Competition Preparations

[LeftHanded]

I was wondering how do you prepare for a tournament? I know I try not to eat alot or else I feel large and sluggish. Also how do you guys get pumped? What are some ways to get phycologically pumped?

[rory]

By knowing I've trained hard and being confident.
Confidence is a massive part of fencing success.

[Coldfire]

As Rory said be confident. Part of winning is telling yourself that you're going to do well.

Pumping up...hmm. Listen to some pump up music then

I personally like to get to the place at least half hour early and get rid of any jitters. I get comfortable with the place. Being nervous and fencing is a horrible feeling.

Make sure you give yourself plenty of time to warm up and stretch because if your're anything like myself you fence horribly unless you are stretched and warmed up.

Hope that helps.

[Joe biebel]

There is of course the technical and tactical preparation, but also your philosophy or pschological preparation is key. It's certainly a lot easier to be prepared mentally if you have a vast amount of experience to draw upon. For me, I'm either physically prepared or I'm not. If I'm not physically prepared, I know it and it becomes physically and mentally difficult to "pull the trigger". If I'm in great shape it becomes more important to act confident and concentrate hard on "beating" the opponent rather than worrying and concentating on "not losing". It's always better to have your opponent be the one to worry about "not losing".

[LeftHanded]

The reason I ask is because I just got back from a tournament and I was totally unprepared. I stretched but I hadn't slept well the night before and I had a really greasy brkfst. I actualy ended up taking a small nap on strip five minutes before the pool began. I want to be sure I am ready for the tournament this weekend. Besides music how else can you get energized.

[Coldfire]

Besides music you can eat something high in simple sugars a few minutes before you fenced.

Oh and another obvious thing. Make sure you have lots of water/gatorade on hand. Staying hydrated is important. Bring a bottle with you to the strip so that after a pool bout you have quick access to it and keep it nearby during DE bouts to use during the minute breaks.

[HDG]

Originally Posted by LeftHanded

The reason I ask is because I just got back from a tournament and I was totally unprepared. I stretched but I hadn't slept well the night before and I had a really greasy brkfst. I actualy ended up taking a small nap on strip five minutes before the pool began. I want to be sure I am ready for the tournament this weekend. Besides music how else can you get energized.

You identify to things right there; get a good night's sleep, eat a good breakfast. You should also have a good dinner the night before. My own rule of thumb is that if I'll have to drive more than two hours to get to the tournament, I'll just drop the money for a hotel and get the extra sleep. A little extravagant, but I find that it's worth it.

Did you do any warm-up fencing?
Was your coach there for a warm-up lesson?
Did you do any warm-up footwork / shadow fencing?

Or did you just show up, stretch, nap and fence your first bout?

[Chafunkta]

The last tournament I was in, in which I placed pretty well, I went to sleep at 4 a.m. (my event started at 9) and ate a McDonald's bacon, egg, and cheese bagel for breakfast. Go figure.

I used to be a big proponent of getting a good night's rest, but I think confidence at the tournament should be of a higher priority. The last couple of tournaments I've done well at I've had bad nights of sleep and not too great of breakfasts. I think my confidence just made up for those that much.

Too much concentration on metally preparing yourself may lead to you second guessing yourself. Don't let that happen.

[Sciurus-Rex]

Posting on a fencing message board just before a tournament usually gets me pumped.

[Ordway]

Lot of good suggestions already. Here are some of the things I do for important events (ones that I travel some distance to):

--Arrive the day before (for national events) or (for regional events) early enough so that I won't worry about being late because of traffic.

--WARM UP and stretch, then do some practice bouting. For big events I start my warmup/stretch routine an hour before close of registration.

--Make sure that, the night before, I have everything laid out that I need the next morning: what I'm wearing, what I'm bringing to the venue (snacks, water, etc.). That way I can calmly gather stuff up and head over after I get dressed.

--Eat breakfast (something that works for you; I need something easy to eat, like oatmeal or cold cereal, or applesauce; I have trouble stomaching heavy things like a bagel or muffin.

--Eat during the tournament day, such as having a snack after the pools, or midway through the morning if your event isn't until later in the day. It is very easy to forget about this until it's too late.

--Get my equipment checked the day before I fence, if I possibly can, even if it means taking an extra-early flight out so I'll arrive at the venue in time.

