GIVING UP FOIL!!!!!!

[Arturo]

I am tired of the wretched weapon!!! I am thinking of putting it on the back seat for a while and taking up Epee.

The only thing is put a lot of time into mastering second intention attacks, the flick, beat disengages, indirect riposts ect.. But then that is perhaps part of the reason I got tired of it.

You practice an attack to perfection, you have it mastered, only so that a director(from a different school of thought)doesn't give it priority and calls it a counter attack or some other aberation of what truly happened.

Anyway Epee is more fun and requires a lot more thought and strategy than does foil.An no stupid right-of-way!!!

any thoughts or suggestions???

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When you parry, riposte

[epeetaph]

I thought the only reason one took foil was to learn the correct actions for the other weapons. *snicker*

Oh, and I like the epee idea...hehehe

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"Pain is just weakness leaving your body."

[Shadow Fencer]

It's your call. But instead of giving it up, why don't you continue with it in addition to epee, unless it's too confusing for you to remember right of way in foil. Get your coach (if you have one) to critically observe your attacks.

[swordsen]

Art, Art, Art......
This is why you should concentrate on getting simple single action moves down to perfection.

but who am I to complain if you come over into the light........

[damianip]

While I haven't given up foil completely, I've now moved my emphasis to épée. Result:

I now stink in both weapons!!!! But I have a lot more fun stinking at épée and can't blame a director when I lose.

Actually, foil is helpful to maintain discipline in strategy. With épée it's easy to get sloppy unless one maintains concentration.

Keeping a foot in the foil ring, for me at least, helps keep me honest. And remember, all those techniques learned in foil must now be executred much more precisely in épée or any competent opponent will make you pay dearly.

Paolo

[attila]

Welcome to the dark side. Screw right of way and put in on first ( or at least within 1/25th of a second).

Attila

[Lumberg]

You can always argue a call the director makes.
Second intention and flicks don't always give you right of way (priority). You should know this.
Next practice, only use simple attacks in your bouts. No flicks. If you can't score with simple attacks, that's what you need to practice.


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Lumberg.
"...ahhh, we have sort of a problem here... yeah, you apparently didn't put one of the new cover sheets on your TPS report"

[Stryder]

No offence, but foil isn't the problem.

If you suck at foil, it is because you cannot stop yourself from making the same mistakes. This will be the reason you will suck at epee.

You might have more fun though.

Moral of the story: If the referee says you were preparing, you were. It doesn't matter what "school" he went to.

[latenight]

Ahhh Epee. Last refuge of those who want to fence but have no clue when it comes to right of way. Part of the foil game is adapting to the director.

[scarlet_woman156k]

My advice:
I know this may be contrary to how many people feel, but I really think you should only focus on one weapon if you want to get any perfection to your fencing. Arturo, if I were you, I would really evaluate which weapon you truly like fencing with and put the other one down. The only reason why I say this is because it sounds like you're not just in it for the fun of it, but you actually want to accomplish something for yourself.

I know a long time ago, my coach at the time said, "You're better in epee, don't fence foil anymore." And that's exactly what I did...I liked it better, anyway, so it wasn't hard to put foil down for good.

As for this whole idea that foil is good for tip control in epee...I can agree with people somewhat on that. But why don't you just do exercises to help with point control with your epee? That's what I do. Plus, a lot of those things you said you've mastered in foil can be applied to epee.

Also, directors are going to be directors. Competing with the director as well as the opponent is something you should already know and accept when it comes to foil.

scarlet.

[This message has been edited by scarlet_woman156k (edited 01-25-2001).]

[This message has been edited by scarlet_woman156k (edited 01-25-2001).]

[darius]

Part of the foil game is concealing your final action from your opponent, but making it obvious enough that the director can see it.

When in doubt - take the blade first. And save your wrath for the directors who can't see that. (To somebody in Cleveland: What the f--- is a "half-bind," exactly?)

darius

[tsalyards]

If there's only one light, the director can't screw you over, even in foil. The goal of the game is to hit without being hit. If you can't do that, success will not follow in any of the three weapons.

-Tad

[robbie]

Come back to the light!
You don't have to follow the dark side Luke!

[Crash55]

The dark side is a fun place to be: no right of way and directors to convince (one of the reasons I left foil), no lames to buy or wear (way to hot in warm weather), and less delicate weapons (other reason I quit foil, damaged or destroyed all club sfoils in two pratices).

I have only competed in foil once sicne I left and I believe my exact words were: 'If I ever try to do this again, shoot me!"

Back when I was fencing foil, my coach's coach told me I should switch to epee. He thought it was more of a thinking game and better suited to my style. I didn't believe him then. Couldn't see how the absence of right of way could cause more thought to be required. Now I can admit I was wrong and he was right.

[Clean Touch]

Right on, Scarlet Woman!

The foil really is the queen of weapons. But there's a few things to remember when you make this decision:

1) You fence the opponent AND the director. If he/she makes calls in such-and-such a manner, play the game!

2) Epee is fun and exciting, but yes you can LOSE a lot of the skill you have developed as a foil fencer by basking in the wonderful expanse of freedom from right-of-way. But it's a different game and the same obstacles that bar your advancement in foil are going to be there in epee OR sabre.

3)Fencing is a sport for the patient, not for those looking for a quick thrill. It takes work and dilligence to be good in any weapon.

It's up to you. I admit that I've been tempted by the Dark Side as well.

As a foilist you can fence foil or epee. But as an eppeeist you can't fence foil.

And that, ladies and gentlemen, are my 2¢

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Est-ce que l'attaque etait bon? Mais Oui!!

[Rick]

I like Epee... I like Foil... I guess I'm just a greedy SOB... I can't imagine going to a tournament and not doing both (not since I picked up Epee, that is).

The way I see it, Foil is like a Steak Dinner. And Epee... Lobster. You can have one or the other. Or you can get the Surf 'n Turf.

[HilandDoug]

And epee is so very much like a smallsword, or court sword, that, according to Nadi, it is the closest thing sport fencing has to recreating a real duel. That's why I'm becomming attracted to it. Did foil, did sabre (mostly back in the dry, fleche days), and look forward to epee.

[swordsen]

Gee I think I like scarlet......
Want to run away together????

[scarlet_woman156k]

swordsen,
making fun?

[weezelbit]

It's true. In foil there are three people in the match - the two opponents and the director.

Still, if the director doesn't see your moves - do something else.

Even in epee there can be bad directing. The worst I experienced was a director who called two lights as one touch for my opponent. No amount of argueing (polite reminding?) could convince him that both lights had been on. Argghh.
So, I had to make sure only one light ever went on and that it was MINE, Mine, mine, I Win, I win, i win. . .Ahem.

Well, have fun with epee.