One of the hardest things to do is fence someone you know as they improve. Their mistakes are obvious, but their adjustments and improvements aren't - especially in the middle of a bout. Which is how a 9-2 lead turns into a 13-15 loss with 0:01 left in the match. That loss was in the round of 16 at the latest Dunwoody tournament, and I was so exhausted after that bout there wouldn't have been much hope of winning the next bout in the round of 8. Part of the problem was my 2-2 pool record, mostly due to weapons problems - although I had a close call in my first bout. Coming back 5 unanswered to win 5-3 is impressive, but it's also symptomatic of the fact that I didn't warm up.
And even though I was angry enough to murder for the 30 mins after the loss (unless you are a close friend, clubmate, coach, or relative - do NOT approach someone right after they are knocked out of an event if you want to keep your teeth or your composure), I made the 16 which is an accomplishment - as meager as that seems. Since I earned my B in late 2007, I've competed in 18 local tournaments (22 total) in foil and epee - and in only five of them (A2 level) have I made the round of 8 or better. Two of the 18 were foil (Div 3 events) events and I made the 8 in both of them. If my interest is stacking up medals, it seems foil would be the way to go until I place out of Division 3 in that weapon too. Unfortunately, my interest is improving in epee - which means that my expectations should better match reality.
So while winning is the overall goal everyday, and touching without being touched is the immediate goal - the realistic stretch goal at this point is to at least make the round of 4/8 and to win enough pool bouts in every event to make the top 75%. It will be tough, but the good news is that I am have lately been hitting these targets.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
On To Nationals
The GA Division Championships were last weekend, and well - yeah. I decided to not compete in any individual events this time around. The nice reason is that I haven't been to practice because of work, and wasn't sure I'd do well. The not nice and other reason was that I had friends in town all week and I knew I would be hungover if not passed out by close of check-in at 8:30am. These two reasons are also why I haven't competed as much inside Georgia as in the past. National and out of region events get on my calendar well in advance of any planned shenanigans.
And I sucked royally in the team events. I gained some weight because I haven't been to the gym in two months, and work stress has made it worse. Plus I haven't been to two practices in a row in the same period - so my distance perception was in the trash. I have less than three weeks to turn both those problems around.
The first step will be eliminating the shenanigans until after Nationals. That won't be easy. The good news is after I return from Austin, you will be able to find me at Mr C's. It's convenient to many of the fencing clubs in ATL - see you there.
And I sucked royally in the team events. I gained some weight because I haven't been to the gym in two months, and work stress has made it worse. Plus I haven't been to two practices in a row in the same period - so my distance perception was in the trash. I have less than three weeks to turn both those problems around.
The first step will be eliminating the shenanigans until after Nationals. That won't be easy. The good news is after I return from Austin, you will be able to find me at Mr C's. It's convenient to many of the fencing clubs in ATL - see you there.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Back To The Drawing Board
Lately I feel very emo updating this thing. There is a history of emo kids being in my club. Maybe it is spreading, like swine flu. I think I caught that too a couple weeks ago.
Southeast Sectionals was awful. I can blame the strips that felt like less stable boogie boards all I want; everyone else was in the same predicament. I don't think I fenced badly, and I certainly didn't let wins in the pools walk away (a la up 4-3, losing 5-4). But there were wins I left on the table because I didn't chase them down like the lion after a healthy wildebeest, and one of those wins was in the first round of the DEs. The guy, a B2008, was good, but not that good. I tell myself it wasn't the booze I had during the day, but I realized I brought a whole box of Emergen-C to the event for a reason. Only I left it in the car during the event.
The good news is that SE Sectionals was the first Div I/IA event where I managed to do well enough to get promoted from pools to DEs, ever. The bad news is that this is the first DivI/IA event where I managed to do well enough to get promoted from pools to DEs, ever. Certainly solid fencers didn't even make it to the DEs in that event (and the others), but it's times like these where I realize I am not as good as I think I am. I don't think I suck in general, but I have not been bringing all the practice, drills, and lessons together into the pools in these events. And if you screw the pooch in pools at a Div I/IA event, you basically have a very expensive fencing vacation instead of a competition to enjoy.
