Recently a female fencer asked me a question that stumped me. It was "In a serious tournament do you have to have an underarm protector to go with the plastic chest protector, or is it okay to have the plastic chest protector by itself?" Not being a female this was not something that had ever come up. But I am sure someone out there knows the answer.
Women must have both. They serve different purposes in terms of protection.
In "non-serious tournaments" or fencing at the club, women and men should always be wearing all protective gear - body armor and plasterons. Accidents don't just happen at "serious tournaments."
At foil the underarm protector (known as a plastron in the UK) has to be worn OVER the chest protector (known as many things in the UK), not the other way round.
At foil the underarm protector (known as a plastron in the UK) has to be worn OVER the chest protector (known as many things in the UK), not the other way round.
That's the way most people wear them....the only rational I can think of for requiring it that was would be to minimize the chest plate moving around...wearing the underarm under the chest plate doesn't affect the protective properties of either.
Epeeboy....the 2 items in question serve different purposes. The chest protector is purely for impact protection....'cause men wrote the rules and female breasts are right in the middle of the target area for all weapons. (Note that cups are not required at domestic tourneys....I guess they figure we've got a spare!). I've also seen men wear the flat ones to protect themselves from hard hits...i have one friend who is protecting his last kidney.
The underarm protector is a different matter. it's job is to be another layer of material in the way in case a blade breaks. You'll notice that the seams do NOT line up with the seams in the jacket...this is because the seams are weak spots, and you don't want 2 weak spots aligned. if a blade was to penetrate under the armpit, it'll go right to the vitals.
The underarm is required for all competitors at competitions, as is the chest protector for ladies.
I believe the rationale for wearing the chest protector under, rather than over, the plastron is to minimize the tendency of the tip to bounce off the chest protector. To get as much padding over the plate as possible. There has been talk on this board of requiring a neoprene layer over the chest plate to help this problem.
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The spirit is willing, but the fleche is weak.
I have to say, I love wearing my chest protector. It makes me feel so invulnerable. And then I get stabbed in the collarbone D:
But to echo what TBean said, she should wear it all the time. Anything that helps keep injuries to a minimum should always be used, even if they are just bruises.
Especially when going out on a night on the town... you wouldn't believe the attention you get. Stuffing your bra with socks is for non-fencers!
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"But it doesn’t matter cause I’m packing plastic & that’s what makes my life so f'cking fantastic"~ Lily Allen
By the time a woman realizes that her mother was right, she already has a daughter who's convinced she's wrong.
__________________ When love bites, be sure to bite back.
Rule #1 She who hesitates has lost.
Rule #2 Don't trick yourself into thinking you suck.
Rule #3 Remember, bad footwork makes coach cry.
But it is sort of painful hugging a woman who is wearing one; perhaps she could remove it before intimacy?
And bathing. I would hate to see/smell the results of wearing a chest protector for prolonged periods of time (more than a day) without washing underneath it. Ew.
I have to say, I love wearing my chest protector. It makes me feel so invulnerable. And then I get stabbed in the collarbone D:
Haha. What about the 3rd rib? The first one that isn't protected by the chest protector? I got that broken once.
__________________ When love bites, be sure to bite back.
Rule #1 She who hesitates has lost.
Rule #2 Don't trick yourself into thinking you suck.
Rule #3 Remember, bad footwork makes coach cry.
Undressing on strip is specifically allowed when RPSing.
Ah yes... the whole "is strip a verb or a noun?" issue that so many fencers seem to be confused by.
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"But it doesn’t matter cause I’m packing plastic & that’s what makes my life so f'cking fantastic"~ Lily Allen
By the time a woman realizes that her mother was right, she already has a daughter who's convinced she's wrong.
Stuffing your bra with socks is for non-fencers!
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