Memorable Tournements?

[Jous]

What have been some memorable competitions for you?
I just had one of mine not too long ago. It was a competition I had to travel to so not many people form my club went. It was small, only 6 people in the men's section, including me. (BTW this was an open saber competition.) But 2 of them were members of their college fencing team, another was their coach who won an olympic medal at one point, another was a member of my club, and the last was just a tough, fast as hell B-rated fencer.

I went into it pretty confident that I would do well, granted except against the coach and B-rated fencer because the 2 college kids I'd fought months ago and did well against them, (beat one of them before) and since I'd improved since then I was sure they wouldn't be too much of a challenge. The member of my own club is almost a mirror image in skill to me, but he slightly outclasses me overall, but not my a huge margin. So I was thinking our match would be close.

Everything went downhill. My first match was against that member of my club, and my strategies just didn't work this time, now that I think of it I probably didn't make the match last long enough (essential for some stuff of mine to work) and I lost 5-2. Dissappointing to me.
I made the mistake of letting that enter my mind and it was hard to let go, so my next match against one of those college kids I wasn't mentally prepared and lost again 5-2. Nothing went right after this point and it was all downhill, I felt like I was terrible, I just wasn't into it at all, and came out of the pools without a single win and only scoring 10 points total in 5 matches.

Needless to say, I was angry at myself and had doubts coming into my mind about my skill. Because I've only fenced for a year, I don't really have a lot of experience and so I let these thoughts get to me.

While I didn't realize it at first, I now know it was a blessing that the DE's of men's saber didn't begin until after an hour after the last bout in the pools. Eventually I started thinking I had to win the next match, or else I may forget about saber and concentarte more on epee, my second weapon.
The thing that really got me going was when my name was announced first for the De's, followed by one of the those college kid's names. When he heard that he was up against me, I heard him say "Yes!!" because he was certain I was nothing. A pushover. That's what got me. I started thinking "You, you think that I am going to be a pushover?! I'll make you pay for that..." All I needed was that bit of anger, encouragement to get myslef going. I had him 8-2 at the one minute break, and I could tell by the look in his eyes he couldn't believe what was happening. And I finished him off 15-9 and had a great match.
That win automatically put me into 3rd place, which was pleasing considering the people at the competition. My next match I lost to the B-rated fencer (who won the whole thing) 15-4. But it was a positive win for me. My 4 points were all clean, 1 light hits and even though he was faster, stronger and had better senses than I did I felt I did well against him. I was able to keep up with him in footwork, it was the unbelievable speed of his bladework that did me in, that and his parry riposting. He didn't land too many attacks on me cause I did a great job at jumping and dodging my way out. So to sum it all up, it was a great match to watch, he just had faster bladework that put him on top, it wasn't a slaughterhouse where I was helplessly trying to run away
My coach then came and congratulated me later for such a comeback in the tournement, which meant a lot to me considering I don't often get too much positive feedback from my coach.



Geez, that was probably a lot longer than anybody else's description will be, but I just had to tell that story....

[Tsu-La]

Congrats! It's always a good feeling to come back from a bad start and kick bootay.

At one tournament, in later DEs I had to end up fencing a person that was very negative all the time, liked to rag on our club, was mean to my teammates, and every time she got a better placement than us she bragged/everytime she got a worse placement than us she whined, giving excuses in a public and mean-spirited manner. I had never actually fenced her in a tournament before, and was dreading it, since I knew what would happen if I lost. I also had just really hurt myself in a previous DE, but I decided that she was going down.

I tried to absolutely change my outlook on the bout, and went into it with a steely composure. I fenced, won (by a couple touches), and managed to severely piss her off at the same time. It was great fun, and I got a very high placement in the tournament.

I guess I just felt I had, in winning, won it for our club and a little that I had shown her she had no beef in the argument that I couldn't beat her in a serious bout.

This probably wasn't my best tournament based on that, but it was one of the most memorable, especially the look on her face afterwards. Priceless.

[whtouche]

My favorite and probably most memorable tournament to date is probably last years 5-College Open co sponsored by Umass and smith colleges, held at smith, this year renamed the pioneer valley open..I think.
Anyways. There were 44 people in the mixed sabre event, and I was coming off a slump. A big slump, during which I perpetually tanked in pools to nearly everyone. In the past few tournaments I had always done horrible in pools, upset a high seed in my first DE then inevitably lost to someone I shouldn't have fenced till later had I done better in pools.

