Gettin' Smashed!

[Mr Epee]

No matter how hard your train, or how talented you are - every fencer has had bad experiences. It is just part of the game. When it happens to you, it’s tempting to beat yourself up, or think about quitting, but a smart fencer will shrug it off and "just keep on keeping on" – as the song says.

Here’s your chance to share some of your worst experiences. They can be in practice, or in competition. It’s time to get it off your chest, so you can move on!

[noodle]

the one thats first in my mind: seeded first at temple open, lost my first DE against a guy i fence all the time and posts here score was embaressing considering i don't think i even had 10 touches total against me over both rounds of pools.

i've also totally bombed at tournaments before. finished close to last, beatten by E's and U's in my DEs. but, ya know, it happens. i don't have enough experience or coaching to maintain a certain level yet.

[Inquartata]

When you begin to get a little full of yourself and your success, there's nothing like getting thrashed by a truly superior opponent to give you back a bit of humility.

My last experience of this was the last time I ventured into Div I, and got a pool including Adam Crompton and Curt Andrus. Out of 6 bouts, I was 0-5 in three of them and 1-5 in another...and those guys didn't even seem to be working very hard at it.

[Goldgar]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

When you begin to get a little full of yourself and your success, there's nothing like getting thrashed by a truly superior opponent to give you back a bit of humility.

That's humbling, all right -- but not nearly as humbling as being thrashed by a truly inferior opponent!

[Mr Epee]

I was at Nationals (Div 1) a few years back, and was warming up with a few friends.

This guy comes over and asks if he can rotate in with us. There are very few people who I don’t like, in fencing, but this guy is one of them. We had a slight history as Juniors (I once overcame 14-8 deficit against him to make a Jr. NAC Final – and we never had serious issues – but I just didn’t like him. I thought he was unaccomplished, arrogant, and generally a heavy-handed fencer who lacked finesse on, and off, the strip. (Just my take on things.) BUT I’m a good guy and agreed to rotate him into our warm-up bouting.

He smacked the crap out of me!
Wow that was annoying!

Then first round pools are announced, and he’s in my pool.
Brilliant!

I honestly forget who won our pool match, but I do remember dropping a bout in the pool, so I may have lost to him there. If I won, it was a squeaker.

Then I draw this same guy in D.E.’s –
I’m pretty sure I was seeded pretty high, so it wasn’t my fault.
(SAME FREAKING GUY!!!)

The bout started, and it was just a huge disaster for me. I was fencing badly. He was rushing me and gaining confidence. I went through a quick mental exercise, sharpened my technique up, and pulled the match even at 8-8… right before the 1-minute break.

It should have been smooth sailing from there, but for some bizarre reason I was so frustrated that I lost my composure DURING THE BREAK! I tossed my mask into my bag at the end of the strip, and started muttering to myself.

After the break, I didn’t have a prayer. My mental focus was shot, and I got smacked pretty convincingly. God – it was horrible.

Immediately after winning he comes over and wants to chat about how happy he is to have won, and how he didn’t think he could have beaten me, if we hadn’t fenced in warm-up (and his new found insight into my fencing).

I subsequently dropped my repechage bout to a guy I had never even come close to losing to before.

Bad day - but I learned a little about myself

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

me vs sean harder in the 2nd round of the NAC E div I mens epee.... he took me apart 5-0, and I had no say so.

[Inquartata]

Originally Posted by Goldgar

That's humbling, all right -- but not nearly as humbling as being thrashed by a truly inferior opponent!

Ah, that's when the search for excuses begins.

Usually this happens to me when I get stubborn, and keep trying the same failed action over and over, determined to make it work.

[fencinman89]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Usually this happens to me when I get stubborn, and keep trying the same failed action over and over, determined to make it work.

I know what thats like, JO's I lost my first Foil DE to a much higher seed, sumthign disgraceful like 15-3, I belive he finished in top 32. I kept trying to Prime him, but thanx to this new damn timing they became flicks and did not register, Ouiyt was there, He was my referee to be exact.
-Tre'

[Goldgar]

Originally Posted by Inquartata

Ah, that's when the search for excuses begins.

I try to line them up in advance, just in case I need them.

[fencinman89]

Would this happen to be Dirk, or his son? Anyway I suppose I could say I didnt do so well since it was my first time at Jo's and was a bit overwhelmed, how does that sound?
-Tre'

[Elemental]

(When I read the title of this thread I thought it was about drinking )

During DE's of a local tournament I was fencing Epee against this kid that I know I should have beaten (or at least done better against)

I took the lead at 5-0 really quickly. Then my body started to shut down (I had been sick earlier in the week and I hadn't eaten that much that day) and he kept hitting me with these wide hook shots to my shoulder. The final score was 5-15.

I was really bummed after that but I've made sure to keep that I have plenty of fuel at a tournament.

[garyhayenga]

Originally Posted by Mr Epee

No matter how hard your train, or how talented you are - every fencer has had bad experiences. It is just part of the game. When it happens to you, it’s tempting to beat yourself up, or think about quitting, but a smart fencer will shrug it off and "just keep on keeping on" – as the song says.

