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MessiahFencing · 04-09-2007, 09:48 PM

Well, It's well into April, Fencing season ended. I haven't fenced since. Now sure I've lunged down a few halls and flicked a few 'un-noticed' dents in the wall, but other than that, I haven't fenced.

Now, I come from a team that did well in states and dominates its league. Only because of an incredibly strong sabre squad and a formidable epee squad. Our foil squad, good for the league, didn't pull its weight in states.

Now that our seniors are gone, our foil squad is SO much worse. I feel motivated!

However, I won't be able to join a club until school ends ( summer ) and want to do more than just club and a possible camp. I dont want to improve, i want to metamophisize (sorry for sounding a bit gay).

There are a few problems which i need advice:

1- What do i do? No club for now, no resources, just my equipment with limited room. What are my options?

2- I want to do alot over the summer, goes along with #1, but once (and if) i do go to club over summer, what can i do to supplement it

3- Big Problem: Motivation

I have a few people below me in ranks, and a few people above me ( ranks as in wins vs losses, indicator, etc ) and there's no way in hell they will ever beat me ( trust me ) and there is a very slim chance that i can beat the people above me (years of more xp ). I need motivation! lol i wanna get better, but at the same time, dont know why. Like when i'm a senior, im automatically starter A. so why try for it?

I know it sounds dumb, but its been bothering me.

Any advice?

mrbiggs · 04-09-2007, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MessiahFencing

I have a few people below me in ranks, and a few people above me ( ranks as in wins vs losses, indicator, etc ) and there's no way in hell they will ever beat me ( trust me ) and there is a very slim chance that i can beat the people above me (years of more xp ). I need motivation! lol i wanna get better, but at the same time, dont know why. Like when i'm a senior, im automatically starter A. so why try for it?

So you can beat people from other teams.

Also, excepting some very unusual circumstances, you can beat the people above you. Use that as your goal.

seven6ty · 04-09-2007, 10:20 PM

Why can't you fence at any clubs in the area right now? If you're not actually fencing, it's going to be difficult to actually improve. I mean, sure you can work on your footwork, lunges and simple blade actions on your own, but it will only get you so far.

RITFencing · 04-09-2007, 10:21 PM

As I told my HS kiddies... the fencing world is a LOT bigger than a statewide HS league. The USFA fencing season isn't over until after nationals in July, and the FIE season not until October, or whenever worlds are this year.

There are bigger fish to fry than the competition for your varsity A strip, or the people in the other teams around.

Get your rear end to a good club (if you like, I can PM you with recommendations; IIRC you're from NJ and I know a bit about the fencing around there) and train hard. Chances are there will be people there who can make dog meat out of you. Don't take it too hard; it's a good learning tool (and yet another motivator.) NJ Div 3 qualifiers have not been held yet, I think, and Mid Atlantic Sectionals are also coming up for both senior (qualifies for div 1A) and junior (U19.) There are also team events you might be able to qualify for if you can find a team. If you can qualify, head down to Miami in July and catch a glimpse of the wider world of fencing. It'll be different from what you're used to, and when you think about that, think about the fact that the whole US Circuit, all the NACs and JOs and Nationals, are really just there to qualify fencers for the real big leagues.

Varsity A strip is a small goal. Learn to set bigger ones.

seven6ty · 04-09-2007, 10:21 PM

Also, if nothing else, find other people from your team who want to work out too. I'm sure for the motivation thing, if you can find members who are, or will be, new to the team, that can be very motivational. Getting to help them out and explain things to them. Sure, it might not help you improve much, but at least it is something to start getting you motivated about getting out to fence more. Also, while I'm assuming you're talking about collegiate fencing, so there are still tons of more USFA tournaments left for the year.

MessiahFencing · 04-09-2007, 10:22 PM

I cant join a club until schools over for grades and stuff. Planning on bergen fencing, not 100% sure tho.

What other goals are there? i don't see much more.

RITFencing · 04-09-2007, 10:24 PM

Sorry, didn't notice the bit about not being able to join a club... parents saying no?

If you can, get to tournaments in the area, including the qualifiers I mentioned. There are a profusion in NJ at many levels, from very bad to fairly strong.

erooMynohtnA · 04-09-2007, 10:34 PM

I don't want to sound harsh here, but it sounds like you've already settled on a level of acceptable mediocrity and you want to stick with it. You don't seem to want to get better as much as you just want to stay exactly where you are.

Fighting to maintain your position is stupid. As you tread water, people are going to pass you. Not to sound cliched, but if you're going to train, train to win.

MessiahFencing · 04-09-2007, 10:36 PM

oh, and one other thing, what are the levels in terms of the average year...

beginner? vs intermediate?

does beginner mean 0-1 years, or just 0? always wondered ( with clubs and classes and such )

High School LvL i remind. What tournaments are open for average - kinda good but nothing special fencers?

edit: no, i want to imporve, its just i cant seem to set goals.

MyrddinsPrecint · 04-09-2007, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MessiahFencing

oh, and one other thing, what are the levels in terms of the average year...

beginner? vs intermediate?

does beginner mean 0-1 years, or just 0? always wondered ( with clubs and classes and such )

High School LvL i remind. What tournaments are open for average - kinda good but nothing special fencers?

edit: no, i want to imporve, its just i cant seem to set goals.

I had fenced for all four years of high school in a program that wasn't very strong. By the time I got out, I was still a beginner. I've seen other people fence for one year (with better physical makeup and a significantly better coach) and be at a level better defined by the word "intermediate".

Almost all tournaments are open for average-nothing special fencers. You might not to terribly well at them, they might not be that many at-level bouts, but you'll learn a lot. You probably want to start with an E&Under or a D&Under tournament rather than an Open............ But that's up to you.

