A Rated Fencers

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by Insipiens

So, for a foreigner, what do you have to do to earn an A rating (or a B for that matter) and why is it now easier?

The USFA rating chart is somewhat helpful, but not entirely so, because you have nothing to tell what KIND of tournament gets each rating.

Basically, what kind of tournament you need to get an A in depends on the division. In a medium-sized division, you usually need to win a large Open, with some of the best fencers from the division and, usually, aneighboring division or two. A small-sized division usually doesn't have above a C tournament in any weapon. In a large-sized division, or at very large opens (Opens that bring fencers from very far away), you'll have many A's, B's, and other very, very good fencers, and it will often be an A3 or A4 event. These events are often those that are most difficult to win a letter at, because there are alot of people, it is a long tournament, and there are often some of the top fencers in the country at them which you need to beat to get the letter. (Keep in mind that these are generalizations and not always true.) (Also, sabre A-rated events are much rarer than foil, which are somewhat rarer than epee.)

It's now easier because the more high-ranked fencers there are, the more high-ranked tournaments there are. Originally, there weren't enough A's around to get an A-ranked tournament at anything but Nationals. As more and more fencers earned A's, the amount of A and B-ranked tournaments increased...I think you get the idea...

[SmokeyTheCat263]

Or forget the division and just go to national tournament and do well.

[misha]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

There was a time when it was fairly common f
or a B rated fencers to be ranked in the top 32 in Men's Epee.
That is practically unheard of today.

2004 Div I National Chanpionship in Atlanta
There was 6 B's in ME and some of them made top 32



.

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheCat263

Or forget the division and just go to national tournament and do well.

Wouldn't that make it much more difficult? I figure that at most, the top 8 fencers in a tournament get A's. At a national event, you have some of the very top fencers in the country competing. In other words, the top 8 of a national competition usually consists of the top few fencers in the U.S. in that weapon, right? As opposed to a local event, where an A can be earned by beating some reasonably weak A's.

[SmokeyTheCat263]

There are div 2/3 events, as well as 1-A at summer nats. Additionally, you don't have to win to get your B. top 16 in 1-As wil get you your B.

And what kind of rating are you looking to get? An undeserving one "earned" in a crappy division where the refereeing sucked and the A fencers all were like A00 or A01. Or, a rating that noone will deny you deserve, earned at a national competition where the refereeing was good and fencing was tuff?

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by SmokeyTheCat263

There are div 2/3 events, as well as 1-A at summer nats. Additionally, you don't have to win to get your B. top 16 in 1-As wil get you your B.

And what kind of rating are you looking to get? An undeserving one "earned" in a crappy division where the refereeing sucked and the A fencers all were like A00 or A01. Or, a rating that noone will deny you deserve, earned at a national competition where the refereeing was good and fencing was tuff?

Insipiens asked how difficult it was to get an A, so I told him how difficult it was. I didn't mention Division 1 (because you can't get an A in 2/3, right?) because you can get a ranking in a national tournament, but it is not a good explanation of how hard it is to earn an A these days. Of course, I would rather get top 8 in nationals, but that's another accomplishment altogether.

[SmokeyTheCat263]

I stand corrected. I should follow these threads more closely