Funny things happen at the tournament

[Shadow Fencer]

Confession time..... it happened at the Northeast Vet Sectionals this past weekend. I arrive the night before... no big deal... I arrive in plenty of time to register... no big deal..... there seems to be sufficient time to warm up and I do... no big deal....then.... MY name is called to the strip...... oh, no..... I panic..BIG DEAL!!! ... gotta get myself to the strip...... search for my body cords.... HEY!!!.. where are they?...... I hear my name called again..... oh no..., I grab my stuff...... and I'm 1/2 dressed- don't have my jacket or lame on because I'm without a bodycord! ......jaunt over to the strip....and present myself to the ref...it's obvious I'm wearing a plastron and chest protector.... OK, I have a few minutes........ the ref says: Fencing 1 + 2. on deck 3+4 ...OH NO..... I'm Fencer 1!!!! I gotta get a body cord!!!! Run over to the vendor..... throw them some money.... get a cord......get over to the strip...... unzip the other compartment on my bag.... and GUESS WHAT I FOUND????? YUP... BODY CORDS!!!!!!! Get hooked up...... and guess who I am fencing???? MY COACH!!!!!! AGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHH ...The final score in record time, 5-0! I think it was a 10 second bout..... Yeah, you know who won that bout...So, what did I do that I never thought I would do at a tourney????
I presented myself at the strip 1/2 dressed and hastily purchased a piece of equipment at the vendor! I used that bodycord to teach me a lesson about not panicking again! As far as losing to my coach.... well, that was expected...... so I keep practicing! The End!

Anyone else have any amusing tournament type stories to share?


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I live to fence and fence to live!!

[This message has been edited by Shadow Fencer (edited 06-19-2001).]

[mango fever]

i understand completely. i arrived on time at a recent competition, i warmed up, checked everything, and voila! when my weapon was checked a CLIP was missing from my foil! zut alors! what did i do? i looked at the director, i screamed something, I asked for 60 seconds, he gave me 60 seconds in less then 60 seconds I ran like a demon from hell to my bag, grabbed a new foil ran back, plugged it in and started to fence, i didn't win my first bout, but i exploded and won the first two points, because i was ready to pop someone on the head! yeah fencing, yea fencing.net!

[oiuyt]

Mango- you didn't have a second weapon at the strip? And didn't get a red card? Little bit lucky THERE.....

-B

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"Oh but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"

[Peach]

I fenced in Ontario, and made it to the second day, but I was not distinguished to say the least in the first round of pools the second day. I think I won two bouts.

Been there, done that, I didn't care because I had done well in the vets. I took my jacket off and sat down to watch three fencers I knew were pretty good who had to fence off for the last two places to make it up into the second round. There I am, sitting, cooling, relaxed, not a care in the world. After the barrages, I wandered over to the seeding list to see how I finished. OHMIGAWD AAAAAGH I'm running all around getting dressed like a madwoman and swearing.

Nobody in the WS had won three bouts, and I had made it into the second round of pools on indicators.

Was THAT a ludicrous pool. Me completely cooled down and hysterical is a horrifying sight; I tripped, got stuck in the lunge, and at one point Julie Smith unleashed her killer lunge, hit me with a point attack in the bib when I was coming forward instead of backward as I should have been, and she knocked me down. I lay on the strip unable to breathe. I think I actually won a couple of bouts but it was probably because I made my opponents laugh too hard to see straight. I know the referees were having a hard time keeping a serious expression. Julie thanked me later on for showing up even though I was cooled down, thereby not screwing up the seeding - one of the reasons I like her.

Since then I never undress or cool down until I see the list with my name UNDER THE LINE. Even if I lose ALL my bouts.

I will not go into the details of the numerous ways I have manage to show up on the strip minus protectors, body cords, and even jackets (sabre lame covers everything).

Well, last Sunday was my "first time." I don't know what came over me, but my hand was shaking so bad I could barely hook up. My coach happened to be directing and he finally came over and hooked me up. I wanted to die. I was afraid to hold out my foil because I thought that would shake too. After I jump around a bit I seemed to get rid of the extra energy. Then after a touch I couldn't find the enGuarde line. (center line and enguarde were both marked with little green pieces of tape) Then I tripped over a cord. Then I guess I zoned out, cause I didn't hear my name called. (Again it was my coach, he called my first name when they had been calling last names all day).

