Your fencing mindset

[fresfisher929]

What kind of state is your head in when you get on the strip, do you try to be angry? do you try to be calm? do you have any mind games that you play?

I'll go first. When i fence i either try to be extremely happy, or hell bent on the utter destruction of the carcass on the other side of the strip.
To me when the score of a de hits 10 points then i go into high gear, so when i'm fencing pools i always tell myself, the score is 10-10, 11-10,13-14, and so on.

What do you all do?

[Epee_Pox]

It's strange, but when I'm doing my best my mind is completely empty. I'm not feeling any emotion or thinking any plans or anything. When this happens, everything just clicks and I can't help but win. Unfortunately, if I try to get to this mental state on purpose, I wind up being artificially cold and clinical, and don't do so well. This wonderful zone-like state comes unbidden. I feel like I'm detached from my body, watching what's going on.

I sure wish I could do this on purpose. I'd be awesome!

[fixxmyweapon]

i'm the same way. i need to learn how to master getting into my zone and not just randomly ending up there.

[Twinkletoes]

I think that "angry" is not a recommended state of mind
for any piste. I mean, we have swords in our hands and we
are basically fencing fellow citizens for fun and sport.
An angry fencer is one who is about to be banished from his club.


Maybe focused and respectfull, while
being agressive yet objective.

Marc

[Reebek]

I agree that "the zone" of no thoughts is both desirable and elusive. When I fence angry, usually because I've become frustrated with myself, my fencing goes to crap, which makes me more frustrated, which makes me more angry, which sends my fencing into a downward spiral and makes me type run-on sentences...

[The0ne]

I try to think about every action before it starts. . . If my opponent has a reflex action to a certain attack, I try to remember that and use it in my planning of the bout. Also with some opponents, if I notice that they are getting frustrated I try and piss them off as much as possible, because angry people make bigger actions that are easier to pick off and they make more mistakes.

[whtouche]

It has been my experience that when fencing, at least as far as supplying reassurance goes, there are two types of fencers.
Types that need to be very calm, relaxed and focused to reach their peak potential at any one moment; or people who need intensity - which can sometimes be mistaken as an 'angry' fencer. These type of people get jolted out of daydreams and back into focus by yelling. You've seen the type, their coach is on the sidelines yelling "FIGHT HIM!" and you think to yourself "how obnoxious, I cant picture that helping." but it does for them.

I'm more of the former. I need to be calm, and focused to do my best. That doesn't mean there's any kindof lack of intensity - I yell alot, I get excited, but before every touch I try to settle myself and focus.

[frenzl]

i think stategy before hand and during bout it's all clear and instinctive if i'm in the zone [hopefully].

[Inquartata]

Relaxed, which for me is a function of not caring whether I win or lose and just aiming to fence credibly and enjoy myself. A state which I have managed to attain about twice in my competitive life....

If I can't get there, I try not to try for any particular mental or emotional state. I just let myself feel how I feel, and I fence. In other words, I never got much from the sort of mental preparations or exercises most fencers use, or found any consistent connection between state of mind and performance.

[Schiavona]

It's strange, but when I'm doing my best my mind is completely empty. I'm not feeling any emotion or thinking any plans or anything. When this happens, everything just clicks and I can't help but win. Unfortunately, if I try to get to this mental state on purpose, I wind up being artificially cold and clinical, and don't do so well. This wonderful zone-like state comes unbidden. I feel like I'm detached from my body, watching what's going on.

I sure wish I could do this on purpose. I'd be awesome!

I fenced a tournament feeling like this, it turns out that I had a fever of 105. It was one of my best tournaments...........

[glowstix]

ideally, for me, i want to be without emotion. my trouble is that i put pressure on myself to win then the fear of losing comes into play. also, the minute i start thinking about the score, or if i win a particular bout i get a higher rating or something like that i lose focus. its all from the neck up. you have to take it one touch at a time.

