Wallowing in self pity...

[sabreuse]

About a month ago, I got whacked pretty hard across the knuckles of my weapon hand. My ring finger turned purple and swelled up. I ignored it. Hey, I'm a sabre fencer. Last Friday I was tearing up a bunch of paper (!) and my finger started really hurting and turning colors again. OK, OK, I'll go to the doctor. Diagnosis: tendon damage. I'm s'posed to keep it in a splint for 2 weeks. I can't hardly write with it like that, much less fence (that may have been the point of the splint). I'm going to have to miss a local tournament this weekend (the first anniversary of my first tournament in which I took first place) and miss the St. Valentine's Day Massacre next weekend. I guess I'll just sit at home and mope for 2 weeks.

[Rick]

Now would be a good time to learn how to fence with your opposite hand... just think... ambidexterity.

[Shadow Fencer]

Good suggestion from Rick.
Don't sit home and mope, do footwork and mope!

[Moonitic]

sabre,

You sound like me when I had my stress fracture. I ignored it, & let it get worse. Then couldn't fence for 2 months (couldn't fence "off legged". Tomorrow I get to start up again. My advice for people who get hurt: TAKE CARE OF IT so that you don't have to miss extra fencing time if you hurt it worse!

[Purple Fencer]

Saberuse,

I'm so sorry 'bout yer hand. I'm kinda' feeling the same way...I had to miss the SoCal team epee quals because I've been fighting a very nasty cold for the last week...one I caught right after I got over the cold I caught in Las Vegas!

I was itching to go out all day Sunday, and I probably could've fenced it anyway, but I didn't want to kill myself before the Linkmeyer tourney at USC this Saturday.

What stunk was that there there are only three real epeeists at my salle, and I'm one of them, bad as I am. (Same holds true for sabre. In fact, it's the same three guys). We may not have qualified, but, since there were only two other teams, I would've at least gottona divisinal medal!

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I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!

[arcon]

[ 10-19-2001: Message edited by: arcon ]

[sabreuse]

Thanks for the support. I am planning to keep in shape by doing footwork, at least I hope I have the discipline. As far as fencing left-handed...I don't know. I've got to be the least ambidextrous person I know. I have to just about crawl out my car window at an ATM to push the buttons with my right hand.

On the other hand (no pun intended), it would be fun to emulate that scene in Princess Bride. I could wear 2 body cords, one for each hand. At a crucial moment in a bout, I could start smiling hugely.

Opponent: "Why are you smiling?"

Me: "Because I know something you don't. BWaahh hah hah hah hah!"



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I have principles. If you don't like them, I've got others.
--Groucho Marx

[Mengarath the Dragon]

Ambidexterity is all well and good. As long as you don't abuse it. Point in fact:

Fencer in my club has motorcylce accident. Comes out of it alive, still, walking, and with all of his skin pretty much intact. But has a cast on right wrist and damage to knee collar bone and shoulder. 7 weeks later, insists on fencing in state games. Fences right handed until he can't lift his right hand. Fences left handed until he ends sprawled on the gymnasium floor. Had to be HELD DOWN by other club members while our club's resident med student wrapped his knee and took him to the hospital. Ended up having surgery.

And who was this amazingly intelligent person? Our instructor! Being ambidextrous would be wonderful, but don't think that you can just switch one side to another every time you get hurt. It has bad consequences sometimes.

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Mengarath the Dragon

Life is too short to be ordinary.

[Purple Fencer]

Actually, I've always told Freewind that he shouyld go thorugh pools right handed, then switch to left if he drew a guy from pools in DE, just to screw him up!

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Sam Signorelli -- I'll be mellow when I'm
DEAD!