Beginner's Tournament Guide: Free Download

[Craig]

This 10 page ebook covers what you need to know to get ready for your first fencing tournament.

(The Beginner's Guide to Their First Fencing Tournament is distributed as a PDF, and requires Adobe Acrobat Reader 6 or newer)

To download, click here.

Do you have a fencing site? You're welcome to distribute the PDF on your site as long as you do not alter any of the PDF and you give credit to Fencing.Net.

[SJCFU#2]

One thing you might want to add somewhere in there - Test equipment between bouts and especially between pools and DE's. Just because something passed weight (or weight and shim) prior to the last bout doesn't necessarily mean it will still pass the next time.

[Craig]

One thing you might want to add somewhere in there - Test equipment between bouts and especially between pools and DE's. Just because something passed weight (or weight and shim) prior to the last bout doesn't necessarily mean it will still pass the next time.

Read Page 6:

After a bout

As soon as the referee ends the bout, check your foil or epee with the weight and/or shims before unhooking from the scoring system. Just because your weapon passed inspection at the beginning of this bout doesn't mean that it will pass at your next bout. Do a quick weight and shims test so that you know that your favorite weapon is working. If it doesn't pass, unhook and figure out if you have the time to fix it before your next bout or if you need to go with your secondary weapon to start the next bout.

Craig

[SJCFU#2]

Read Page 6:

Missed that one -

Feel free to disregard my previous comment.

[youngevans79]

Thanks for the ebook. This is just what I was looking for. I am planning to be in my first tournament in the next 6 months.

[Purple Fencer]

Thanks for the ebook. This is just what I was looking for. I am planning to be in my first tournament in the next 6 months.

Check mine out as well...been serving people well for over 10 years (more info...always better)

Check my signature block.

[hpfencing]

Craig,

You continueally amaze me with what you have hidden away here on fencing.net. This is a great resource. Thanks for sharing!

[markmullen]

Thanks both of you for your guides, I have my first tournament at the weekend and am reading your guides for advice.

[hpfencing]

Thanks both of you for your guides, I have my first tournament at the weekend and am reading your guides for advice.

Hope your even is running very smoothly!

[Zilverzmurfen]

After a bout

As soon as the referee ends the bout, check your foil or epee with the weight and/or shims before unhooking from the scoring system.

Am I the only one bugged by this?

If your bout is finished then get off the piste and do not deliberately prolong the poules!

It's a good thing to teach kids to check their weapons inbetween bouts but this should not be done on the piste, but rather by using their own (or loaned...) test equipment off-piste.

[Craig]

If your bout is finished then get off the piste and do not deliberately prolong the poules!

When I do it it takes 10 seconds at most. Also, *your* weight and shims may not match up exactly with the *tournament* weight and shims, so it's good to know that it will pass the test that will be applied on your next bout.

[Zilverzmurfen]

When I do it it takes 10 seconds at most. Also, *your* weight and shims may not match up exactly with the *tournament* weight and shims, so it's good to know that it will pass the test that will be applied on your next bout.

The weight and shims on that particular poule's table may also not match with those on your next poule's table. (I'm certain you too have experienced this IRL, at least with shims.)

Either way, this is a habit I find very annoying, regardless of whether I'm fencing or not.
In my opinion it's better to NOT teach kids bad habits from the start.

[K O'N]

The weight and shims on that particular poule's table may also not match with those on your next poule's table. (I'm certain you too have experienced this IRL, at least with shims.)

Either way, this is a habit I find very annoying, regardless of whether I'm fencing or not.
In my opinion it's better to NOT teach kids bad habits from the start.

It's not a "bad habit". If your referee doesn't want you to do this s/he will tell you, otherwise it's fine, at least everywhere I've fenced in the US.

It takes a few seconds for the next fencer to get to the strip to hook up on your side. You can either spend that few seconds checking the shims (I don't do weights between bouts, but that's just me), or you can stand there with the reel cord in your hand. I don't think it delays the bout at all. If I get done and look up to see the next fencer right there I skip checking shims. But I never do.

K O'N

[TBean]

The weight and shims on that particular poule's table may also not match with those on your next poule's table. (I'm certain you too have experienced this IRL, at least with shims.)

Either way, this is a habit I find very annoying, regardless of whether I'm fencing or not.
In my opinion it's better to NOT teach kids bad habits from the start.

I have to agree - it takes 10 seconds - and I do it after each bout. If my referee tells me not to or gives me an eyeball I won't, but as long as they say nothing I am testing. I don't think this is a "bad habit," I think you find annoying and have classified it as such. Checking your weapons is an important habit to get into.

[Zilverzmurfen]

Checking your weapons is an important habit to get into.

Absolutely. Not arguing against that at all.

[Ardern]

Thanks a lot for sharing but dear, I'm facing some problem in downloading. Actually, it is responding
as 'No Record Found'.
Its mysterious. Can you fix it?
regards