Survey time: Are you a 1-, 2-, or 3-weapon fencer?

[Sciurus Rex]

As the header says, I wanna see how many weapons each of you focus on. And that means genuine lessons and training effort, not just play time.

But as a followup, how many weapons do you traditionally fence at competitions and informal club bouts for fun, regardless of your expectations or hopes of success?

[latenight]

two,

foil and sabre.

[D'Artagnan1673]

I do both foil and epee.

Most of my lessons come from foil. They are generally informal since we don't have a coach.

I learn epee from bouting and reading up on books.

So far, I've concentrated on fencing foil in tournaments. I intend to change that soon. Sorry it wasn't much help.

[The Crazy Wacker]

know 'basics' of foil... disengages. parrys, attacks, ect. Learning epee.

[Crash55]

I only fence epee now. I used to fence foil and did saber at one tournament. My club mates will all agree that it is best that I stay away from foil and saber.....

[Sciurus Rex]

1. Epee only.

2. Play about once a month with foil and saber. But there's no way I'll ever enter a competition with either.

[Purple Fencer]

I don't take lessons let -- even after 6 years in competition (no extra $$$)!!!

However, I like to say that I fence all three, but suck the most at epee (truth!)

Foil's my primary, then sabre, then epee...and I HAVE done all three in one day in the same tournament. I ended up 5th in the unrated epee (missed that E by a few touches) out of a field of about 18, then did my "C" foil pool (3-2) and did the first bout of my "D" sabre pool before going back to do my foil DE (got killed by a temamate who dones an inquartata quite well...dang it!) and ended up around 17th out of 24 or so. THEN I went back and did the remaining 4 sabre pool bouts in a row w/no break...undefeated in pool! Killed the guy in my first DE (he was also my last sabre pool bout...we just could'a stayed hooked up!), then lost in my round of 8 bout to a lady who's on an equal skill level with me...so it's always a tough no-blowout bout. Ended up 5th out of 18 or so and missed renewing the E by 2.

TIRING day!!!!

I've found - for me - the hardest part isn't the physicallity of fencing all those bouts...it's the mental switch between weapons that gets me.

I also did all three at nats last year -- team epee and Div III sabre one day, Div III foil the next (Hi, Peach!)

[Event Horizon]

my main weapon is the foil. Just recently I filled in a spot for a local team tournament in epee. Never took lessons in epee. I guess that would qualify under the follow-up question.

[Inquartata]

Sabre seriously, epee in jest on occasion ( or when there are no other sabre fencers about ), foil only thrice in the last 20-odd years after being begged when a 15th was needed for rating purposes...and I could've done without those three times, frankly.

[Peach]

Sabre only. I fenced foil for a year until my coach let me switch and haven't gone back since. I suck BIG time at foil and epee.

I coach foil and sabre and a little bit of epee, though.

[LeftyMutantChild]

Competitively, foil and epee.
Recently took up sabre, tho', and I hope to compete in that someday too.

[D'Artagnan1673]

I don't know, from what little dry sabre I've fenced, it doesn't appeal to me. I am very fascinated with military and that sort, but the cutting weapon just doesn't do it for me. The Epee feels so much more of a Cavalier's weapon, incidentally, that's the name of our club.

Our club has no electric sabre gear, nor anyone who fences sabre. I really don't feel like spending $500.00 to get into sabre even if there were other people at my club who fence the weapon.

[Jeeves]

Foil and Sabre.
Just can't get a handle on how to do that Epee thing, I kept getting picked in the forearm, low,just behind the wrist.
My Sabre work is much better than my Foil, however I'm currently unclassified in both.
I just need to get out to compete more...

[darius]

[quote]The Epee feels so much more of a Cavalier's weapon, incidentally, that's the name of our club.<hr></blockquote>

That's an odd statement, considering.

darius

[D'Artagnan1673]

It is understandable that if you are good at foil/sabre, that it may be iffy as to epee. The foil and sabre are governed by conventions, the epee is anything goes. Strategy plays more into effect in the former, timing and pure luck into the former.

I do very well at my level in foil. I tend to get wild in Epee once I take it seriously. I just have the tendancy to loose all form and just "go for it". I am seriously considering buying Epee Fencing by Imre Vass. Lacking a coach, and the fact that our club is primarily foil, I need some guidance.

I did fence a very fast and agressive Epee bout last night, I think we fenced about 40 points. I did a cool leaping action that looked like something off By the Sword. I think that Epee is very fun since its all a matter of here one moment, gone the next. I really like watching the top Epeeists, contrary to foil. Epee, thanks to its inherant danger of not being able to hide behind right of way, insists that the epeeist use caution in their attacks. This makes for a very balanced and exciting bout.

Buy the 1989 Epee championships tape from <a href="http://www.fencingfootage.com" target="_blank">www.fencingfootage.com</a> Its a professional job and the fencing looks like a duel. I just love the speed and precision involved in Epee.

[D'Artagnan1673]

[quote]Originally posted by darius:
<strong>

That's an odd statement, considering.

darius</strong><hr></blockquote>

How so? I don't have a dictionary handy, but I've always been under the impression that a cavalier is willing to put his life on the line for anything, kind of reckless. You have to admit that whether you extend first or not, you've got to be willing to take risks to attack in Epee. There's no convention to protect your attack from a counterattack.

[damianip]

Épée 95% of the time.

Foil when my club coaches force me to work with the beginners.

As to cavalier and épée, one would think that the weapon of choice for a cavalier would be sabre.

From Merriam:

[quote]
Pronunciation: "ka-v&-'lir
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle French, from Old Italian cavaliere, from Old Provençal cavalier, from Late Latin caballarius horseman, from Latin caballus
Date: 1589
1 : a gentleman trained in arms and horsemanship
2 : a mounted soldier : KNIGHT
3 capitalized : an adherent of Charles I of England
4 : GALLANT <hr></blockquote>

which are definitions of the noun.

Paolo

[ 04-10-2002: Message edited by: damianip ]</p>

[darius]

You might definitely want to hit the dictionary, then.

But even going by your perception of a definition - "reckless" isn't exactly what I'd call most epeeists. After all, foilists and sabreurs have the rules to protect them when they do extremely over-the-top actions.

What's cavalier about 9 minutes of bounce, bounce, bounce, wrist-pick, bounce, bounce, wrist-pick, repeat ad infineum with a fleche for variety every few hours?

darius

[D'Artagnan1673]

hehe, you've never seen my style of Epee. If you call it style. I still look at it at the closest thing to a duel that we have.

There's nothing in the dictionary that even remotely fits my description? I'm trying to think of where I got that from...... still thinking.....

Ok, I'll shut up now. <img src="graemlins/dunce.gif" border="0" alt="[Dunce]" />

[D'Artagnan1673]

So I guess an Epeeist would, in my terms, be more like a "gentleman"?