Footwork "dance plans"

[gamerdork]

I'm not trying to be "emotional", but I have to agree with those who find all these questions a little tiring, granted if someone does not like them, they do not have to read them. I believe that asking is better then not knowing.

Still, I wonder if you actually try to find the answers to these questions you have from a coach, or searching through the archived discussions. Many of these questions, although can be answered by someone, are best learned through trial & error.

I find it helpful to look for an answer myself before I ask, because then I can minimize the questions to a few refined questions. I can usually find the answer myself, and then some. Also by searching through old discussions I tend to find interesting things I would not have found otherwise. All I am trying to say is do a little research and then ask.

[gamerdork]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

P.S. You all seem rather emotional today!

I'm not trying to be "emotional", but I have to agree with those who find all these questions a little tiring, granted if someone does not like them, they do not have to read them. I believe that asking is better then not knowing.

Still, I wonder if you actually try to find the answers to these questions you have from a coach, or searching through the archived discussions. Many of these questions, although can be answered by someone, are best learned through trial & error.

I find it helpful to look for an answer myself before I ask, because then I can minimize the questions to a few refined questions. I can usually find the answer myself, and then some. Also by searching through old discussions I tend to find interesting things I would not have found otherwise. All I am trying to say is do a little research and then ask.

[gamerdork]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

P.S. You all seem rather emotional today!

I'm not trying to be "emotional", but I have to agree with some of those who find all these questions a little tiring, granted if someone does not like them, they do not have to read them. I believe that asking is better then not knowing.

Still, I wonder if you actually try to find the answers to these questions you have from a coach, or searching through the archived discussions. Many of these questions, although can be answered by someone, are best learned through trial & error.

I find it helpful to look for an answer myself before I ask, because then I can minimize the questions to a few refined questions. I can usually find the answer myself, and then some. Also by searching through old discussions I tend to find interesting things I would not have found otherwise. All I am not trying to say don't ask, but do a little research first and then ask.

[wflaschka]

I was ambivalent about the series of questions at first. Then I decided I liked them. With his questions, drippingwet goes into areas that we don't often visit on the bboard... which is frequently the stuff the interests me about fencing.

If drippingwet is able to prosper with the answers he gets on this board, more power to him. At first, I thought he was writing a book.

[wflaschka]

About the dance steps -- I meant that there are rehearsed combinations of footwork that you can "drop in" to the game at different times. They're nice, because if you train them up, you have solid little blocks of 2nd-intention tactics that you can use as mindlessly as improvised first-intention tactics.

The one I remember best from my coach (perhaps the only unique one I remember), is one I call the "Russian invitation dance attack". It begins with the blade low, sweeping into a high 3, coupled with a gigantic glide with airtime. The fencer lands on the back foot with the hand hovering, and sees what the opponent does. From there it's a short decision tree -- the fencer can finish if there's no reaction, or parry the opponent's predictable stop-hit and finish to the front or back. It's a form of invitation attack... that is, an invitation with second intention.

This dance step is described in Oxford Notation at http://www.oxfordfencing.com/otn/action.htm about halfway down the page. You have to see this action to believe it.

The concept of rehearsed combos is not too weird. At David Littell's site, look for his article "Lessons with Victor." He gets into some concepts that Victor (Smirnov's coach) showed him for easily creating attacks. http://users.erols.com/dlittell/VICTOR2.htm

[Grasshopper]

I agree. And I can see by some of his comments that he is actually learning by his Forest Gump-like curiosity.

The fact that he can get detailed answers to just about any question is a testament to the level of expertise on this board. There is a fountain of knowledge here just waiting to be tapped.

[Schiavona]

I'm with Walter and Grasshopper, in fact I'm slightly put off by the objections to DW's questions. If you don't like them, don't read or respond to them. I've seen far too many fencers who NEVER ask questions about fencing to try to shut down someone who does. I'm getting much more enjoyment from his threads than reading about overpriced blue jackets.

[Epictetus]

Oh why not, I'll jump in too.

I just start fencing fairly recently, so reading these threads has given me some insight into topics in fencing that I would not otherwise have heard about for awhile.

