new to fencing

[boricuafencer]

On average, how long does it take a starter to finally make it to a competition?

[Neinteen]

A couple of months?

Assuming the competition is a beginner's kinda thing. Depending how often you go to club/practice, how hard you work, and just how damn lucky you get, you can get a rank at the end of your first year.

but being an E rank is degrading, it's better to be a unrated and a mystery O.o

but once you have basics learned, you should definitely look around for club opens or something friendly where you stand a chance, or just ask your club if anythings coming up on the calender that they're hosting.

[thekoby]

On average, how long does it take a starter to finally make it to a competition?

I feel like it directly relates to the class and how quickly you learn. If the class is teaching you the right combination of bladework and footwork and how the two relate, then you should be ready to compete fairly quickly.

My students are at a level of knowledge to compete by the 5th week (we do three lessons a week). Some, possibly a lot, of people disagree with pushing them out to tournaments so early, but I am not expecting them to win, and in fact I have done what Allen Evans has done from time to time and tell my students that they will not win the bout...yes, it is discouraging to them, but afterwards they generall come up to me and say, "You're right, I didn't win....but I want to learn how to fence like him/her."

It is also depends on how much you put into learning and developing yourself. In my club, you can tell who are the successful competetive fencers at practice. They are the members who are not spending time talking to others or sitting around in street clothes watching. We are typically always in full gear and have some weapon in our hand, either fencing or looking for the next bout.

I agree with Neinteen that you should look into some small open events first before going to a larger event. I plan on taking as many new students as possible to tournaments with me this year. Will they compete at all of them? No, but they will watch and learn, especially at some of the larger tournaments like the DeCicco Open at Notre Dame.

Talk to your coach and express an interest in competing. Tag along to the first few events your club goes to so you can see one in action and talk to members from other clubs. Go from there.

[boricuafencer]

Ok. So I shouldn't be attending competitions anytime soon because I think I'll only have classes on Wednesdays. But I'll see what'll be going on when I start. I'll definitely love to go to competitions just to watch, learn, and talk with skilled fencers.

[Guymelef]

Let's see, thread jacking, Neinteen and Inq fighting, and rants about grammar. Yes, another typical day on fencing.net.

Hi, glad to see you're interested in the sport and jazzed up about taking lessons. My advice is prior to practice do every leg stretch you know, your lower extremities are going to undergo a lot of new stresses. Fencing footwork is like learning to walk all over again. Listen to your coaches, and don't rush to pick up a weapon. You need a solid foundation in footwork and the concept of fencing distance. Expect your legs to be sore as you get used to it.

Are you coming from a particularly athletic background?

[rdg]

I feel like it directly relates to the class and how quickly you learn.
My students are at a level of knowledge to compete by the 5th week (we do three lessons a week).

Anybody can compete with or without a lesson at any time after they purchase a USFA membership. There is no skill requirement.

However, five weeks is ridiculously short to say anyone has the "knowledge to compete", unless you mean they know how to plug in and salute.

When you compete depends on your temperment. If you can take a whipping go ahead at the first chance, as it seems thekoby is suggesting. If you want to start looking remotely competent, it takes about a year, which is what I read from Neinteen.

Also most coaches recommend waiting a year, because most people cannot tolerate being all but humiliated with 6 massive loses in a pool of 5 (if you know what I mean). They tend to walk away, and say fencing isn't for me, and quit That is the real impediment to early competition.

There is a lot to learn. After 2 -5 years depending on your native athleticism and your training, you can start to be competitive. It took me 2 years of competition to earn an E, another to get a C (a terrible rank for many reasons) and another to earn a B. I don't know if I will ever earn an A, but somebody may just slip up and let me in the club.

Sam

[Neinteen]

I agree with Neinteen..

AWESOME. I'm GONNA SIG THIS!!

However, five weeks is ridiculously short to say anyone has the "knowledge to compete", unless you mean they know how to plug in and salute

5 weeks, 3 lessons per, that's like 15 hours of fencing time, that's alot :O

should be enough for a friendly club open, or a beginner's tournament.

If you want to start looking remotely competent, it takes about a year, which is what I read from Neinteen.

WOOT IM ON FUHHHREEEKEN FIRE!!!

There is a lot to learn. After 2 -5 years depending on your native athleticism and your training, you can start to be competitive. It took me 2 years of competition to earn an E, another to get a C (a terrible rank for many reasons) and another to earn a B. I don't know if I will ever earn an A, but somebody may just slip up and let me in the club.

