Fencers in the Playground

[grimbold]

I just got back from a fencing tournament (yay I'm 9th best in paris in the under 16 category) and was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to see if my fellow playgrounders fence?
so my question is
does anybody else in the playground fence?

[Innis Cabal]

I'm a pretty good fencer. Here's a picture of some of my recent work.

[Serpentine]

Bet it isn't.

I have had exactly one experience with fencing. At a school camp, I joined up for some fencing. They put us in suits and lined us up. First to 3 points (or something like that) goes on to the next fight. Loser goes away.
Guess what I did?

I had no frickin' idea what was going on, and they didn't even give us a basic rundown of... anything. My first and only experience with fencing involved me standing around, waggling the foil, and suddenly being told I lost.

[grimbold]

Bet it isn't.

I have had exactly one experience with fencing. At a school camp, I joined up for some fencing. They put us in suits and lined us up. First to 3 points (or something like that) goes on to the next fight. Loser goes away.
Guess what I did?

I had no frickin' idea what was going on, and they didn't even give us a basic rundown of... anything. My first and only experience with fencing involved me standing around, waggling the foil, and suddenly being told I lost.

wow
i am sorry that had to happen :(

and innis cabal a lot of my friends at school thought thats what fencing was before i explained it to them

[Innis Cabal]

I'm sad to hear that to. I was just making a joke. Well two but I felt the second one might be misunderstood and deleted it. Though I personally thought both were quite clever.

[Greensleeves]

I picked up fencing last September, when I first came to college, and I must say it's really fun. It's both physically and mentally demanding, plus it requires skill, so when I lose I've got no one to blame but myself.

I'm not really sure if I'm any good, but I win more than I lose, which is something, I suppose.

[pffh]

Saber fencer here. Been fencing for a couple of years but due to schoolwork I rarely have time to practice now.

[Perenelle]

I've wanted to fence for a while, but there's no place that teaches it anywhere around here and I'm way too busy. And the equipment is expensive.

It looks really fun though, I'd love to learn one of these days.

[AsteriskAmp]

I fenced for about 3 years before being forced to quit because of age restrictions.

I did all three of them, foil, epée and sabre, but sticked to epée because of the aditional targeting area and reduced "that point shouldn't have counted because it touched the leg before sliding to the torso", also, the ability to say "headshot!" was worth it.

I'm now in the process of trying to acquire a real rapier (or make one if else fail) and looking for a new fencing academy since the other one kicks you out the moment you turn 16.

[uchiha191942]

I have been and avid fencer for 4 years and I am 15 now. I don't go into tournaments because I don't have have the electric equipment needed for fencing saber. I fence at weslyan college (even though I don't go to college) in Virginia beach V.A.

[userpay]

I probably wouldn't mind getting into fencing but to my knowledge noone around here teaches it. There is the Renaissance Faire I work at though thats only for a few weekends out of the year.

[Jonesh]

I fenced with... foils I think when I was like 10 or something. It was kind of fun but I later quit. Can't remember why, but I can't remember much from before I was 16.
I think I might be a clone or a doppelganger robot or something

[Lyesmith]

Foil is for boys, Epeé is for men, Sabre is for animals.

You'll never guess which one I do.

I picked it up this year at uni, most of the club are at Invicta as we speak, I couldn't make it due to time constraints, sadly.

Still. Fencing rocks.

[grimbold]

heres a question about fencing
in my first fencing club about half the club was composed of D&D and MTG addicts
do your clubs also have a lot of people who are into fantasy

[SurlySeraph]

I fenced a bit when I was young, and was terrible at it. My sister, on the other hand, made All American in fencing for her college a couple years ago.

[Brother Oni]

I've no experience of fencing beyond what I've seen in the movies, but I have some sword experience from re-enactment and aikido.

Could somebody explain to me the differences between foil, epeé and sabre styles? I'm guessing that the different edges and weights of the weapons indicate more aggressive/brutal styles, especially in light of Aziraphale's comment.

[Kobold-Bard]

I've no experience of fencing beyond what I've seen in the movies, but I have some sword experience from re-enactment and aikido.

Could somebody explain to me the differences between foil, epeé and sabre styles? I'm guessing that the different edges and weights of the weapons indicate more aggressive/brutal styles, especially in light of Aziraphale's comment.

