What is it that makes us successful? (Moneyball of fencing)

[Delta]

Fencers often have the perception that they aren't ready for a certain level of fencing, even when they are. I think this issue becomes less frequent as a fencer gains more experience is more self-aware.
Ensuring the fencer and providing the support they need to affirm their self-image is congruent with their actual development as a fencer is one of the biggest keys. This perspective might just stem from the fact that most of the fencers I'm around have had/have this issue in development.
Another poster replied that just making sure the fencer feels ready for the situation regardless of the winning or losing throughout the day goes hand in hand with what I'm trying to say.

[erooMynohtnA]

Yesterday I fenced a local comp out near the area I grew up in. I didn't lose a single bout all day, even though I'm rusty and out of shape. I'm not starting this thread just the brag, though... reflecting on my day, I think I had good bladework, but not the best of the bunch. Good footwork, but not the best of the bunch. A good variety of actions, good distance, good speed just about everything "good," but not the best of anyone there by any means. On paper, I was certainly not the best fencer there

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect

I think you may understand fencing at a deeper level, so you feel worse, despite being just as good and with a deeper understanding.

In short, as Delta said, you're probably not giving yourself enough credit.

[catwood1]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect

I think you may understand fencing at a deeper level, so you feel worse, despite being just as good and with a deeper understanding.

In short, as Delta said, you're probably not giving yourself enough credit.

Interesting idea. I've never heard that before, but I think there there is some validity in this.

[RITFencing]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning-Kruger_effect

I think you may understand fencing at a deeper level, so you feel worse, despite being just as good and with a deeper understanding.

In short, as Delta said, you're probably not giving yourself enough credit.

Fascinating... I've often felt that as I get better at fencing, I still rate myself as about average, it's just that my definition of what's average gets more and more strict.

I've also thought that as I get better, I end up noticing smaller and smaller issues with my fencing, things that would not have even occurred to me without a better understanding of the game and of my own body.

I was also thinking along the same lines as Darius, that being 80% in about everything made me a good candidate to win because there's generally going to be something I'm better at than the other person, but there is a flip side that there will also generally be something I'm worse at than someone else in the top 8 or 4. This leads me to conclude that I am, as someone noted, better at controlling the bout and making it focus on what I want it to focus on than some of the other fencers there.

It's all very interesting, but I feel that the discussion has ignored my main question in lieu of an explanation of what happened to me...

What is it that makes a successful fencer succeed against opponents with better physical, technical or tactical abilities? How is it that we learn to win, not just fence, and how do we teach that to our students?

[darius]

What is it that makes a successful fencer succeed against opponents with better physical, technical or tactical abilities?

Figure out which one you're best at, and steer the bout that direction. If you have a world-class circular-6 riposte, find a way to get your opponent to go there. If you're a speed demon, make it about running up and down the strip. If you have brilliant finger technique, fence in close and create blade exchanges. If you have excellent change-of-decision, do something to provoke a reaction.

How is it that we learn to win, not just fence, and how do we teach that to our students?

I suspect that's highly individualized, because it comes down to what motivates a student to win (winning, fear of losing, likes to do things well, wants to prove people wrong, likes to play with their food, in love with their coach, enjoys walking around the venue with a medal around their neck, etc).

What's important, from my perspective, is to find the motivation that gets people to push themselves to capacity, and use that to elicit repetitions of the best performance possible in practice.

darius

[fencerX]

What is it that makes a successful fencer succeed against opponents with better physical, technical or tactical abilities?

His brain. (Like duh)

[thekoby]

"What do you feel is integral to a fencer's success in competition, and what do you do to develop those things in your fencers?"

I think it has a lot to do with KNOWING they can do it. When I first started going to tournaments I would go into a bout and think "What am I doing? I'm not going to win this. This guy is HUGE!" I had no confidence that I could win, and my coach at the time was not as supportive as he could have been. As time progressed I took time off fom competing to focus on my skills and put some more tricks in my bag. When I reentered the competitive world a few years ago I had more confidence in myself, a coach that was supportive, and once I started winning bouts (both pools and DEs) I began to think "I can do this. I have the skills, the knowledge, I CAN win."

How do I translate this to my students? I give them straight forward answers. I tell them not to expect to win every bout at their first tournament and that they will most likely only win two or three if they use the skills they have learned. Sure, it's a bit discouraging to them, but if they go into a tournament expecting to lose, then magically win a pool bout 5-3 or 5-4, then they see that they can do it and that gives them the drive to keep going.