The mental game...

[d0gz|song]

I've been fencing for a little over a year now, and I can't seem to work my mind into my bouts. I'm extremely desperate to get a hold on this aspect of fencing. I feel like I'm missing out on something much greater than I could ever imagine. Please, HELP ME!

[135711]

Low self esteem, leads to self hatred, which leads to blaming everyone else. Let go of negativity. Find the positive things that are in your environment and if that fails, find a professional who can work with you until you find the right frame of mind you are looking for for fencing.

DON"T call yourself a dog,

[pkt]

d0gz|song,

The elementary question you should ask yourself should be:
Why am I doing fencing?

Once you've answer truthfully that quetion then we can go further.

Do you have a coach? A good coach? Fencing is coaching intensive in the beginning.

Are the people you're fencing against, with, provide enough of a challenge to you?

which weapon are you doing...

All these are relevant questions.

In another thread, someone has a similar problem as you. Read some of the other thread from beginner like yourself:
Aah need help
New to Fencing
I'm new. Anyone have any tips for me?
etc.

Best of luck, hope u find your answers.

PK

[d0gz|song]

I'm sorry, I think u misunderstood my message. I meant incorporating the mind into fencing to create useful tactics and stuff like that. And I don't have low self-esteem, I don't hate myself and I'm not blaming anyone for anything. Sorry if I wasn't clear enough.

BTW, I like dogs, which is why my username is d0gz|song. Your comment somewhat offends me and I consider it to be an insult to me and my favorite animals... No hard feelings tho.

[d0gz|song]

I know why I'm fencing and I'm sure I want to go on. I do have a coach, I fence foil, and I'm challenged by the people I'm fencing. Thanks a lot for your help, I'll check out the threads you mentioned right away.

[Inquartata]

Alas, it is not something which can be summoned or forced. IMO the more "desperate" you are to have it, the more it will elude you. This sounds like mysticism, I know, but it is true for many of us nevertheless. It will come when it will come, and that's sooner for some and later for others. Try to relax, and just have fun, and it will come....

[pkt]

IN4,

I can't agree with you more.

Last time I fenced with someone better than me - I'm not afraid to admit to that, it's the truth and he can afford to go fence in the World Cup events, I couldn't - he gave me a very good piece of advice:

I was trying too hard...

I relaxed and fenced a lot better... it was that simple.

It's similar to AaronK's advice in 'Patience in Fencing' about pretending one is 2 points up...

It's not mysticism not yet. Now, if someone starts a fencing school based soley on that principle....

Thanks HH.

PK

[Boo Boo]

Agree with pkt, fencing well - and being able to fencing tactically and intelligently - really does come down to relaxing, being patient and comfidence.

When you are in this frame of mind, you are more likely to be experimental, do things at the right time and for these things to work. And as this happens more, you also become for comfident and relaxed which makes you fence even better.... and so on.

The other things to do are:
- watch the people you fence or are about to fence. What do they do? If someone attacks in a certain way, what parry do they do (will help you work out what attacks draw which parrys etc.)? What mistakes do they make?
- don't be afraid to try things in training.

The better you get technically, the more moves you can do with comfidence. The more moves you can do well, the more opportunity you have to confuse/draw your opponent (that is a large part of the mental game - being unpredictable).

Sorry to ramble, just off of holiday... :-)
Boo

[Kiwifencer]

Yep agree with that - relax, and have fun. It is only a game after all.

My coach used the approach with me that any hit on me was a mistake by me. Either I made the mistake or the other fencer made me make the mistake. Work out what it was, and don't repeat the error.

And have fun.

[d0gz|song]

Thanks again for all the suggestions! I'll take your advice and try to relax. Come to think of it, I do try too hard... Hmm... Never thought of relaxing. O well, not too late to start now!

[pkt]

dogz

as i wrote in another thread earlier, evn one of the maitre d'armes from France's INS did not know how to relax. As a result all his students are stiff as boards.

OTOH, another maitre from the very same INS always relax our sword arm by grabbing the sword hand and try to swing the arm from the student's shoulder to make the point of relaxing.

When one's muscles tighten up, one has to fight against it.

Analogy:

In a front wheel-drive car, the front tires has to drive, steer as well as stop the car.
In order to perform the shortest possible panic stop, it is best to put the gear in neutral so the front tires have to do one job and one job only.

