Fencing.Net - Your Guide to Fencing & Fencing Equipment

cowpaste · 03-15-2003, 12:06 PM

Ok, I am planning on spending about two months in France this summer. I have this weird urge to learn French. Anyway, I haven't chosen a location yet, but I've decided that the place I go to must definitely have some place I can (learn to) fence. I've checked a few cities already, and I've realized that pretty much every single dang city/town has some fencing club/school, so I was wondering if you guys know of some really famous places I could go to. Keep in mind that my primary reason for going is to learn French, so a city/town gets extra points if it also has a good Learn-French-School-for-Foreigners™. Of course, if the fencing place in a particular city/town is particularly good, maybe I'll just go there for the fencing and pick up freedom through observation. :P

veeco · 03-17-2003, 05:40 PM

You're probably better off going to Paris. Lots of things to do, to see, to eat, and plenty of French learning schools. I am sure that with a little research on the web you can find some.

I'll try myself and post some links here later.

135711 · 03-17-2003, 06:15 PM

that sounds incredible.

a friend of mine bought a ticket and flew over without knowing a single soul or having a place to stay, she did the incredible, she went to a restaurant, spoke perfect french, got a job waiting tables, and the owner let her stay in the backyard in a tent. no kidding, this is the truth. She could have died of course, but she went to france!

I think we should sing cowpaste a bon voyage song in french/texas:

Happy trails avec vous,
until we meet again,
Happy trails avec vous,
keep smiling on til then,
Happy trails avec vous,
till we meet bon chance!

cowpaste · 03-18-2003, 02:12 AM

Yeah, I saw the huge amount of fencing placing in Paris. The only problem is that it's impossible to learn French there. I'm like (in crappy French) "Where is the blah blah?" and then they reply "Zere is one on ze left."

Also, they do funky thingy thinks like "Tu t'appelle comment?" and they end everything with "heu..." or something. Yeah.

The biggest problem is the price of staying there however. Maybe I could live in a tent too! :P

KShan5[PrFC] · 03-18-2003, 01:17 PM

Je m'appelle Kevin, et vous?

135711 · 03-18-2003, 02:35 PM

you'd learn the language faster if you had more fun with it, people understand if you can't get things right the first time, what you do is take something simple, like a song and replace the words with anything that you do know in the persons language and you'll learn it, you're no fun, you come to the defense of people just to make others feel uncomfortable. i stand up for the tent, it was her right to live in a tent for the summer if she wanted to everyone admired her.

my name is _________
ou allez vous________
I could fence for 2 hours a day
i like epee best

buy tapes.

cowpaste · 03-18-2003, 10:49 PM

I'm confused. I promoted the tent idea....

KShan5[PrFC] · 03-18-2003, 11:16 PM

You should learn the simple phrases, such as:
Ou est le salle de bain?
Where is the bathroom
Ou est un restaurant?
Take a guess
Bonjour, ca va?
Hello, how are you?
etc. also

Voulez vous vous couchez avec moi ce soir?
Yes second vous is correct french, and you should know what that is by know.

veeco · 03-18-2003, 11:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cowpaste
Yeah, I saw the huge amount of fencing placing in Paris. The only problem is that it's impossible to learn French there. I'm like (in crappy French) "Where is the blah blah?" and then they reply "Zere is one on ze left."

Also, they do funky thingy thinks like "Tu t'appelle comment?" and they end everything with "heu..." or something. Yeah.

The biggest problem is the price of staying there however. Maybe I could live in a tent too! :P

So, I guess I am not sure what you are saying. Are you saying that too many people speak enough English in Paris that you don't feel like you have to learn French?

I guess the best solution is to find a school for FSL (French as a Second Language) teaching, or something similar in the area that you wish to live in.

Also, Paris is indeed an expensive place to live in, but there is also the possibility to live in youth hostels (auberges de jeunesse) and other roommating solutions available. Living under the same roof of a French speaker and interacting with them on a daily basis is also a very good way to learn the language (this is pretty much how I learned my "English").

Strydus · 03-19-2003, 07:51 AM

Isn't Paris where the Académie des Armes is? If you could get into THAT...might be interesting.
By the way, you'll need the phrase "Où est le bar?"
You could also try the south (near Nice) or Lyon, they have good clubs there as well (do note they are rather traditional).

"Voulez vous vous couchez avec moi ce soir?"
Technically, you wouldn't add the second vous as it just sounds haughty. Also, if you don't know what it means, do NOT try it for kicks

Amusez vous bien.

KShan5[PrFC] · 03-19-2003, 01:38 PM

Well no technically you would add it, while speaking it you would drop it. Just like when negating a verb you usually drop the "ne".

Strydus · 03-19-2003, 05:19 PM

True enough, but like I said, it sounds haughty.
Also, you would say "coucher" not couchez" (sorry I'm a stickler...)

cowpaste · 03-19-2003, 06:35 PM

I would probably say something like, "Je veux m'accoupler." but I am silly. Anyway, could someone tell me about L'Académie des Armes? I am quite a fencing gnoobie, so I doubt they would except Amerloque junk like me, but I would like to learn about it at least. Also, when you say the south is somewhat traditional, would you say this is a bad or good thing considering I was introduced to fencing through a college club, and I would like to become really good because everyone is annoying arrogant(yet still much better than me.) I must humiliatingly capture their defeat to make them hold their braggy tongues. bleah.
It's not the most noble motivation in the world but whatever works. :P

Strydus · 03-19-2003, 07:28 PM

The Académie des Armes is the professional school for fencers and coaches that tends to produce many (most) Olympic and World champions. I was mostly joking when I suggested it unfortunately...
Also, most schools in France teach classical fencing I find, it's just that Paris can be a tad more liberal when it comes to such matters (classic places emphasis on form, technique and style whereas modern is designed to "go for the touch at all costs, regardless of whether it is "sloppy" or not).

cowpaste · 03-19-2003, 10:48 PM

Actually I think I would prefer more of the classical approach. I know it won't win me a super large amounts of bouts, but I think I would look cooler. :P Plus if I ever got into a real sword fight for some odd reason, I bet good form would win.

What do you guys think about Tours or Lyon?

Inquartata · 03-19-2003, 11:09 PM

Whichever phrases you use, you had better pronounce them darn near perfectly, too, or the Parisians will simply affect not to understand you. And will speak English to you if they can, or shrug and walk away if they do not.

Strydus · 03-20-2003, 07:18 AM

I don't really know Tours that well, but I can vouch for Lyon as a magnificient city with much to offer for all interests. The Fencing is supposed to be rather good as well (never fenced there myself though).

veeco · 03-20-2003, 05:18 PM

Tours is a really nice city. I almost lived there. It's next to the Loire river, it's generally warm, it's small, and if you fence sabre, there is a good club at "Joue les tours".

L'Academie des Armes? Never heard of that. Where they train the French national team is called "INSEP" (which stands for Institut National du Sport et de l'Education Physique <http://www.insep.fr>). It is in Paris, and you can train there only on invitation.

L'Academie des Armes used to be the place where fencing coaches would be taught in France. But I think that is not the case anymore, they changed the location and the name.