first tournament in saber

I am attending my first tournament as a saber fencer this weekend at the Van Buskirk in Houston, TX. I've been to quite a few tournaments as fencing foil, but this is the first time I've gone competitive with saber. Any suggestions on keeping myself from getting beaten to a pulp?

[Peach]

Decide what you're going to do BEFORE the "Fence" command. There's no time for dithering or feeling out your opponent. Have fun. Unnerve your opponents with your deep lunge and your ability to retreat fast. Don't be afraid to use point attacks.

I was at a tournament not too long ago where a foil fencer trying sabre for the first time won the whole thing. Nobody knew what to do with him.

[Bugaboo]

Foilists can use point control to deadly effect against saber fencers who don't know any better. Mix it up, perhaps at a 66-33 percent (2-to-1) ratio of point attacks vs. cutting attacks, so they don't catch on immediately.

Just one more perspective to consider.

[neevel]

A more subtle thing is that sabre tempos tend to be called much shorter than foil tempos, so an action that you might as a foilist consider a single, compound attack (like feinting with a cut to one place, then finishing with a cut to another) may well be called two separate attacks, with any hit arriving on you between them being awarded as an in-time stop hit or counterattack. KISS is the way to go until you start to grok tempo and r.o.w. in sabre. You also want to keep your footwork tempos very short as well (i.e., lots of small, fast steps rather than longer, slower ones).

-Dave

[Purple Fencer]

Keep in mind that, although the rules of right of way are the same in the book, they;re applied slightly differently in sabre. What may be incidental contact in foil is usualy called as a parry in sabre. (Happens to me all the time, particularly when I'm crossing from foil to sabre in the same tournament.) Keep this FIRMLY in mind if you're going to pull a point in line. It's as suseptible to a grazing parry riposte as a flick is seneitive to a change in distance. VERY finicky unless you go against someone who's never seen it and just keeps coming at you.

Also, something else I keep doing that you shouldn't...DON'T STOP!! The slightesyt pause in your attack motion chucks your ROW right out the window.

And don't cross your feet. No fleche, remember.

Good luck!




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Sam Signorelli -- I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!

I really appreciate your thoughts; thanks for all your suggestions. I will keep definitely keep them in mind and let you folks know how it went.

Anybody else here on this board going to the Van Buskirk this weekend?