Advice for first competition

[FenceToTheT]

What did you do to train for your first competition and what would you advice to people training for their first competition?

Let me know what it was like when you competed for the first time.

[eac]

Originally Posted by FenceToTheT

What did you do to train for your first competition and what would you advice to people training for their first competition?

Let me know what it was like when you competed for the first time.

I didn't do much to train for my first competition. Frankly, it's probably not much use training for your first competition; you go mainly to learn what tournaments are about and how they work.

In my first competition, not only did I get the snot kicked out of me (like most people do in their first competition, probably), I was also horribly confused about the calling of right-of-way because my coach had taught it to me all wrong. So, if you are horribly confused about ROW, try looking at who wins the tournament and switching to their club.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by FenceToTheT

What did you do to train for your first competition and what would you advice to people training for their first competition?

Let me know what it was like when you competed for the first time.

I painted fences, waxed cars, and practiced kicking on a post by the beach.

[VELISARIOS]

Hello. You have to be cool.

[IHateMrPotatohead]

What did I do? I went into the tournament with the mindset that I was going to have a good time. Any point I got all day was a personal victory.

[little_old_me]

I didn't do any special training. Our club happened to be hosting a tournament about 1.5 months after I started. I decided to enter just to have fun. I ended up 2-3 in pools (yeah, got really lucky with one of those and fenced another newbie in the other). Ended up finishing 23rd out of 25. All in all, I just had fun.

Also, I learned to read a score card that day. I had originally seeded 19th out of Pools, but I didn't know how to read the score card before I signed it. I just assumed that since the rest of the pool said it was ok, it must have been right. I ended up really seeding 23rd because my scores and another fencers scores were recorded backwards.

My biggest advice is to just go to have fun. If it's your first tourny, you'll probably not do too well. (Note, I said probably. You could go and earn like a D or something. Ya never know.)

Try to learn a little something from each bout. If you have a parent, boy/girlfriend, etc. going with you, have them record the names of who you fence, the score, and you go back and write in how you won the bout or what they did to beat you.

People will generally be pretty nice. Make a new friend who is a more experienced fencer. Watch their bouts. Ask them to watch yours (Especially DE). Ask for advice.

Overall, just go and have a great time!!!!



edit: 500th POST!!!!!!! Ok, I feel better now. ^_^

[Feraud]

read the rule book

[SJCFU#2]

Originally Posted by Feraud

read the rule book

And make sure that your gear is in proper order (says someone who first learned about shim tests in épée the hard way ).

Also, look for any post by Purple Fencer - there is a link in the signature block to his guide for people attending their first tournaments.

[HDG]

Originally Posted by SJCFU#2

look for any post by Purple Fencer - there is a link in the signature block to his guide for people attending their first tournaments.

Here's the link to Purple's guide.

[Purple Fencer]

Originally Posted by HDG

Here's the link to Purple's guide.

SOOOOOO nice to be appreciated!

I need to update some of the links tho....AND the name on the lame rule, if the LBI thread's accurate...

[Goldgar]

Originally Posted by Purple Fencer

I need to update some of the links tho....AND the name on the lame rule, if the LBI thread's accurate...

I don't think it is, though.

[Darkholmme]

I just had my first tournament... 9th out of pools, 10th overall out of 24. Overall, it was a slightly confusing experience, hehe.

I didn't do any special training to get ready for it, I just bouted a lot, and sure enough, the problem that I was having in bouting ended up being my downfall at the tourney. In the end, just go there to have fun and to learn, and you'll do fine.

[noodle]

# Epee: I'm new and was wondering if I could have some basic pointers?


At the lower levels of epee, success can be easily found by doing three simple things: keeping good distance, keep your point on their arm, and have patience. When your oppnent shows an opening on their arm for whatever reason, try and sneak your tip in to hit. If you're getting pushed around on the strip, turn up the aggression to prevent running off the back of the strip. Be sure not to have your guard near your body; keep it halfway into an extension. Don't be shy to initiate some attacks, but make sure to deal with their blade when doing so (beat/bind/etc) as an attack without one will definitely draw a counterattack. Above all, keep being patient. A slow, controlled bout will frustrate a lot of opponents.