Took a year for an E and three for a C. I'm hoping I can get a B early in my senior year, so I can apply with it . Cs are for hot people, don't knock the C sam!

and wow, 2 smart people said I was correct. I feel so smart.

[KidLazy]

On average, how long does it take a starter to finally make it to a competition?

Min. 4 years; 3 years of footwork only (never touch a weapon), then 1 year of blade work + footwork.

[Neinteen]

Min. 4 years; 3 years of footwork only (never touch a weapon), then 1 year of blade work + footwork.

we're not in the effin Soviet Union!

If we were, I'd be the Premier and i'd be owning noobs all day long!!

[KidLazy]

Let me finish...

Min. 40 weeks a year, min. 3 training sessions a week, min. 4 hours each session.


Then the starter will be doing ok, just ok, at tournaments.

[rdg]

Took a year for an E and three for a C. I'm hoping I can get a B early in my senior year, so I can apply with it . Cs are for hot people, don't knock the C sam!

and wow, 2 smart people said I was correct. I feel so smart.

First off if I agreed earlier I recant. I was wrong.

Next I said atheleticism. I am a computer programmer (a reasonably mature programmer at that). We are not known for atheleticism, so if you in the strength of your youth bust your rump to earn a B in a year or two, I am going to do virtual backflips. I have the code. I can do it. In fact I really want to see you do it.

Fencing takes time. If it weren't for that, vet fencers would have no chance: we lose skill, speed, undurance, hair, and sometimes we still win. It is called guile.

Here is my bet: Given a twenty something with the same training and hours in the gym as I have, bet on the twenty something. OTOH, if that twenty something is part-time, maybe cares maybe not. Well then we have a fight.

FYI: I think you are really smart neinteen.

Sam

[thekoby]

Ok. So I shouldn't be attending competitions anytime soon because I think I'll only have classes on Wednesdays. But I'll see what'll be going on when I start. I'll definitely love to go to competitions just to watch, learn, and talk with skilled fencers.

Well, like I said, talk to you coach, see what they say you need to do in order to compete (i.e. private lessons) if that's a route that you quickly want to go. I started competing after only fencing for 3 weeks...and yes, I got my ass handed to me on a silver platter, but it was fun and that's the point, right?

[Neinteen]

FYI: I think you are really smart neinteen.

Sam

QUOTED!!!

[KidLazy]

Rating means almost nothing.

[boricuafencer]

Let's see, thread jacking, Neinteen and Inq fighting, and rants about grammar. Yes, another typical day on fencing.net.

Hi, glad to see you're interested in the sport and jazzed up about taking lessons. My advice is prior to practice do every leg stretch you know, your lower extremities are going to undergo a lot of new stresses. Fencing footwork is like learning to walk all over again. Listen to your coaches, and don't rush to pick up a weapon. You need a solid foundation in footwork and the concept of fencing distance. Expect your legs to be sore as you get used to it.

Are you coming from a particularly athletic background?

Well I'm not the sporty-type, but I do work out.

[Guymelef]

Good to know. The problems with fencing are that it is one-sided, working a defined set of muscles, and wears particularly on the lower extremities. Even as you are doing leg presses and lunges to develop that explosive lunge, you should not neglect flexibility and agility. I went from the couch to fencing at eighteen and then later took up Taekwondo for those reasons. You don't necessarily have to do that. I've heard really good things about Tai Chi from other fencers and martial artists.

[rdg]

Cs are for hot people, don't knock the C sam!

I'm not knocking C's. They are hard to get. The problem with a C is you cannot fence div III anymore. Also out here we have a lot of D and below events and C and higher events.

So here's the senario. I got lucky in an open and I picked up a C... Go Sam. Then I find out I can't fence in the shallow pool any more (D and below), I have to jump in the big kids' pool, and I was right back to getting my butt kicked every event. That's the issue. Not the rating.

Some people say B is worse because then you can only fence div I and that is where the real killers lurk. When I fence div I, I am happy to make the 80% advance, I don't even think about top anything.

Fortunately I have vets, which is a little closer to my speed, plus they do know how to party.

Sam

[boricuafencer]

Do all fencers start with a rank or something?

[Neinteen]

Do all fencers start with a rank or something?

when you join USFA, which is like a waste of 50 bux, you're assigned a U i think.

U if you unrated, or more accurately, unknown. I wish i was a U, then i could WTFSTOMP people and be like yo, i'm a U.

[Pescados666]

when you join USFA, which is like a waste of 50 bux, you're assigned a U i think.

U if you unrated, or more accurately, unknown. I wish i was a U, then i could WTFSTOMP people and be like yo, i'm a U.

$60 now... Bastards...