why even bother?

[dbell1]

I'm a new member of the site and boards, but I've been fencing for a few years now. all of my experiences in the fencing community have been club, or local / regional events. I have never ever heard anything nice said about the FIE, and I'm just wondering maybe some of you more experienced fencers could clue me in to why we listen to the in the first place.
let me know what you think-

[mrbiggs]

I'm a new member of the site and boards, but I've been fencing for a few years now. all of my experiences in the fencing community have been club, or local / regional events. I have never ever heard anything nice said about the FIE, and I'm just wondering maybe some of you more experienced fencers could clue me in to why we listen to the in the first place.
let me know what you think-

Because we need an international fencing organization to coordinate fencing between countries, and the FIE is what we have right now.

If the new timings stay, there may be some very heated discussions about people leaving or whatnot, but odds are that they'll change anyway.

Plus, many people like or don't mind what Roch is doing, they're just less vehement in the opinions.

[CvilleFencer]

It is kind of like government. The FIE is the federal government of fencing. Your local government does not have a huge amount of impact on what the federal government is doing. Local governments are dependent on the federal government for road/social/defense funding and programs. If they succeed or don't to the line the Federal government sends in the troops.

If national organizations leave the FIE they are not likely to be invaded and forcibly put down but they would not have access to the OOC, its funding or any international fencing. They would become an isolated little island of fencing without any additional resources. Even larger federations like the USFA could not survive as we now know it without the FIE and OOC moneys coming in to help pay for programs and FIE fencing for our athletes to strive for and its member countries fencers to bout against. No real chance of a revolutionary fencing movement taking shape or having any real success. Not saying I would not join and fight the good fight mind you (As a Democrat I love lost causes like liberty, equality and freedom), just saying that other than as a political statement that would reflect badly on fencing in general in the OOC's mind it would not accomplish nothing of value.

[hpfencing]

No FIE = no fencing


It's simple if thereis not a governing body then every country would create it's own rules and ideas of the sport and there would be no way to compete againist each other inthe grand scheme of things.

[rcmatthews]

Thats funny, I thought democrat meant the opposite.