Style

[Alain]

So, what's the best hit you've ever made - any weapon - on grounds of importance, timing, or just plain artistic finesse?

[cameroncrazy323]

I was playing the high-low game against a lefty to win my match. I feinted to his hand and flicked his foot. Fencing for about a month, I was pretty excited because the guy was like...what just happened.

[Mr Epee]

Originally Posted by Alain

So, what's the best hit you've ever made - any weapon - on grounds of importance, timing, or just plain artistic finesse?

I down a touch to Kolobkov once and did a sweep 6 coupe to the top of his foot, as he came forward with his attack.

He was completely surprised, but a little amused that I had even attempted such a BS practice room touch. In the long run he ended up winning the bout, but I had my little victory.

Other than a handful of touches like that, it's really hard to remember a lot of individual touches. The bouts tend to make nice whole memories. Although the best are when you hook in against a top fencer, and they can't seem to move without getting hit. It happens sometimes, and it feels so weird, because half the time you don't even know why/how you're hitting.

[sreckiki]

After two years of fencing, I beat Eric Srecki 5-2 and touched him twice on the foot during the bout. It was during a team event and his team was leading by far so it didn't mean anything.

But it let me with a nice feeling and I've got this weird nickname from my friends, "Srecki, qui?". So you got the explanation for the "Sreckiki" stuff...

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by Alain

So, what's the best hit you've ever made - any weapon - on grounds of importance, timing, or just plain artistic finesse?

It took me awhile, but I think I have it.

I was in a very intense foil bout, 5 touches. The problem was, this kid is also my archnemesis...in epee. So it was interesting for us to search out our styles. He has a VERY poweful fleche--he's a big guy, and his body goes in motion exremely quickly, and it's very difficult to parry.

So it was 4-4, and he knew that the only way he could get a touch was to fleche, and I knew that the only way he could get a touch was a fleche. So we went simultaneous, over and over again. On maybe about the tenth time, I realized that I was getting tired. I have never been an endurance fencer. I was getting sloppy, and it was only a matter of time before I messed up. I decided that I would fake the fleche, then do a standard opposition 4.

I took a step forward on "fence", started to extend my arm. He fleched. I retreated as fast as I could (not too fast), took the parry, and riposted. One light, me. This touch was the only time I've had a real adrenaline rush in foil. (I do during many close bouts in epee...)

[Alain]

There are a few that stick in my mind...

One was last year, in a team comp when I was living in France. I was fencing really well that day; in the poule stages I remember some awkward leftie came in close and I took a big parry of seconde but couldn't figure out how to hit him... then, in a flash of inspiration, I riposted between my legs to hit him on the foot. It was glorious

Later that day, we were in the final (against Nîmes) and the first couple of fights were really tense. One of my hits ended up on the foot (again) after a whopping fifth counter-riposte. Something I'll probably never ever ever ever do again

One I remember from foil was in the county champs and some guy flêched me; I parried octave and then because he was running so quick, I riposted from behind my back and hit him on the way past. Unfortunately, I thought this was against the rules, so had to argue with the ref to get it annuled

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Yesterday in Junior. Jared Kline fleched at me, and I flicked his hand in a hit that hit the hand, the arm, elbow, shoulder, mask, back shoulder, and back arm, and finally back hand.

[Achilles]

It was a few years ago and I was still really little. I was fencing against this university student (I think) at a competition. He was up 3-0 and had his girlfriend and family behind him cheering him on. I started making several hand hits on him, as well as a toe hit. I came back and won 5-3. He was so mad that he had lost to me, it was not funny. Then he told me how he should have won because I was so much smaller, and that I should not make him look bad in front of his girlfriend. It was pretty funny.

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by sreckiki

After two years of fencing, I beat Eric Srecki 5-2 and touched him twice on the foot during the bout.

thats pretty impressive. i've also always wondered about your screen name..

i've had tons of nice touches but the last one that sticks out is at my last tournament where i fencing this tall, "leon paul carbon fiber grip using" fencer. i knew from my feints that he likes to counterattack to my upper arm so i did two feints with short lunges, then on the third feint i picked up the blade with opposition then riposted to upper arm for a perfectly executed second intention move. what was perfect was that the distance and timing was great, i was perfectly balanced and i had the leverage with his blade and there really wasn't anything he could do. it was one of those "moments".

other than that i've had some nice foot touches, nice wrist shots (some flicks), nice second intention hits, etc...

[JAnthony]

Big Ten conference championship, (mumble, mumble) years ago. In saber, was being pushed to the end of the strip by a marching attack (actually, we just ran at each other in saber, but that's another topic...). Took the last cut with a 2nd parry, then, for some bizarre reason instead of riposting with a quick cheek cut, I came all the way around with a flying diagonal chest cut. Very flashy - got spontaneous applause!

[Cavatione]

a perfect inqurtata on my opponents face...
(classical fencer, not a sport fencer... )

[telkanuru]

Was fencing a German with a typical style, and an en guard that was deep in six so all he had to use was his parry-4, which was more of a beat, and like the fist of an angry God. Was/Is approximately a US A/B. He is also does not like attacking, preferring you come to him. So, I did, and proved what I think Mr. Epee had as a signature right, ie. if you can do two disengages, you can beat 90% of all Germans. Advance, disengage and feint an attack to his four, and pull a perfect tiny disengage to hit him on the wrist when he exposed it. The touche was so light neither I, he, nor the director thought anything had happened for a heartbeat or two until I looked at the box. He then proceeded to beat the pulp out of me, of course

My favourite bouts in general are ones where I make an opponent who should pound me to bits work hard, even if I lose.