring, and it really leaves color when you're hit!

Why did I do so well????? Did they let me win?? I don't think so. Was it the change in handle? I usually use a Zivkovic Gll and this epee handle was a V, I think. (see the thread on Zivkovic handles!!)
Could it be a coincidental change in contact prescription? We've been working on finding a transitional pair that focuses at target distance; I always seem to be about 2 inches short. My foil has not improved so dramatically.

So now what? Is winning the goal? Is it the fight? Am I in the closet and don't even know it?? What would you do?