Favorite Weapon (try to convince other fencers your weapon is the best)

[kracker147]

I have only just started fencing this year so i do not have much experience but i would still like to put in my two cents along with see what other people have to think. I think it is interesting how all three weapons attract different types of people. So on this forum state which weapon you prefer and then say why. So far i have only fenced with foil and sabre and only against inexperienced beginners and i have decided i rather like foil. Epee is for people who can't aim and sabre is for people who cant keep control of their weapon.

[noodle]

heh, on the contrary, epee is for people who CAN aim

[Schiavona]

Originally Posted by kracker147

So far i have only fenced with foil and sabre and only against inexperienced beginners and i have decided i rather like foil. Epee is for people who can't aim and sabre is for people who cant keep control of their weapon.

So, this is supposed to convince me that prissy, over-argued, over-complicated foil is better? How?

[ViewtifulMisho]

Only good things can come of this thread.

[EpeeConvert]

This poster is obviously new at this cause he would realize that all threads generally break down into whos weapon is best, no matter the topic. We could be talking of rainbows and sunshine and perhaps the Sabrists only like rainbows and the epeeists only like sunshine. Surely we could coexist but no we must point out that rainbows and their supsequent weapon followers are stupid. and when you get down to it, foil just sucks

[AllisonT]

Foil is the thinking person's weapon of choice.

Comments like "foil is stupid" is just unhelpful... so there (thwppppppp Na-na-nana-na, foi-l is behhhh-ter and you-u can't dooo it*)

*best in the voice of Eric Cartman

[dunastor]

Originally Posted by EpeeConvert

the Sabrists only like rainbows

No we don't, all those colors hurt our eyes.

We like the dark...

[veeco]

Originally Posted by dunastor

No we don't, all those colors hurt our eyes.

We like the dark...

Which is probably why you sabre heads light up like christmas trees during international competitions...

[dunastor]

It's the contrast that does it....

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Epee is better cause it requires more point control than the other two weapons. Epee is better since it simulates the actuall duel to first blood that would have occured. Epee requires you to be aware of every part of your body. Epee teaches you to defend your entire body. Epee is the truthful weapon, electrically, cause if you have hit someone, there is no room for interpretation for bias based on gender, nationality, race or creed. If you have hit, it shows on the box, end of story. Epee is truth, plain and simple.

[JEC]

Some of you remember Schlager7's signature:

"Sabre is Theatre.
Foil is Art.
Epee is Truth."

[Inquartata]

Yeah, but the saying isn't necessarily Truth. Fruit of the poisonous tree, y'know.

Sabre doesn't need either justification or defense, and we don't need to "try to convince" anyone it's the best. That ought to be self-evident to anyone possessed of more perspicacity than, say, a carrot, or your average foil fencer.

[veeco]

But then again, I remember a certain veteran women's sabre fencer from California who's only "justification or defense" was that epee fencers smelled bad. How's that for not trying to convince anyone it's the best?

[Lone Musketeer]

Epee is THE weapon. Heck.. Foil was only created in order to practise the skills used in (what is now) Epee.
And sabre.........well I'd definately watch it if the combatants lunged on horseback.
A new Olympic event Mounted Sabre. They could add it to the Pentathalon and shrink it by 1 event.

[Tai Wilson]

Originally Posted by Lone Musketeer

And sabre.........well I'd definately watch it if the combatants lunged on horseback.
A new Olympic event Mounted Sabre. They could add it to the Pentathalon and shrink it by 1 event.

Now that's a good idea! I'd watch it. Better than regular modern fencing, that's for sure.
Also, I fence Foil, but I'm thinking of trying Epee. Sabre looks fun, but only because head shot are incouraged. Eppe. Does seem more like real, old fashioned, first-blood fencing than Foil or Saber do, but I'm really getting used to Foil. (And maybe using the right-of-way as a crutch, which might not be too great... )

[Craig]

I favor the tactical nuke from orbit.

[CvilleFencer]

I like Craig’s answer. Take off, nuke the salle from orbit. It’s the only way to be sure.

I dislike foil because of some bad experiences (mostly from my own misunderstanding of ROW) early on. I just have this conception that in foil and saber you have two opponents, and one is wearing a suit.

Epee is the closest to a true martial art, it requires a strong mental and physical game, great point control and timing and has the only non-artificial ROW. If you did not have ROW you get stabbed. If your timing or planning was off you still get stabbed. Nice and simple and tends to give instant feedback into what works and what doesn't. I also feel it is the most rewarding for me as a fencer. I do not have a justification for this as it is my perception but it is the right weapons for me. Saber is right for some and foil is right for others. Also epee fencers are less prone to tantrums and tend to be a more mature and enjoyable crowd. And we don't have to dress like a backed potato’s or have our heads light up.

[Epee_Pox]

Epee requires the most blade control, athletic ability and sustained concentration of the three. It is the only true ROW weapon, as pointed out above -- if you don't take ROW for real, you get poked.

Sabre is by far the most satisfying when done at the beginner level, because everyone's slashing and crashing swords together like real swashbucklers. But once you get skills, it is over too fast for my taste -- Rush in, swipe, and argue about who should have gotten the touch. Get rid of simultaneous lights and off-target lights, and it'd be better.

Foil makes no sense to me as a weapon of choice. It has all the drawbacks of the other two weapons (the thrust-only of epee, and the artificial ROW and occasional arbitrariness of sabre) with none of the benefits.

[Radiophonicus]

Originally Posted by Craig

I favor the tactical nuke from orbit.

It's the only way to be sure.

[Rolls]

The benefits of foil are easy... If you can fence foil well, you can fence all of the weapons.

Or at least, foil has the most ability to be translated.

Rolls.