Zorro is alive and well and living in Chiang Mai! I guess I'm still young, after all! And celebrating with a glass of Bombay Sapphire (to quiet the muscle pain in places I didn't even remember having...)
My first bout was with the Fencing Master of the club. I was worried I'd really embarrass myself... But the score was 4-4 when we ran out the clock. We were into double overtime when he scored the winning point... I am quite satisfied with that! I guess fencing is like riding a bicycle!
The knee brace worked like a charm so there was no knee pain, but I really felt like a tree stump, not moving nearly enough, relying on reflex and counter-attacks to protect myself, instead of backing up as I should have done.
Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
Good luck stitchy. I tried to fence again last year, but a) my knee really barked at me which Iwould have gutted out, and b) the sport has changed a lot!!!! All the hand/wrist exercises and focus? Gone! Very different style and approach now
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It has... but...
When I fenced in the US before moving to Japan, I was getting pretty pissed off at the college team over-aggressive style that so many fencers were taking up. More of the massive Russian or German pistol-griped foils and epees utilizing a sledge hammer or whip approach, rather than delicate finesse/point control fencing and French or Spanish grips and the hand and wrist movements you spoke of. They were turning the sport into a power play rather than a thinking game. And it was painful too! Getting whipped with an epee in the hands of an over-zealous 19 year old was like getting beaten with a car antenna! Many times I came home from tournaments with stripes on my arms or legs. On the plus side, finesse almost always beats power, so they were easy to defeat. Fortunately, the people in the Chiang Mai club all seem to be finesse fencers. The only sting I received today was my own doing, pulling my opponent's blade down on my leg when I parried his attack when foil fencing. Had it been epee, that would have scored a point for him. As it was foil, it was simply an 'off target for him and a ouch for me.
Excuse me while I refill my glass...
Stitchawl