More Points=More Interesting?

[darius]

But rather than beg me to take him to the nearest salle, he explained some of the reasons he finds fencing boring to watch.

Your fiancee sounds like a wonderful individual.

Why doesn't the first person to hit get the point?

Didn't you fence epee for some time?

Why is target so limited in foil and sabre?

Why can you only hit a ball between the baselines in baseball? I hit the danged pitch, so I should get to run regardless. It's very easy: you need to hit VITAL target. Foilists will be able to complain if you hit them in the arm, and sabreurs will be able to scream if you cut them on the leg, right?

Why does fencing have to be linear?

Why does soccer?

Why can't you use your offhand to block?

You can! Just like you can shove somebody in basketball. There are just consequences if the referee sees you.

While talking about making fencing more exciting, my fiance suggested making different targets worth different point values. He said this would allow underdogs to have a chance at evening the score in a dramatic fashion. For instance, it's generally no fun to watch an epee bout if the score is 14-10, and the fencer with 14 points has been ahead the entire time. But what if one toe touch, worth 5 points, by the underdog could make for the win?

Are you saying that underdogs don't currently have the chance of evening the score? Sure, down 10-14 is a bad place to be ... but that's why you've fenced those 24 touches! What would be more exciting, a single toe touch which may or may not be lucky, or a series of phrases that close the score as the pressure of the clock ticks towards zero? (The answer, for those of you drawn to the drama: the former. Finish the danged epee bout and let's watch something exciting! )

But by altering the fundamental point system of the game, you unbalance it. By making certain places worth more points, you're encouraging specialization, which makes for less creative fencing.

darius

[MyrddinsPrecint]

bump back up

[DieterS]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

Do it in foil and sabre, leave epee alone!

Actually, the proposal was for an entirely new weapon. I think he called it "escotade." So, does anyone want to try it as an experiment and report back?

Dieter

----------------
Dieter Schlaepfer
Eigertek

[Schiavona]

Interesting thread

Originally Posted by FencingWench

Why does fencing have to be linear?

I've had ideas that with the new wireless system(s) that fencing might not have to be linear. Though it would make refereeing much harder.

Originally Posted by FencingWench

Why can't you use your offhand to block?

Have him watch some leftys fence

Originally Posted by FencingWench

My main point: While talking about making fencing more exciting, my fiance suggested making different targets worth different point values. He said this would allow underdogs to have a chance at evening the score in a dramatic fashion. For instance, it's generally no fun to watch an epee bout if the score is 14-10, and the fencer with 14 points has been ahead the entire time. But what if one toe touch, worth 5 points, by the underdog could make for the win?

Then the better fencers would train exclusively for the 'money shot' and end the bouts with three touches.

[Schiavona]

Originally Posted by DieterS

Actually, an interesting idea was proposed by a coach in Switzerland some years ago that would combine elements of foil and epee. Imagine wiring an epee with a foil point, and imagine both competitors wearing lame's. An "off-target" hit is worth 1 point and an "on-target hit is worth 2 points. No right-of way.

This arrangement could lead to some interesting strategies. For example, a simultaneous touch could result in 2 points for one competitor and 1 point for the other. From an epee perspective, this may actually discourage the counterattack to the arm and encourage parrying.

Personally, I think it would be more exciting and spectator friendly, especially when combined with brightly colored uniforms (as is done in nearly all other sports).

You could try it out using foils to see what you think! Anybody want to try this out in a club competition and post the results here?

Dieter

----------------
Dieter Schlaepfer
Eigertek

Dieter, I actually like this. It really wouldn't be that much of a change. As we all should know from Andy Shaw's article, target areas weren't always what they are today

Thread jack; Dieter, are you guys (Eigertek) comming out with repeater lights/light towers? Eager consumers want to know.......

[Alan]

[quote=FencingWench]
My main point: While talking about making fencing more exciting, my QUOTE]

1) first add pom pom girls

2) already a FIE project :
A dispatch from ASP (Swiss Press Agency) :

The FIE would prepare in secret a new arm to increase the penetration
of fencing on TV screens.

The foil semi-final at the Olympics Games in Athens was a revelation
for Mr STONEHEAD president of the FIE :
the popular and mediatic success which followed the fight between
Brice GRANDART,
future Olympic Champion and the Italian CASSARATATA was never seen
before :
brillant shots (and among them his famous and popular flicks) from the
Italian
who leaded 12 to 7 before the French develops a magnificient offensive
game
to come back and finally win by 15 to 14.


So, the Foil, this confidential sport reserved to an intellectual
aristocracy and dominated by the mysterious community of the "Maîtres
d'Armes"
could please the masses as it was and even television could be
interested
by it at another moment that the medal counting.


"This is not surprising", says Patrice LAUBERGISTE, former foil team
Olympic Champion :
"Foil is an arm which is based on attacking and defensing with
priority to attack,
full of creativity and subtle exchanges"


Reforms should be undertaken as soon as possible to take advantage of
this good
event which would permit to the officials and maybe to the foilists to
make good money.


At the same time, Mr STONEHEAD was afraid : the matches were so
intense and full of suspense
that, due to increasing obesity and inactiveness of the mean tv
watcher, could
provoke many heart diseases and suing against the FIE.


A commission of high level sport consultants was hired at once.

The conclusions of the commission came soon :


- foil matches do not last long enough and do not pause enough to
allow
advertising breaks and give time to the tv watchers to get themselves
a good beer


- seeing two lamps light at the same time and waiting for the decision
of the referee
is above the intellectual level of the median tv viewer not speaking
of the colour-blind
people



- to train enough competent referees would not be realistic if the
success of this
new arm was confirmed. Solutions must be found to simplify refereeing
even
at the cost of perverting the spirit of Foil. However the end of
subtlety in foil
will permit to athlets with more legs than head to join.


- the great physical intensity of Foil does not contribute to model
the bodies
of the fencers to current beauty standards which have a great success
as
confirmed by the avent of beach volley


- as proved by the success of beach volley, it is necessary that the
fencers show
their bodies. In a first step, plexiglass masks will show the faces.


- the next step will be a transparent suit currently developed by
Bailleur which
will allow fencers (male and female) to fight in bath suits (and
preferably
strings).
However this new transparent textile do not resist to flicks, so
flicks
will have to be made impossible by invoking other reasons.

The name of this new arm is not known yet. It coule be Flepee but more
probably Foilepee to be better accepted by the English and Chinese
speaking
people.


Study realized by Ian Bomber

----------------------------------------------------------------------
-------------------------
This is hoax. All similarity with reality is pure coincidence.
You can nevertheless transmit it as widely as possible otherwise
you will fall asleep the next time you assist to a Foil competition

[DieterS]

Originally Posted by Schiavona

Thread jack; Dieter, are you guys (Eigertek) comming out with repeater lights/light towers? Eager consumers want to know.......

Pretty soon now. We're working out some manufacturing issues (I'm fighting to keep the costs down). For your interest, the light units are 28" x 8" x 1-1/2" and each light has a 4" diameter. It kinda looks like this: [oo oo]

I'll post more information as we get closer to manufacturing.

Best regards,

Dieter

----------------
Dieter Schlaepfer
Eigertek