Your worst bout? (re score or outcome)

[Victor]

I've seen a DE bout end recently -- after three periods, mind you -- with a score of 3-1. Keep in mind, it was epee.

I think my worst DE score was 4-4, which I lost in the extra minute. That's been a while ago.

In another sense of the word, one of the 'worst' outcomes I've seen lately was a 14-14 foil bout in the finals in which both fencers closed in tight and poked at each other for a few times, totally missing. Both stopped, and looked at the score box. One realized quicker than the other that the game was still afoot, made one more jab and won the bout. ... What a crummy point to lose on!

[suregrip]

I can't brag about much as I have much to improve upon. But once, during a tournament, I found myself across from a coach from another salle. The score was 2-1 when my opponent attempted to flick, missed, and turned to look at the box. During that split second, I hit him.

It was a real short bout after that, let me tell you. I lost 5-2. There is a funny side to it, in that someone was filming the bout and captured the entire thing.

[grotto]

I Drove 13 hours from MI to go to a NAC in Rochester NY. only to loose every bout in pools either from labelle (4-4) or by doubling out (5-4) That was a low day indeed, my buddy joke "well at least you were only 5 touches from being undefeated!"

[noodle]

i blew a 14-9 lead in a bout i was completely controlling to get into the finals at the div2 arlington nac. the guy went on to get 1st. the reason i lost was i was impatient. hard lesson learned.

[NoFleche]

I'll weigh in on behalf of all of us newbies with that ultra-humiliating, yet classic scenario:
Very first DE ever, and losing 15-0.

This would have been perfectly fine if my opponent was an A, B, C, D, or heck--even an E--but it was another U who was not much more experienced than I was. Only adding to the total embarassment factor was the puzzled director repeatedly testing my weapon against my opponent's lame between touches. (Guess I was landing close, but not close enough!)

[mifencer]

so many, so many...

[K Degnon]

One time I lost to a kid who I think was around 10 years old. He had one of those lames that was about 4 sizes too big, so none of my touches ever seemed to hit anything solid. Fortunately, I got my act together later on and placed pretty well in that tournament, but at the time I was really red faced with embarrassment.

[scarlet_woman156k]

Originally Posted by NoFleche

I'll weigh in on behalf of all of us newbies with that ultra-humiliating, yet classic scenario:
Very first DE ever, and losing 15-0.

This would have been perfectly fine if my opponent was an A, B, C, D, or heck--even an E--but it was another U who was not much more experienced than I was. Only adding to the total embarassment factor was the puzzled director repeatedly testing my weapon against my opponent's lame between touches. (Guess I was landing close, but not close enough!)

Actually, I can be on the opposite of that scenario, and still consider it one of the worst bouts I've experienced in fencing. I beat a person 15-0, and was even trying to "give" them a point--short of taking my back hand, grabbing their point, and sticking it into my chest--and they still would not take the opening. Plus the fact that they began crying after the bout. That totally sucked, made me feel like a total jerk. However, it wasn't a U against a U, this person was outmatched for the most part.

I do remember fencing a bout and losing 1-15, but I was seriously outmatched at the time, and I was aware of it completely.

[veeco]

Losing 1-2 at a NAC in Palm Springs, breaking 2 blades in this same bout; had I won I would have made it to the 2nd day (that was the time when the NAC were run over 2 days).

The bout before I had beat a guy who had made top 8 at a NAC the year before, and the guy I lost to made top 8 at that one NAC.

[electricepeeist]

Let's see...would it be my knee seizing up and causing me to lose 15-4 to a foilist (but decent epeeist) from my club TWO weekends in a row, knocking me out of the final bout? Or winning 7-4 during a DE against a much lower ranked fencer last year, but she was one of those ones who won't do anything till suddenly they get this lucky parry, so my coach wanted it very slow...Probably losing 6-4 last Saturday to an adult who I should and could have beaten, but I didn't do anything until the last minute (so smart!)...plus the slightly crazy Russian coach from my club was reffing and after every few touches would go "is not fencing! do something!" and at the end came over and said "this was not fencing! if you had fenced and lost, fine. but you did NOTHING! Bout was present! You give her bout! Was it her birthday? Go over and ask!" And if I'd won, I'd have qualified, but ah well...

