Veteran saber fencers

[Candor1]

Any experienced Veteran sabre fencers out there that are willing to answer a few 100 new guy questions???

[jeff]

How about starting on the questions, and seeing who answers, whether vet or not.

Even better: see if the answers already exist: try the Search function or look for the FAQ. If that fails, then start posting questions, but not all at once. Sneak 'em in over time...

[Candor1]

I have noticed that not many competitions or tournaments offer any thing for Veterans.
In that I started fencing at the Vet age it makes me concerned that the vet fencers are considered second class, or perhaps not serious competitors?

[fencerbill]

I have noticed that not many competitions or tournaments offer any thing for Veterans.
In that I started fencing at the Vet age it makes me concerned that the vet fencers are considered second class, or perhaps not serious competitors?

You are not looking hard enough, try Ask Fred.

To toot our own horn, we will have the 7th Veterans Challenge in October near Boston. Individual and Team events in all three weapons, separate Mens and Womens events. Still hope to have another Lobster Clambake included in the registration fee.

[MyrddinsPrecint]

Most competition doesn't specify age. So those are for Vet fencers too--- some Vet fencers do really well in normal open competition, some merely use it to train for Vetran events. But by your definition, Juniors and Cadets would both also be second class citizens, which I don't believe they are.


In fact, due to the people I know/talk to, I tend to know a LOT more about Vetran Women's Sabre than I do about Cadet and Junior Women's Sabre. And I'm 20--- Much closer to Junior than Vet.....

[lindajdunn]

I also started fencing late in life and I'm the only woman fencing veteran sabre in Indiana (to the best of my knowledge). While there are opportunities to fence veteran-only, these opportunities require time and money that are beyond my means at this time. Thus, I do what many other veterans do: fence open competitions and Nationals.

There are plenty of opportunities at open events and if there are other veterans in your area, you can try to persuade event organizers to host a small veteran event at one of the open competitions.

[DennisCANC]

Where are you located? SF Bay Cup series offers six vet tournaments a year.
I just finished my third vet tournament in three months. Great group of people.

[Peach]

I have noticed that not many competitions or tournaments offer any thing for Veterans.
In that I started fencing at the Vet age it makes me concerned that the vet fencers are considered second class, or perhaps not serious competitors?

Nope. It means (as I found to my surprise when I started fencing at a veteran age) that fencing is a sport in which everyone of every age can compete in many of the same events.

[sabreteur]

I'm 49. I started fencing sabre three years ago and began fencing in tournaments after only a couple of months of lessons. In other words, in terms of results I was at the bottom of the pile for a long time. In terms of acceptance though, no one ever made me feel out of place.

Everyone has the same experience of climbing out of the muck and I think it makes for an attitude of tolerance and encouragement that's pretty special.

My advice is fence with the young folk. Unless you live in someplace like Tempe Arizona, where there's a fencing club with a very active sabre geezer contingent, you probably don't have a lot of other vets to fence against. Also, it's freaking fun. Youngsters are so damn fast that it's exhilarating to try to match their tempo.

Any other questions?


PS. Peaches, nice fencing this weekend. This was the first time I've had to opportunity to watch you fence. You make it look easy.

PSS Jeff, clubbing the newbie for not using search, on a forum with as few posts as this one is sooooo last century.

[Peach]

PS. Peach, nice fencing this weekend. This was the first time I've had to opportunity to watch you fence. You make it look easy.

Awwwwwwww. Thanks! Did you say hello? I'm finding that my sight, my hearing, and my memory are becoming I don't remember what I was talking about.

[sabreteur]

Awwwwwwww. Thanks! Did you say hello?

No, you were in bouts at the time and I didn't feel comfortable breaking your concentration with a "Howdy! I'm from Arizona... what'cha all doing here?"

I'm still at a hack n' slash level of competence*, so watching fencers who are able to bring it all together and just make it work, is inspiring.

Hey, back to the thread title: Candor1, mind if I ask your general age?

*Overcome mainly by my build. Prior to fencing I never thought looking like an eggplant with spider monkey arms and legs would be advantageous. Who knew?