woman and coupe?

[Albatros]

Hi everybody!
A while ago I got a unit from my coach. He teached me the technique of coupe. I had some problems with that and don't use it in a bout. Later another coach, who had seen the unit, said that doesn't teach coupes to women. They aren't able to make them in a right and efficient way. He said that women's forearm muscles aren't strong enough for this technique. Have you ever heard of this? I think I will never be able to make a good coupe, but maybe other women?!?!

[Tireur]

Weird..... I've been teaching it to women for over 25 years and never encountered this problem. I did hear someone else talk about it a few years ago, tho.

Don't believe it.

[frenzl]

just sounds like your couch is just sexist
women may not always be as strong as some men but with proper training why not teach. one just might need to work a little on their arm strenght -easy enough

[Army Fencer]

I've heard of this as a reason coaches don't coach the flick to women.

Arm strength is an issue, but it can be remedied with proper training. I know in particular that Temple trains their fencers to work their forearms for awhile before training the flick.

[corinna2u]

That is crazy! We may be the 'weaker sex', but we aren't that much weaker. Just need the right strength training and right coach.

[Boo Boo]

My coach teaches me coupes and flicks (and coupes finishing with flick) - we do LOADS of them in lessons... and I am pretty efficient at them

Your coach needs his head read...

Boo
(a 5'4", petite woman in her twenties)

[Strytllr]

I agree. Women aren't the "weaker sex" as may be taught down through the millenia... They're simply stronger in different areas.

I see no reason why a woman cannot perform a proper coupe or a flick. If they must work harder to master it, that is another point entirely. But that they CAN do it is not a question.

Of course, I'll caveat that and say that each individual is different. Some people will be worse at this than others. That's dependent on who you are. But keep practicing it though, even (and especially) if you stink at it! Do not limit yourself or your potential for growth. Everytime you believe that you can't do something, you reduce yourself.

Oh, and there are quite a few women who I would not like to arm wrestle... *blink*

[scarlet_woman156k]

Um...Stephanie Eim uses a coupe and/or flick in her bouts. And if you're dumb enough to be exposed, you're a dead person.

So, since the #1 femme epeeist in the US seems relatively competent at those two things, I think that whole notion is a bunch of B.S.

Myself, I'm still trying to perfect the coupe in the heat of a bout (it's fine during lessons)...but that's not because I'm a woman, it's just because I have a brain like cement about certain things and it takes me time, or else I get doubtful and screw it up. Usually the latter.

[MyraTrue]

I wont say there's nothing behind saying there's often a difference in men and women and fencing. I noticed pretty straight off that it was rare (in my division) to find women who flick, coupe, fleche, or ballestra. But they do exist. And some of them do it VERY well. I wanted to be one of them.

I do NOT believe that any woman is incapable of doing any of these. I do them, though badly. I do agree with some of the coaches who have said women often lack the wrist strength to flick at first. I know I do. I can only flick using coupe, or from prime into the lowline. I also fence epee, and the flick isn't as useful.

As far as I'm concerned, try it! Try it until it becomes one more tool in your box. It might not be a good tool at first, but in the right situation, its still useful. And eventually, you might just find you've got a handle on it. (Ie- my coupe has become highly useful with a fleche... beats me how! but I finally found a use for it!)

[KShan5[PrFC]]

uhhh what's a coupe?

[Tireur]

uhhh what's a coupe?

Seriously?

If you are serious, you may know it as a cut-over.

[The0ne]

that's total BS, any girl can do a coupe as well as a guy. Girls do have to work harder to get the strength for a flick, but there are plenty who can.

[achilleus]

I wonder if there's a translation issue.

In some languages the term for flick is coupe.

[The0ne]

Oh. . . That makes sense. GIrls should learn to flick even more than the guys, because many women do not expect their opponents to be able to execute a flick. THis is at lower levels of course, the flick is relatively widespread at the higher levels of Junior and senior. ..

[KShan5[PrFC]]

Originally posted by Tireur
Seriously?

If you are serious, you may know it as a cut-over.

Yeah I was serious, only heard it called a flick before.

[Strytllr]

The flick is distinguished from the coupe in that the coupe is often followed by a lunge... or perhaps a disengage.

The coupe, to be more precise, is simply disengaging the blade over the top of the opponents blade (as opposed to the actual disengage which goes under).

I believe that a flick is more of a specialized move in and of itself that often uses a coupe as it's preperation.

[The0ne]

however some other languages instead of saying flick use the word coupe to mean a flick.

[KShan5[PrFC]]

or we could all fence sabre and know just one term....slash.

[pkt]

Albatros,

A properly executed coupé does not involve the forearm. Should be done with the fingers...if not, the wrist, then only in the worst scenario that the forearm is involved...

3 years into the 21st [OK, NO discussion here re when a new millenium starts, OK?] your coach is still thinking 17th century! Sacré bleu! Maybe one day you and your female clubmates should show up in skirts to fence, just to see if he gets it.

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

Strytllr is absolutely right, the femles of the species are just stronger in diff't ways.

With enough strength exercises, a foiliste should be able to do coupés just as aptly as men.

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

achilleus & TheOne,

What do the French [Freedom people?] call a flick? and a coupé?

A coupé, as the English speakers use it, is a cut-over. It applies to the coupés in sabre. Flicks are what the foilists do. We don't flick in sabre; but we do use coupés.
Coupé (Fr.) =
cutover (Eng.)=
volante (Ita.) =
Anhebestoss (Ger.) =
perehod (Rus.) =
交义刺 (劈&#21050) (Chn.)

'nuff said?

PK

[pkt]

Originally posted by KShan5[PrFC]
Yeah I was serious, only heard it called a flick before.

...and sabre is your primary weapon. Interesting.

Originally posted by KShan5[PrFC]
...or we could all fence sabre and know just one term....slash.

We sabreurs don't "slash".
People wielding double-edged, two-handed swords that weighs a ton slash.
We cut, with the FINGERS only.

PK