Ever fence somebody and been COMPLETELY owned?

[Welted 24/7]

Yeah, you all know what I'm talking about...you get on the strip, you start the bout, and all of a sudden you're just completely overmatched and overwhelmed and don't have any clue of what to do. I was fencing Lowden Charles at last year's senior sectionals in Rochester and that's pretty much what happened to me. I couldn't even begin to think of what to do against him. I think the bout was over in 30 seconds. Eugh.

[Tiwaz]

I was completely overmatched by Lorenzo Taddei in the first half of a 2nd round de he kept on doing beat flick attacks to my back, during the break i changed my tactics i started to do parries of high sixte and rapid changes of distance indispersed by beats into seconde fleche to shoulder i managed to score a fair few hits but still lost the bout unfortunately.

[mackillian]

I used to get beat quite easily by my vet coach. In one of our first bouts (once I got into advanced training) she did a prise de fer that allowed me a split-second to realize that my blade was taken and I was going to be hit.

And what'd I say after it?

"That was AWESOME! How'd you do that?"

That's how I learned what a prise de fer was and how to do one. I don't mind getting owned if I can learn something of the experience. There's a huge difference between getting owned by someone who will give you pointers (not in a competition, but in club) and someone who just rubs it in your face. I mean, come on. Everyone knows when they've gotten the beat down. You don't have to be smug about it.

I think getting owned can lead to better behavior when you own someone else. Now that I'm mid-range in our advanced competitiors, I can own others in bouts and have in competition. It's weird, being on the other side, and seeing the look of "Good lord, what am I DOING on this strip?!" on the face of your opponent. But even though this happened in competition, the two fencers were in my club, and I talked to them afterward. They were able to take in some of it, from my bouts and other bouts they had, and eventually hold their own in a few of their own bouts.

All around, it seems it's better to be cool about owning someone than smug. I'd rather have a good match than a blowout, and helping someone learn after a blowout leads to good matches. Being smug leads to bitteness. Whoever got the beat down knows they lost. It doesn't have to be pointed out by an attitude.

Not that I've been on the receiving end of any attitude.

[Pancakes]

Twice. Once, at my very first tournament, fencing epee, I'd been fencing for a week, and lost 5 - 0. And more recently at Fred Wach Sabre open, I got beat 14 - 4 by one of the best sabrists in Canada.

Aside from that, I can usually at least get a few points on people, and almost never get caught up in that 'WHATDOIDOWHATDOIDO' frame of mind.

[JackSparrow]

I was completely overmatched by Lorenzo Taddei

There's no shame in that. I've still got a copy of 'The Sword', magazine sometime from around 1994, where he's on the cover fighting back to back with Zennaro in the all Italian final of the Junior World championships. His tricks inspired me when I was growing up so I was delighted when he started fencing at Sussex House. It gave me the chance to watch his awesome fencing style first hand.

On this subject, I just want to say that we all get thrashed at one point or another in our fencing career. Anyone who says otherwise is a liar. Those who saw the supremely talented former European Junior Champion Richard Kruse, go 7-1 down to Cassara in the Olympics will agree. It's about not getting demoralised and picking yourself back up that's important. Put another way, its not what happens in that match, but how you react to it that matters in the long run.

[ThatReallyHurt]

I get thumped pretty regularly. Admittedly, I don't enjoy it as much as when I win a bout, but I treat the whole thing as a learning experience. Lots of "how did you do that???"...

I learn a lot by losing. If I just keep losing, I'll be the best fencer that ever was.

[cowpaste]

0-15 in two consecutive tournaments. Great blow to my self esteem.

[downunder]

Reuben Limardo.

Lost 3-5 in my poule at Ponte de Sor. Completely outfenced, got 3 lucky doubles, couldn't do anything to stop him....

[Kismet]

Since I don't compete yet (still working on getting all my eqiuipment), I don't have any experience in getting owned in a tournament...but...I have PLENTY in my club. After I had been fencing for 6 months and then switched to epee, of coruse I was new to the weapon. I somehow managed to fence against a guy who had been fencing for 10 years or so. He just got point after point after point after point...we fenced to 10. The total? 10-0. It was awesome. Things along the same lines have happened continually since I started fencing. I can beat a FEW people, but the vast majority...have been fencing a heck of a lot longer and have been training a heck of a lot harder...so I am usually outmatched. That's ok. I learn a lot.