I did manage to get through the "first time" with no cards and touching all (including my coach) but one opponent. I have no clue how many bouts I fought or how many touches I had. But I had a GREAT time. And like you guys told me, I breathed, though it was towards the end of the day.

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You CAN teach old dogs new tricks.

[mango fever]

How close to the strip, is "at the strip" you see, the rules say at the strip, but you can't bring another weapon onto the strip can you, no you can't, you have to keep it somewhere, it has to be where you can find it in ____ seconds - but i was - LUCKY!!!!!

Dame: you needed some gator aide - just a sip- to replace the sugar you lost due to jitters.

[This message has been edited by mango fever (edited 06-19-2001).]

[Purple Fencer]

Lessee...Arriving at 1999 sectionals with plenty of time to stretch and warm up for individual sabre, then spemding all that planned time sewing new lame material onto the neck of my lame (if you've ever read my fencing primer, this is the incident I refer to)

Once did an entire pool and forgot I didnlt have my underarm protector on.

Divisional team foil...my team lost the first match, then lost the 2nd one and all my teammates left 'cause we thought we were done. Turned out we were supposed to fence out all places!

We were fencing for last place, but still...

Can't top Shadow's story, tho. And your coach to boot!

Some days it just don't pay to get outta bed

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Sam Signorelli -- Boldly going forward...'cause I can't find reverse!

[MikeHarm]

One of the tourneys I was in, I was carded for having my gear too far away from the strip. When I needed to change weapons, director wouldn't let me leave the strip to get a new one when mine failed the weight test and I had to wait around like 6 minutes until one of my competitors in the pool would get my foil for me. The converse happened last tourney when I got yelled at for having my stuff too close to the strip. :-) Same guy who did the hollering too.
I think next time (which probably will be this saturday) I'm going to drag my gear behind me on my side of the strip and see how that works out.

Mike

[Peach]

The hand tremor is caused by adrenaline, just from being pumped up, and I still get it sometimes. Congrats on surviving your first tournament! I hope you have some good stories to tell.

The trick is to channel that energy into relaxed, confident, alert fencing. If you figure that out, let me know. Cripes, I thought I would just have to learn how to fence. Now I find I have to learn how NOT to do all the stuff my body/brain throws at me in tournaments.

Originally posted by Dame d'escrime:

Well, last Sunday was my "first time." I don't know what came over me, but my hand was shaking so bad I could barely hook up.

[Zelda]

My biggest boo boo???? Oh geeeeeeez, probably about 2 years ago at IV novice womens foil..... it was the semi finals.....copper strips, not really held down that well. I'm fencing away quite happily, and lunge, well at this exact moment the strip decides to "crunch" under my foot, my back foot slips keeps going my front foot stays still and I fall arse over tip into my opponent who promptly stumbles over me. Twisted my ankle, but went on to win the comp!!! Other big one.... weekend b4 last DHMac in Adelaide. 4 bodywires which ALL worked at home..... 3 fail resistance including one which is totally dead (I blame you for that Daniel Duffy!!!) Bit of fiddling get another one to work.....so I had a 50% failure rate.... all I can say is thank GOD I went to weapons check the day b4!!!

[foiled again]

My first sectional (and only 4th tournament overall). I completely check & test my weapons the night before. The next morning I warm-up only using 1 so the other 2 should still be ok. I get to the strip, I'm called, and the ref yellow-cards me because i'm missing a tip screw. Ok, I pick up another weapon, it fails - Voila a red card. Pick up my 3rd and last weapon and while the ref is checking my opponents I notice this one is missing a screw too! A friend nearby lends me a weapon and tells me that this is not the best way to start the day. Down a point already! Well, I went on to win my bout and pool. Learned a big lesson - check and recheck...and check again. Repeat as necessary.
I'm still not sure how those screw-thieving pixies gained access to my room & gear.

fa

[Zelda]

FA, those theiving tip screw pixies can turn up at any time.....they are also responsible for those wonderful times when your tip goes flying out of the barrel in the middle of a point.