# Sabre: I'm new and was wondering if I could have some basic pointers?


The most effective parry in sabre is the one you do not have to make. If you have right of way, keep it and hit them. If you don't, keep your distance moderately quickly, wait for them to launch their final attack, jump out of the way quickly (a "distance parry") to make them miss, and then take right of way again for yourself. Sabre is quick, it is easy to get stuck in a rut doing the same thing over and over. Think about what you are doing between actions. Don't be afraid to change lines, cut in different places, disengage, or be defensive. When you are on the attack, though, you need to do your absolute best to try and hit them, as it is much easier to land an attack in sabre than successfully parry.

# Foil: I'm new and was wondering if I could have some basic pointers?


Foil is the toughest weapon to characterize in a few sentences. Make sure to keep good distance, only getting close enough to hit when you intend on hitting. Disengages, especially a 'one-two' attack which is essentially two disengages, will prove useful. Foil is a tricky game, so make sure you scout out your opponent by throwing shallow attacks to see how they respond. Only make a committed attack if you feel you can actually score with the attack, not to find out what they will do. Under the new 2004 timings, counterattacks will prove to be more useful, so consider throwing a few into your game.

Fencing.net FAQ v1.1

as for general tournament tips, i'd say be realistic. have a goal of winning one pool bout, and thats it. hardly anyone will do well in their first ever tournament. make sure you know how to fence electric and how a tournament works.

[Phaeton]

There are a few things you can do to make sure you have a good first tournament. Here’s a little list I just came up with.

I: Preparation:
• Get a good night’s sleep beforehand. This may sound trivial but it is extremely important.
• Eat dinner, a good dinner. Something like pasta is great.
• Make sure you have all equipment this may include:
o Blade (x2 although I’d recommend 3 for foil or epee)
o Fencing Whites (jacket/pants)
o Fencing Socks
o Lame (foil/sabre)
o Body cords (x2), mask wire (sabre)
o Fencing Mask
• Rest the day before the tournament. You’ll be working hard enough the day of, just kind of chill
• Get as much combative practice as you can the week before the tournament

II: Goals:
This one doesn’t really deserve a separate category but I’ll put it in one anyway. You’re not going to win your first tournament. In the beginning and throughout your fencing career going to tournaments should not be the end all of fencing. The end all of fencing is most often improvement, or at least peak performance at a given tournament. For this to work you need to work out a series of goals. This is something you should do with your coach. This should probably consist of:

A technical action you want to execute well.
A sub goal of your choice.

“Winning” is not a valid goal. The primary goal at least should be working on an action or a concept, and so should to a degree the secondary. That way if you do badly you can always come home and say you did something right at the end of the day.

Your goals should be set before you show up at the venue.

III: At the tournament.
1. Show up about an hour before registration close.
2. Register as soon as possible.
3. Get your gear checked by the armorer immediately
4. Begin warm up. This should compose of
a. Running
b. Stretching
c. Footwork
d. (possibly pair work, work with coach)
e. Bouting.
5. Fence Pools—Don’t leave when they are done.
6. Fence DEs

You should always be aware of your surroundings and what is being posted. Far too many people have been removed from the tournament for not showing up while they were a the tournament. If there is something posted look at it. If there is a mass of fencers around something posted you should probably look at it. Listen for your last name.

Be respectful toward the judges and other fencers. Don’t throw bouts of rage, and remember it is OK to ask questions. If you don’t get what a judge is calling ask in a respectful way: “Sir, why are you calling it his beat instead of my parry.”

If at any time you need to halt raise your nonfencing hand and stomp your back foot. This should only be done if it’s absolutely vital.