[whtouche]

One of the best "worst bouts" I've ever delivered (I know, slightly opposite subject, but still relevant). This kid from my club HATED me, and I still don't know why (I think it's because he was 100% portuguese and I was only half, but that can't be all of it..) anyways, he'd been fencing like 2 years longer than I had and it seemed like every tournament we were in we would have to fence each other at some point, and it came to be that I would associate his name with the end of my day.
Then, a couple years ago, or maybe early last year? there was a D tournament at my old highschool. He was there, with his girlfriend. I'd been working hard, and had gotten alot better, and I met this person in the final.
After telling his girlfriend specifically to watch the bout because he was going to destroy me easily, I beat him 15 to 9, and it was that close because I was bored with him.

That's the biggest stun I've ever delivered, and he deserved it. Shortly after he stopped fencing all together.

[fencingguy]

15-1 at a Junior NAC in Louisville years ago. Followed quickly by a 15-8 loss in repechage to his clubmate. That sucked.

[telkanuru]

as the 11th seed, lost to the 22nd or thereabouts. Not only that, but I lost 15-6, and I had beat the same guy in pools 2-5. And that was my first DE and a 2 hour drive to the venue. Gah. I did some serious self-punishment training after that.

[Peach]

The time I finished DFL in Division I Nationals was not my worst. It was the time I lost in the medal round of a veteran's NAC to the same darn action over and over and over and over again . . . I didn't sleep that night.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Peach

. . . I didn't sleep that night.

i know that one
i didn't sleep well after i screwed up the bout i referenced earlier. couldn't stop thinking about it for a week, at least.

[Cerian]

All city tournament where I first ended up in the one pool of 4, where I preceded to only get 1 win against three much less experienced fencers. Then, a DE where my first three touches amounted to nought and allowed my opponent to get a 2-0 lead because his lame was, in fact, not working and I only caught it on my third valid touch.

This after a previous team competition where, after 30 minutes of initially straightening out the reels and equipment, leading me to believe everything was working alright, my opponent also ended up having some form of lame malfunction allowing him to get a 3-0 lead on me despite numerous valid touches. That bout I lost 5-4.

The psychological baggage of that mishap left me rather off kelter against my opponent in this DE, who was an entirely reactive, defensive, counter attacking fencer. Unable to control my own frustration at the situation and put myself into a leading position where I could comfortably deal with his ineptitude at offense, I spent the rest of the DE lagging behind him as our scores both came closer and closer to 15. During the last three minute period, I was still down three or so touches. I desperately tried to gain the lead, but the nature of my opponent and my own frustration made this rather difficult.

Ultimately, I lost 15-9, finishing 11th amoung 19 fencers, only 2 of which (both team mates, one took first, the other fourth) had a comparable level of fencing and competition experience. The last person amoung the top 8, who would all go to all state, was the one person in my pool whom I had defeated (5-1). Rather demoralizing experience.

[kalivor]

I'll pick three.

#1. I'm up 14-3. I'm not wearing a cup. I get hit there. I still won the bout, 15-14, but ... lesson learned? Maybe. I still don't wear one all the time.

#2. I come out of pools with 2 victories in 6 bouts at a relatively low level tournament a couple of years ago ... none of the losses really stick out, but it was just a horrible morning. I went on to finish second, and felt kinda bad for the people that I eliminated after I managed to get my head together. Particularly the guy in the first round ... he was ranked higher than me, but all his good work in the pools was for naught, as I beat him 15-3 ... never felt more guilty for winning a bout before ...

#3. Earlier this year, I lost a DE bout against a guy that I should always beat. I was just impatient to get my points, then frustrated, and kept pushing when I should've been patient. It hurt even more that I'd beat him 5-0 in pools earlier in the day. Lesson learned: Take your opponents seriously.

[Musketeer]

As the #4 seed going into the DEs I lost to the #13 seed by 15-5.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Musketeer

As the #4 seed going into the DEs I lost to the #13 seed by 15-5.

oh that reminds me of my second worst bout
this year's temple open i went into DE's seeded 9th. i literally took off my wrist brace to fence because i had broken my wrist a few months back and hence hadn't had any solid practice in that time (blah blah safety blah blah). i was happy because i was doing very well considering the circumstances. i was upset in my first DE, ended up placing somewhere in the 20s. wow was i pissed.

[Inquartata]

So many bad/humiliating/disappointing/frustrating/infuriating bouts come crowding to the door of my memory, pushing and shoving to be the first out, and wedge themselves into one jammed mass,that NONE of them can get through...