Here’s your chance to share some of your worst experiences. They can be in practice, or in competition. It’s time to get it off your chest, so you can move on!

Midwest Sectionals 1986. In the final four, in the days before 15 touch bouts, I lost to Jim Carpenter 10 - 0. Worst beating I've ever taken.

gary hayenga

[LUDICROUS]

Losing 15-12 to an inferior opponent after being up 10-5 or so in first DE. He then got stomped 15-0. That was supposed to be my *** being stomped!

I was gutted. And incredibly angry at myself. Felt like destroying all and sundry, but of course I'm not that crazy.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!


Fencing marathon in Ljungby, 2003.

Bad bout #1. I am leading 4-0 2:38 into the pools against a guy that I have lost but never won several times against. He has always placed much better than me, and my club chairmain is cheering me on - with his family - from the grandstands. All 4 points are essentially lucky shots against a superior opponent. My hand strength gives out, and he gets his act together. Loss 4-5.

Bad bout #2. I am maintaining 0-0 against a better fencer, and score 1-0 when his counter-6 gives an opening where I can poke his fingers, time is 2:56. He fleches, and evens out 1-1 at 2:58. I lose the lottery, and the bout after 3+1 minutes.

Bad bout #3. 3 minutes of hard-fought fencing with a lot of blade beats end 0-0. He wins the lot, and when time winds down I am forced to attack at every opening, including the bad ones. He scores 37 seconds into OT.

ARRGH! WHAT - ME BITTER?


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

PS: That competition included about 40 pool bouts, so at least I got a lot of fencing for my money.

[glowstix]

i have had a few humbling experiences but they were against people that were better than me so can't complain as much. one in particular was a bout i had against a certain "fencing legend" in the SE section. it was the same day i got my D and was fencing for my C and was up 13-5...and lost 15-13!! it was a horrible experience and was sure that was my only opportunity to get a C. i couldn't even get doubles!?!!!! imagine that!!!!! it was after the first break that i fell apart..he could then read me like a book.

i'm glad i had that experience. i was always curious as to how something like that would feel and now i've actually experienced it, i'm not afraid anymore; i became better that day; mentally stronger and more ferocious. deep down i knew i didn't deserve a C just yet; funny how things work out. my time will come..

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by glowstix

i have had a few humbling experiences but they were against people that were better than me so can't complain as much. one in particular was a bout i had against a certain "fencing legend" in the SE section. it was the same day i got my D and was fencing for my C and was up 13-5...and lost 15-13!! it was a horrible experience and was sure that was my only opportunity to get a C. i couldn't even get doubles!?!!!! imagine that!!!!! it was after the first break that i fell apart..he could then read me like a book.

i'm glad i had that experience. i was always curious as to how something like that would feel and now i've actually experienced it, i'm not afraid anymore; i became better that day; mentally stronger and more ferocious. deep down i knew i didn't deserve a C just yet; funny how things work out. my time will come..

out of curiosity, who was it?

[mrbiggs]

I haven't won an epee DE in months, and in nearly all of them, I was ranked higher than my opponent. Eugh. This has happened...at least 3 or 4 times consecutively.

I get better every time, though.

[Araznal]

Not really smashed, but disappointing:
I was fencing someone (my arch-nemesis ) in a local tourney around 6 months ago and for once, I was fencing near my best in a competition. The bout was quick and I took a 7-4 lead in around a minute of fencing. Then we went one for one for the next minute, but I noticed he was slowly gaining. He used a lot of absence-of-blade attacks, that would draw my early parry and an easy finish for him. Before I knew it, it was 13-12 him. Then a great stroke of luck came with his blade breaking. He had to borrow another blade which he felt really uncomfortable with. He couldn't hit a thing with that thing, and I quickly took advantage to make it 14-13 me. Then he switched to someone else's blade and did two straight attacks with absence-of-blade and won 15-14. The worst part was that I was doing my best and it wasn't good enough.

If you want to know about thrashings, my first bout at the FC 3 years ago is by far the worst. I was fencing a fencer who had just learned how to do a decent counter-six flick and he deftly handled me 15-0. What made it worse, though were the 15 welts on my back (he just learned to flick, so yeah )

[nahouw]

This is about the worst experience of one of my opponents.

Back in the day when I was fencing in college, we had the one minute warning rule. At the one minute warning, I was down 4-0, and proceeded to win the bout 5-4. It was the last bout for the team when it was the format of 4 on 4 for team competitions, not the current relay format.

Our school won on indicators, and my coach first chastised me for using coupe's (this was way before flicking became popular), but then again, in her next breath she congatulated me for winning.

After the bout, while I was at the water fountain, she came up to me and thanked me. I was quite perplexed. She then said that she was going to Junior Olympics in a couple of weeks, and I taught her a lesson that it isn't over until it is over. She had immediately examined the bout and realized that mental focus and compsure were improtant components of fencing. She was a smart fencer who was reflective on herself and took a positive outlook on the situation rather than a negative.

[Goldgar]

Originally Posted by fencinman89

Would this happen to be Dirk, or his son?

Yes, this is Dirk. I've got no sons; I've got daughters instead -- keep your grubby mitts off them!

Would this happen to be John Molloy III?