My First Bought Foil (Gulp)

[Belril]

Well, to be honest and upfront- I'm so befuddled with all of the choices out there. I've been fencing for a while with my school club, and per my teacher's reccomendation, I'd like to get myself a foil. I've been fencing with a "Stage" italian foil (my teacher got screwed over when he ordered), however I have tried his Italian out on a few occasions, and loved it. I'm interested in fencing outside of my school, but at this point, i'm just stunned by all of my options.

After quite some research, i've found that a decent italian foil is hard to come by, and also quite expensive. That aside, I'm confused by a few things. First: Electric vs. Non-Electric. Can someone please explain to me the advantages/disadvantages to having an electric foil? Second: Grip types. I like the Italian, but i've never tried any sort of pistol grip, since the club doesn't have any. I've tried a French grip, but I hate it. So what's with all of the grips out there? (Personal reccomendations please) Finally: Price. I'm on a very tight budget, and I would prefer not to have to spend over $150 equipping myself.

Thanks in advance for your help!

-Belril

[Katman]

The advantage to having an electric foil is that you can fence with the scoring machines. Of course, then you'd also need a body cord and lame (along with the other protective gear you should already have). You can outfit yourself with an electric foil for under $150, easy.

As far grips go; try 'em out and see what you like. Orthopedic grips (especially the Visconti) are very popular among foil fencers. I recommend it myself.

Fence electric much? If you want to fence outside your club and they don't, I suggest finding a club that does.

[OROD]

If you want to progress then you want to fence electric, it's simple as that. And, once you start fencing electric you will realize how much better it is and wont want to go back. Also, if at any point you want to do a competition, you will need electric equipment. Hence, get electric.

As far as grip, you should get a pistol grip. Try out the different ones, hopefully one will feel right. In any case, there's a reason why all top foilists use them. And just as above, once you've been fencing with a pistol grip for a while you wont even consider going back to Italian.

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[rcmatthews]

Does your instructor call himself "Master" by chance?

[Morion]

As others have explained the "electric" weapons are part of the scoring system used in sanctioned tournaments and involve other gear. It sounds as if your club is what they call a "classical" fencing club where they try to recreate the "old ways". I would recommend checking out a modern fencing club to see how things are actually done. You would probably get a better idea of what you need to do from this. It might also give you a chance to try some other grips. There are many out there but the Visconti and Belgian seem to be the two most popular according to the current poll going on this board.

[fatfencer]

Does your instructor call himself "Master" by chance?

As if there's anything wrong with that SHEESH!!!!

The history of the sport requires that people get their dues; do you begrudge your doctor the title of doctor? What about someone who earned their doctorate in the arts or sciences, they too are "Doctor" so and so.

The term "master at arms" and even the concept of teaching/certifying fencing has its home primarily in military institutions all over Europe. If anyone learns from said institutions or graduates under someone who has previously been granted said title...well, they deserve it.

IF the person is like many in the US who insists on coaching after reading a book or something, then, well, they don't deserve that privilege.

Americans seem to have trouble calling someone "master". Maybe thats because Americans seem to think that the opposite master is 'slave'. Sadly, it's not. The opposite of 'master' is 'student'.

Maybe its because America, in many vocations, has people claiming expertise they don't have. Thusly we begin to resent people who claim said expertise.

As someone who is highly Confucian I have to respect protocol. If you call someone master once, you call them that always. If you don't respect someone as your master then don't call them that ever. evvvver. That's a severe no no.


FF

[Belril]

Yes, my club is much more of a "classical" fencing organization. And my instructor, doesn't even like to refer to himself as a teacher, even though he could hand each and every one of his students their behind (very easily). As far as electric goes, would it be possible to use an electric foil as a non-electric foil (my school club doesn't use electric equipment)? Thanks again!

-Belril

[HDG]

As far as electric goes, would it be possible to use an electric foil as a non-electric foil (my school club doesn't use electric equipment)?

Sure, but there would be absolutely no point; the only reason to practice with an electric foil is as preparation for competing with an electric foil. If you're going to be using it as a dry [synonym for non-electric] foil, the additional cost is simply wasted. If you are going to be competing in classical fencing tournaments, they may not allow you to use an electric foil, or any sort of ortho grip.


PS Where do you fence?

[rcmatthews]

As if there's anything wrong with that SHEESH!!!!

The history of the sport requires that people get their dues; do you begrudge your doctor the title of doctor? What about someone who earned their doctorate in the arts or sciences, they too are "Doctor" so and so.

I do think it sort of pompous to call oneself master, maitre, maestro (especially that one) or any other of these such titles. For me, it just has a sort of moustache wax like quality to it.

[Belril]

Hokay- firstly, I fence with my school (we don't compete), secondly, my teacher doesn't really care about what kind of grip we use. Thirdly, the only reason I'm talking about using an electric dry is that 1)My fencing teacher says we don't have time for electrics (true, we only get an hour a week) 2)I'd like to do tourneys, but I don't feel like I'm ready for that sort of thing, and I don't want to throw away money, and 3)Nobody else uses electric, or makes any claims as to how they work, so I don't want to seem snooty. That's really all. I'm in the SF Bay Area, so I'll probably go to American Fencers in the city to try out grips and such.

Thankyouthankyouthankyou!

-Belril

[OROD]

Hokay- firstly, I fence with my school (we don't compete), secondly, my teacher doesn't really care about what kind of grip we use. Thirdly, the only reason I'm talking about using an electric dry is that 1)My fencing teacher says we don't have time for electrics (true, we only get an hour a week) 2)I'd like to do tourneys, but I don't feel like I'm ready for that sort of thing, and I don't want to throw away money, and 3)Nobody else uses electric, or makes any claims as to how they work, so I don't want to seem snooty. That's really all. I'm in the SF Bay Area, so I'll probably go to American Fencers in the city to try out grips and such.

Dude, you're in the bay area, there's plenty of clubs around. Like I said, if you want to keep improving then at some point you need to do electric. You dont need to start competing now, but obviously you can only get so much from your school. So find a club where you can practice, and once you do at some point soon you'll want to practice electric. Dry fencing is only for beginners and the "classical" fencing types.

.

[DesertFencer]

Even if you don't fence electric, I strongly advise using an electric blade with a dummy electric point. They screw on the tip with some thread locker and they stay in place. It beats chasing the little plastic button all over the place. Several fencers in our club set up their practice weapons like this to save wear and tear on their electric blades.

[fatfencer]

I do think it sort of pompous to call oneself master, maitre, maestro (especially that one) or any other of these such titles. For me, it just has a sort of moustache wax like quality to it.

Oh I'm sure, even for me it smacks of that old fencing movie with Eric Roberts and F. Murray Abraham called By the Sword. BTW: What brand of wax do you use?

Generally I call my coach by his given name; but he knows I know what his title is and that I respect that he earned it. Occasionally the term maestro gets floated around though.

A friend of mine is a doctor and it took the better part of 3 years before he MADE me call him by his first name. Even old college teachers who I've become friends with long after our teacher student relationship was over... I still have difficulty calling them by their first name.

I very much respect higher learning I guess. Incidentally, all y'all better start calling me master, some of you may remember a thread here about the similarities of TKD. bwahahahahaha!!

Humbly submitted,

Master Fat: Sith Lord; Esq.