[sabreur]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

By the way. When I try to do a glide, it ends up a bit like a jump.

To do a slide step (I believe that is what you mean by a glide):

1. You have to already be moving forward--you can't do it from a standing start.

2. As you end your advance, lift your heels a bit. Don't raise your center of gravity. You should sort of skim forward a couple of inches. The feeling is sort of like sliding on a snowy or icy patch.

MR

[drippingwet]

If you play Romankov's clown march in slow mo, It looks like he might be doing it there. Not sure though. If it is, the front foot leaves the ground, comes off the ground, and the back foot follows. Thanks.

[sabreur]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

If you play Romankov's clown march in slow mo, It looks like he might be doing it there. Not sure though. If it is, the front foot leaves the ground, comes off the ground, and the back foot follows. Thanks.

The Russian sabreurs use it all the time.

MR

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

If you play Romankov's clown march in slow mo, It looks like he might be doing it there. Not sure though. If it is, the front foot leaves the ground, comes off the ground, and the back foot follows. Thanks.

Drippingwet, I think you owe it to the forum members to go practice and come back to us with some new moves for us to use in practice - with cool names like "Drippingwet's Colonist-Buster Fleche" or "The Motherland of All Parries".

[drippingwet]

How do they work???

[rory]

I'm going for the Leicester Open (England) next Saturday. Got my eye on best under 20!

No offence, but if you've only been fencing 2 years and you reckon you're going to get best junior at Leicester you're either fantastically talented or you're going to get a big shock... at last year's Leicester the top Junior finished 3rd (having knocked me out in the 16... swine!): he's ranked in the UK top 20.

And if you're a girl (sorry, haven't worked it out yet), then 2 of the L8 last year were U20. Don't set your expectations too high!

[Epeecurean]

Good luck in Leicester, drippingwet. I too think it rather unrealistic for you to be best u-20, judging from how long (I think) you've been fencing.

However, don't get discouraged and don't shy away from asking questions when you NEED more mental material to boost your game or you are at an impasse in your training. Your thirst for knowledge will serve you well over the long-term.

It's good to analyse and think... but you must practise what you've learned until it is second-nature. Try to do a full practise at least 3-4 times a week if not more and supplement individual exercises for days when you are not fencing.

Cheers,
Epeecurean
(who will also be at Leicester)

[drippingwet]

Actually Grasshopper, there is one rather unconventional action that's been quite successful, even against my coach!!!

Advance/continuing fleche while making multiple, lightning fast, wide diameter circular parries (more like a propeller spinning around in front of me). If he attacks my prep, his blade is picked up, swept into parry 9, and from 9 I flick to back while fleching past. If they do nothing, then the distance is close enough for a flick to back.

Name that one.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

Name that one.

I dub this "Officially not gonna work against someone who can disengage + take your fleche/back flick combo and scrap it, cuz it doesn't work anymore anyways"


and just for fun, stick an "of doom" at the end.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by drippingwet

Actually Grasshopper, there is one rather unconventional action that's been quite successful, even against my coach!!!

Advance/continuing fleche while making multiple, lightning fast, wide diameter circular parries (more like a propeller spinning around in front of me). If he attacks my prep, his blade is picked up, swept into parry 9, and from 9 I flick to back while fleching past. If they do nothing, then the distance is close enough for a flick to back.

Name that one.

Ahh, yes, the old propeller fleche. Since you are British, let's call yours the "Lancaster Bomber Fleche". Despite the harsh critique above, this technique has actually been used successfully by Koch of GER several years back. There is something terrifying about seeing a spinning blade coming at you.

[TooLoftheDeviL]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Ahh, yes, the old propeller fleche. Since you are British, let's call yours the "Lancaster Bomber Fleche". Despite the harsh critique above, this technique has actually been used successfully by Koch of GER several years back. There is something terrifying about seeing a spinning blade coming at you.

Maybe if you actually scream "Lancaster Bomber Fleche" while doing so, you'll scare them even more :P

[drippingwet]

'Eurofighter fleche' Since according to you I'm a European? (it's a new aircraft)