Losing A Tournament

[audiomyst]

Well, I just got back from a tournament, which I lost horribly . I got eliminated after the first round, and in my pool (is that what its called? this is also my first tournament, so I was a bit lost) I lost all of the bouts. There were 6 people including me, so thats...5 bouts I lost. I wasn't expecting to win the whole tournament or anything, considering it was my first time against some people who have fenced twice as long as me, but one win would've been nice .

So, do you have any losing stories, or not so much losing but just any tournament/competition or whatever that really stands out in your mind? Also, whats your stand on when a person should start competing? One of the people at the tournament was surprised that I was in one after only 6 months of fencing, but I've heard of other people going to tournaments who have been fencing less than that. Personally, I don't think it was bad for me to go to this, because I think I gained some good experience. But I know some people who would disagree. I guess it could also depend on the person.

[MikeHarm]

My vote for when you should start competing is 3 years.

[Lefty1]

You only get better by experience! So what if you don't win your first tournament? You will probably be going to many more in the future So don't sweat it, work hard and it will eventually pay off!!

[ThatReallyHurt]

Hey, I got my fencing book back after my first tournament, I looked at my ranking and it said "14/13". Apparently, the person who wrote it in originally wrote 14/14, then wrote in a really heavy "3" over the bottom "4", but then forgot to do the top.

I had no problems at all with coming in last place, but I must admit it took the wind out of my sails a bit to see 14/13...

Don't get discouraged - you still had a good time at the tourney, right? I also bet you learned an AWFUL lot during your bouts!

[audiomyst]

Hey, I got my fencing book back after my first tournament, I looked at my ranking and it said "14/13". Apparently, the person who wrote it in originally wrote 14/14, then wrote in a really heavy "3" over the bottom "4", but then forgot to do the top.

I had no problems at all with coming in last place, but I must admit it took the wind out of my sails a bit to see 14/13...

Don't get discouraged - you still had a good time at the tourney, right? I also bet you learned an AWFUL lot during your bouts!

I think I learned alot, so I'm grateful for that . It was fun, also, so even though I lost I don't regret going. Still, losing is never really fun. Theres always next time though, I suppose!

[Zilverzmurfen]

Hey, I got my fencing book back after my first tournament

Fencing book? *bewildered*

[cameroncrazy323]

I have been fencing for a month and entered my first competition. I had a blast and came in 11th out of 16 at a C rated tournament that was 1 short of a B tournament. Its ok to lose...I learn more when I lose. I went against this A fencer and this guy from the Chilean Junior National Team, and I learned so much from those bouts that when I went back to my club my coaches had noticed a significant improvement. You cant let losing get to you in a sport that is so incredibly fun and exciting.

[anisa]

My vote for when you should start competing is 3 years.

3 yrs is a loooooong time (assuming you are serious) - I can't see the harm in starting much earlier with competitions on a suitable level

[JackSparrow]

Well, unless you try to do something beyond what you have already mastered, you will never grow. Entering your first competition for the first time is a massive learning experience and there are bound to be occassions where you get demolished by the more experienced fencers. Whats even worse is that if you get good enough to represent your country it happens all over again at your first international level competition. In a sense, it's not how you do that matters but how you react to it. You need to learn from the experience and try again. Don't be demoralised but enjoy taking your revenge next time you come up against those people in your pool.

[Alain]

Hey,

Well done on your first competition ! Okay, so you didn't do too well, but like you said you haven't been fencing long. I'm not sure about how long you should leave it 'til your first comp - everyone will have their own opinion - but now that you've done one, it doesn't matter!!!

I can't actually remember - will have to ask my daddy - but I think it was roughly 2 years before I started competing.

Anyway, I think the main thing is that you're staying realistic. For every fight, you must fight for every hit, no matter who you're against. Even at the club, when you know you're a bit out of your league, just set yourself a target - like scoring 7 hits - and then go for it. Having not fenced for long, it may be a little discouraging to begin with, but keep trying and with time you'll improve

Best of luck!

[millsisland]

We were returning home from my then nine-year-old daughter's first tournament, where she had been soundly defeated by all of her opponents. After riding in silence for ten minutes or so, I hear from the back seat, "Oh. I get it. It's not the end of the world, just the end of the tournament."

[ThatReallyHurt]

Fencing book? *bewildered*

Uh, sorry - Fencing "Passport". Little red book.

[Peach]

Congratulations on surviving your first tournament. I had been fencing a little under a year when I went to my first. I had new fencing pants that were waaaay too big, it was a novice tournament, and I was terrified while driving to the venue because I was convinced I didn't belong there and someone would look up when I came in the door and ask me what I thought I was doing. Other competitors included a ten-year-old who kept backing off the end of the strip for every touch, a guy who was atrociously buff and looked as if he could eat nails for breakfast, and a woman who just charged at me down the strip hitting me over and over until I remembered I had seen someone put line somewhere, and did it. She ran onto the line and my referee collapsed laughing. I remember I beat the buff guy and the ten-year-old, too, but more importantly I figured out I belonged there just as much as any of the other lunatics did.

That wasn't my worst tournament. Even coming in last at Nationals wasn't my worst. The worst was a veterans tournament where I came in third, losing to an opponent who hit me over and over in the same place and I let her.

[veeco]

I'm sure you scored a few hits. Can't be that bad! My first tournament, I lost all my bouts too. I am sure that's what happened to most people here. But from here on now you can only improve.

[glowstix]

my first tournament i won my first DE but that was a year or so after i started fencing.

if 3 years is a good time to start competing then i'd still be a U and still a year away..

[MyrddinsPrecint]

i started fencing in a september, and my first tournament was in that november.... a tournament which apparently doesn't exist anymore (or i think, anyway...) ... no one had told me i needed knee socks.... luckily there were extras. i suffered from bad directing and didn't win my first DE, and should have. i came in last, obviously.

really, my feeling is that all anyone shoudl be expected to do in their first tournament is come to terms with the fact that they're wearing more layers (if it's sabre, especially), there are blinking lights all over, annoying noises, and lots of people. ideally, they should have a better job of how it all works, so that the next time they do it, they can worry about trying to actually do well, rather than trying to worry about doing well and worrying about getting used to everything.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Uh, sorry - Fencing "Passport". Little red book.

Now I'm even more confused...do you need a "passport" to fence..?

[kalivor]

Now I'm even more confused...do you need a "passport" to fence..?

In Canada, our "membership cards" come in the form of little red books called "passports." While they're really only necessary for the page that lets the tournament organisers know that your membership is up to date, they are generally held on to during the tournament, and returned at the end with your result from the tournament included in the appropriate section.

There are also sections for refereeing and coaching credentials.

[Dave]

I came last in the first couple of tornaments that I did. You just have to keep training and compteing and slowly you will improve, start winning poule fights, then DEs. Just set achievable goals and try and watch what better fencers do. I did a comp this weekend and decided that (based on the amount of fencing that I am doing at the moment / lack of experience on the new timings) I would be happy if I came in the top half. I did so I walked away happy, knowing that the fencer who knocked me out was much better than me but I made him fence.


Goals

Get a hit
Don't come last
win a poule fight
hit everyone (IE don't lose all of your poule fights 5:0)
win 2 poule fights
win a DE
win 2 DEs
.....
Get a medal
Win
Take over universe

[dunastor]

In Canada, our "membership cards" come in the form of little red books called "passports." While they're really only necessary for the page that lets the tournament organisers know that your membership is up to date, they are generally held on to during the tournament, and returned at the end with your result from the tournament included in the appropriate section.

There are also sections for refereeing and coaching credentials.

They have a similar booklet in Germany...