I don't fence, but I'm looking to get into it so I have looked at this recently.

Long story short:

Foil & Epee = score with the point
Sabre = score with the edge

Foil: score on torso
Epee: score anywhere
Sabre: Score from the waist up (because it's ungentlemanly to attack a man's horse in combat, so you don't aim for the legs)

As I said I don't fence so this could be completely wrong.

----------------
How hard is fencing to get into? Will most clubs supply equipment, or do you really have to buy your own?

[grimbold]

kobold bard you are absolutely correct :)
also
saber is the best

[Maelstrom]

I just got back from a fencing tournament (yay I'm 9th best in paris in the under 16 category) and was thinking, wouldn't it be cool to see if my fellow playgrounders fence?
so my question is
does anybody else in the playground fence?

Congrats on your ranking!

And to answer your question, I used to, but then life happened :(

[SurlySeraph]

Foil: torso is the target, you can only hit with point of the sword. Relatively defense-oriented, often see longish bouts when both people defend well.
Epee: entire body is the target, you can only hit with point of the sword. Rewards being tall, since reach is relatively more important than with the other weapons, because your opponent has a larger area to defend. Bouts are sometimes won by poking someone in the glove or ankle.
Saber: torso and head are the targets, and you can hit with the edge of the blade as well as with the point. Tends to be faster and more aggressive than the others; a lot of bouts are basically both guys charging and trying to hit the other person first, without paying much attention to parrying.

Also, no one mention "timing changes." Any timing changes. Fencers have strong opinions about them.

[AsteriskAmp]

heres a question about fencing
in my first fencing club about half the club was composed of D&D and MTG addicts
do your clubs also have a lot of people who are into fantasy

Only I was into fantasy and D&D, all the others were into a lot less geeky past times.

----------------
How hard is fencing to get into? Will most clubs supply equipment, or do you really have to buy your own?

When you go past the first 3 classes of mixed theory/practice it becomes incredibly fun (apart from the necessary jogging at the start of each lesson). Half of fencing is practice, the other half is learning to abuse fléche.

The only necessary knowledge to fence correctly is the posture (normally first class), sidestepping (which after posture is incredibly intuitive, first and second class) and then it's lunging and parrying (the basics in class 3).
Afterwards is refining the before-mentioned.

From my experience, clubs will normally supply it, but remember that it is expensive so it will probably be very old and a swamp in the inside, so be wary. Some will lend it for championships, but unless you are representing and there is enough for everyone representing the club, don't count on it.

Depending on the quality it ranges from relatively inexpensive to the price of two lungs and a liver in the black market.

There is also the option of making your own, but this is not recommended unless you know a medium level of metallurgy/whitesmithing and have access to the necessary equipment for it, also, most tournaments ask for certified equipment so don't count on it always working.

The usual price of the weapon in amateur level is around 60$ (I've found electric ones for 51$ but I doubt the quality), depending on the material and the brand it can go up to the 300$.
The protection is around 100$.

Starter Kits are also for sale, normally for around 130$.


But you probably won't be buying equipment until you start going into serious championships.

Also, no one mention "timing changes." Any timing changes. Fencers have strong opinions about them.

You'll love them at the start, those cool kids that hit you on the back will fail and TADIN! instant lunge and point.

And you'll hate them when you learn to do it since you'll finally see what they took away with it.

But there is always Fléche abuse, so it's not that bad.


To elaborate:
Timing Changes normally screw up a number of techniques and strategies.

What is a Timing Change?
It's a change in the minimum time needed for a weapon to be touching an opponent for the point to count.

What this represents.
It means certain attacks in which the tip only touches the opponent briefly, like hitting your opponent in the back by using your wrist to make the blade bend, become tactically useless since you run odds it won't touch your opponent long enough for it to score and meanwhile will leave you open, resulting in an easy point for your opponent.

[grimbold]

Half of fencing is practice, the other half is learning to abuse fléche.

YES
On timing changes
they can be horrible horrible things
imagine
you have an awesome attack planned
as yoou retreat you are going to flick your wrist up and catch your opponent on your wrist
you do so
you start jumping around screaming
DID YOU SEE THAT WHAT NOW!!!
then you get hit and realize the light didnt go off

[Kallisti]

@people curious about fencing: the fencing center I take lessons from supplies all the equipment we need for classes, but I'd probably need my own if I started fencing competitively.

