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Senior Member
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chest protector do any fencers on the higher level wear the plastic men's chest protectors? i've been curious about this for a while
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Most try not to...basically its kind of an honor/manhood thing. We all know that wearing the protector makes you harder to hit, so those that do it are generally conisdered to be pansies unless they have a legit (medical) reason to wear one. At least at the Div 1s last year when the changes first started the better guys in the pool would usually get together and try to convince the whole pool not to wear them and generally everyone would agree. If there was someone that didn't they usually just wear a protector for that bout. I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
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Senior Member
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Here in the UK you'll get laughed out of town for wearing one if you're not a little kid/someone with a broken rib.
Am adult male wearing a chest protector in foil without a medical reason is an arsehole. End of. "First, second, third, dead f***in' last." - Greg Glassman
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Senior Member
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 Originally Posted by rory Here in the UK you'll get laughed out of town for wearing one if you're not a little kid/someone with a broken rib.
Am adult male wearing a chest protector in foil without a medical reason is an arsehole. End of. good i'm glad i'm in the majority on this
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Senior Member
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I would be the last to make fun of someone for wearing one, but I would never wear one myself. I did fence this one guy in a tournament, though, hit him square in the chest and realized he was wearing one. The rest of the bout I kept thinking "Ha, ha! He's wearing a chest protector!" "Being a good feind is like being a photographer, you have to search for the right moments."
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The other medical reason (that I can think of) is a surpressed sternum, which I know at least one person with, who has been wearing his chest protector for four or five years at least. But yeah, I'd never wear one myself (other than medically necessary).
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Senior Member
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I did wear one after a couple of my hernia operations, but not recently.
I do know one woman Foil fencer who had a rib broken by a rather vigorous coupe attack. Whoopee! My avatar is back.
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Ok, so Foil - No because of the machismo....
What about Epee or Sabre?? A moment of peril is often also a moment of open-hearted kindness and affection. We are thrown off our gaurd by the general agitation of our feelings, and betray the intensity of those which, at more tranquil periods, our prudence at least conceals, if it cannot altogether supress them.
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Well foil it's not just no b/c of machissmo so much as it's also a skeevy way to try to earn an advantage for those that wear them...epee and saber I'd probably be tempted to think that the guy was a little soft but who cares, it doesn't affect my ability to hit him or fence the bout. I now dangle to the left....my tassle. Get your minds out of the gutter.
"Martin was not an optimist; he was a prisoner of hope." Optimism is about assuming there's evidence that justifies your outlook while hope is about creating the evidence and procuring your own happiness or vision of the world. - Professor West
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Senior Member
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If you wear a chest protector in sabre, you might as well fence with the foam Whacky Whackers. At least its justifiable in foil in that it makes you harder to hit. In sabre, there is no excuse. Ich steige ab, Hab keine Zeit, Muss jetzt zu den anderen Pferden, Wollen auch geritten werden
C'est pas la chute, c'est l'atterrissage.
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Originally Posted by snarsdale one anecdote does not prove an assumption. yes, smirnov died because a blade punctured his mask. does that mean it happens to every other fencer?
don't waste your money to buy one unless you have a medical reason. if you can't take the pain from attacks, then (a) learn to parry or (b) take up golf. "everything combusted?" --lucas, trying to verify what was said to him about a sandwich. what was actually said was "everything but mustard"
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Now, correct me if I am wrong, but the plastic chest protectors don't have a protection rating while FIE clothing does. If a blade can puncture your jacket, its going through the chest protector too. Ich steige ab, Hab keine Zeit, Muss jetzt zu den anderen Pferden, Wollen auch geritten werden
C'est pas la chute, c'est l'atterrissage.
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Senior Member
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Personal reason. If you want to wear protection, wear it, "machismo" and other people's opinions be damned. A simple plastic plate can help disperse a lot of energy from a weapon hit and save a few painful bruises.
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Fencing Expert
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Originally Posted by rcmatthews Now, correct me if I am wrong, but the plastic chest protectors don't have a protection rating while FIE clothing does. If a blade can puncture your jacket, its going through the chest protector too. The FIE rating is about clothing, in other words cloth. A hard piece of plastic could, and chances are does, offer better protection against a sharp piece of metal than densely woven cloth.
In addition, I don't wear a chest protector, but I would never make fun of someone who did. I mean, it's their life and safety, and it makes sense. To me, it's almost like the stories from when the mask first started being used. It was laughed at and thought of only for wussies, and now, you're an idiot if you don't where one.
Unfortunately, due to the recent timing changes, the chest protector affects the game, and that gives good safety equipment a bad name. We're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody but we do as we please
When the weather's fine,
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy
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I haven't experienced the timing changes yet (been working weekends too much) ... and I fence Epee usually... based on your experiences... how much does the chest protector REALLY change your chances at avoiding a valid touch?
Like I said, I haven't experienced these new timings yet, and am curious what your opinion/experience is. A moment of peril is often also a moment of open-hearted kindness and affection. We are thrown off our gaurd by the general agitation of our feelings, and betray the intensity of those which, at more tranquil periods, our prudence at least conceals, if it cannot altogether supress them.
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Senior Member
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Originally Posted by achilleus To me, it's almost like the stories from when the mask first started being used. It was laughed at and thought of only for wussies, and now, you're an idiot if you don't where one. there's a huge difference there. they don't require a chest protector because it barely adds any protection and it's almost entirely for comfort, although i hear they're uncomfortable. on the other hand, masks protect bare skin and very easily damaged body parts, such as eyes.
with masks, it's a life and death issue. with chest protectors, it's only a matter of a few bruises. "everything combusted?" --lucas, trying to verify what was said to him about a sandwich. what was actually said was "everything but mustard"
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Senior Member
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Originally Posted by bynadutch I haven't experienced the timing changes yet the new timings do not affect epee at all. "everything combusted?" --lucas, trying to verify what was said to him about a sandwich. what was actually said was "everything but mustard"
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Fencing Expert
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Originally Posted by bynadutch I haven't experienced the timing changes yet (been working weekends too much) ... and I fence Epee usually... based on your experiences... how much does the chest protector REALLY change your chances at avoiding a valid touch?
Like I said, I haven't experienced these new timings yet, and am curious what your opinion/experience is. As mentioned above, they don't affect epee much.
Foil, on the other hand, is pretty ugly. We're no threat, people, we're not dirty, we're not mean
We love everybody but we do as we please
When the weather's fine,
We go fishin' or go swimmin' in the sea
We're always happy
Life's for livin', yeah, that's our philosophy
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Ok, I knew that... but I was wondering about how the chest protector has affected the effectiveness of touches (in foil) since the new timing changes went into effect. (whew!)
Not wanting to hi-jack the thread, but not worth starting a new one to sate my random curious thought.
Thanks.
(I hope I used those Affective and Effective right  hehehe yep, pretty sure I did) A moment of peril is often also a moment of open-hearted kindness and affection. We are thrown off our gaurd by the general agitation of our feelings, and betray the intensity of those which, at more tranquil periods, our prudence at least conceals, if it cannot altogether supress them.
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