[sabreur]

Over the past several years, I've had the chance to fence a couple of guys who were in the 30-40 range in the world rankings. Very nice guys, and very nice fencers. I could score about five points in a DE, but it was just because they were sandbagging--they have an incredible level of technical finesse, along with amazing footwork, distance and tempo. I wasn't going to beat them with my over-40 legs, and I wasn't going to beat them with technique... So I fenced nice and enjoyed myself as much as I could, while being completely overwhelmed.

MR

[Inquartata]

Sure. Adam Crompton, Pat Ghattas, Mike D'Asaro Jr., Max Williams, Curt Andrus....the list goes on....

[glowstix]

i don't think i've been overwhelmed (not even at NAC) but i remember fencing at a recent tournament. i was fencing the maitre d'armes of the hosting club. i was up big but then after the break he "tightened up" and i didn't score again. whenever i attacked it was met with parry-riposte. when i changed up and played more defensively, i was nailed with straight attacks. i was hoping to hold him off but of course, the clock stops moving (or so it seemed)!! after being up by 8 i lost never to score again that bout. then again, what would i expect against someone with that experience.

[Purple Fencer]

Many many MANY times....in all three weapons!

My fave would be the last time I went to Duel in the Desert...drew defending champ and former German natl team member Ingo Grausam in the 1st DE.

Ended up being 15-4...and one of my shots was actually because he beat my blade down as I kicked out for a lunge and it hit my foot (I realized this later) for a double...he had like 12 on me at that point, so it didn't really matter.

Why is this my favorite stomping? because of 2 touches he got...one was on the side of the heel...of my BACK foot, and the other was a chest shot I barely felt...feather light, and an honor to be on the receiving end of.

There's a certain freedom when you KNOW you're goina get your butt handed to you on a platter...you just do your best and appreciate the skill that's killing you!

[glowstix]

There's a certain freedom when you KNOW you're goina get your butt handed to you on a platter...you just do your best and appreciate the skill that's killing you!

thats true but sometimes in these bouts you fence well and the score it tied late or you seemingly have a chance to actually win then they snatch it from you. that type of teasing i really hate...even though its not on purpose.

[UTEpee]

Me?? Owned on strip??? Never........



OK so sarcasm aside, I regularly get owned on strip at competitions, but hey Ive been fencing 6 months and I learn from every bout, win or lose. Perhaps any other texas epee fencers can shed some light on the fact that just about every open epee tournament i go to, there seems to be more rated fencers than unrated fencers. Im not talking like mostly Es and Ds, Im talking like mostly As and Bs..... Oh well, its great experience.....

[RebelFencer]

heh, I got owned pretty good by wflaschka at The Gathering..I managed to score a bit, but I was just completely outmatched. He even managed to draw first blood

[cornflower]

I've got owned MANY times. It's not so bad, although it can be embarrassing sometimes, but really, it teaches a lot of lessons.

[mrbiggs]

I've only been really owned once. It was against a fencer who was not much better than me, but who had VERY good parries. It was a DE. At about 10-0, I began to set my sights on just not getting bageled. At 13-0, I finally scored a point. He beat me 15-1....but I DID score a point!

But, luckily, it was only a little bit later that I fenced him in a pool bout, and got 2 touches. So at least I wasn't owned the second time.

[telkanuru]

15-3 vs. one Kai Keller at a collegate comp. trying to get into the 4. I had one very, very pretty touch though.

[Teme]

Experienced it twice.

Both in the same pool in European Championships in 1997. First was against (IIRC) Sobala from Poland. I got into 2-0 lead and started to think that things were going rather nice. I guess he started his engine or something, I still don't know what happened, but he won 2-5. I was so lost the coach of the Greek team came to pat my back, of which I'm eternally thankful
In the last bout of the pool I was against Lehmann of Germany. It started like the first bout, I got two easy ones, braced myself to fight for the three remaining hits, and got run over by such a change in the tempo my head was spinning till the sunset...