Owwwww!!!!!

[Morion]

Last night I made my first foray into bouting Epee. I came away from it with a couple of welts on my leg and a bruise on my bicep. My first opponent was quite adept at hitting me on the arm and I was apparently quite adept at letting her. I figure this is a sign that sweats are not going to be good enough anymore and that I should finally break down and buy a pair of knickers. I was wondering if there is any protective gear for the upper arm such as a plastron with a longer sleeve (and pockets to insert steel plates ) or do I just have to admit to people that I'm getting beat up by high school girls?

[canthidefromme]

Do the right thing and fence foil.

[broncofencer]

You get used to the bruises after a while and as you improve you will even get less as epee and foil styles differ (not technique) and using the wrong one in either weapon will get you beat up. as for the upper arm not much is available but look around you may find a plastron with longer arms. Mine goes to my elbow and I'm 6'4" I got it from Amrican fencing supply. But I strongly suggest the knickers they help a lot.

[Namir]

I Must Agree with canthidefromme. Foil just makes more common sence, altogether as a sport.

[veeco]

As you start getting more bruises, you'll find that your body gets better at healing them. Mine go away in a couple of days tops.

You'll also find that the bruises you get are not so bad as you learn the correct distance for epee (longer distance than foil) and that you get into counter attacking or sucking your opponent in more.

[Namir]

If she is hitting you in lower part of the arm you need to hide it behind your guard better. Practice in a big mirror. If she hits you in the upper arm and legs you need to retreat more. In any of the sports it is smarter to retreat then parrie then repost. Even eppe, unless your extreamly tall, of course.

[Namir]

Also If yuor getting bruses bad enough your oppenet should probably work on point controll.

[Artisan]

Originally posted by Morion
Last night I made my first foray into bouting Epee.

Congratulations, you have found THE weapon.

I came away from it with a couple of welts on my leg and a bruise on my bicep.

Thats all? Beginning epee fencers often collect many more "dummy marks" and are often mistaken for IV drug abusers because of the track marks inside their elbows.

My first opponent was quite adept at hitting me on the arm

Wait 'til she starts hitting you in the palm of your hand, your toe, and smack in the middle of the mask - and for humiliation in your back arm, and for a new insight into pain she'll go for the groin.

and I was apparently quite adept at letting her.

Actually you were probably more adept at hitting her point with your arm...
She simple put it there for you, and you failed to deflect it when you extended.

I figure this is a sign that sweats are not going to be good enough anymore and that I should finally break down and buy a pair of knickers.

Shouldn't fence foil in sweats much less epee. Greatly increased risk of snagging tip and then breaking blade - and then impaling yourself onto said broken stub - especially until you've learned to be more cautious about your attacks and your distance.

I was wondering if there is any protective gear for the upper arm such as a plastron with a longer sleeve (and pockets to insert steel plates )

You can make padding for the plastron, or wad up stuffing in your sleeve, but the real solution is to get better at not getting hit. Improve your form, distance and blade actions.

or do I just have to admit to people that I'm getting beat up by high school girls?

er....yup. Sorry.

[duel mom]

Epsom salts are very healing. 2 cups added to a hot bath or a stronger dilution in a basin of warm water, soak a cloth and apply cloth directly to bruised area for 10 minutes or so. Try it!

[Fechter1]

Two things:

1- You should never fence without full whites, even in practice bouting. Apart from the increased injury risk to you, the club might also face insurance problems.

2- Bruises are a part of the sport, especially in epee. I've been fencing for 12 years, and I still get bruised (though I've gotten better at defending...), I just don't notice them anymore. If you want to avoid them, learn to avoid getting hit (good advice in any case). Sometimes, however, you will get an opponent that either has no control whatsoever over the strength of his/her hits, or deliberately tries to hurt you. You'll see more of the former than the latter.


Just my $ 0.02

[Talen]

I agree with Duel Mom - epsom salts are great. Also, Arnica Montana is wonderful for bruises - clears them up real fast. I use the tablets under the tongue, but there are also creams. Check the local Health Food Store as they are seldom sold in pharmacies or main stream stores. The 6X version is good for normal bruises, 30X for real deep ones or surgeries.

[Namir]

Well... Somthing tells me Morion will not b into this epson salt thing any time soon...

[swordsen]

Telling people that highschool girls beat you up is a great conversation starter.

[Morion]

You're right Namir, the homeopathic / home remedy type stuff is my wifes realm not mine. I guess it falls into the catagory of "if it hurts when you do that, then don't do that". I'll just have to get better at not getting hit. The girl just managed to hit the same spot about 4 times. On the bright side I only lost 4-5 in my first two bouts. It's just that I'm almost 50 and I just don't heal as fast as I used to!

[MyraTrue]

I flew home to see my parents at the end of my first semester fencing. I'd been fencing epee for about 4 weeks... and I was bruised. I didn't really think much about it at the time, but wore a short sleeved (with SHORT sleeves) to fly home in. Couldn't figure out why security checked me at EVERY airport. Did I have terrorist tatooed on my forehead?

Then I realized. I looked like an IV drug user... just as Artisan said. I bruised VERY well, and was a mass of bruises and bloody marks in the elbow. I was so proud of them!

Now its rare I get a bruise, much less a lot of them. No more protective gear, just I guess a little better at protecting my arm.

Just wait, those bruises will get adictive soon. You'll go around wearing sleeveless shirts and shorts so people can see them. You'll go to friends and say, "hey, check THIS ONE out" as you bare yet another large colorful bruise.

enjoy! I miss those bruises now

[Namir]

Lol! I had a feeling...

[DangerMouse]

Originally posted by Artisan
Actually you were probably more adept at hitting her point with your arm...
She simple put it there for you, and you failed to deflect it when you extended.

I thought this needed to be repeated. I've found that this is the cause of almost all epee buises. Make sure your arm is extended before your feet move when attacking and work on clearing the blade with opposition parries when you counter-attack.

[Fechter1]

Originally posted by Artisan

Actually you were probably more adept at hitting her point with your arm...
She simple put it there for you, and you failed to deflect it when you extended.

My favorite kind of touch, put the tip in a certin point in space, and let the opponent impale their hand. Works like a charm against those flickers.

[Namir]

Try this I have seen this done alot at competitions, by the better fencers in epee.
BE PATIENT! WAIT FOR THEM TO DO SOMTHING STUPID!
Keep your arm good and hidden, and as soon as the lift their bell to go for arm, QUICK hit the hand if you miss continue the attack into the arm or body. I've seen people do that alot in epee when their not tring to how off or somthing...

If someone is doing this to you feint them and go for thir leg, or somthing along that line. If you miss RETREAT LIKE HELL!!!

[I_luv_saber]

Hmmm... Yup, I say just don't get hit, or get used to wearing long-sleeved shirts, unless you want to show off. Just do the right thing and switch to saber... we get welts... they look cooler... switch to saber.