Favorite Fencing Yell

[veeco]

Just a little poll to see how much of you actually yell when fencing. Don't try to hide, I know some of you guys yell!

I guess it would be time for the sabreurs to give us some hints on what makes a good yell, since they are the experts, after all.

Do you yell only in competition, or do you yell also at practice sometimes?

What's your favorite yell?

How do you use yells? As a confidence builder or as a way to disrupt your opponent?

I remember once fencing some guy in a competition that would yell after each touch he scored. He would be pumping his fist in my face after each touch he scored. Unfortunately for him, that upset me quite a bit and he did not manage to yell for those lucky 15 times...

[edew]

Depends what stupid thing I did. All I'll say is that it ranges from Urdu to Polish to Hungarian to Italian to German to Greek to...

Anna Angelouva loves it when I talk dirty to her while she referees my bouts.

[neevel]

I recently picked up one of the blue Uhlmann lames, and one fencer at the club has been recommending that I adopt the Tick's battle-cry of 'Spoon!' to go with the color.

Some years ago at a tournament in Kansas City there was a recently-immigrated Hungarian woman who would yell all manner of obscenities at referees in Magyar when American refs made calls against her son-- until one of the refs turned to her in the middle of a bout and calmly told her (in Magyar) that he spoke it fluently. She turned white as a sheet and didn't utter a peep more for the whole day .

-Dave Neevel

[Moonitic]

I mutter, giggle, whisper..no yelling.

Although, at the last tourney I REALLY fenced at, I did say, "Yeah baby!" when I was "in the zone."

[sabreuse]

Neevel, I wonder if that was my former coach's wife. Her son fenced sabre and, in mom's eyes, could do no wrong. I heard she once dragged some poor boy who had beaten her son in a bout over to where her son was sitting. She held up her son's right hand and said, "See this? This is the hand of a god!"

[Rapier9mm]

i yell mostly in sabre.
but last night was interestin referee calls.
he was calling attacks & ripostes "cool dude"
off targets "you suck"
and out of time hits "you scummy bastard"

[BarryTice]

I'm not much of one for yelling when I attack (or score), but I have a problem with laughing out loud when someone scores an especially nice touch on me (or takes good advantage of one of my many mistakes). I find it honestly amusing, and it has, once or twice, actually thrown my opponent off.

It's rough having that much fun...

[HilandDoug]

"SPOOOOOOON!" I love it! What would the red lame-wearing fencers yell?

[Lumberg]

"Yaaaah!!!"

[angel]

I don't yell in fencing. Usually I am as quiet as a mouse. I can't get over the fact that I am so timid though. Does anyone have any thought's on "beginning yelling" in fencing?

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Angelo16

[Falcon17]

hmmm...yelling...i don't yell...don't really see the point of yelling...the light goes on there is a buzz...he knows i got him...no need to rub it in.

[epeemancer]

Yelling, for me, has alwase been a personal thing. I don't yell to throw the other person off, I yell to push my body that much harder. It's like weight lifters that breath out when they are in the "power" phase of the particular lift (lifters know what i mean) or a "hah" for a martial artist.

when i'm really getting into the bout i'll yell "hah!" as i score with a beat attack but my favorite has to be yelling "DIE!!!!!!!!!!!" during a fleche. it really gets me into the "spirit" of things.

[rjccj]

My favorite thing to yell is "Hup ahhhh" Total nonsense I know. I do it in foil on fleches and when both of us go for the blade for a beat/parry and land. Seems to help sometimes to buy the call. I yell in epee just to pump me up when I make a touch.

[Cyranox11]

Yo All
For many a month after I started competing I did not yell at all!
Indeed I was as quiet as a librarian in his library. And guess what I did not win a single bout in competition for easily 6 months! Then I realised that I was being intimidated by the foilists who shouted. So I thought 'bugger this for a lark!' and I started (initially) to shout back when they shouted. I can be VERY loud so soon people who did it to intimidate soon stopped shouting at me because I shouted louder than them and much more effectively!
But then I realised when I shouted I often felt more invigorated and got into the zone better. I also fought harder and didnt capitualte to better fencers soon I was fencing a lot better and winning bouts like never before.
Since taking lessons my technical skills have improved phenomenally and I have learned to keep my emotional levels up (they tended to peak and drop off before). My coach has really taught me a lot in that respect but he has not needed to get me to up my emotional level to start with. I now have quite a reputation as a shouter but it works for me. What is important is that I dont do it to intimidate or freak out, I do it to keep me fighting and emotionally levelled throughout the bout.
My advice to people who get intimidated is to shout back! Fill those lungs and let one fly in his/her face it may or may not affect your opponent but I am sure it will make you feel better.
Funny, I am now so focussed that I no longer notice when or what my opponents shout I concentrate better now. Sometimes I dont even notice when or what I am shouting.
I am not sure what I shout, but on scoring a well planned and executed point I sometimes say something like HOOPLA or HOI but more often its just a guttural roar (lol).
Later all
Cyrano

[gesk]

Are there not any fencers that are just silent, yet intimidating ?

Surely there must be some poker face fencers that shows no emotion during the bout whether they score or receive a touche.

[Wafath]

I varry a lot. I tend to yell more out of frustration than victory.

I learned to yell when I was fencing in a dry tournament and the director was just clueless. I hope no national level directors would be influenced, but at the lowest levels a shout of confidence can encourage doubt in the directors mind.

It also helps one fence with the appropriate amount of ... passion. Nothing is worse than an unenthusiastic sabre fencer.

W

[Lumberg]

By the way, I don't always yell. I don't yell while fencing but after I score a really good point.

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Lumberg.
"...yeah...did you get the memo about the TPS reports?"

[Moonitic]

gesk,

I prefer to be the silent, but deadly, type. "Yes sir" said loud & strong when the director says "ready" is enough for me. But once in a while...giggling quietly under the mask can really mess with an opponent's head.

When I'm fencing & someone yells, I just work hard to shut them up.

[Mr_Foilist]

Originally posted by gesk:
Are there not any fencers that are just silent, yet intimidating ?

Surely there must be some poker face fencers that shows no emotion during the bout whether they score or receive a touche.

That tends to me. Although I did post what my favorite yell was in the similar water cooler thread on this subject, I rarely yell during actual competitions. Only when I'm fencing for fun. I find that silence tends to keep my oponents guessing.

[Shadow Fencer]

Haven't been in competition for many years, but n practice, after some good infighting and a touch (doesn't matter who gets the point) I start laughting hysterically!