Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

Saber Girl · 10-24-2002, 08:03 PM

On Tuesday night, I got a 'once-in-a-lifetime touch' in sabre. I did a cut to the head, and my blade wiped around to unsnap my opponents mask on the other side.

Has anyone else ever done something like this? (please share)

What would the director call if that were done in a tournament?

Purple Fencer · 10-24-2002, 09:10 PM

I saw a friend uncable someone in sabre once...got the touch, too!

Inquartata · 10-24-2002, 10:50 PM

It's not more common only because so few people seem even to attempt head cuts anymore. I've done it a time or three, usually ending up with my opponent's cord dangling from my blade...

counter riposte · 10-25-2002, 08:48 PM

I don't think it's a once in a life time touch. I've done it to several a sabreur and occasionally end up with the mask cord hanging from my weapon. It's also been done to me, where the whipover came over the back of my mask (ouch), and unclipped me.

It does stop the bout, for equipment failure, but you cannot be carded for it because it occured during the bout.

whtouche · 10-25-2002, 11:40 PM

Once in a lifetime touch? Try this on for size.
Last week I was fencing in a local 'C' tournament. I was called onto the strip for my next pool bout. Off of the first call of 'fence' we both advanced, I did a headcut with a closeout breaking my opponants blade in the process. While we're waiting for him to get another blade to continue the bout with, we inspect his broken blade and you wouldnt believe it. Attached to his sabre he had, and had been fencing with for a few months I understand, a practice foil blade. Imagine our shock.
When I got over the comical value of it I realized that without the rubber tip on it, it could have been potentially dangerous.
I've always wanted to cut a foil in half(tho this was more towards the tang than actually in half. But...shut up

heh.

epeemike81 · 10-26-2002, 12:43 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by whtouche
Attached to his sabre he had, and had been fencing with for a few months I understand, a practice foil blade. Imagine our shock.

Not only was it a foil blade, it was also a lefty guard on a rightie weapon! clearly, he deserves a lot of taunting for not noticing for three months (which, believe me, he is getting), but that sabre was originally purchased at BFC, and whoever put it together should be slapped around a bit.

-m

Boo Boo · 10-26-2002, 02:42 PM

A couple of times, whilst fencing foil, I have managed to disengage the crocodile clip of my opponent's body wire from their lame jacket and finish with the crocodile clip attached to the barrel of my foil.

Its a neat trick :-)

Boo

oiuyt · 10-26-2002, 07:14 PM

Big question is was it an S2000 dry foil blade?

-B :)

Gav · 10-29-2002, 01:29 AM

Years ago when I was fencing Foil I was watching a local bout. One fencer lunged and the other jumped in the air over the top of the balde and executed a neat flick onto his opponents back. Moves of that sort are more common now but at the time...

I saw a picture of something similair once only it was a bit more extreme. The picture was taken from behind one fencer who had lunged. His opponent had jumped into the air doing the splits over the lunging fencers blade. Nice (or painful depending on your flexibility).

Gav · 10-29-2002, 01:34 AM

Oh yeah and while we're on the subject of freak events....

I attended one of the larger local fencing [Epee] tourney's recently. I was cheering on a friend of mine. There had just been a halt and the 2 fencers had retreated back to their lines. On the 'Fence' they both came forward, just as my friend was about to make a move the other fencers Epee fell to peices! I don't just mean his body chord cam out - it literally fell to pieces, He was left hold the grip lookng bemused.

The blade had snapped at the tang, the guard had fallen off and the bodychord had become unplugged all in the same instant.

Inquartata · 10-29-2002, 07:33 PM

"The Force is strong in that one"...

DJ Apostrophe · 10-29-2002, 08:57 PM

on the subject of epees falling apart... i was directing a bout while epeemike was fencing... he attempted a flick over his opponents guard... he didnt hit anything at all... but the blade had taken that point to decide it was done living... the blade broke at the tang and fell to the floor... the guard rolled to the opposite end of the gym and clanged against the wall... i was highly amused.
-w

epeemike81 · 10-29-2002, 11:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DJ Apostrophe
on the subject of epees falling apart... i was directing a bout while epeemike was fencing... he attempted a flick over his opponents guard... he didnt hit anything at all... but the blade had taken that point to decide it was done living... the blade broke at the tang and fell to the floor... the guard rolled to the opposite end of the gym and clanged against the wall... i was highly amused.
-w

the best part was that the tang was jammed in such a way that the grip and socket stayed together, with the bell pad trapped between. so, I was left standing there holding the grip with everything behind the bell right where it should be.

-m

Inquartata · 10-30-2002, 01:32 AM

I've seen that happen in sabre, too. The poor fencer is left gazing sadly at the remnants of the hilt in his hand...

Gav · 10-30-2002, 01:42 AM

I was chatting to a Sabreur recently who said that this probably has become more common with the new S2000 baldes - is this true? I was watching a Sabre final recently and the 2 guys were going at it when one of the guys Sabre's fell to pieces. They weren't even being partiularly brutal.

Capt. Slo-mo · 10-30-2002, 11:36 AM

We haven't noticed a pattern of unusual breakage in the 2000 series...altho they can come apart right at the guard with a particularly firm parry. More often, ours break off at the tip when they fail.

At the 2002 Summer Nationals, though, I had one blade break right in the forte. Of course, it had to be at match point in the DEs. *sigh*

oiuyt · 10-30-2002, 12:51 PM

Given that it causes a halt this doesn't particularly hurt you. Unless you got so rattled by needing to switch weapons..... Much worse is when your plug decides to pop out at match point.

-B :)

JEC · 10-30-2002, 01:27 PM

Is the halt awarded at the moment of blade contact, so that the failure of the weapon to stand the thrust or cut is taken into account? or the point is awarded if only one light appears? Malfunction white light is blocked.

Purple Fencer · 10-30-2002, 03:47 PM

There was a local event a coupl eof years ago where the foil guys both lunged, web passe, hooked their guards together, and recovered. On guy's guard actually gave way and got pulled off the front end of his foil...so he's left holding the grip and blade still firmly together, but his guard is rolling ont he floor...along with his opponent!

On the subject of amazing touches, I'm surprised no one's mentioned the Maestro Okawa one from several decades back where he's on his kinees, bending backwards and nailing his opponent while the other guy's standing straight up trying to poke Okawa...American Fencers has only been selling that poster for 20+ years...Hell the old Salle Mori used it as their club logo!

Capt. Slo-mo · 10-30-2002, 07:32 PM

As I remember the rulings, a broken blade causes a halt.

But: if, as a direct continuation of the action that broke the blade, a touch is scored, the director can award the touch to the breaker. So it has to be something like a beat attack with an immediate progression to the valid target. Not a whack...ohmigod, his blade is broken...chase him down the strip and whack him!