I finally got Aladar Kogler's book, One Touch At A Time. Apparently it will teach me how to think positively - sorta like Oddball in Kelly's Heroes. I need to do something, all this travel is getting expensive and I would like something to show for it besides a nice bar bill.
Southeast Sectionals was awful. I can blame the strips that felt like less stable boogie boards all I want; everyone else was in the same predicament. I don't think I fenced badly, and I certainly didn't let wins in the pools walk away (a la up 4-3, losing 5-4). But there were wins I left on the table because I didn't chase them down like the lion after a healthy wildebeest, and one of those wins was in the first round of the DEs. The guy, a B2008, was good, but not that good. I tell myself it wasn't the booze I had during the day, but I realized I brought a whole box of Emergen-C to the event for a reason. Only I left it in the car during the event.
The good news is that SE Sectionals was the first Div I/IA event where I managed to do well enough to get promoted from pools to DEs, ever. The bad news is that this is the first DivI/IA event where I managed to do well enough to get promoted from pools to DEs, ever. Certainly solid fencers didn't even make it to the DEs in that event (and the others), but it's times like these where I realize I am not as good as I think I am. I don't think I suck in general, but I have not been bringing all the practice, drills, and lessons together into the pools in these events. And if you screw the pooch in pools at a Div I/IA event, you basically have a very expensive fencing vacation instead of a competition to enjoy.
I finally got Aladar Kogler's book, One Touch At A Time. Apparently it will teach me how to think positively - sorta like Oddball in Kelly's Heroes. I need to do something, all this travel is getting expensive and I would like something to show for it besides a nice bar bill.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Write the Score, that He May Not Embarrass Himself
One of the most disappointing times in a new fencer's career is when he faces an experienced teammate for the first time in competition. Perhaps the new fencer waited before competing, and does extremely well in practice. Chances are, that new fencer is gonna get stomped, and hard.
What a lot of newer folks fail to realize is that while you are meant to practice hard at the club, the mentality and incentives for success (and disincentives for failure) are a lot different when the score is being written and published. I might give up on a 15 or even a 5 touch bout on a Friday night after a long week and all I really want to do is get drunk with my friends. On a Saturday afternoon when my coaches are watching and you are facing me in the first round of DEs - you're toast. It's not that I don't take you seriously in practice, it just doesn't matter as much if I don't. Some fencers, and athletes in general, cannot mentally make the seperation between competition speed and practice speed - others can.
One thing that does help is treating the practice bouts like a competition, or really just writing down the score. Not "keep score," but physically making a pool scoresheet and dutifully filling it in. Suddenly letting the newbie get three free touches isn't such a good idea any more. Even an adult like me who understands the psychology gets caught up in the faux competition. And even if no one cares a week after its over, winning that pool suddenly matters for that night, and now every touch matters.
God told Habbakuk to "Write the vision, make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." The idea was that if you write something plainly and clearly, the message will shine through to the reader and inspire him to act. If a new fencer needs a highly competitive fencer to give 100%, just ask that someone writes and posts the score - that will get his undivided attention.
What a lot of newer folks fail to realize is that while you are meant to practice hard at the club, the mentality and incentives for success (and disincentives for failure) are a lot different when the score is being written and published. I might give up on a 15 or even a 5 touch bout on a Friday night after a long week and all I really want to do is get drunk with my friends. On a Saturday afternoon when my coaches are watching and you are facing me in the first round of DEs - you're toast. It's not that I don't take you seriously in practice, it just doesn't matter as much if I don't. Some fencers, and athletes in general, cannot mentally make the seperation between competition speed and practice speed - others can.
One thing that does help is treating the practice bouts like a competition, or really just writing down the score. Not "keep score," but physically making a pool scoresheet and dutifully filling it in. Suddenly letting the newbie get three free touches isn't such a good idea any more. Even an adult like me who understands the psychology gets caught up in the faux competition. And even if no one cares a week after its over, winning that pool suddenly matters for that night, and now every touch matters.
