What is in your cup?

[CRussel]

Sounds like a great match, Stitchawl. Too bad you won't get more time with her - you'd likely both improve substantially. Nothing like someone you're closely matched with that really pushes you to make your "game" improve. OTOH, I don't think your arm would appreciate it.

In my cup: Talisker. It's been a long day, lots accomplished, and I'm on my own tonight (and for the next week.)

[Stitchawl]

When I get older losing my hair
Many years from now
Will you still be sending me a valentine
Birthday greetings, bottle of wine?
If I'd been out till quarter to three
Would you lock the door?
Will you still need me, will you still feed me
When I'm sixty-four?

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vAzaOZfgf0M )

I hurt. Not just my arm. Everything. Even my hair hurts this morning.
Good morning, everyone. Five weeks with no real exercise other than walking, then jumping back into an extremely high intensity workout felt sooo good... at the time. But I'm paying for it this morning. I need to find a Jacuzzi today, then a good, long massage! Tea first. At least the emotional and psychological comfort of Viang Joom On's "English Breakfast" tea is working some of its magic. But today I require far more...

Originally Posted by CRussel

Sounds like a great match, Stitchawl. Too bad you won't get more time with her - you'd likely both improve substantially. Nothing like someone you're closely matched with that really pushes you to make your "game" improve. OTOH, I don't think your arm would appreciate it.

It really was worth pushing the envelope on my arm's healing to be able to fence against her. I just wish that our club's usual procedures would have given us more face time rather than just three bouts, although my arm wouldn't really have been able to take much more. A 'usual' 5-point bout is three minutes of fencing time, plus a second three minutes if the five points haven't been reached, then if needed, a third three minutes for 'extended overtime.' The clock is stopped between actions as the Referee describes the actions and awards the point, so a 'three' minute bout usually takes about 6-7 minutes. Our extended overtime bouts each lasted almost 20 minutes. Put a can of soup in your hand and try to hold it out straight for 20 minutes... My arm was on fire after 10 minutes! Everything was on fire after 20! But it was worth it!
She had one particular counter-attack that was devastating! Akin to a 'roundhouse' punch, it was very difficult to defend against. It's what she used most often to defeat the other club members. Before we finished up for the afternoon I had her teach me how she set up the move, and I'm going to working on perfecting that... if I can ever get out of my chair again...


Stitchawl

[Stitchawl]

Bombay Sapphire


Stitchawl

[CRussel]

Peet's Major Dickason's this morning. I need it.

[badgoodDeb]

I'm sure you'd have beaten her if you hadn't been 5 weeks out of practice!

[cromag]

First mug of tea on a beautiful, late summer day.

[CRussel]

Moving now to Lion Mountain Keemun while I fix a lunch based around the Carnitas that I made yesterday. Yummmm on both counts.

[VydorScope]

YOu need to record one of your matches for us.

[Stitchawl]

After diner cup of unbranded Keemun tea, and a plate of fresh papaya.

Originally Posted by badgoodDeb

I'm sure you'd have beaten her if you hadn't been 5 weeks out of practice!

I did, twice. Once in foil, once in epe'e. Then she beat me in our last epe'e bout. By next year, if she continues to improve at the rate she's been doing, she will be absolutely unstoppable! I probably won't be able to score a single point! This young woman has 'National Team' written all over her!

Originally Posted by VydorScope

YOu need to record one of your matches for us.

We've been talking about doing just that. We need to get a decent video camera. It's a great teaching aid to be able to watch yourself and then correct the mistakes. I did shoot some video with my phone a few months ago when we were having our own club tournament. Just eight of us from the club, fencing foil. The quality of the video is what you'd expect from my first attempt at video combined with doing it with a cell phone... To give you an idea of what you are seeing, that's the electrical scoring machine on the floor behind the fencers. When a Red light goes on, the fencer on the left has scored a point. When the Green light goes on, the fencer on the right has scored. If a White light goes on, this means that although the point of the weapon touched the body, it didn't touch in a valid target area. The fellow on the right in the opening scene is our club's Fencing Master, an American from Alaska, fencing against one of our Thai fencers. Then this same Thai fellow fencing against a Swiss man. We really are an International club!

Here's the link to the video.

I'm not in this video 'cuz I'm the guy wuts takin the pitchurs. But here's a shot someone else got with their phone of me (the lefty on the left ) scoring a touch against our Fencing Master's sword arm during an epe'e bout.




Stitchawl

[kindlekitten]

Awesome!

[casey2]

Black coffee from Peet's in Lafayette, California

[CRussel]

Thanks, Stichawl. As KK says - awesome!

Lion Mountain Keemun this morning.

[cromag]

Second mug of tea for the day.

[VydorScope]

Originally Posted by Stitchawl

After diner cup of unbranded Keemun tea, and a plate of fresh papaya.



I did, twice. Once in foil, once in epe'e. Then she beat me in our last epe'e bout. By next year, if she continues to improve at the rate she's been doing, she will be absolutely unstoppable! I probably won't be able to score a single point! This young woman has 'National Team' written all over her!



We've been talking about doing just that. We need to get a decent video camera. It's a great teaching aid to be able to watch yourself and then correct the mistakes. I did shoot some video with my phone a few months ago when we were having our own club tournament. Just eight of us from the club, fencing foil. The quality of the video is what you'd expect from my first attempt at video combined with doing it with a cell phone... To give you an idea of what you are seeing, that's the electrical scoring machine on the floor behind the fencers. When a Red light goes on, the fencer on the left has scored a point. When the Green light goes on, the fencer on the right has scored. If a White light goes on, this means that although the point of the weapon touched the body, it didn't touch in a valid target area. The fellow on the right in the opening scene is our club's Fencing Master, an American from Alaska, fencing against one of our Thai fencers. Then this same Thai fellow fencing against a Swiss man. We really are an International club!

Here's the link to the video.

I'm not in this video 'cuz I'm the guy wuts takin the pitchurs. But here's a shot someone else got with their phone of me (the lefty on the left ) scoring a touch against our Fencing Master's sword arm during an epe'e bout.

Stitchawl

Video says its private and will not let me watch it.

[Stitchawl]

Crimson flames tied through my ears
Rollin' high and mighty traps
Pounced with fire on flaming roads
Using ideas as my maps
"We'll meet on edges, soon," said I
Proud 'neath heated brow
Ah, but I was so much older then
I'm younger than that now.

( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_PAEPEiy6o )

Good morning, everyone! Happy Wednesday! Busy day today... have to renew my driver's license, which means copies of my passport, getting Certificate of residence from the Immigration office, then going down to the motor vehicle department. Fortunately, this time they will issue a 5-year license rather than the initial 1-year 'temporary' license. So I'm fortifying myself for a bureaucratic romp with a hearty mug of 'Yorkshire' tea, compliments of Taylors of Harrogate!

Originally Posted by CRussel

Thanks, Stichawl. As KK says - awesome!

It really is an incredible sport unlike any other. Although it's a super high intensity physical workout, 90% of it really takes place in the brain, working out complex attack strategies 3-4 moves in advance, quite similar to playing chess, but without the boring (to me) waiting time between moves. It's full-contact combat, but without anyone getting hurt. When fencers face each other on the piste they are arch enemies, and no holds barred. But the minute the bout is over, they are fast friends regardless of who won or lost!
The best part of it all is that the more I fence, the younger I get!


Stitchawl