Opponent Specific Strategies

[Grasshopper]

Thinking about your own fencing, do you customize your strategies in each bout to beat each opponent, or do you have a more general strategy that you use against everyone?

[telkanuru]

Ummm.... Both?

[glowstix]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Thinking about your own fencing, do you customize your strategies in each bout to beat each opponent, or do you have a more general strategy that you use against everyone?

definitely. i have a different style for every single fencer that i've ever fenced, (of course, not completely different, but slight adjustments).

you have to adapt to your opponent based on what they're doing. this is not the same thing as having them control the bout, you still try to take control but you have to be mindful. for example, if someone likes strong blade actions, i'll have a more extended en guarde to bait them into taking my blade then disengage..

or i might even mimmick the fencing style of the person i'm fencing. if they're fast, furious and offensive, then i'll be the same way to take them out of their comfort zone and force them to be defensive which is NOT what they want...it all depends on the opponent, how i feel on that day, what my strengths are, etc..

[Grasshopper]

Hmm, maybe I am being to vague...

In any fencing group, to rise to the top, you have to consistantly beat the "usual suspects". However, most fencers train to "improve" in a very broad meaning (ie. better footwork, better hand, better tempo, etc.) but ignore the opponent specific factors which would make for an easy win.

Let me rephrase the question:

What percent of your training is aimed at general improvement (ie. general footwork, handwork, tempo) vs. opponent specific work (ie. practicing how to beat Mr. X)?

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Thinking about your own fencing, do you customize your strategies in each bout to beat each opponent, or do you have a more general strategy that you use against everyone?

Another one of your genius insights huh? Well I do exactly what every single person does. If it is someone that I haven't fenced before then I will fence him in a generic classic manner untill I spot his short comings and habits and then I will adjust my fencing to take advantage of it. If I fence someone I know how to beat then I will fence in a way that beats him.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Let me rephrase the question:

What percent of your training is aimed at general improvement (ie. general footwork, handwork, tempo) vs. opponent specific work (ie. practicing how to beat Mr. X)?

Hmmm. Usually it's somewhere around 32.765%

[akaiyuki]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Let me rephrase the question:

What percent of your training is aimed at general improvement (ie. general footwork, handwork, tempo) vs. opponent specific work (ie. practicing how to beat Mr. X)?

Most of my practice time is used on general improvement, while sometimes I work at being a particular style (not specifically Mr. X, but just a fencing style in general). Of course, there are exceptions... if I run into a so and so that I desperately want to beat, then I will spend some time looking for his/her weaknesses.

[akaiyuki]

Oh, and there are just way too many Mr. X's out there for me to aim at beating them one by one anyway :P

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

if I run into a so and so that I desperately want to beat, then I will spend some time looking for his/her weaknesses.

I think when you are in the top part of any fencing level, for example you are one of the best guys in your club; the best guy in your state; the best guy in your division; the best guy in the country; the best guy in the world, etc., most of the bouts you fence are no-brainers. There are only a few people that you have to worry about beating in your level, so you can move to the next level.

[ReverseLunge]

Grasshopper, you are asking way too many question. These questions might be important to you but once you start fencing you will see how it all makes sense. Just the other day one of my friends at work asked me if fencing was more about the physical or the mental and what percentage of each. I told her that she just need to take up fencing and she will see. You can't learn fencing from asking questions, you have to just go and do it.

[mrbiggs]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

Thinking about your own fencing, do you customize your strategies in each bout to beat each opponent, or do you have a more general strategy that you use against everyone?

In epee, I'm a completely different fencer each bout.

In foil, I'm mostly the same each bout.

Kind of funny like that. I think it's because I have a better handle on my foil strategy. I used to change tactics alot in foil, but the more I learn, the more I know what move is best for a certain situation, rather than seeing a good move.

[Grasshopper]

It seems reverselunge has made a comment, but since he is on my ignore list, I have no idea what he said, funny.

[RebelFencer]

I don't really practice to beat a specific person. If I've fenced this person before then I take what I know of their style and keep it in the back of my mind while fencing them. I think time is better spent practicing to get better because that way your new skill is applicable to everyone you fence rather than just one person.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

It seems reverselunge has made a comment, but since he is on my ignore list, I have no idea what he said, funny.

OK. So I'm tryingto bust your balls but you sure have been asking some very obvious questions lately and have been making some very obvious statements too. Are you at that point in your fencing career where a punch is no longer just a punch and a kick is no longer just a kick?

[fencerontheline]

Originally Posted by ReverseLunge

OK. So I'm tryingto bust your balls but you sure have been asking some very obvious questions lately and have been making some very obvious statements too. Are you at that point in your fencing career where a punch is no longer just a punch and a kick is no longer just a kick?

Is this jeet kun do at work?

[akaiyuki]

Originally Posted by Grasshopper

It seems reverselunge has made a comment, but since he is on my ignore list, I have no idea what he said, funny.

Oh, doh. I'm stupid for forgetting about the ignore list

[broncofencer]

When I train I work on general improvement because fencing is a sport where every move has a move that beats it. During a tournament though I watch the other bouts in my pool consult teammates etc. to find which moves Mr.x Mr. Y and Mr. Pink are vunerable to. Then all I have to do is execute them.

[ReverseLunge]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

Oh, doh. I'm stupid for forgetting about the ignore list

OK whatever. I dont know what the deal is with you, just stop sending me private messages because I will and have been deleting them. I don't care if you're attracted to black men or why your dad hit your mom and I'm not going to help you with your fencing just because we both live in the SoCal area.

And for the record, I do not have anything agaisnt Asian women. If you read some of my past posts then you will know that I love Asian women.

[WhipLash]

i think that it would be more effective to master basics first, eg footwork, bladework...then start on styles... like practising offensive style, and defensive, and so on. once these are mastered you can choose which to use in a bout against a particular opponent. unless of course you are 2nd in the world and u wan to beat the first, then you have to analyse his fencing. for normal fencing, a simple "i know X likes to do _______ and so i'll use my _______ style" will do. juz wat i think...

[veeco]

I rarely ever train to beat a specific person. I train to be able to recognize patterns in my opponent and what the different responses to each of these patterns is.