[Foilist]

This "zone" that some of you speak of is the subject of a very good book. It's called "The Inner Game of Tennis" by W. Timothy Gallwey and sells for $11 on amazon.com. It comes highly recommended by my coach, and I agree that it is a phenomenal book, good for any discipline, and can definitely help people with the psychological side of fencing.

[noodle]

ya, agreed on the aspects of the zone. i used to get into it all the time when sparring in martial arts. time seemed to slow down and i could see the actions i needed to do much more clearly. only been in it once or twice in fencing, but it lasts me the whole day and i do some phenominal fencing while in it. i think it'll come back to me in this sport with a little more time, i've been fencing only a fourth of the time i did martial arts.

[vincikai]

in foil i goes empty, in epee i imagine of a good place, and think that i must win in order to get there. yeah some times a calm anger helps in epee not in foil though. or i just forget the whole game and take one point by a time.

[vincikai]

It has been my experience that when fencing, at least as far as supplying reassurance goes, there are two types of fencers.
Types that need to be very calm, relaxed and focused to reach their peak potential at any one moment; or people who need intensity - which can sometimes be mistaken as an 'angry' fencer. These type of people get jolted out of daydreams and back into focus by yelling. You've seen the type, their coach is on the sidelines yelling "FIGHT HIM!" and you think to yourself "how obnoxious, I cant picture that helping." but it does for them.

I'm more of the former. I need to be calm, and focused to do my best. That doesn't mean there's any kindof lack of intensity - I yell alot, I get excited, but before every touch I try to settle myself and focus.

i thin both way hleps for a fencer to be 1 calm and 2 get intensity "anger",
once you are used to it.

[dunastor]

From my own experience I think in epee it's more important to keep your cool and have an empty mind with utmost concentration for that one tiny lapse in concentration from your opponent.
In RoW weapons (in my case sabre) a little pumping up might work, as long as you stay focused still. A little more adrenaline can help in more energy to make the attack, and maybe help when your attacks were falling short a few times, to finally make that big one...

[esskreemr]

I think you starting entering "the zone" when you stop having to worry about technique and tactics. They just "come" to you when the time is right.

I'm currently on my third or fourth reading of Steve Kaufman's "The Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings" It's an excellent read, IMO. I remember reading a different translation of "The book of Five Rings" when I was much younger. I picked up a copy that was translated for businessmen. I thought it was a good read, but Kaufman's (he's a 10th degree black belt) rings alot truer and is obviously translated by someone who has held a sword.

The book covers the mental state that you should be in when facing an opponent. Definite reading for anyone who wants to improve. Each time I read it, I find something new. I read Kaufman's translation first about 2-3 years ago. Since then my skill level has advanced. I've read it twice since then and constantly find new meanings...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...442499-8266416

[noodle]

I think you starting entering "the zone" when you stop having to worry about technique and tactics. They just "come" to you when the time is right.

I'm currently on my third or fourth reading of Steve Kaufman's "The Martial Artist's Book of Five Rings" It's an excellent read, IMO. I remember reading a different translation of "The book of Five Rings" when I was much younger. I picked up a copy that was translated for businessmen. I thought it was a good read, but Kaufman's (he's a 10th degree black belt) rings alot truer and is obviously translated by someone who has held a sword.

The book covers the mental state that you should be in when facing an opponent. Definite reading for anyone who wants to improve. Each time I read it, I find something new. I read Kaufman's translation first about 2-3 years ago. Since then my skill level has advanced. I've read it twice since then and constantly find new meanings...

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/AS...442499-8266416

i have this book, its a good book
the only thing i have to add is just a minor nitpick kind of statement because i'm bored
don't trust someone just because he or she is a 10th dan black belt (aka grandmaster). one is a 10th degree if they are the founder of or inherit a style and doing so is not that tough to do ("ok...i know this one style...lemmie just change this kick a little...bam, my own style! ta da"). i know a lot of high ranking blackbelts in random styles and they simply suck. just because someone has a lot of stripes on their belt doesn't mean they necessarily know what they're talking about. the same is often true in the fencing world. i've heard stories of 'private' coaches stringing people along for their money by telling them basically what they want to hear, if you know what i mean.