Epee and foil

[Carlos37]

Is it true that most stuff I work with epee with serve me if I switch to foil in the future?

[lemon__fresh]

Is it true that most stuff I work with epee with serve me if I switch to foil in the future?

i would reccomend reading over your post.

In answer to your question:

NO, the opposite is true but generally if all you've done is fence epee you will probably do or not do alot of things in foil that WONT get you points.

[erooMynohtnA]

i would reccomend reading over your post.

In answer to your question:

NO, the opposite is true but generally if all you've done is fence epee you will probably do or not do alot of things in foil that WONT get you points.

He's not a native English speaker, and it's not like you're typo free.

It's probably easier to move from foil to epee, but nothing says you can't move from epee to foil.

There are things that you can take with you: Point control, pris de fer actions, distance, timing, and tactics, for example.

There are things you'll probably have to change: Footwork (you'll need to cover more ground quickly), parries (smaller), and strategy (right of way changes things).

You can't expect to move to foil and do well immediately, just like I couldn't move to saber and do well immediately. Each weapon has its idiosyncrasies, and you have to learn them. But if you're good at epee, you'll probably do well with foil.

[The Rose Knight]

It's probably easier to move from foil to epee, but nothing says you can't move from epee to foil.

There are things that you can take with you: Point control, pris de fer actions, distance, timing, and tactics, for example.

There are things you'll probably have to change: Footwork (you'll need to cover more ground quickly), parries (smaller), and strategy (right of way changes things).

You can't expect to move to foil and do well immediately, just like I couldn't move to saber and do well immediately. Each weapon has its idiosyncrasies, and you have to learn them. But if you're good at epee, you'll probably do well with foil.

I read the OP and would answer, but you have answered it perfectly.

[lemon__fresh]

yea i guess, but most of the time foilists choosing to fence epee do pretty well, where the converse is usually not the case.

and yea there are some skills you can take with you (point control)

[The Rose Knight]

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone from epee to foil; usually, it is as you've pointed out: they go from foil to epee.

[lemon__fresh]

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone from epee to foil; usually, it is as you've pointed out: they go from foil to epee.

yea actually now that i think of it i cant remember an epee to foil transition, or at least an epeeist fencing foil in a tourney. I guess i was just thinking only about the techniques involved.

so i take my previous statments back.... my bad

apparently epee and saber are so great you never want to go back to foil.
Yea i think that makes the most sense

[The Rose Knight]

No need to take back; I was agreeing with you

People move to epee and sabre from foil simply because most coaches start them with foil.

[Guymelef]

I had the typical story of starting with foil and then trying the other two. Then I changed clubs and my coach starts his kids on epee first. His reasons are there's no right-of-way to learn, epees are more robust, and least amount of equipment. One of his students has since made the complete change-over to foil. She is about 5'4 and was frustrated losing to taller opponents. It has worked out well for her, she's having great success in foil and controls her actions well. She's beating me regularly in foil these days.

[The Rose Knight]

I've heard a lot of people say that taller opponents are more difficult in epee. I believe it, but I don't quite get it.

Being 6'4 myself, I find my greatest advantage in foil, since my entire target area is at a much greater distance from my opponent. In epee, my hand is as close to a shorter opponent as theirs is to me, so in theory, epee should be less difficult against a taller opponent than foil.

Like I said, I have heard the same thing from others, so I do believe it.

[Cookeit]

In my experience foil fencers are better at epee than epee fencers =D.

For instance, at my JO qualifiers this guy who took 1st place in Men's foil decided to do epee as a joke, and he took 2nd place out of like 30.

Foil's speed and just getting the blade out of the way with a parry are effective in epee.

[theLuz]

I had the typical story of starting with foil and then trying the other two. Then I changed clubs and my coach starts his kids on epee first. His reasons are there's no right-of-way to learn, epees are more robust, and least amount of equipment. One of his students has since made the complete change-over to foil. She is about 5'4 and was frustrated losing to taller opponents. It has worked out well for her, she's having great success in foil and controls her actions well. She's beating me regularly in foil these days.

That's nice to know, but this is the first time I've heard of someone going that direction. I think coaches are somewhat lazy if they try to start kids with epee. Then they're stuck with an inferior sport

[mrbiggs]

i would reccomend reading over your post.

In answer to your question:

NO, the opposite is true but generally if all you've done is fence epee you will probably do or not do alot of things in foil that WONT get you points.

I would recommend reading over your post.

In answer to your answer:

NO, its not true that people can only go from foil to epee but it is generally easier to switch to epee or sabre from foil but someone with experience in epee WILL have a head start over someone who has no experience in any weapon whatsoever.

[oiuyt]

Bah!

EVERYONE knows it's impossible to be good in more than one weapon. Especially if one starts out in epee.

-B

[Lemonaide]

There are two sides to every sword: the sharp side and the not-so-sharp side. The sharp side says "you will use something from foil in epee" Maybe you will be able to incorporate your attacks, something from the "GROSS" menu? meaning the Larger picture. See it from that perspective. Also some salles start all of their students off in foil for about a year, and then shift them over to epee.

[glowstix]

Bah!

EVERYONE knows it's impossible to be good in more than one weapon. Especially if one starts out in epee.

-B

yeah you tell 'em, man! especially those that are even crazy enough to consider switching over to sabre from epee!! sheesh! who's crazy enough to do that.. ya' think such a transition could even work??

[jjefferies]

Is it true that most stuff I work with epee with serve me if I switch to foil in the future?

Probably. But the one thing that you will not have is the innate sense of Right of Way (ROW). You need to start before age 13 and work at it for years to truly "gronk" ROW. So foil

But hey working in foil is good practice. After all, foil is the pedagogical tool. And all that study in foil is just practice for the REAL THING, !!epee!!

[lemon__fresh]

I would recommend reading over your post.

In answer to your answer:

NO, its not true that people can only go from foil to epee but it is generally easier to switch to epee or sabre from foil but someone with experience in epee WILL have a head start over someone who has no experience in any weapon whatsoever.

(I would recommend reading over your post)*INFINITY

So there!

[Inquartata]

I would recommend having a a drink and calling it a night...

There is a woman in my club who started in epee and has switched to foil.

As for not being able to do well immediately, the Atlanta NAC Open VMS event was very nearly won by an epeeist using borrowed equipment who did almost nothing but stop cuts to the arm. I think he finished 3rd, and reportedly he had never done sabre before.

Yes, yes, I know: that's just geezer sabre.

[remise]

I don't know that I've ever seen anyone from epee to foil; usually, it is as you've pointed out: they go from foil to epee.

Not so. I started out in epee because it was all my club offered. Then I found another club and I discovered foil and sabre to be quite fun...(not that epee is not fun) although I will not mince words here. It was a real b***h learning right of way after spending several years not ever having dealt with it.