Serious fencing

[CheekyCanuck]

I know there have been threads that ask how serious you are about fencing, but I was wondering about the general attitude of your province/state.
I recently went to a tournament in Quebec and found that everyone was serious to the point of being angry when beaten. One went as far as yanking the reel connection out of my hand every time I tried to hand it to her (this after I trounced her 5-2 in the pools).
Though most were polite I found that everyone was WAY too focused.
Personally I like to have fun when I fence. There is even a core group that goes to all the tournaments in my province, and we talk and laugh and joke. There is even laughter on the piste (frowned on in Quebec).

I was just wondering, how is your local area? Does everyone take themselves too seriously? Are they gracious when they lose/win?

[Fencergrl]

We are a fun lot on the West Coast. Lots of laughter (although it might be the smoke we have out here )

Not to say we don't have serious competitors!

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

The majority of folks who attend the locals are not serious, but there is a core few who are hard core serious. Consequently, these few almost always win.

[CheekyCanuck]

...but there is a core few who are hard core serious. Consequently, these few almost always win.

Not in my area... now.

[kalivor]

You're an anglophone in Quebec, and were treated like it. Eventually (if you show up often enough, and show that you can win), that will go away ... for the most part, Quebecois fencers behave in a manner similar to those in English-speaking Canada.

Except they do it in French.

Also, some of those at the Quebec opens *are* hard-core serious. If memory serves, you're an Ontario foilist, right? Toronto-area women's foil is weak ... nobody is training to make a National team. Not so in Quebec.

[CheekyCanuck]

You're an anglophone in Quebec, and were treated like it. Eventually (if you show up often enough, and show that you can win), that will go away ... for the most part, Quebecois fencers behave in a manner similar to those in English-speaking Canada.

Except they do it in French.

Also, some of those at the Quebec opens *are* hard-core serious. If memory serves, you're an Ontario foilist, right? Toronto-area women's foil is weak ... nobody is training to make a National team. Not so in Quebec.

Now I'd agree with your last statement, but I found the A and B ranked fencers were the nicest, at least to us unranked fencers. It was the D and under crowed that had a bad case of the nasties.

[kalivor]

Now I'd agree with your last statement, but I found the A and B ranked fencers were the nicest, at least to us unranked fencers. It was the D and under crowed that had a bad case of the nasties.

That's how it is, unfortunately. The *really* good people are generally well adjusted. The people who think they *ought* to be the really good people, but aren't? Bitter.

[RiseAndFall]

I do know that Quebec is quite a bit more serious than we are here in Ontario. Most opens I've been to in my region are sort of a gathering of fencing buddies who joke around, share tactics against some of the good fencers, etc...
There are a handful of fencers from my area that can get very annoyed (sometimes for good reasons, like horrendously bad calls, but still they should be courteous), but I wouldn't say angry.
If they're beating you and you know they can get very agitated, stay away for a while and don't give them anything to work with. Sometimes this drives the counterattcking types nuts while you stay calm and focused.

[achilleus]

That's how it is, unfortunately. The *really* good people are generally well adjusted. The people who think they *ought* to be the really good people, but aren't? Bitter.

Interesting...

I would actually say that the really good fencers know how good they are, and aren't worried about the cheeky canuck whom they've never met.

The D and under fencers are those working hard to get better, and feel threatened by the unknown cheeky canuck who beats them.

You can call that well adjusted, but I don't.

[Li'l Bebe]

It's really relaxed in my area. People are competitive, but mostly just at the higher levels. The lower levels are pretty much there just to have fun. At competitions, things don't get intense until the top 8 or so, and then only if rivals are fencing each other (either rival clubs or rival fencers).

[Mr Epee]

Interesting...

I would actually say that the really good fencers know how good they are, and aren't worried about the cheeky canuck whom they've never met.

The D and under fencers are those working hard to get better, and feel threatened by the unknown cheeky canuck who beats them.

You can call that well adjusted, but I don't.

I absolutely agree with your point... BUT

Guess what school you're going to....

[Aeric]

I think it's good to be competitive in order to reach goals and such, but some people need to chill out when they are beaten or beat someone. I've been told it's supposed to be a serious fight, but it's really just a sport, and won't literally determine life or death. I've got enough things to stress about seriously other than fencing, and I will play my recreational sport for recreation.

If I was making a living off fencing, I might be a bit angry when I lose a bout and don't earn enough to buy food or whatever, but that's rarely the case. Life is too short to get angry about semantics.

Maybe people get angry because they are pissed that they got beat even though they put in so much time with training. I know I'll probably live longer and better with the physical fitness earned from fencing. It will pay off with much more in my life compared to the time and energy I put into it.

So, I win in the end. Personally. =)

[ThatReallyHurt]

Things are pretty laid back in my area. We've got the whole range - people who are really good and compete all over the place, all the way to people who go to tournaments for fun or for the specific purpose of meeting people from other clubs.

[telkanuru]

I'd say the actual competition is fierce, but we all go out for food and drinks afterwards, so it's all good.

I do agree completely with Achilleus's assesment.

[Black Jeebus]

We have a good mix of both. After all, we have a lot of casual fencers mixed in the same division as Arkady Burdan!

[nyacfencing]

I will disagree with the majority of you and state that the coorelation with being an A or B and not being "too serious" is not one of rank, but one of experience. Generally it is the more experienced and seasoned fencers that realize that a loss is their own fault, and not some vindictive action by their competitor. It is the unexperienced (and often immature) who blame and take out their frusteration on everybody BUT themselves (read: referee, competitor, weapon, mask). The coorelation between experience and being highly rated is self-evident.

In fact, the highest level fencers are the most serious and focused, which causes the intensity that is almost tangible and fills the air when watching two high-level fencers go at it. The difference is that these fencers take out their misgivings on themselves, and have learned the highly-complex art of turning that anger into even higher levels of focus, performance and strategy for the remainder of that same bout. THIS is what makes them great fencers.

[rcmatthews]

I simply cannot understand not being competitive. Now, I'm not going to kick my mask across the room if I lose, but I'm certainly going to think about it for a while. I won't just accept it and move on. For days after a tough loss in a tournament, I will think about what I should have done to win the bout that I lost. I still have fun when I lose because I love to fence, but I have a lot more fun when I win.

[Lemberg]

I'd disagree that laughing on the piste is frowned upon in Quebec or anywhere else. I see Quebec guys and girls goofing off all the time - some of them are really funny and great people. I guess there are just time to goof off and times to fence and they manage to do both really well. I am from a big and very strong epee club in BC and if you look at some of us when we compete, you could say that we are a bunch of angry jerks (some people do think that) but it's just that different people maintain their tourney focus in different ways.

[Coup de Grace]

In this part of Texas the fencers have been focused but cordial in tournaments. You'll hear the banshee yells after a touch, of course. But I have not yet witnessed unsportmanslike behavior at a tourney.

[SJB]

I am from a big and very strong epee club in BC and if you look at some of us when we compete, you could say that we are a bunch of angry jerks (some people do think that) but it's just that different people maintain their tourney focus in different ways.

It's because there's too many surly Ukrainians in your club