Here's something for you to read. It has nothing to do with fencing. It's written by the sword saint of Japan, Miyamoto Musashi, the Book of Five Rings [No, it has nothing to do with the Olympics. ]
http://www.samurai.com/5rings/

and of course Sun Tze's the Art of War
http://www.chinapage.com/sunzi-e.html

In the latter case a paraphrase:
Being on the defensive ensures one cannot be defeated, but it also means one cannot win. In order to win, one has to attack.

Sounds familiar?

Here's an excerpt: [it's available in Chinese too .. ]

16. While heeding the profit of my counsel,
avail yourself also of any helpful circumstances
over and beyond the ordinary rules.

17. According as circumstances are favorable,
one should modify one's plans.

18. All warfare is based on deception.

19. Hence, when able to attack, we must seem unable;
when using our forces, we must seem inactive; when we
are near, we must make the enemy believe we are far away;
when far away, we must make him believe we are near.

20. Hold out baits to entice the enemy. Feign disorder,
and crush him.

21. If he is secure at all points, be prepared for him.
If he is in superior strength, evade him.

22. If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to
irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.

23. If he is taking his ease, give him no rest.
If his forces are united, separate them.

24. Attack him where he is unprepared, appear where
you are not expected.

25. These military devices, leading to victory,
must not be divulged beforehand.

26. Now the general who wins a battle makes many
calculations in his temple ere the battle is fought.
The general who loses a battle makes but few
calculations beforehand. Thus do many calculations
lead to victory, and few calculations to defeat:
how much more no calculation at all! It is by attention
to this point that I can foresee who is likely to win or lose.

Enjoy.

PK

[The0ne]

Or, learn how to flick,
you don't need mind games with the flick
just kidding,
I mind taht i think i have no mind games at all, but after my bouts ,my coach says that i used them.
maybe its kind of intuitive for a while cause, ive only been fencing for 2 years. . .
-The0ne

[Craig]

Most likely you are stuck playing only a couple of actions and not spending enough time using other tactics and adapting to your bouts.

Something one of my coaches said to our group that I continue to use to focus myself back on bouts and in free fencing (free play) when I run into a string of either touches against or hectic touches that don't seem to be planned:


Every action has a purpose;
Every response has a solution.


How do you apply this?

Every action has a purpose:
Every action that you do should have a purpose. You make an advance; why? Was it to gain ground, or to keep distance equal to your opponent. Did your opponent retreat, drawing you to advance and come to them, or are you initiating? The question you should ask yourself is "Why?" Why are you making that action, what are you setting up by it. Also, when your opponent makes an action, why are they doing it? What are they setting up?


Every response has a solution:
You attack and get hit with a riposte. Fine, what parry did they use? Did they ripost direct or indirect? With a simple extension, an advance, or a lunge? What distance did they use to take the parry? Now, you know that the most likely response to your same attack will be the same parry/riposte (based on the fact that we tend to repeat successful actions), you can craft your solution to their response. (Your solution could be to take a counter-parry/riposte since you have a good idea where their riposte will land, or you could modify your attack to draw the parry, and then make feint-deceive to hit the now-open line.)

Take a look at the drills section of this site, and pay attention to the articles on the Tactical Wheel . Once you have your basic technique down, those are the concepts that will let you plan your touches and shape your bouts.

Hope this helps.

[Sud]

...which is much more limited than others on this board, but here goes:

I suggest that you watch others fencing and even do some presiding/refereeing of practice bouts. Why? It will develop your ability to 'see' what fencers are doing, when the attack comes out, distinguish preparations from attacks, etc. Focus on watching one fencer if you want (now when presiding!). When do they start to move, etc.

Then, when you're on the piste, you can use the same skill to watch (and recognise) what your opponent is doing. Then you can analyse what your opponent is doing. Then your opponent will hit you while you were busy thinking Don't worry, the more you do it, the more automatic it will become, and the less brain-power it will take.

It does take time, so be patient. After three years, I still have off-days when my 'fencing brain' isn't switched on, and on those days my fencing is just instinct and reaction (and consequently very poor).

Sud

[pkt]

sud,

I agree w/ your suggestion of refing as a way of improving one's ability to see the actions, not to mention to get to know the rules better.

another sugestion is to teach the raw beginners. It's amazing how much one has to know in order to teach...

PK

[d0gz|song]

Yes! Those are the exact answers I've been looking for! Thanks guys!