Back Hand in Sabre

[Sabresque]

There was a card question posted earlier on the board that made me curious about something. When I was in a tournament in the past (fencing sabre), my dear opponent smacked me on the hand. I swear my hand wasn't covering target, but even so, the person ended up welting it. It would have been my touch (I did hit him and my light did go off), but after the touch, I hopped around for a moment attempting to bear the pain. Anyways, because my opponent hit my hand, the director awarded the touch to my opponent. His excuse being "If he hit your hand it must have been covering target". Is this a legitimate excuse? I mean, we aren't all perfect... I'm sure my swings go a little wide sometimes, and I'm pretty sure my opponent's do too. Could someone help me out?

[Inquartata]

No. I have never seen this sort of thing called. The hand has to go somewhere, after all, and that "It must have been covering target" is no more likely than "The cut was low and coincidentally hit your hand". What if you had it on your thigh and it was hit? Is the thigh now target?


It was a bad call by the referee, unless you're carrying the hand on your hip, grasping the back of your lame, or otherwise clearly covering valid target.

Alas, as we all know the referee is never wrong.

[Peach]

I have never been carded for covering in sabre, despite having been hit so hard on the back hand I bled all over the strip, and in two different tournaments at that. In one of the tournaments, the action had to be halted so my hand could be bandaged because it was disgusting the spectators <grin>.

My back hand isn't in front of me; it's just sort of hanging around at my side toward the back where it's supposed to be, and sometimes it gets hit. Frankly, if you get in the back hand it should be treated the same as if you got hit in the leg or the butt (which also happens from time to time) -- too bad for your opponent because your opponent doesn't get the touch, it's off target. Too bad for you, too, because you get a bruise or a welt where you shouldn't, but what the heck.

[Christopher J Umbs]

Somewhat OT story

I was once watching a Drew University meet when one of the sabre fencers (I'll leave out his name to protect the stupid) brought his left hand forward and then proceeded to cut it very badly with his own parry 4. The meet was delayed at least 15 min. till they could clean up all the blood.

Chris

[edew]

Maybe he was trying to do an epee move.