Wild Women Fencing – what to do?

[smurfette]

Also you can medicate for for bruises. Arnica gel is fabulous -- you can get it in any healthfood store. Put it on right after fencing. If you are taking any blood thinners (aka anti inflammatory drugs), this can also make you more prone. Any docs out there know what can counteract this effect?

[Peach]

Originally Posted by Parsifal

You can't expect everyone to have (even) good distance management. Bruises come with the territory.

Get back in the ring, I say.

It ain't a ring and this ain't boxing. Some people I won't fence unless it's a tournament, and I tell them so. But then, I'm the den mother of our sabre group and hard hitting shows incompetence in either distance management or weapon handling, so I would rather they improved than continued to hack and slash.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Originally Posted by D+F+P=Hadouken!

Am I the only one who NEVER gets bruised? Even when I fence against fencers who hit hard and are better than me, I dont get them.

i would imagine it's the people who hit hard and are WORSE than you are the people you should be worrying about bruising from.............


but i never get bruised, unless i take a very odd hit to my hand, and even then.................. if they take a 360 degree circle (so their sabre is, at one point, facing completly away from me) i will get a welt, but never a bruise.

but if i kneel, even if it's carefully, and not for a long time, my knees bruise instantly.

[dreamer90024]

I bruise fairly easily and have at times been stopped on the street and given cards for domestic violence hotlines and women's shelters. No one seems to believe me when I try to explain that I'm a fencer.

As to whether or not you should fence her, I think that depends on whether or not you think you can get anything out of fencing her. If you can easily beat her, but get hit painfully with her remises or off targets (intentional or othewise) it may not be worth it. If fencing her challenges you, it might be. There are some instances where you should suck it up and bear the pain. However, if you aren't going to get anything out of it by doing so, it's not worth it. Also, if fencing someone like this is something that would keep you from enjoying your practices, don't do it.
At my club we had an epeeist who would fence like this woman. He would attack and would keep remising long after someone had scored a touch. He had a large wind up, which meant I could hit him in his preparation, but which also meant he would extremely hard hit me after I scored the touch. Yes I could beat him, but it wasn't worth the pain. I wasn't gaining anything by the experience, so I tried to avoid fencing him whenever possible.

[telkanuru]

My basic response in practice "Come back when you learn to control yourself."

In competition it's to make my touches lighter and better, and to simply not let them hit me.

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!

Originally Posted by Peach

My story is my gynecologist asking me gently, "I'm sorry, I have to ask. Who did this to you?"

My reply: "Well, this [pointing] was a fifteen-year-old boy, and this was a woman in her thirties, and this was a guy who is 80 years old--I'm a fencer, I'm a fencer!" as her face grew utterly horrified.

Maybe I should not ask, but since you brought it up:

Why did that doctor look at sabre target area? Or do those opponents totally lack any aim?


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[PeterGustafsson]

Hi!


This is just me - and if you feel different that is your prerogative - but:

If a woman was giving me bruises I would shut up. I can not imagine getting any sympathy if a woman is hurting me, quite the contrary. I would be displeased with myself for not parrying better (unless she is really good, so that my losing is a totally expected outcome) but I would not say anything. Furthermore, I have a hard time believing that I would think ill of her.

Remember, YMMV.


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

[Peach]

Originally Posted by PeterGustafsson

Hi!




Maybe I should not ask, but since you brought it up:

Why did that doctor look at sabre target area? Or do those opponents totally lack any aim?


Have a nice time!

Peter Gustafsson

Silly boy. I was in a patient gown and gynecologists check things on the upper body as well. They are NOT the same sort of doctor as urologists.

[RITFencing]

Originally Posted by Peach

It ain't a ring and this ain't boxing. Some people I won't fence unless it's a tournament, and I tell them so. But then, I'm the den mother of our sabre group and hard hitting shows incompetence in either distance management or weapon handling, so I would rather they improved than continued to hack and slash.

Seconded.

Also, if she's giving you crap about how you need to toughen up or whatever, you can also explain that fencing someone with such terrible form and distance is a waste of your time and possibly detrimental to your game. It's a bit harsh, I know, but it gets the point across well.