Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

CraigNZ · 03-17-2004, 08:47 AM

Hey all,

I was crusing around looking for info on the Death in the Ukraine (all our news papers had on it was a 10 line report...) and i found your site, and well i am well impressed..

it is awsome.

hope to exchange veiws and experience with you here.

C.

-live, breathe, and die by the sword.-

veeco · 03-17-2004, 09:41 AM

Welcome! How is the fencing scene in NZ?

gulebukser · 03-17-2004, 02:19 PM

Yes, many welcomes.

CraigNZ · 03-17-2004, 05:14 PM

thanks..

fencing scene in NZ is a little quiet on the international scene, we seem to be going through a stretch where the older more experenced fencers are moving on and the younger fresher ones are under funded and a little nervous about hitting the big time..

the main problem is really that no one seems to be prepared to learn how to loose before learning how to win....

my self and my training partners have developed a plan (we just had a year off...) of complete submersion in fencing, we have all been fencing about 11-13 years, and all in epee and foil (but mainly epee now) so we have the back ground and some experence, we are just getting back to speed on the piste here in nz, then with a little guidence from my coach (who lives 300km away now) we are aiming to hit the international scene in the easier to reach places like australia and asia pacific. To go around and pick up those little points and gain that much needed experence.

We all fenced in Challenge Austraila in 2000 and finished in the top 64-32. so we have had a taste of international rankings and well, we all want a bite.

so that is the plan, now it is just a case of getting the mental edge and the money to do it...

lots of saving and social luxury sacrifices are going to be made, i can see it!!!

but yea...

basicly we all were in the running to go to the Commonwealth champs, but for varieing reasons we had to pull out or missed out, in the end it turns out that the team that went wasnt the best and failed to perform at all....

we are stuck in a some what backwards corner of the world, with big asperations... isnt it a typical story...

hope to see some of you on the piste one day...

C.

Zelda · 03-17-2004, 07:08 PM

Well there is always a NZ'r or two somewhere in the Aussie rankings....cant see why we cant get a few more!!!!!

downunder · 03-18-2004, 11:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigNZ

thanks..

fencing scene in NZ is a little quiet on the international scene, we seem to be going through a stretch where the older more experenced fencers are moving on and the younger fresher ones are under funded and a little nervous about hitting the big time..

pfft,

you've got Jess Beer, and Sarah Raudkivi.... both of which are very very good fencers - Jess certainly has made her mark on the womens epee circuit

CvilleFencer · 03-18-2004, 01:12 PM

Welcome to the board! I have long been a fan of NZ and was actually making plans to head down there and live for a year or so when I met my Fiancée and go a little sidetracked! I have been trying for four three years now but she is still not keen on moving to the other side of the world... Literally!

Just out of curiosity, what is the most popular weapon down that way? Here in the states it seems to be mainly foil followed by epee with saber a distant third. At least in the southeast of the states.

Best of luck with your aspirations! It seems you definitely have the drive and experience to make a place on the world circuit. If enough of you start doing international comps maybe the NZ fencing association will authorize a Kiwi version of the BAF racing stripes! Maybe a blue strip with a repeating kiwi? Anyway, best of luck to you and your friends!

downunder · 03-18-2004, 04:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CvilleFencer

If enough of you start doing international comps maybe the NZ fencing association will authorize a Kiwi version of the BAF racing stripes! Maybe a blue strip with a repeating kiwi? Anyway, best of luck to you and your friends!

if you're interested, their national colours are actually a black fern

penguin · 03-19-2004, 05:32 AM

Actually, the NZ emblem is a silver fern. And winning Australian national tournaments is not really enough to enable someone to be called a 'very very good fencer' on the international scene.

downunder · 03-19-2004, 10:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by penguin

Actually, the NZ emblem is a silver fern. And winning Australian national tournaments is not really enough to enable someone to be called a 'very very good fencer' on the international scene.

i'm talking about the national colors on the breeches or arm, and i assure you that it is a black fern

and whilst winning australian nationals isn't good enough to be called a 'very very good' international fencer (mind you i wouldn't complain

), Jess got a silver medal at an A grade last year, so i'd consider that to be fairly good

CraigNZ · 03-19-2004, 07:03 PM

yes indeedy it is a black fern, and while we had jess out there, i think she has been a little quiet recently, sarah is always out there, and gaining varieing amounts of success, but that is 2 people, and females at that!! (no bad on that, just... where are our sloberly lazy males??!!)

of the currently 538 ranked male epeeists in the world, there is not one NZer!!

it isnt hard to get a few points, here and there, and heck, 4 points will take you clean into the 200's.... its that easy (well on paper!)

but yea.

aussie is the place to start for us little 'long white clouders', it is close, the culture is similar and well affordable to go and be beaten in..

with jess, she had all this success... but where has she gone???

with ranking points lasting only a year, a silver medal in an a-grade is a one off, every one has good days and bad days, but u need three, of four silvers, or even golds, to show that you mean it..

consistancy is whay most NZ fencers lack.. (and spelling in my case..!!)

but any ho..

how accessable is the americian/uk circuit for the asia pacific zones??? anyone know??

C.

downunder · 03-20-2004, 07:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigNZ

with jess, she had all this success... but where has she gone???

i've seen her at the london A grade, and the edinburgh satellite A grade... she hasn't been fencing as well as she could

CraigNZ · 03-20-2004, 07:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downunder

i've seen her at the london A grade, and the edinburgh satellite A grade... she hasn't been fencing as well as she could

well there you go.

power to her, she (jess) went to germany for a bit, and she was back here at home last i heard. so yea.

the "racing stripes" we have are on Alexzander Scott's (he was doing well in the mens foil about 2 years ago) breeches, they consist of a recurring silver fern, black kiwi, silver fern black kiwi.... patten down the leg seam, and that is much cooler than the fern on the leg.

C.

downunder · 03-22-2004, 10:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CraigNZ

well there you go.

power to her, she (jess) went to germany for a bit, and she was back here at home last i heard. so yea.

she's still in the uk as far as i know