So I worked really hard in pools, and swept. Two bouts I was down 4-0 and I had to come back to win 5-4, and I was very proud of that. When all was said and done, in the midst of one of the strongest tournaments I'd ever fenced I came out of pools seeded 5th(!). I won my first DE after a bit of a struggle to one of the newer Umass fencers and was very impressed with the way he handled the bout even if I was too frustrated to be happy for him at the time

Anyways, I had a bye, then my DE win put me into the 16, when we were informed that they were considering changing the format to canadian elite - which meant regular pools and DE tableaux up to the round of 16, then a second round of 2 pools of 8, with the top 8 overall advancing to the final tableaux. After consideration and a vote..I think, it was decided upon and we were off to the second round of pools.

Now the exiciting part. My pool was tough, including a B rated female sabrist who was in my pool, a clubmate of mine who always gives me trouble, a local rival, a person recently moved to the area, who shortly after this tournament went to a div 1 NAC and got himself some div 1 points, and is on the cadet national team I think, a pretty skilled fencer from new york, a guy from my division who is a B and quite a powerhouse and...Tim Morehouse. Who, as an aside, I would note is a really really nice guy.
Anyways. I win 4, lose 3. Beat clubmate, local rival, person who I think is on cadet national team, and girl in my pool before. Lost to guy from new york, local powerhouse type person(5-4), and Tim Morehouse, 5-3. I wait tensely and discover it is enough to put me into the final tableaux with a seeding of 8th.
Hurray.

So of course my first DE in the new round is against tim morehouse(grr) and I lose, 15-9. But I got more touches on him than anyone else in the tournament, including the final bout which he won 15-6..so I feel really good.

When all is said and done, it's an A tournament, and at 8th place I renewed my C rating.
What made this day and tournament even better is that right after I finish pools Im approached by a friend of mine who now fences in new york and I hadnt seen in a while. He tells me he'd been watching my pool and saw a guy he didnt recognize that "moved really well, and set up attacks well" and he couldnt see who it was(the strips were across the gym from each other) and when he came over to check it out after the pool was done - it was me. Quoth: "When did you get good?". Heh.
So I felt really, really good about my fencing that day. And the overall atmosphere of the tournament was very positive and friendly. The strength of the tournament(due in large part to the heavy promotion by many of the umass fencers) made it very much worth the trip.

So if anyone is within reasonable distance this year, watch for it. Its alot of fun. And that is my most memorable/favorite tournament even.

[Zelda]

Memorable competition? Has to be the last AFF comp in Sydney. My training in the last 9 months or so has been sporadic to say the least what with moving, work, finding a mutally agreeable time with Brian to get lessons, very little (if any) foilists to practise against etc. To top it all off my coach in Brisbane wanted me back in Brisbane as he thought I could start making 8's consistently if I had the backing. (Its another story totally but it really stuffed me for awhile) I flew up to Sydney hoping for a top 16 finish but not expecting it due to lack of preperation.
Going into the comp I had a ranking of 14th, which is vaguely respectable.
31 fencers - 5 pools (4 of 6, 1 of 7)
We started late due to the fact Men's epee started late because the building didnt open on time. So instead of having all the pools running at once we were being fitted onto strips as the guys pools finished.
I ended up in the pool of 7 and the first pool assigned a strip. There were a couple of people I had fenced before, and a few I hadnt. Generally our pools are self reffing, but we lucked out and got a ref (which I think made a difference).
I fenced really well in the pools, only lost one bout (and taht was to a NZér who has been getting very good results internationally).
I did some sums in my head after the pool finished and worked out I should be ranked somewhere around 6-10. Suffice to say the other pools had some VERY odd results and I ended up being ranked fourth....to the surprise of myself!
My first DE was against one of the girls I had beaten in our pool. That was fine, 15/3 to me.
My next DE was against someone I had never fenced before and I knew had given problems to some of the girls in her pool. I had watched a bit of her previous DE and thought that she is beatable, but it would take time and distance. It was close but I eventually came out the winner 15/11 after coming from behind.
Well I suddenly realised I had made top 8, scarey thought really. My next DE was against a girl I train with in Brisbane. I know what she does so well, but still got hammered 15/3. Anyhows I ended up 6th, which had me on cloud nine for a few days. It remains to be seen if I can emulate the result at the Nationals in a couple of months!

[MyraTrue]

Hmm... well, there was the tournament where I'd just learned epee 2 months ago, and ended up placed 76th of... 76. Of course, the women in my pool all ended up in the top 15. But good fun... my epee (the clubs ONLY weapon) died in my first bout, and someone I'd never met let me borrow her spare the entire time. I loan spares now, in memory of that.