When it come to goals, grab some sort of goal-making or sports psychology book/website.

There are two kinds of goals--- process goals and outcome goals. Outcome goals are things like "I want my squad to medal at collegiate club nationals." Process goals are things like "I want to keep moving in all of my bouts" and "I want to work on counterattack to wrist" or "I want to work on point control". Don't set too many outcome goals in general, and they won't help much at all in your off season.

Grab a tennis ball, put it on a string. Hit it over and over again. When that gets boring, get a golf ball. Or build a dummy, or at least a solid wall target. Or you can cross train--- If you have the feet/ankles/knees for it, go running. Or biking, or swimming. Get some friends and do half an hour of footwork a week.

Make a routine. Try to hold yourself to it.

That said, you're in high school. If you don't have the motivation right now, that means you need a break. Respect that. If you need a break, take it, you'll be more energized when you come back.....

RITFencing · 04-09-2007, 11:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MessiahFencing

oh, and one other thing, what are the levels in terms of the average year...

beginner? vs intermediate?

does beginner mean 0-1 years, or just 0? always wondered ( with clubs and classes and such )

High School LvL i remind. What tournaments are open for average - kinda good but nothing special fencers?

edit: no, i want to imporve, its just i cant seem to set goals.

Beginner is a relative term... I've heard it applied to people with under a year of experience, people below a certain rating, people who have never made national points, and once to anyone who has been fencing less than 7 years. In my own roughly ten years of fencing I still sometimes feel like a beginner; there's a great deal yet for me to learn. Generally, however, it applies to experience, knowledge and skill rather than the amount of time since beginning. I've met people who have been fencing for longer than me who I would consider beginners, and people who have been fencing for far less than me who I would consider advanced.

If you're looking for tournaments, look on www.askfred.net under the NJ division.

As far as clubs, I think the Stetsivs run Bergen, and they know sabre cold. I'm not sure if they're as good on foil and epee, but any of them can turn you into a VERY respectable sabre fencer.

FoilyDeath · 04-09-2007, 11:20 PM

Well lad, welcome aboard! I'm in exactly the same boat! NCAA season is over, and with college workload and all, its nigh on impossible to get teammates together to practise. In the meantime, heres what I have been doing:
a) practising footwork down the hall...Been trying to cut 15 mins a day of good footwork or so.
b) attending comps. Really, just raid FRED and look for tournaments in your area. Travelling alone really isn't fun, easy or cheap, and its hard to produce results when you have nobody to warm up with, but its a lot of good fencing.
c) try and get some motivated teammates to get together once in a while...find a place to fence one a week or so. I'm sure you can find somebody
d) Find a club for the summer. Just go to the USFA website/fencing.net club lists, and ask them about fees.

Thats as far as I have got at the moment. Still, its a start, and better than the nothing I was getting before.

Rick Shellhouse · 04-10-2007, 12:18 AM

There is an off season?????

I must have missed that memo....

Rick

FoilyDeath · 04-10-2007, 12:19 AM

Collegiate fencing + High schools I guess. The NCAA fencing season runs from November till March, where it proceeds to lie down and die till the next year.

prototoast · 04-10-2007, 12:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FoilyDeath

Collegiate fencing + High schools I guess. The NCAA fencing season runs from November till March, where it proceeds to lie down and die till the next year.

Fencing season is over. Now it's softball season.

KD5MDK · 04-10-2007, 01:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Shellhouse

There is an off season?????

I must have missed that memo....

Rick

July 9 to early September, usually.

Edit: July date varies year to year, of course.

bigdawg2121 · 04-10-2007, 03:58 AM

Ehh, sometimes you need a break or time to refocus on classes/work/life or a combination of both. I am arguably taking some time off before starting a new training cycle. Barely touched a saber in the past 3 weeks or so, started doing more unrelated exercises and catching up on my raquetball skillz. The occasional break(or break like thing since many of us don't ever really stop fencing) is good for you....if you're really struggling to find a reason to train just set a goal (a hard one to reach) or pick a strong tournament that you can possibly maybe get to and train for it; a lot of folks seem to work better with a very specific goal to train for.

Inquartata · 04-10-2007, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rick Shellhouse

There is an off season?????

I must have missed that memo....

Rick

Well, MF lives in "the future".

Remind me not to go there.

achilles_heal · 04-10-2007, 08:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RITFencing

As far as clubs, I think the Stetsivs run Bergen, and they know sabre cold. I'm not sure if they're as good on foil and epee, but any of them can turn you into a VERY respectable sabre fencer.

stas is up there. he teaches foil.

LeftHanded · 04-10-2007, 09:11 AM

I don't need any real motivation other than I have my brother and my friend to beat. If I don't train they will and I start loosing. Also I enjoy fencing so that is alos my motivation.

Also, I think that beginners and advance can be looked at as what they have achieved. The person that has won JO's or every NAC they have been to is not a beginner. Also someone that has a lot to learn but has been fencing for 15 yrs. may not be a beginner they may just not be very good. I have been competing for about 2 years and I am still a beginner. I think that you have to be able to look at yourself with humble eyes and see that you may not be as good as you may think you are. I don't like to think about beginner or advanced because they deal with time and not ability, that is why we have the rating system. I know someone that fenced foil and the first time he even picked up an epee he qualified for JO's. He was a beginner but he had natural talent...is he a beginner?

Fencing at local, average tournaments is a great idea. When I started getting serious I fenced in a tournament almost every weekend. Even when I was a "U" I still fencined in opens with higher level fencers. At my first tournament I fenced a "C" and the state champ. I got my but kicked but I learned alot. Even though I have my D I fence in events that are E rated just for fun and experience. I have lear