God told Habbakuk to "Write the vision, make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it." The idea was that if you write something plainly and clearly, the message will shine through to the reader and inspire him to act. If a new fencer needs a highly competitive fencer to give 100%, just ask that someone writes and posts the score - that will get his undivided attention.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
Battling Back To Southeast Sectionals
In tough economic times two things happen to workers on every level of an organization: they either lose their job, or their job becomes ten times more demanding. Thankfully (I think), my situation is the latter. I can't make it to the Portland NAC, so no opportunity to get Senior National points this season. I placed 8th in the last A2 level tournament in GA - which, while a strong finish, doesn't improve my rating. Worse, there is no potential A2 (or even B2) event before Southeast Sectionals in Lakeland, FL. Not that it matters - most folks who are preregistered are As and Bs anyway - seeding into the pools is a moot point.
My biggest issue is the internal mental battle between waiting to see opportunities to score on the strip, and creating opportunities to score on the strip. I am adept at the former, not so much at the later. Unfortunately, the better the fencer, the fewer unforced errors there will be to exploit for a touch. These days I try to create an opportunity, and if I don't screw it up and get it, I only score on the remise, or after some weird in-fighting where I can drop my hand and hit in a low six - which looks almost like a shank move.
Obviously practice helps, but it is difficult to recreate that tournament atmosphere on a weekday night when I am tired and frustrated from work and all I want to do is hit something really hard.
My biggest issue is the internal mental battle between waiting to see opportunities to score on the strip, and creating opportunities to score on the strip. I am adept at the former, not so much at the later. Unfortunately, the better the fencer, the fewer unforced errors there will be to exploit for a touch. These days I try to create an opportunity, and if I don't screw it up and get it, I only score on the remise, or after some weird in-fighting where I can drop my hand and hit in a low six - which looks almost like a shank move.
Obviously practice helps, but it is difficult to recreate that tournament atmosphere on a weekday night when I am tired and frustrated from work and all I want to do is hit something really hard.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Learning to Fence All Over Again
This past weekend I competed at the Arnold Fencing Classic, part of the Arnold (Terminator) Sports Festival. The event was also a FIE Satellite World Cup, which meant if I didn't get my ass handed to me I would end up with International points.
However, I did get my ass handed to me, so all I got was a t-shirt with my name on it (in a legible font size at least) and nifty lapel pins.
The worst was that even though everyone there was better than me, I didn't feel as outclassed as I thought I would. I beat the guy mentioned in this website, but no one else. I think 60% of my defeats were psychological - part of me felt like I wasn't ready for that level. I was making good decisions, but I wasn't confident in making the touch. And of course 40% was that my body was just not where it need to be. I hadn't trained as much as I would have liked, thanks to work, and I was a couple hairs too slow.
The difference is that I was used to being in a pool of seven where 2 bouts were gonna be tough, and a good day vs. a bad one would be having a 6-0 record vs. a 4-2 record. At the World Cups and Div I NACs, I've never gotten a lucky draw so every touch is precious, much less every win. It almost feels like I am starting over, like I am learning how to fence all over again.
Next up is a local tournament where I can earn my A, and then on to Portland for the NAC. If I can get my act together at these two events - I may even enter the World Cup in San Juan... and that could be a lot of fun!
However, I did get my ass handed to me, so all I got was a t-shirt with my name on it (in a legible font size at least) and nifty lapel pins.
The worst was that even though everyone there was better than me, I didn't feel as outclassed as I thought I would. I beat the guy mentioned in this website, but no one else. I think 60% of my defeats were psychological - part of me felt like I wasn't ready for that level. I was making good decisions, but I wasn't confident in making the touch. And of course 40% was that my body was just not where it need to be. I hadn't trained as much as I would have liked, thanks to work, and I was a couple hairs too slow.
