| A Mighty Weapon Indeed... | |
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Fate - Student  |
I'm going to rant for a bit here. Basically, I got a new foil and (as was European tradition for knights) I wish to name this weapon. Don't say things like Excaliber, but post if you have ideas. I wish to tell you all the story of my experience as a fencer. If your bored, have fun. Hopefully it will help you answer my question. I'm a fencer. Yes, one of those geeks you see in the cafe afterschool, wearing tight white clothing, and waving around what looks like swords. I run back and forth in a line while mantaining that weird "crouched position". I wear knee high socks and pants that only reach the knees. And yes, even to other fencers my breed is a bit confusing. We poke instead of slashing. We have a very limited target area. We even cross our feet. Yes, I'm a foilist. It all started after I broke my right forearm in half. I knew I'd never wrestle again; for fear I might hurt my arm again, which was something I hoped to never experience again. Yet, at the same time I was forced to spend many hours waiting afterschool because I had various other clubs that made me miss the bus and so I took a ride from my wrestling coach at 5:30pm (he lived on the same street). So, while wondering the halls one day, I came upon the cafe and heard quite a racket of clanging metal and shoes scuffing the floor. I went to investige and when I did I saw something completeing unexpected. I hadn't even known we had fencing at our school prior to that moment. But as I watched I became entralled in the energy and near cinematic actions. Two of the fencers were on their break and began to discuss woth me why they enjoyed fencing and encouraged me to join. I held forward my cast and explained that it would be at least a little while before I'd be even considering joining. They were understanding and wished me well. Almost 2 months went by before I was out of the cast and had regained full mobility in my right arm. And yet, I still had not regained strength or full range of rotational motion. So, I took to fencing. I used the club equipment and we used some ingenuity to compensate for the lack of left handed equipment. Had I never broken my arm I surely would have fenced with my right hand but I was not confident enough in it to make it my primary weapon hand. So, after fencing for about 6 months I finally felt my skills were good enough for a tournament. I spent a little cash ($200, yeah not so little  ) and was soon equiped with everything I needed (including two foils). My first tourney was very much a learning experience a I registered with the USFA and participated in both the pool and DE bouts. In my second DE I was defeated and so was ranked around 16 of the 32 people present. This was my first tourney and my first open. In the next tourney (A U rated tourney, which means that only people who were new to either fencing or foil could be in it). I did well in my pool bouts and in the DE bouts I did extremely well. There are 3 foilists at my club and I defeated 1 who had beaten the other one. Then in my second bout I defeated an older gentlemen who seemed rather good spirited whether he was wininning or losing (which is rare in most sports). Now I was in the Quarterfinals. If I won my next match I'd rank at least 3rd and would earn my E (Ranks are U,E,D,C,B,A and the lower in the alphabet you go the better you are). Now I should note bouts are to 15 points. Firts there wins. As I fenced I noticed the kid kept flicking to my back after I lunged. So, I knew I had to attack first and actually land the attack, so that he wouldn't earn right of way and I would get the point. But every time his light would go on and mine wouldn't. After a while it was 4 to 12, his lead. I was concerned by this and so I asked to do a weapon test. I successfully poked him but the weapon didn't register a hit. So, finally I knew it was dead. I took a moment to change weapons. At the end it was 15 to 14, my win.While I had achieved much, I had lost both of my foils to damage sustained in the tourney. Since then (almost 6 months now) I've been without weapon and so I've done little other then use club equipment. But just yesterday, just before our captain went to college, she imparted to me a foil that she had been transporting from our coach to me. It is a fine weapon. Blue hilt, shinny and unscratched bell, and a somewhat stiff but also oddly rounded blade. Instead of the normal forsided blade it is smooth except on one side. And so, ends the mostly interesting points of my fencing experiences. Hope you enjoyed it and hope you'll share ideas for a name for this new weapon. _______________ I must not fear . Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear . I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain. Gom gom gom gom gom! |
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| Comments |
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Battlin' Billy - Student 
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When I went to camp at age 14, I was SO looking forward to doing fencing. But it turns out, the year b4, some dumbass took the little rubber nipple off of the end of their foil and stabbed another camper, so they cancelled fencing. _______________ Midbie Council Member #2 - Profile ID 2073 | Member of B@rtM@ulS@ar | Owner of Monty's 2000th comment & D@RtHM@UL's 8100th comment | Former Padawan of SilkMonkey & Arcuss JA Goaltender & NHL Fan | Fellow Rush fan to Axion|Plo Koon is my oldest JA friend Post your RL pics HERE! | Post you JK2/JK3 screenies HERE! |
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Jedi Deity - Ex-Student 
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wow i'm amazed at your experince in the martial art that requires much skill and marksmenship i hope you continue to be better _______________ if you're in a fair fight, you didn't plan it properly |
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Silencio - Student 
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"stingy", "bob" or "mr. stabby" sorry, couldn't think of any better ones=/ good story, though _______________ Second-in-command of the mighty FiZZsters |
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