[Foil Girl]

In my first tourny, in my first bout, my only weapon wouldn't pass the weight test, and so at the start of the bout (thank the lord I had a nice director), I suited down to get a whole new bodycord so it would plug into the weapon someone lended me, and suit back up. I have the tiniest hands, so the grip was way to big, and I had to fence the guy who won the whole thing. It was terribly imbarressing, because I was like "I guess I won't be fencing in the tournament" to my coach and he shrugged and said "guess not". ::hides:: I did end up fixing my weapon between bouts, with the help of a very nice parent there. after that, I almost made it to eral DE's, but I lost to the only guy I beat in the pools 14-15. Interesting first, but I learned to make sure my weapons checked out next time.

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-Foil Girl
"Nadie nace sabiendo"

[walrus418]

at the NAC in kansas city this year i was fencing in a veteran's foil elimination bout (and not doing quite so well) when a rather odd things happened. in defending against a particularly strong attack, my parry struck my opponents blade in what must have been the exact wrong place. it snapped his blade at the bell, sending parts scattering all around the strip as if his weapon had simply exploded. although i failed to react fast enough to score a point, i did recieve a rousing round of applause from the asssembled spectators. a small consoliation for an otherwise disappointing bout.

[oiuyt]

although i failed to react fast enough to score a point

Wouldn't be possible to react fast enough.... a direct, immediate riposte at blazingly fast speed should still just result in an annulled touch in that situation.

-B

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"Oh but you can't expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!"

[Fleche]

At my second comp I had just been knocked out of DE. Thinking I was finished, I took all my gear off and lay down on the ground and tried to go to sleep. 15 minutes later, I discovered it was repecharge (sp?) and I had to fence again! I took a glucose tablet because I had NO energy left, then went on to fence. Apparently I was against a left handed novice champion (or something like that) and so I got thrashed. Not as bad as I thought I would though. However, once all the adrenalin had worn off, I had the worst headache I have ever had. I blame it on the glucose tablets. Never go for a quick hit, it doesn't work in the long run

Fleche

[ladybug]

[quote]Originally posted by MikeHarm:
One of the tourneys I was in, I was carded for having my gear too far away from the strip. When I needed to change weapons, director wouldn't let me leave the strip to get a new one when mine failed the weight test and I had to wait around like 6 minutes until one of my competitors in the pool would get my foil for me.
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Mike, I was wondering about your wandering this weekend!! Good fencing by the way. At the RFC the best place for your stuff is under the bench between the strips - That would be close enough for you to get it without unhooking, the chances of it being tripped over would be lessened there as well.

[Zelda]

Flesche....what comp was that?

[MikeHarm]

I felt my game was off but it was fun watching Ann Marsh in action, her angulated attacks were pretty good. She fences a lot like my coach does, though not surprising since they both did a lot of training under Yuri. I hope she doesn't quit fencing when Bucky moves to New York like she was talking about. Next up Duelist Open I guess.

Mike

[Peach]

I have a new one from this past weekend:

I haven't gained weight, in fact I've lost it, but the velcro on my knickers has lost its mutual attraction, and when the velcro lets go, the zipper always follows soon after. I washed the pants before I left for the tournament and forgot to put the safety pins back on. I don't worry much because I always wear bike shorts underneath, and I usually get through a bout without having to adjust it.

You guessed it--in my final DE, with a large audience cheering my a youthful and competent opponent (who was soundly beating me), and a distinguished and humorless referee, I suddenly realise halfway through that the zipper is ALL the way down and the pants are gaping either side of my groin strap. I point this out to the director and he looks panicked. "Anybody have a safety pin?" I ask.

The coach of my opponent darts up. "You want some tape? I happen to know this works!" Apparently his knickers mysteriously shrunk while hanging in the closet, so he knows whereof he speaks. He grabs some duct tape and proceeds to tape me around the waist. Everybody is laughing and shouting while he works away. "You want some help?" jokes an even-more-distinguished referee who is watching. I beckon at him with my finger and an evil expression, and he backs away, laughing and holding up his hands.

With the situation now completely out of hand and myself literally held together with duct tape, I manage to hilariously lose the bout.

I think I'm going to buy some new knickers at Summer Nationals. Anybody make them with buttons? If not, I'll sew them on myself.