end-game focus

[Torg]

thrice i have now lost bouts after being very close.

-at the high school state championships a year ago, it was 13-13, i was seeded higher than my opponent, and i lost.

-at the turkey meet (heartland circuit event) 2 months ago, it was 13-13, i was up against a C04 (at that tournament he got a B) and i lost.

-at a local A1 tournament (snowflake open) this morning, it was 12-12 at the end of 9 minutes, i had priority, 25 seconds later i lost to an A04.

it's very aggravating to do well against rated fencers when i'm unrated, but i'd sure like a letter soon. how do you keep your wits about you when you're in a tight situation?

[oiuyt]

Originally Posted by Torg

how do you keep your wits about you when you're in a tight situation?

By having been there before. Preferably many times. Likely your opponents in all of those bouts had been in similar situations more often than you have and were therefore likely more comfortable with it.

-B :)

[O_O #2]

hmmm... lets see...

how about you stop being a baby and train more? Rankings determine seating in tournaments, yes, but in the end a letter doesnt mean crap when you are bouting someone. If you think "gee, that guy is a C, he is probably better than me" then you have already lost. What really matters is that you train often, and when you fence you fence to win. If you lose, it just means you have to train harder.

[SwordSoul]

During free-fencing, often try to simulate the 13-13 situation. or 14-14 situation. Even though it's a "fake" thing, you can actually get used to it just like getting used to techniques, etc... Practice that "one touch at a time" mentality often. Oiuyt is right-- the more you're in the situation, the more you'll know how to handle it. It's something you have to tweak/play with. Of course, if you are focused on who you are fencing or one what "shoulda" happened, you reduce your chances with someone rated lower than you too

there are a gajillion books on sport psychology, but one of the best i've ever found is "In Pursuit of Excellence" by Terry Orlick. Great section on simulating game situations. You may even be able to find excerpts on the internet, if not the whole eBook (I was able to do this through my college)

peace
matt

[The Armourer]

Try the pentathlon training - you know they fence one hit in one minute at epee - no score is a double defeat. They train with this in mind. Its a good idea as described above to practice in training the one hit to win scenario as it gets you mentally prepared for the real thing.

[Alain]

Originally Posted by Torg

how do you keep your wits about you when you're in a tight situation?

Oh dear, sorry to hear that... Whatever level you're at, the main piece of advice is to take it one hit at a time. It doesn't matter if it's the first hit, or the last hit, take your time and don't rush. Wait for the right moment - pressure if necessary, but don't over-expose yourself - and then go for thie hit.

Especially if there's only 1 hit in it. You need to tell yourself that it's the first AND last hit, and as such you're not going to give it away. Fight for it. Use your head (not literally, though...).

Above all, learn from your mistakes; the best person to ask about what went wrong/right is yourself.

Best of luck for next time

[Hurriranger]

i find that the pressure brings out the best in me. However this only applies in Team matchs, I'm always number 3 or 5 and i manage to get away with most of the tight end games. Individually however, i stink at end game! i guess letting yourself down isn't as bad as letting yourself and your team mates down.

[akaiyuki]

Originally Posted by Hurriranger

i find that the pressure brings out the best in me. However this only applies in Team matchs, I'm always number 3 or 5 and i manage to get away with most of the tight end games. Individually however, i stink at end game! i guess letting yourself down isn't as bad as letting yourself and your team mates down.

word. I'm the same, but it could be that I'm just luckier with team matches :P

[Kenshi fencer]

You need to lose until losing has no emotional content. Only then can you begin to win. As Kogler says, effortless, with detachment, one touch at a time.

[veeco]

Originally Posted by Torg

how do you keep your wits about you when you're in a tight situation?

Focus on the fencing, not on the outcome. You need to forget about what the score is and what's on the table.

I have certain things I do to deal with when the pressure gets too much

if you are in between bouts:

- Listen to quiet music
- Close your eyes and imagine you're not at a fencing competition, but on a beach, or in the moutain, or somewhere else you feel comfortable.

Of course, if you are right in the middle of a final for a big tournament, with your coach screaming behind you, your teammates cheering, your opponent trying to intimidate you, this can be hard to do. In this case, I try to:

- Take some time off by asking the director the time left, to repeat the score, to tie my shoe lace, to fix my blade...
- Think about something funny, a joke someone told me. Right before the bout, if I know the director well enough, I will sometime chat a little with them as they are checking my tip about something completely different from fencing to relax and not think about it.
- And then, finally, when I am in that tight spot and it's 14-14, I just concentrate on my technique. I relax my shoulders as much as possible, take deeper breaths in between touches to calm down, and just think about the actions I have to do. What was the last touch? Did I miss because my counter 4 was not executed correctly, or was it because I made a poor tactical choice?

Of course, the more you compete and the more you fence, the better used to this you will be and you will actually be able to find your right spot in terms of pressure and level of excitement.

You will probably find that as you go through the different levels of competitions, the pressure is different. At a local tournament, the pressure is much different than say at a world cup. Probably the pressure at your first local tournament will be difficult to handle, and once you get used to it and get results locally, moving on to bigger and more difficult tournaments will bring back that pressure and you will have to "relearn" how to deal with it.

But keep in mind above all that pressure is your friend. It's what makes you perform better and exceed your expectations. So you need to keep a little bit of it.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Breathe. Make a plan to get the touch. Do it.

[ThatReallyHurt]

I'm not fencing anywhere near the level you are, but I find that as soon as I start thinking, "okay, one more touch and I've got it" - that's when I fall apart. I try to not think about the lights, the score, or anything besides the actual fencing, but it is difficult.

My peers and coach can tell when I start thinking about score - my fencing visibly worsens.

[Alain]

All the above posts have been very good, and although it's never going to be exactly the same as in competition, you can always try to train towards the tough matches.

Some things you can do at the club:
- Badminton/squash rules. Where you have to have 'service' to score a point. For example, starting at 0-0, no service. Fencer A hits first and is awarded service. If fencer A scores another hit, he is awarded 1 point (and keeps service); if fencer B scores then he scores no point but gains service; if there is a double hit (épée), then the person with service gets a point (but service is annulled). Play to 10ish hits.
This game type really makes you take it one hit at a time, forgetting about the last one and planning the next.
- Pentathlon rules. Fence 15 hits with your partner. Not 1 match to 15 hits, but 15 matches of 1 hit. Take your time over each hit, and take it one hit at a time.
- Poker rules. This is a little more complicated... Fence to 20 or 50 or 100 points (or whatever). Agree a maximum and minimum bid. Before play Fencer A makes his bid - 5 hits, for example. If A hits B, A wins 5 points; if B hits A then A loses 5 points; if there's a double (in épée), replay the point. Then Fencer B makes a bid. Continue 'til the agreed limit.
- Disabled rules. Sit on the floor or on a bench, with your legs out straight and feet against your opponent's. Any hits below the waist don't count. Fence. This isn't overly strategic but is good for infighting and also a bit of a laugh.

Can't think of any more. Does anyone else have any training games or anything similar?

Anyway, edging out close fights is always tricky, and is as much a question of experience and psychology as the fencing itself. Just keep your chin up and never give in!


Cheerio