first year of competitions

[botmer]

I would like to ask you, how was your first year of competitions, how many competitions did you take in the first year you competed?
I just ended my last competition of the year, I participated in five in my first year, I didnt do well in general terms, in the first four I got creamed among the last places. In the last one I got a better place, it was a 2nd force competition, with many new fencers. In the final rounds of the competition I got to bout with the good ones and I got creamed again. I still cant figure out how to deal with the flicks to the back and to the side. I cant stop most of them or even react quickly enough to do something.
So what about your experiences? I dont know if getting creamed on the first year is normal but I ve heard of fencers who get good places right in the first year they compete.
Well sorry for the possible mistakes I cant see very well yet as I got my eyes opereted with laser, I dont even know is it convenient to go back to training.

[Peach]

Everybody is different. I went to only a couple of competitions in my first year, but I was starting late and it took me a long time to get to be any good. It really depends on the fencer and on the focus of the coach.

[venus_demilo]

I had my first tournament yesterday, well I lost every bout I was in except for one yeah. I know how you feel about being creamed. But all the loosing made me see the mistakes I was making so in some odd way I am happy I lost. my footwork was actually pretty good, my attacks were just no good. But I will just practice more.

[haggis]

A lot depends on what the competitions are, how old you are and how experienced you're opponents are. I entered my first competitions when I was 10 (twenty + years ago). The competitions were all for under 12s or under 14s so I could guage my standard against my peers. I got creamed in my first couple but won the next couple of under 12s competitions and that was me on my way. As far as I can remember I did 4 competitions in my first year, which seems like plenty. Many more than that for a young fencer just starting out seems excessive, placing too much emphasis on competing rather than learning the sport.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

I started fencing almost exactly one year ago. My first tournament was a school tournement for new fencers,m which I won, but that doesn't really count. My first real competeition was U20 Junior Olympic Qualifiers. I did decent in pools and won a DE. then lost 15-4 From there on out I fenced about 3 tournaments a month. Some say this is too much for a newbie, but I am competitiove by nature, and now, if there is not a tournament on the weekend I go crazy. I thouroughly enjoyed the cpmetition, although sometimes I was destryoed, like coming in last at an open, or not winning a single bout all day. But along with the bad came the good, qualifiying for Y-14's for summer nationals. I can't help with your flick problem though, sorry, I fence sabre.

[Shadow Fencer]

Botmer,
Although I'm not a newbie, I certainly do feel like one. It's just that I had a long period of time between competitions (22 years) before returning to fencing, so I kind of feel like a newbie. I'm going into my 3rd year of competition. I don't count the 5 years I had in 1973-78 because that was too long ago!!

My first year after returning to fencing, I competed in @ 9 competitions. The start of 2002 hearlded my second year and I fenced in roughly 22 competitions which included my first NAC and Summer Nationals. In a sense, I really feel like I'm starting a second year because I've had to deal with a lot of personal loss, so my head wasn't really in the right place.

One thought which keeps coming back to me is to stay focused on the task of fencing a touch at a time instead of whether I'll win/lose the bout . Stay focused on one touch at a time. By staying focused on the process, positive results occur.

And yes, it's frustrating to get "creamed", but with time and practice and experience, your skills will sharpen.

Hang in there!

[Peach]

These days, I enter a couple of competitions a month, on the average. Most of the time I'm doing it for the experience, the exercise, and the chance to practice new actions. I don't enter most of them with the idea of winning, or even of doing all that well.

I really recommend this as a strategy for people who want to get better competitively. At my club, I see a noticeable improvement in skill, intensity, and attitude in the people who enter regular tournaments.

The down side of entering a lot of competitions is it can be very discouraging, especially if you're learning a lot of new things. It's not uncommon for someone to have great results for a novice and then persistently be unable to move past their previous results as they learn more options and get smarter. Also, if you're NOT learning new things it can be discouraging to go to tournaments, so I recommend taking regular lessons and doing a lot of action-specific bouting to complement the strategy.

Your results will vary based on where you are in the training cycle, and will also depend on the quality of the tournaments you enter. I prefer to enter tournaments if I'm doing them for practice where I have to work hard to get into the top half. Otherwise it's just exercise and my attitude goes downhill <g>.

[greenchick]

Botmer, I'm also in my first season of competing. And yes, I'm getting absolutely creamed. I'm also getting in a few good bouts at each tournament, fencing a lot of opponents I haven't faced before, trying out techniques on people who haven't faced me before, and generally fencing at a higher level of intensity than I usually get at practice....

(Which is all very nice, but winning a few more bouts wouldn't suck either.)

[counter riposte]

My first year of competition, I was slaughtered continuously over the entire year. I placed last in my college.

After a year off, I went to my second year of competition, where I again got the beating of my lifetime, by guys half my age.

But after fencing for the second year, I eventually got to know the styles of the people I fenced.

This year, after two years of practice, I went back to my alma mater and tied for third in the UCSB All-Cals, and came in 8th (out of 12) in Orange County.

I am slowly progressing, and hope to get an "E" by the end of the season. The most important part is that you keep trying and learn from all the fencers you fence. Technique is everything, but understanding the style of particular fencers can really bring your game to a whole new level. So, keep fencing on.

Think of fencing as a game of chess. Most chess players start off with the same three moves. The same goes for fencing. Watch and you'll know this is true. Use those first moves to know the style of your opponent, then crush him/her with it.