The difference is that I was used to being in a pool of seven where 2 bouts were gonna be tough, and a good day vs. a bad one would be having a 6-0 record vs. a 4-2 record. At the World Cups and Div I NACs, I've never gotten a lucky draw so every touch is precious, much less every win. It almost feels like I am starting over, like I am learning how to fence all over again.
Next up is a local tournament where I can earn my A, and then on to Portland for the NAC. If I can get my act together at these two events - I may even enter the World Cup in San Juan... and that could be a lot of fun!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Year in Review - Hush the Noise
Driving home to Atlanta from Missouri was tough. It was the day after Christmas, I was tired, and the road was uneventful. After I got into Kentucky (I-57 to I 24 East), I put on Lil Jon's "Crunkjuice," figuring that getting crunk would at least keep me awake.
One of the tracks has a repeated line (I know, which ones aren't) that disses people who talk about folks behind their back. That immediately brought my mind to the last tournament of 2008 - the Dunwoody Southern Star. I came off a disappointing showing in Colorado Springs at the NAC C, and wanted some personal redemption at this local event. Due to waking up early to referee the E and Under event before, or the alcohol I had the night before, or the stress from traveling from ATL to DEN to COS back to ATL and then on to ORD and then a delayed red eye flight back to ATL, I crapped the bed in the pools. Worse, the score in the round of 64 DE was too close for comfort. Even with a four touch lead, I felt like the new kid in school wearing khakis trying to hold in a bout of mudbutt. Then I lost in the round of 32 to the #1 seed.
Losing was bad, feeling like a hack was annoying, but what pissed me off was hearing people talk about me when they saw the standings after pools. I am sure it has happened before - my 2008 fencing career was a dogpile compared to 2007 - but it has never been a relevant issue in the past.
When I was a U, not placing at the bottom was a victory. Plus I had to win my pool in an open to secure a high enough seeding just to get an E. Now, here I am as a B struggling to pull .500 out of pools. I was in better shape last year, but I also had a less stressful job (and admittedly, less money). It seems like my fencing is always at the mercy of the time vs. money resource battle.
In 2009, I don't want to spend weeks on end fasting and abstaining from fun just to place at locals, but I am going to work harder to stay in shape, and keep a positive attitude. My success is going to be doing the right little things all year, rather than cramming them in the week before an event.
And to the haters out there... to paraphrase Lil Jon, I'm in fencing to have fun and win - you're in this to hate and lose.
One of the tracks has a repeated line (I know, which ones aren't) that disses people who talk about folks behind their back. That immediately brought my mind to the last tournament of 2008 - the Dunwoody Southern Star. I came off a disappointing showing in Colorado Springs at the NAC C, and wanted some personal redemption at this local event. Due to waking up early to referee the E and Under event before, or the alcohol I had the night before, or the stress from traveling from ATL to DEN to COS back to ATL and then on to ORD and then a delayed red eye flight back to ATL, I crapped the bed in the pools. Worse, the score in the round of 64 DE was too close for comfort. Even with a four touch lead, I felt like the new kid in school wearing khakis trying to hold in a bout of mudbutt. Then I lost in the round of 32 to the #1 seed.
Losing was bad, feeling like a hack was annoying, but what pissed me off was hearing people talk about me when they saw the standings after pools. I am sure it has happened before - my 2008 fencing career was a dogpile compared to 2007 - but it has never been a relevant issue in the past.
When I was a U, not placing at the bottom was a victory. Plus I had to win my pool in an open to secure a high enough seeding just to get an E. Now, here I am as a B struggling to pull .500 out of pools. I was in better shape last year, but I also had a less stressful job (and admittedly, less money). It seems like my fencing is always at the mercy of the time vs. money resource battle.
In 2009, I don't want to spend weeks on end fasting and abstaining from fun just to place at locals, but I am going to work harder to stay in shape, and keep a positive attitude. My success is going to be doing the right little things all year, rather than cramming them in the week before an event.
And to the haters out there... to paraphrase Lil Jon, I'm in fencing to have fun and win - you're in this to hate and lose.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
