Fencing Advice

Shadow WarChief · Post by **Shadow WarChief** » 2004-04-20 10:31pm

Ok, long story short: it's 4-4 for the team score, I'm up against this other guy who just fleshes and fleshes and fleshes at me and beats me 5-1

What the fuck do I do against that? I tried parry-reposting him as he came at me, but he disengaged and flicked a point off me. The only possible thing I could think of was: I retreat, he slows down from the flesh, and then quick-quick beat attack.

I just got back home so I'm still

FUMING

from the 2 matches against other schools I cost my school today...though considering just me and this one other guy are the only decent ones...I can't exactly fault myself for being less than perfect

So is there ANYTHING else I could have done?

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-20 10:34pm

Yeah. Quit the sissy fencing foil and get a broadsword. Break his foil.

Other than that, I can't give you much in the way of advice. Fencing's got too many rules. Swordfighting ain't supposed to be that way. All my suggestions would be grounded in what's practical and would therefore violate the rules in some way.

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2004-04-20 11:01pm

Join Kendo, the ability to hit someone on the head with a wooden stick is far more useful and gratifying then doing tap on the chest for honor.

Anyway, I say for an aggresive strategy like he took I would have feinted retreat and when he slowed preforme a lunge. That or parry, feint, parry, quick beat... just be aggresive back and try to lead him/her into giving you an openning by throwing them off beat.

EDIT: I'm a tierd scientist, not a spell checker

Fire Fly · Post by **Fire Fly** » 2004-04-20 11:13pm

Have you thought of jumping up high and flicking him in the back? Depending on how well he actually executes his fleche, I'd just let him run into my foil...circle 6 and let him shish kabob himself.

PrinceofLowLight · Post by **PrinceofLowLight** » 2004-04-20 11:16pm

Hey now, fencing is the perfect way to prepare for toy lightsaber duels. None shall speak ill of it!

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-20 11:19pm

Yes, I shall. *Speaks ill of those pansies in the university fencing club, which the SCA group could take on any day of the week even though there's roughly twice as many fencers.*

And its feint, not faint. Fainting in combat is a very bad idea.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-20 11:26pm

quit using pasny french epee and Raipiers, and go for a REAL fencing weapon. like a bamboo and hardwood Kendo blade, or a sea saber....

Be a man's man, show those other fencing freaks how bad ass you are.

PrinceofLowLight · Post by **PrinceofLowLight** » 2004-04-20 11:33pm

Pfah, my (poor) fencing skills (wrought by precisely three lessons I was dragged to over two years ago) allow me to regularly school two friends who are Kendo fanatics who have been doing it since middle school with toy lightsabers. That is the true test of any sword style.

Though I'll admit SCA>Everything Else. Only wish I had the cash and the time.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-04-20 11:42pm

So who here trains with Boken?

And as for the OP...not much really. the best was to riposte his quick beats(as almost inane as that sounds).

Larz · Post by **Larz** » 2004-04-20 11:57pm

I practice some kendo. Though anyone who does disciplined full training would most likely give me a headache to remeber.

As for my kendo style versus fencing... I've been poked twice. Once in the shoulder, once in the shin. My opponents have all gone away with sore heads and torsos.

consequences · Post by **consequences** » 2004-04-21 01:22am

Foil, Epee, Saber? I'm guessing Foil from the description, so correct me if I'm mistaken.

My experience isn't very helpful, as my style was very eclectic. My favorite manuever was to wait for my opponent to commit to the attack, and dart in stab them and retreat before they landed their hit. This was far more effective in Epee than foil as you can imagine, but even in Foil in usually worked out pretty well for me. As a practical thing, it may help for you to attempt to preempt his attacks entirely, if you know that your defense against fleching is weak.

And screw all of you 'SCA rules' people anyway. Try hitting each other with those weapons with no armor, after a 2 hour fencing practice, and then we can talk.

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-21 01:30am

Well, ahem ahem, with my credentials (C strip for the Drew University saber squad, 2 years as a foil fencer) I think I can give you some decent advice.

the parry-riposte idea isn't bad- try it the first time, and then go for a different parry next time he fleches so that he disengages right into you.