--Make sure that anything I'm wearing or using is something that I've broken in at practice and that I'm used to wearing.

--Taken care of any medical self-care or prevention that's needed (bandaging up my still-sore toe (lost a nail at the October NAC), taking ibuprophin, etc.)

These are all practical preparations, not psychological ones, but having a routine and being able to prepare calmly without being in a rush really helps me stay calm and relaxed.

[Beloit Fencer of Old]

If you're going to be competing against ME, I suggest lots of beer, cigarettes and sleeping in the yard with a sharp rock under your spine is a good way to start your preparations the night before. Don't forget to bring only your least favorite weapons. Each time you come to the strip, not only should you have forgotten your tip tape (foil), but having a too-light spring would be helpful, too, thank you very much!

[LUDICROUS]

Watch any of the montages from these movies: Rocky 2,3,4 and you're set.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Eat more.

I suggest a breakfast consisting of a dairy protein, a grain and alot of fruit.

Also, do some brutal endurance training.

[AndrewH]

Preparations? You mean like only drinking a 6 pack instead of a case the night before?

[LeftHanded]

HaHaHa very funny. I am simialar as to I can not stomach a bagel or a muffin. I just feel it bouncing around as I fence. I sometimes find that if I stretch or warm up to early I end up more tired than I was before. For example, if the bout committy take longer than expected to get things under way and I start warming up to early I will sometimes loose more energy but my legs are warmed up. If I warm up and run then stop, my muscles don't stay warmed up and actually start to become tense. Any suggestions

[Ordway]

Originally Posted by LeftHanded

I sometimes find that if I stretch or warm up to early I end up more tired than I was before. For example, if the bout committy take longer than expected to get things under way and I start warming up to early I will sometimes loose more energy but my legs are warmed up. If I warm up and run then stop, my muscles don't stay warmed up and actually start to become tense. Any suggestions

If you get in better shape, you probably won't find the warmup tiring you out like that. (This is just a practical suggestion, not a criticism of whatever shape you're in; I need to get in better shape too.)

During and after your warmup, are you putting on sweats to keep warm? I find that I lose heat easily, and I have happen a similar thing to what you describe, if I don't dress properly: if I warm up, but just stay dressed as I was when I was warming up, I get chilled and stiff. So I pull on warm-up pants *over* my knickers and put on my club jacket *over* my fencing gear, to stay warm. At important events, I put those on again between DE bouts; during the pool, I don't pull on the warmup pants between bouts, but I'll drape my jacket over my legs while I'm sitting, to keep my legs warm.

[LUDICROUS]

Either: Train in the most advanced gym known to human science, or B: Train in the wilderness.

[Phaeton]

Originally Posted by LeftHanded

HaHaHa very funny. I am simialar as to I can not stomach a bagel or a muffin. I just feel it bouncing around as I fence. I sometimes find that if I stretch or warm up to early I end up more tired than I was before. For example, if the bout committy take longer than expected to get things under way and I start warming up to early I will sometimes loose more energy but my legs are warmed up. If I warm up and run then stop, my muscles don't stay warmed up and actually start to become tense. Any suggestions

Experiment. Change what you eat, change what you do. Alter what dinner you'll have before, how much sleep you get, what you'll eat, how long and what you do for running/stretching. Can you make your stretches dynamic?

Warm up is a very personal thing that people often tweak and may take a while to find. Do what works best when it matters, and when you're at a practice tournament try to mix things up and look at how you fence afterward.

The one who can help most with your warm up is you...so mess around and figure stuff out.

[LUDICROUS]

Do you have access to boxing wraps or a picture of a hated fencer?

Put the picture on your mirror, and the morning of the tournament, crush it in your hand with a vengeance! Or, before the tourney, wrap your hands in wraps and punch your palms, hard.

In Conjunction with the wilderness training, you will be set

[T H U G]

when i go to compete
you knowz im gunna beat
cuz im supa elite
watchin me be neat
movin mah feet
but neva ferget da prep
be rested. if you tired take a nap
or if youz sluggish, take a lap
if you think you sick, smear a pap
but mostly, FEEL ready
make yo hand feel steady
steady as leady
and pay off yo debty
do what it takes
to make yoself feel right
cuz den you'll fence tight
when you get in da fight
all into da night