Fencing to pull off cool touches vs fencing to win

[MYSTERYFENCERX]

I've always without thinking fenced for the coolest moves. I think my first two moves besides the basics were the flesche and the prime'. But as i got more experienced in my fencing career I see that not everybody fences ................................i dont know COOL to be exact and i wonder if fencing to pull out cool moves is better than fencing to win

[erooMynohtnA]

That depends on your goal. If you want to win, fencing to win is better.

If you want to look like a putz while someone hands you your ass, then fencing to look cool is better.

[AndrewH]

Well, if it's any help, I've won some pretty improbable upsets when I stopped worrying about winning, and just concentrated on getting a couple nice touches. Taking it one touch at a time is a good mental attitude to have.

[Craig]

Are you a fencer or a fight choreographer?

The really cool move (see jumping Tiomkin photo) typically comes out as a spark of creativity when needed, but not as the bread and butter moves that get one to the highest levels.

Some fencers pull off some more "showboating" moves than others. I, for one, called my shot a couple of times in my college days and would go for a "cool" touch if I was ahead enough in the bout and wanted to try to pull it off.

Funny thing though - sometimes the touch that you think is just routine is the one that gets the "oohs" and "aahs".



Craig

[FoilyDeath]

What weapon do you fence out of interest?

[erooMynohtnA]

What weapon do you fence out of interest?

That would be epee.

Or if it were addressed to Craig, foil.

If you go to their profiles, it says under primary weapon.

[TrainingDummy]

I fence epee out of interest, sabre out of boredom, and foil out of absolute necessity.

[Durando]

The really cool move (see jumping Tiomkin photo) typically comes out as a spark of creativity when needed...

True that. Also, cool is extremely subjective and not necessarily flashy. I hit a superior fencer on a (for me) very risky attack into preparation. Boy did that feel cool. Nobody else really thought it was a big deal.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Fencing for "cool touches" can be a really fun way to overlearn. I have a hard on for 6-flick to the back, and I've done it alot in practice bouts. But when you practice it, you're practicing more than the touch, you're practicing....

Timing.
Distance control.
Blade takes.
Flicks.
Where it fits in tactically in a bout.

So yeah, for fencers who have a penchant for being theatric, "cool touches" can be a really fun way to practice.

In a tournament though, I go for a cool touch now and then, but it tends to be much more of your bread and butter.

[FoilyDeath]

Right...if you want to do cool touches, you should be fencing foil:P Epee just doesn't have quite as much potential for doing a 360 in close quarters and hitting them when you land...you get carded, but its so damn worth it!

But yeah, cool hits are made for creative madness when your stuck in close quarters.

[MYSTERYFENCERX]

That depends on your goal. If you want to win, fencing to win is better.

If you want to look like a putz while someone hands you your ass, then fencing to look cool is better.

But in that case fencers like verwiljen i mean he wins but his fencing to the eye is horrific.
i just want to know what the perfect balance is between pulling off a showstopping touch and winning with ordinary parry riposte or lunges

[MYSTERYFENCERX]

What weapon do you fence out of interest?

My weapon of choice is epee. Which is the best of all weapons in my opinion

[irishfolker]

I wouldn't sacrifice a win just to try to pull off cool touches. If you're way up, you might try getting creative for the fun of it, but that might be interpreted as showing off. If you're way behind and have no chance of catching up, might as well make it artistic. Learn what you can from it and grow from the experience. It might as well be fun.

Of course, I'm new here and may very well be full of it.

[epeemike81]

Right...if you want to do cool touches, you should be fencing foil:P Epee just doesn't have quite as much potential for doing a 360 in close quarters and hitting them when you land...you get carded, but its so damn worth it!

But yeah, cool hits are made for creative madness when your stuck in close quarters.

carded and might not get a light under new timing...

in epee, on the other hand, you can hit touches like deep 8 back flick, flicks to the side of the mask, wrist, toe (well, side of the foot, really), or flank and actually GET a light. Foil USED to have more potential for cool touches. not so much anymore...

-m

[FoilyDeath]

If you can't flick with the new timing, don't blame the timing, blame yourself....All it takes is a change of technique. You can still flick anywhere you want, people just don't know how to do it.
Epee just doesn't have much close quarters anymore, which is where the fun stuff happens.

[MYSTERYFENCERX]

WHOA WHOA WHOA there are lots of cool little tricks you can pull off in epee like flicks foot touches, and infighting when its done correctly

[FoilyDeath]

Thats true of course. Just saying, the majority of very very cool hits happen in infighting in foil. If your doing infighting in epee, your doing something wrong:P Flicks to the foot just really aren't as cool as jumping in the air and hitting the guy between your legs, or hitting him from behind your head, or hell, jumping over them when they duck and flicking them in mid air:P

[MYSTERYFENCERX]

Thats true of course. Just saying, the majority of very very cool hits happen in infighting in foil. If your doing infighting in epee, your doing something wrong:P Flicks to the foot just really aren't as cool as jumping in the air and hitting the guy between your legs, or hitting him from behind your head, or hell, jumping over them when they duck and flicking them in mid air:P

all which can be done with an epee.

[erooMynohtnA]

all which can be done with an epee.

pix plz

[D'Art]

Flicks to the foot just really aren't as cool as jumping in the air and hitting the guy between your legs, or hitting him from behind your head, or hell, jumping over them when they duck and flicking them in mid air:P

Have you been watching me when I was fencing pissed again?