Alternatively, you could play distance games, try to get him to fleche early (try a deliberatly fall-short lunge) and then retreat, beat, and go.

Post by **The Yosemite Bear** » 2004-04-21 01:45am

Hey, I took two years of fencing with saber, and have practiced informally with kendo.

I also don't like either Foil/Epee or with SCA rules.

I just perfer a weapon I can FEEL, since my size makes fenesse rather dificult....

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-21 01:47am

I recommend claymore or quarterstaff, then. And we frequently disregard the nonessential rules around here. Ours is a fairly relaxed outfit. (The essential ones being "Don't kill each other and stop when the other guy says to.")

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-21 01:48am

Bah. Kids playing around with toys. Fencing is a sport, requiring years of practice and tens of hours weekly drilling or working out.

SCA is cool and all, but it's not a sport.

Fire Fly · Post by **Fire Fly** » 2004-04-21 01:50am

Rogue 9 · Post by **Rogue 9** » 2004-04-21 01:50am

Want to come within reach of my arming sword and say that? Better yet, my quarterstaff? You would not walk away unscathed. Because unlike silly fencers, I don't have to stay within a certain range and move back and forth in a straight line.

Post by **Mr Bean** » 2004-04-21 01:51am

Simple advice, get your speed and reaction times up, if you already know what he's going to do, if your fast enough you can move in during the windup or backhand parts of his swing and get a hand or arm hit even if you have to limbo under a strike to nick his arm

Fencing's never been for me because I hate the semi 2d plane

And I love shotguns

Darth Raptor · Post by **Darth Raptor** » 2004-04-21 01:54am

Rogue 9 wrote:Want to come within reach of my arming sword and say that? Better yet, my quarterstaff? You would not walk away unscathed. Because unlike silly fencers, I don't have to stay within a certain range and move back and forth in a straight line.

Allright, that's enough rapier-bashing you zweihander swinging maniac. Or do we want a repeat of last time?

*draws Adaman Pain*

Thirdfain · Post by **Thirdfain** » 2004-04-21 01:55am

...

Uh, Mr. Bean, this is Foil. The guy's extendingg his arm, not swinging- there IS no windup or backhand.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2004-04-21 07:20am

And screw all of you 'SCA rules' people anyway. Try hitting each other with those weapons with no armor, after a 2 hour fencing practice, and then we can talk.

Welcome to the sort of world I train in.
Sparring with shinai without armour, and training with live blades.
Generally speaking a better option is to parry, block or avoid a blow rather than counting on armour which will fail.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2004-04-21 07:21am

Fire Fly wrote:CSA?

CSA = Corprate Sector Authority.
SCA = Society for Creative Anachronism.

Stuart Mackey · Post by **Stuart Mackey** » 2004-04-21 07:28am

I reccomend grabbing the silly bit of tinfoil with your off hand and kick him in the nuts.

Keevan_Colton · Post by **Keevan_Colton** » 2004-04-21 07:37am

Stuart Mackey wrote:I reccomend grabbing the silly bit of tinfoil with your off hand and kick him in the nuts.

Unfortunately, that's against the rules, so are a lot of other things, such as offering your back to your opponent....possibly to prevent mooning them...I'm unsure on that one.

Post by **Ghost Rider** » 2004-04-21 07:42am

Keevan_Colton wrote:
And screw all of you 'SCA rules' people anyway. Try hitting each other with those weapons with no armor, after a 2 hour fencing practice, and then we can talk.
Welcome to the sort of world I train in.
Sparring with shinai without armour, and training with live blades.
Generally speaking a better option is to parry, block or avoid a blow rather than counting on armour which will fail.

Especially without armor.

And no one too many whacks on the head with that damned bloody wooden sword taught me this.

I will say this..SCA has a nice feel but really have fun training with some crazed oriental nut who honestly believes that fighting is hitting nerve clusters on your body so he can go for the kill. And this is with the wooden sword or staff.

With the sharp thingie...he just goes for the kill, your back is turned...your just a popsicle target.