NAC pools cut-off percentage: Your mental state?

[Wise-Epeeist]

When faced with the cut-off percentage (bottom 20%, I think?) for pool results going into direct elimination, the adult fencer in question tends to be brought low by his own anxiety. His other skills would seem to be of decent quality and should be able to get him past that point, at least to the first DE bracket, but he stumbles first on his perception of needing to win at least two seeding bouts. Any advice?

[tchwojko]

Stop thinking so much.

When hungry, eat. When tired, sleep. When fencing, touch.

[dramamine]

Hmm. I think the whole premise of looking at your poule and thinking about how many bouts you need to win is far too accepting of the idea that you're going to lose most of them. I think it's better to just focus on winning each hit in each bout. Don't watch the stronger fencers in your poule and be like, awestruck, just think about ways you can hit them. Even if you accept they're better than you, think about how many times you've lost to people who aren't at your level. In the very least, you can try to be that person, right?

[fencerbill]

But think of how you are doing against the the fencers who you reasonably could have expected to beat.

And start off by thinking you could reasonably beat any of the fencers in your pool.

I used to play the game of looking over the fencers on my pool list and picking out the ones I should try harder to beat. Some of the others, usually the young ones since it was Sabre, I didn't think I had much chance against. Then I would find out at the end that I finished ahead of some of the latter.

I did fence Don Anthony and Steve Mormando in a Veterans combined a few years ago. I got 2 or 3 touches against Don in the pool, who went on to win and renew his A. So I beat the over/under against Don, but not against Steve, it was 10-1. Well, you win some and lose some.

[veeco]

Originally Posted by Wise-Epeeist

When faced with the cut-off percentage (bottom 20%, I think?) for pool results going into direct elimination, the adult fencer in question tends to be brought low by his own anxiety. His other skills would seem to be of decent quality and should be able to get him past that point, at least to the first DE bracket, but he stumbles first on his perception of needing to win at least two seeding bouts. Any advice?

You need to get right into the thick of it. Perhaps warm up better, focus on not letting any scoring opportunity escape you.

Start on a moderately active defense, find what distance and tempo works for that opponent, and keep doing the action that works until it doesn't work, then change. Try to first hit the most forward targets (hand, foot) early in the bout, so you can generate more complex scoring opportunities later down the line.

Use breathing techniques to get rid of your anxiety: inhale while counting slowly to 4, keep the air in while counting slowly to 4, and exhale while saying "easy, easy, easy". Do it a couple of times before the bout.

Don't hesitate to chat with the referee, crack a few jokes to loosen the atmosphere!

[pinkelephant]

It's always disconcerting when you think "Right, who's the bunny in the pool", look around, and realise it's yourseslf.

[Miglin]

Originally Posted by pinkelephant

It's always disconcerting when you think "Right, who's the bunny in the pool", look around, and realise it's yourseslf.

I'm used to being the "bunny" in the pool.

[Peach]

I always expect to be the bunny and am startled that I'm not. But then I only do Division I for the practice.

[tchwojko]

Once in a while you find the bunny in the pool, and it turns out to be this one.

[D+F+P=Hadouken!]

Develope a list of processes for your bouts. Don't treat one as more important than the other (even though they are). The goal should always be to win.

My mental list in a bout is something like....

1. Discover my opponent (the reconnaissance phase).

2. Decide on how to use his strengths and his weaknesses against him.

3. Hit him till you win. If he starts hitting you, then go back to stage 2.

Sometimes you're going to be nervous and stupid. When you are, you have to **** your nerves and become a cash register, cause thats where the money is.

[teamusaepee]

Making the cut used to be all I would think about during the pool, especially when it was that 40% cut for 2 rounds (Div 1). That didn't get me very far (for a long time), until I had a good day with some luck thrown in and got points. From what I have seen, this tips the odds in your favor (though not as much as it did before with the 2 pool round format, IMO). You aren't "the bunny" anymore. You are 1 of 2-3 point holders in the pool instead of one of the leftover B's or C's.

Aside from getting on the point list, you absolutely must develop a system for concentrating on each opponent and each hit as they come, instead of on the outcome (past or future ones). For me, this came primarily with experience, but try practicing it beforehand (in practice bouting with teammates and/or with mental imagery). Any time you find yourself thinking about anything other than getting the next hit ("I have to win this or I won't make the cut"), you are physiologically inhibiting your ability to make fine motor movements and quick decisions. You need to be able to recognize when you are doing it and how to redirect your attention to hitting your opponent right now. Aladar Kogler's books are good references. Another way I might describe the feeling is that its not that I don't care whether I win or lose (I care a whole lot), its just that it isn't my concern at the moment. It's not even in my mind. Sometimes I even don't realize the bout is over.

[tchwojko]

Originally Posted by teamusaepee

For me, this came primarily with experience,

It came with experience for me, as well, but the experience was losing important bouts enough times so that I became numb to it. I was no longer worried about the consequence of losing, nor the consequence of not winning (slightly different fear). I started taking the current touch as my whole frame of reference, and I started winning. Then I got some confidence and started thinking about winning, and had to learn the previous lessons all over again.

When I try to find that sweet spot in the flow, I fail. I try harder, I fail more. I give up, I find it. I realize I find it, and I lose it. It's really a bummer going through that whole cycle in a single day (or worse, a single bout).

But that's all my relationship with epee. I have no idea if it applies to foil or saber or for anyone else.

[Meteoric Iron]

Tchwojko--this is exactly the process. Exactly. Ad infinitum...with more smiling and acceptance. And more compassion for myself and my opponent.