How hard is it to get into...if you mean how hard is it to get good, I can't say, I don't fence in competitions but I do all right-ish against my classmates. If you mean how hard is it to get absorbed in, very very easy. Fencing is a lot of fun, especially foil, which is the best weapon and anyone who tells you otherwise is objectively wrong.

[Kobold-Bard]

Are you allowed to fence lefty? Or would I have to do it right handed?

Once I graduate & have way too much time on my hands while looking for a proper job, I'm definitely taking this up.

[AsteriskAmp]

Are you allowed to fence lefty? Or would I have to do it right handed?

Once I graduate & have way too much time on my hands while looking for a proper job, I'm definitely taking this up.

I am right-handed and I fence lefty.

Not only are you allowed, it is actually a great advantage and tactic.

The majority of the population is right-handed and therefore fencers expects attacks made by a right handed, an attack by a left handed screws that and puts the right handed at disadvantage since he has to deal with unexpected attacks and unusual counters.

[Kallisti]

I am right-handed and I fence lefty.

Not only are you allowed, it is actually a great advantage and tactic.

The majority of the population is right-handed and therefore fencers expects attacks made by a right handed, an attack by a left handed screws that and puts the right handed at disadvantage since he has to deal with unexpected attacks and unusual counters.

Unless of course the instructor has taken time to teach the skill of fencing opposite-handed opponents. A lefty not expecting a right-handed fencer to do smart things like go for the outside line might give up a touch before they figure it out.

That said, yes, being left-handed is generally an advantage. I think the biggest advantage to it is that when a left-handed fencer hugs the left hand of the strip, the right-handed fencer instinctively hugs the right hand of the strip, which only exposes more target and increases the lefty's advantage. People don't always think about things like that. It took me forever to stop doing it.

[AsteriskAmp]

Unless of course the instructor has taken time to teach the skill of fencing opposite-handed opponents. A lefty not expecting a right-handed fencer to do smart things like go for the outside line might give up a touch before they figure it out.

That said, yes, being left-handed is generally an advantage. I think the biggest advantage to it is that when a left-handed fencer hugs the left hand of the strip, the right-handed fencer instinctively hugs the right hand of the strip, which only exposes more target and increases the lefty's advantage. People don't always think about things like that. It took me forever to stop doing it.

But by the time someone like that appears you probably have several championships under your arm have seen matches of decently trained right-handed people against left-handed people (because you should see matches on youtube and go to tournaments in which you aren't participating to learn about your opponents), so you are already prepared.

[Kallisti]

But by that time you probably have several championships under your arm and have fought against left handed opponents, and probably have seen matches of decently trained right-handed people against left-handed people, so you are already prepared.

Hmmm. Your instructor must have different priorities than mine. I'm a novice fencer at best, and he's taught our class the basics of opposite-handed fencing. Go under the arm 'cause that's where the target is, attack lefties on the outside lines, don't fence diagonally. It probably helps that we have two lefties in the class, so we have to deal with opposite-handed pairs relatively often.

[pffh]

Are you allowed to fence lefty? Or would I have to do it right handed?

Once I graduate & have way too much time on my hands while looking for a proper job, I'm definitely taking this up.

Being a lefty is a huge help. Not only are many right handed fencers not used to fighting a lefty but at least in sabre fencing you can sometimes hug the right side or even the right corner of the ground and thus halving the area you need to defend and that means your sword can easily cover you all.

[AsteriskAmp]

Hmmm. Your instructor must have different priorities than mine. I'm a novice fencer at best, and he's taught our class the basics of opposite-handed fencing. Go under the arm 'cause that's where the target is, attack lefties on the outside lines, don't fence diagonally. It probably helps that we have two lefties in the class, so we have to deal with opposite-handed pairs relatively often.

My instructor taught us defending against spam-able tactics first and relied on practice for fighting against opposite handed later on. He recommended me to take on left-handed fencing if I wished to do so since the initial disadvantage would later on become an advantage. My class was mostly left handed while the instructor was right handed, so we learnt how to take advantage but not rely on it through practice. Theory and direct teaching was mostly reserved for the defences and ripostes.