Expanding Your Repetoire

[ThatReallyHurt]

Okay, here's another "I just can't get the hang of it" type of question...

Our club has just started back up for the year. I was doing some dry bouting and noticed something that I was wondering about last year - I use two actions almost exclusively - parry four-riposte, and beat-lunge. My movement in both of those actions is very good - my parry-riposte is very quick, and usually on-target. I have fair to good luck fencing different people at the club like this, but having one defensive move and one offensive move doesn't put me in really good shape for the tournaments.

The coaches have given us drills and lessons, so I know a bunch of the other parries and compound attacks, I just never use them. My club is pretty small, so I think we're all pretty used to each other's fencing...

I guess what I'm trying to say is, do you have any suggestions or ideas for how to actually start using motions that you don't normally use? Drills are fine, but again, as soon as I start bouting, I just never use those actions... are there games or other exercises that you've seen done in a club for this kind of reason?

Thanks!

[ThatReallyHurt]

What the...?

I could have sworn I put this in the right place... would anyone particularly mind bumping this over to the Fencing Discussion folder?

Sorry...

[Elendae]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

I guess what I'm trying to say is, do you have any suggestions or ideas for how to actually start using motions that you don't normally use? Drills are fine, but again, as soon as I start bouting, I just never use those actions... are there games or other exercises that you've seen done in a club for this kind of reason?

Thanks!

Pick some of the actions and focus on using them instead of your strong points during bouting. Fall back on your strong points if you have to, but focus on what you're doing, you may end up surprising yourself and your teammates. You may not win bouts at practices, but the more you practice the "other stuff" in bouting, the more likely you'll be to use it.

(if this was not coherent, please ignore me, I am not at all well today)

[akaiyuki]

Dry bout with someone without keeping score (better yet if you can dry bout without people watching you fence) - that way you won't get caught up with points, so you can focus on practicing what you learned in drills and what not.
Tell your clubmate before you guys fence that you keep doing parry four-riposte and beat-lunge, and you want him/her to help you. Now that your teammate has an idea of what you always do, your beat-lunge and parry four-riposte should not work. You're now forced to try other things.

(Or go fence someone whom you have no chance of beating - now go pull off anything weird that you can think of to try and score a point )

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Originally Posted by ThatReallyHurt

Drills are fine, but again, as soon as I start bouting, I just never use those actions.

Its amazing how many questions contain their answers. If you want to start using these actions in bouts, you have to start using them in bouts. Example, if you're going to do a circular 6 parry riposte, just do it! Even if it doesnt work quite right, you will atleast get over your fear of it, and become slightly more comfortable with the action. Have your coach work with you on lesson-bout integration.

[keith]

Expanding your repetoire is all well and good, but a beat attack and a parry quarte has probably won more than a few olympic gold medals. Its not what you do it it's when you do it that matters.


So while working on new things also work on the old things and when you do them and the context in which you do them - often the same action that is predictable when launched on the command 'fence' will score easily later in the phrase.

[Fencergrl]

I do a few things in addition to what has already been mentioned to build up my repetoire.

1) With beginners if I get several points doing the same thing, I'll tell them what I'm doing, showing them slowly. I let them try and figure out a defense. This makes their game stronger as well as mine. It forces me to mix my game up more and not rely on my favourite parries.

2) I go to different clubs to fence. You get used to the same fencers. Exposing myself to different styles of fencing helps me in a tournament. Check with nearby clubs to see if they allow drop-ins.

3) I ignore points and often work on a particular parry or type of hit (ie toe touches or wrist shots).

[akaiyuki]

Oh I forgot to mention - there's this thing that my teammate and I do sometimes when we fence: We fence a 5 point bout, but touches made with our favorite moves would not count. So in your case, you can fence someone and ignore all the touches that you've made with parry 4-riposte, or beat-attack. So, to win, you must get your touches some other way.

[ThatReallyHurt]

Thanks for all your help - I tried several of your suggestions this evening at the club and surprised both my opponent and myself. I just have to keep making the conscious decision to do different actions...

Thanks!

[mrbiggs]

I'd suggest that you do it against people who either you can usually beat or who are weak against a certain move.

For example, when I'm practicing flicking, I like to fence the fencers in my club that are shorter and hunch over. That way, I can concentrate on the action while it's easy to perform.

So if you want to practice parry 6 riposte, do it against an opponent who often aims for your shoulder, etc.

Then, once your hands start to get the hang of the action, it'll be easy to widen the scope to tougher opponents, to speed it up, and to put in disengages and such to make it more complicated.

[TKuttner]

Originally Posted by akaiyuki

Oh I forgot to mention - there's this thing that my teammate and I do sometimes when we fence: We fence a 5 point bout, but touches made with our favorite moves would not count. So in your case, you can fence someone and ignore all the touches that you've made with parry 4-riposte, or beat-attack. So, to win, you must get your touches some other way.

Discuss with your opponent in practice what you both want to work on. Fence a 10 or 15 point bout but have specific attacks or techniques be worth 2 or 3 points, depending on what you want to work on. For example, a parry4 riposte is still only 1 point, but circle 6 riposte worth 2, or point in line 3 points. Maybe a simple beat attack only 1, but beat attack with disengage 2 points, or second intention (attack to be parried then counterparry-riposte) worth 3 points. You still get rewarded for doing what you do well, but get rewarded more for working on your weaknesses. Switch up the values of the points depending on what you and your teammate want to work on, and remember it's just practice, take risks and don't worry about losing.