IV: After the tournament:

Congratulations, you’ve just done a great day of fencing. Think about what you saw, what was wrong with your actions and how you can improve. Eat a decent dinner and drink water to recover. Time to chill, and do something you like, it’s been a high tension day.

[eac]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

III: At the tournament.
1. Show up about an hour before registration close.
2. Register as soon as possible.
3. Get your gear checked by the armorer immediately
4. Begin warm up. This should compose of
a. Running
b. Stretching
c. Footwork
d. (possibly pair work, work with coach)
e. Bouting.
5. Fence Pools—Don’t leave when they are done.
6. Fence DEs

I second all of these, and emphatically add:

7. WATCH THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT AFTER YOU LOSE (assuming you do). Learn from the people in the later rounds. These are the people you want to emulate, if it is a reasonably strong tournament (i.e. As and Bs, maybe strong Cs). Follow the action, and try to get inside one or both of the fencers' heads. This is more useful the stronger the tournament is. If the style seems alien to you, keep an open mind-- this is what works. Try to figure out what they have that you don't-- take notes if you have to. Is their footwork better than yours? Bladework? Smoothness? Defense? Offense? Distance?
Don't blame it all on speed, either. Yes, more experienced people generally have more speed, but that's usually not something you can work on, and it's also almost never the sole difference. Usually, increased speed comes with an improvement in something else, so observe and improve the something else.
Take this back to the club and think about working on one of the things you noticed.

[noodle]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

4. Begin warm up. This should compose of
a. Running
b. Stretching
c. Footwork
d. (possibly pair work, work with coach)
e. Bouting.

unless you're oiuyt

[Phaeton]

Originally Posted by eac

I second all of these, and emphatically add:

7. WATCH THE REST OF THE TOURNAMENT AFTER YOU LOSE (assuming you do). Learn from the people in the later rounds. These are the people you want to emulate, if it is a reasonably strong tournament (i.e. As and Bs, maybe strong Cs). Follow the action, and try to get inside one or both of the fencers' heads. This is more useful the stronger the tournament is. If the style seems alien to you, keep an open mind-- this is what works. Try to figure out what they have that you don't-- take notes if you have to. Is their footwork better than yours? Bladework? Smoothness? Defense? Offense? Distance?
Don't blame it all on speed, either. Yes, more experienced people generally have more speed, but that's usually not something you can work on, and it's also almost never the sole difference. Usually, increased speed comes with an improvement in something else, so observe and improve the something else.
Take this back to the club and think about working on one of the things you noticed.

I'm a bit surprised I forgot that one. Tournaments are first and foremost and educational experience, even those you are competing in not as a training excercise but to win. Unless you need to jet (flight, appointment) staying is not only the best thing to do for you (I've learned a lot from watching after tournaments) but is respectful and corteous to those individuals who were not eliminated.

If you've got free time after and before you head back it's always a great idea to offer to clean up. Usualy the bout commity and custodians are more than happy when someone offers to help out, and they need it after a long day. It's a good way to make friends and a solid first impression.

[HDG]

Get lots of feedback. Assuming your coach isn't too busy running things or refereeing, ask for his or her impressions of what you did wrong and right (in that order). If you are fencing more experienced people, ask them the same questions afterwards. If you can get someone to take some video do so, and ask your coach if he or she will take a look at it with you the next time you class meets.

n.b. All of this applies to every tournament, not just your first.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by HDG

If you are fencing more experienced people, ask them the same questions afterwards

I like to ask those questions BEFORE the bout, then use their answers to beat them. Yep, my opponents sure are dumb.

[Grasshopper]

Originally Posted by Phaeton

remember it is OK to ask questions. If you don’t get what a judge is calling ask in a respectful way: “Sir, why are you calling it his beat instead of my parry.”

I prefer "or" questions like, "Sir, are you blind or stupid, cause that last call sucked bananabutt!"