There was the last tournament of the season (which looked like the very last with my competition club before I graduated) where we flew to Florida for the National Collegiate's... Fenced ok for day one, until the end, where I made a bad fleche, tore out my ankle, and could hardly walk on it. So they iced it, taped it, strapped a brace on, and I hobbled onto the strip, to keep fencing.

And I won... every single bout from there out. Even the next day. I kept getting the same director, who'd laugh and say, "not too bad for a crippled girl, huh?"

The tournament where I got to see a VERY deserving fencer be black carded. WOOHOO!!!

The tournament where I fenced a Friday night tournament, then drove to the 2-day team even to meet my club, to discover... the ENTIRE women's epee team had BACKED out, and all there was was me. So I fenced sabre for the womens team (also, only one one fencer). Except that I had to borrow sabre kit, which included a size 56 lamee which came to my knees, and 6 inches past my fingertips, and a mask that we had to smash till it looked like I was conehead to fit.

And I must have looked so silly, stepping out onto the strip, lamee in huge billows about me, rucking up my sleeves to be able to hold my sabre. I'd never fenced sabre before, but I did better than the other fencer. I beat all three girls on one team... using point attacks. They'd stop, whip off their masks and yell, "SHE CAN'T DO THAT!!!" at the director... but I could!

I guess each tournament is different, and has its highlights. The one where the women's locker rooms and showers flooded with sewage and no one got showers. Where our mens foil captain tore his knee and we carried him around trying to find dinner in a foot and a half of snow. When the new mens sabre got his mask caved in with a bellguard. When someone followed the wrong car... to the wrong state, to their HOME, and then got out to ask, "are you a fencer?"

I love tournament!

[pammie003]

Hmmm, I have to say my favorite was one in my first year in Ottawa. We were in a car following the team van when we were clipped by a car. Nothing too serious, just big dent, but I had the misfortune of being the one sitting in the back corner where we were hit. Upon arriving at the venue, I visited the physio guy who recommended a visit to a doctor, but my coach wouldn't leave the tournament to take me. I spent the rest of the day layng on my back with ice under my neck, having my team poke me in between bouts to make sure I was still coherent. Good day for sure. No fencing for me that day, and I was out for two weeks afterwards.

[Rolls]

I just got back from one of my most memorable tournaments.

I fenced in the open foil. Did okay in the pools. Had a real easy first DE. Then, got killed in my second DE by someone I should have been toe - to - toe with.

I was so mad at myself that I decided to stay and fence epee just so the 3 hour trip wouldn't be a complete waste.

I did okay in the pools. Then, I won my DE (much more difficult than it should have been). Then, I won another... And kept winning. I ended up losing to a "B" who took first. It was a close match at 15-11. In the end, I came in 3rd and got my "C".

But this was only my 2cd Epee tournament. I got my "E" at my first. I hadn't even fenced epee in a month.

Now, I'm wondering if I shouldn't focus on foil so much. I think I may start fencing both weapons instead of just foil, but I must admit that I like foil better (even though after many competitions I'm still just an "E").

Rolls.

[Inquartata]

At my age, I have trouble remembering tournaments farther back than the last one I was in....

[2Sirius]

It would have to be my first tournament. It was in New Orleans, LA. It was a small tournament, but had several college team members participating. I was nervous enough to puke, especially when my knickers zipper broke in the dressing room. It took me 10 minutes to fix it because my fingers were shaking so badly. I could just envision it popping open during a ballestra. I also felt like a bit of a freak, because I was the oldest sabreur by about...well, quite a bit.

I ended up winning every bout and placing first in the sabre division, out of I think 12 or 14 competitors, but that's only 1 reason it was memorable. I only fenced in the unrated category, so winning wasn't a big deal to anyone but me personally. What really made it memorable was one bout. I was fencing this Hulk of a guy, whose technique seemed to consist of beating down everyone's parries by brute force so that the ref called them mal-parries. For no rational reason, I instantly hated the guy. He struck me as a bully with all the yelling and intimidation, and so forth. I know, it was a sabre bout - but I was a newbie. During our bout, I stepped into his rush and parried hard enough to bend his sabre into a 45 degree angle at the forte. He had to borrow someone else's weapon to finish the bout. He probably wasn't a bad guy. At least he didn't try to beat me to death anymore with someone else's sabre. After that, he got pretty agitated and tried rushing me very aggressively. I finally got smart and just stepped out of the way with a parry to wherever every time. He wouldn't be able to stop and after he fell down for about the third or fourth time, the ref red-carded him. It was very satisfying.