[engardemisami]

Started fencing exactly a year ago. I was 43.

1st comp Apr 2002 - dry foil for beginners approx 18 fencers. Half were kids bet 14-18, only one person was older than me. Came in second. Yipee! A nice generic medal.
2nd comp May 2002 - epee open, 26+ fencers, some A's, B's etc. - a few kids. My 3rd day to fence epee in practice or for real. Came out second to last.
3rd comp Jul 2002 - epee unrated, 6 fencers no kids. It was a no big deal event. Came in 2nd.
4th comp Sep 2002 - epee open, 30+ fencers. Lots of college kids. A2 event. Tough looking bunch. Came out 8th with a 'C' card.
5th comp Oct 2002 - epee open, 31 fencers. Lots of college kids again. B2 event. Even tougher than before but again came out 8th place.

What is the moral of my story? Just fence for fun. You will get beat but the experience is what counts. Do not go in wanting to win medals or cards. They will come, deserved or not. I don't think I deserved my C but pools can be funny and you can get lucky in the DEs. After my last comp with another 8th place finish, I feel that I am growing into the C card. I will be going to Columbus for Div I NAC. I'll get creamed there.

[venus_demilo]

Well I have my second tournament this weekend and its big one. I am not nervous now, actually I am looking forward to it. NOt only because I want to have fun, but I want to fence the way I normally fence. I was so nervous at my first event that I was just not myself. I lose, I lose but I love this sport.

anyone out there know if there is a rule about cell phone use around strips or judges yacking on a cell phone in middle of competition? I saw how disruptive the cell phone was around the fencers competing so I was wondering what is policy?

[Zelda]

I have a bunch of medals from various competitons in my four odd years of fencing. Of those 3 are from my first year of fencing. A most improved on open state circut, a 2nd overall in the novice circut and a 1st in the Australian university Championships Novice Womens foil. So you could say I had it lucky. I have been competing for 4 years now (had a break from circut last year due to being in London) and have won 2 national medals (top 8's). As for the number of competitions, whatever you want to do. I do as many as I can as they are few and far between.

[engardemisami]

Originally posted by venus_demilo
anyone out there know if there is a rule about cell phone use around strips or judges yacking on a cell phone in middle of competition? I saw how disruptive the cell phone was around the fencers competing so I was wondering what is policy?

I don't want the thread to digress but you must have been at the Burton. Yes, those European judges love their cell phones. They were bothersome. Hope they turn them all off at the Remenyik!

[venus_demilo]

Engardemesami,
I see you were there as well and saw this cell phone faux pas. I am interested still if there are rules regarding cell phone and use in a salle?
Hopefully at reminyak it will be better. Have you ever fenced at this tournament?

[WJM]

well, keep in mind that sometimes phones come in handy at tournaments. I was coaching at the Burton that day and I recieved several phone calls during the foil event, all from an epeeist lost in evanston trying to find the gym. Another fencer was making and recieving phone calls from an ill relative. I think most will have certain times they agree to dislike cell phone users, like restraunts, movies, driving, etc....and the burton three referees all talking on phones in russian at the same time was kind of funny, but they are great for coaches for dealing with fencers who can't find exits and such.

Oh, the remenyik is one of the largest "local" tournaments in the midwest. Usually can expect 90-100 in men's foil and 100+ in men's epee. Both have a chance to be group A3 events this year.

-Will

[Pierfrancesco]

Originally posted by Zelda
I do as many as I can as they are few and far between.

aint that the truth! how did you do at nationals? i got creamed! (tough comp...) although i had a good (pool) bout with Seamus. made me feel a bit better to nearly beat an ex-world champion

[botmer]

It's great to read about your experiences, I do try to have fun when competing but many times it just goes by so fast that when I notice I'm already creamed. I'm trying now to focus more on my enemy's guard when bouting. Fencers here are always the same at competitions so sometimes you're fed up with the same ones, it's happening to me, and it's barely my first year competing, bu still I have to beat them all, my same "good old" opponents. I do get pressure from my coach, after competitions he always asks me how did I do (ie, my final place) but he's never happy with any result anyway. He won't teach me how to deal with flicks to the back or to the side anyway. I hope with competitions and bouting I can work out some attack/defense ideas I have on my mind, even though I get to bout not as much as I'd like to. I like the idea of the 3 moves at the beginning, I'll pay attention to that, and it's great that there are some fencers who started over 40 and are winning doing great and all I started at 20 and felt too old, i can't compete in junior stuff anymore but i think there's much to do

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Wow, my cozch is extremely supportive. In my first open, which I spoke of earlier, I came in dead last, and he didn't think that was bad "Learning experience, and it is your first open" he said.

[Zelda]

Pier,
I came 13th in womens foil. Fairly happy as taht was about where I was when I left! Had ok pool bouts (lost to Jolanta and Sarah R.). My second DE was a disaster though. Oh well least one of my club mates made the final! So where did you end up?

[Pierfrancesco]

zelda, i ended up 54th (out of 62) in epee, but i was reasonably happy with my performance, considering i've only been doing epee for 4 months and that was my second national comp where i did it .. i ended up losing to Peter Osvath in my DE 15/8.

foil on the other hand, 50th (out of 53) place has convinced me i should stick to epee i've been training in epee only since a few weeks after mckenzie so i don't think theres much point really with foil cause i'm not learning anything!

but i had lots of fun which is the main thing was a bit disappointing not to get a team together for the mens foil or epee.....maybe next year!