Has anyone ever had a similiar injury?

[Tomax]

I was fencing a flickster in one of a series of pool-style bouts, and the directors right-of-way favored whoever was moving forward at the time. During one of his marching attacks, I executed a crouching stop-thrust. He tried to swing over to my back but pulled up to fast and whacked me in the back of the head. It cut me and ever since I have a tip shaped scar on the back of my head.
I am wondering if this is unusual or not.

[JEC]

If you are fencing flicksters, use a baseball cap backwards to cover the back of your head under your fencing mask. If you have a bad/painful scar, consult a plastic surgeon.

[The0ne]

geez, that sucks man sounds like it was painful. And it sounds like the Director was correct in giving the other guy the attack in this scenario, because it is cery hard to execute a crouching stop-hit, because a stop hit has to hit with your opponents advance, not while he is lunging.

[Artisan]

Yes, its happened to me too. And you dont have to crouch either. One guy I fenced favored a lateral helicopter blade like preparation for a flick to upper shoulder ---only he sucked at it and nailed me in the head several times. Its the closest I've ever come to throwing down the "weapon" and punching someone in a bout.

The solution is here:
http://snipurl.com/3fvw

Too bad the scar doesn't show though...chics dig scars.

BTW: I've never had a ref pay me for a crouching stop thrust - unless I have the only light...they see the crouch as a defensive posture, forfeiting any right of attack you might have had...

[Tomax]

To clarify, I am merely wondering about the frequency of these type of wounds, not challenging the call. To tell the story I have to set up the scenario.

[Strytllr]

not challenging the call

WHAT?!?? What do you mean you're not challenging the call?!? What kind of fencer ARE you?!?

I mean, how are we supposed to denigrate your fencing ability if you don't challenge the call!????

j/k.

[MyraTrue]

I've only been hit in the head a couple of times with a foil due to a crap flick. But I completely understand you pain! I learned a little sabre with pre-S2000 blades. Those things'd whip over my mask, and nail me dead in the back of the skull. Used to leave blood stains on my colar.

I've been hit in the back of the head a number of times when I fleche too. I know you get ONE shot in tempo to hit me as I go by, but people, is it necessary to take it to the back of my head?

But I've thought about a baseball cap myself!

[veeco]

I've been hit on the back of the head by an incompetent referee, when he was testing weight on my tip, and dropped it on my head.

Needless to say, a cut in the scalp bleeds a lot.

[JEC]

Originally posted by veeco
I've been hit on the back of the head by an incompetent referee, when he was testing weight on my tip, and dropped it on my head.

How ????

[MyraTrue]

You've never had that happen JEC? With me, they usually miss putting it on my tip, and just freaking drop the thing.

[JEC]

If they are testing in front of you the weight on your tip (weapon tip), how they can drop the weight on the back of your head?

[MyraTrue]

Well, for me, I always take a knee when the director checks my weapons. And sometimes, when I'm tired, I'll lean forward. Anyhow, I've had it dropped on my foot, and I've come close to getting hit in the head. I figure, if they pulled my tip far enough back, or I leaned far enough forward...

anyway, I know its possible. Not likely, and there are some odd things that have to be done... but it can happen.

[pkt]

Myra et al,

This is not uncommon at all in sabre esp. prior to the introduction of the 2000 blade req't.
See what i did to my X-Change sabre bask's Contour fit system.
I've been thinking about this problem - hit on the back of the head since the 70s. With the X-change mask the modification is simple since it does not have the 'tongue'.
http://www.fencing101.com/Photo_Gall...er&id=109_0915
http://www.fencing101.com/Photo_Gall...er&id=109_0916

In the recent CSC#2 in Vancouver, an epeeist got hit on the back of his head by a flick! Admittedly he - the one who got hit - was doing a bit of ducking...

See what happens to a 2000 sabre blade when a hit is made using the flat of the blade.
http://www.fencing101.com/Photo_Gall...er&id=109_0917

Now, I don't have to worry about getting hit on the back of my head.

PK

[pkt]

Originally posted by veeco
I've been hit on the back of the head by an incompetent referee, when he was testing weight on my tip, and dropped it on my head.

Needless to say, a cut in the scalp bleeds a lot.

He dropped the 750 gm weigh on your head???? Sacre bleu!
Merde! [is this how you spell "tabernacle"?]

PK

[pkt]

I've told this in other threads and I'll retell it here again:
I've got hit so many times in the 70s by this sabreur who employed the windmill parry which ends with a riposte with the flat of the blade to the side of the mask that now I have a permanent blood clot in my brain that causes epilepsy. Thankfully the epilepsy is under medical control, it nevertheless still sucks.

So my modification is not frivolous.

Anytime something hit your head hard enough to draw blood or causes a lump, that may be classified as a concussion... You do not have to pass out to have a concussion.

PK

[MyraTrue]

PKT, is it THIS picture? (As in, what happens when you hit with the flat of an S2000? Not sure the links working right)

http://www.fencing101.com/Photo_Gall...05_R2_1357_019

And you've never had someone drop a weight on you???

[pkt]

Oh, it's just the back plate of a hockey goalie's mask. It costs me CAD30 - new, it costs CAD50 - and a bit of time to cut 2 slots in it to fit the Leon Paul elastic strap.

I've ordered one of these back plates for Barry Paul so they can investigate the thing... If you see it in the future as an option for your mask, remember where you saw it first.

I have a source for these back plates, let me know if you want one.

BTW, it has 1/2-inch foam underneath it.

PK

[Inquartata]

Bah, serves the fellow right for wearing one of those stupid plexiglas-plate masks!

[pkt]

I don't fence epee in tourney that often.
Furthermore as a 'below N. American average height" person, most of the epee refs are taller than me.
And as a ref, I appreciate how best to present my epee for the ref to test to present the least problem. No, I do not go on my knee. I hold onto the blade so the ref can see the point below eye level, I stay eye-to-eye with the ref.

==)-------------

Yup, you got the right foto.

Notice how high Lepointe's hand is... and that he's hitting with the flat of the blade.

It's not the fault of the mask unless of course the mask is too small for the wearer.
It is more the fault of the person making the hit.

I heard Beaudry got the welder's mask for being chosen for the Junior's team...

PK

[retardedspleen]

even with the S2000 blades i still got hit in the back of the head somewhat often, once, or twice a month... Thats pretty smart PKT you should contact a vender...sell your idea!


Ive never gotten cut bad enough to leave a scar on the back of my head...but its not too uncommon for people to get hurt, and for it to take a long time to completly heal so that you cant tell. i have a couple scars on my arms from when i took lessons w/o a jacket, they are mostly gone now, but its been 2 years since i got them. i also cut my elbo up on the front of a mask (just like a cheese grader) and that still has yet to heal so i cant tell its there, and that was over 3 years ago.


Some peoples (semi) scars heal faster than others.


Chris Triplett