# Any fencers here?



## Tom (Oct 4, 2014)

Is anybody on here a fencer? 

I'm a foilist who's gone to a few tournaments, and have also dabbled in epee. Right now I'm both a coach and student in a club in my area, and I'm teaching the beginner class. 

If you're a fencer, what weapon do you fence? What got you into fencing? How has it helped you in your writing?

(Non-fencers are absolutely welcome to chime in too.)


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## SeverinR (Oct 7, 2014)

When I had to sell the horses, I was looking for a new event to do in the SCA.
Fencing or archery were two I liked.  I still haven't decided which to dive into.
Although I have two bows and modern arrows.

I fenced in school during a class. We did a mass fight with a balloon on the chest. I remained defensive, while the others went on offense. Finished when I and a girl killed each other at the same time, leaving one person alive. So tied for second in 20 people. (killed 3 on defense)


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## Tom (Oct 10, 2014)

I guess you and I are the only ones...

That fencing game sounds like something we did in my club to break the ice for the beginners. It was called Wizards and Warriors....ah, good times.

I, unfortunately, am not the best fencer out there. I'm good technically, like when it comes to drills and understanding concepts, but I get flustered when bouting and usually mess up. I landed near the bottom of the pool at my last tournament. 

...Eh, it's fun. I don't care.


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## Caged Maiden (Oct 10, 2014)

I'm a fencer.  I've written several posts about swordplay and my experiences.


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## Tom (Oct 11, 2014)

What weapon do you fence?


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## Legendary Sidekick (Oct 11, 2014)

I used to study iaido and dabbled in kendo at the same time at first. I ended up sticking with iaido because I liked the feel of drawing/swinging/sheathing a katana better than the feeling of getting whacked in the hand by a bokken.

I used an iaito instead of a katana, actually, which is basically an unsharpened katana. In the beginner days, it's easy to miss the scabbard and stab/slash your hand while attempting to sheathe quickly.

I also did a bit of LARPing, which I guess is sort of an amateur fencing free-for-all. (The kendo and iaido did help me RP a convincing samurai master when I staffed a few games.)


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## Caged Maiden (Oct 12, 2014)

I'm actually on the search for a weapon.  I have a rapier I converted from an epee, but the hardware isn't heavy enough for the blade.  While I am happy enough to convert those two items again, turning the grip, guard, and quillons into a dagger hardware, and the blade into a better-balanced 36" rapier, I'm really waiting for a custom piece to be finished.  I ordered a shiavona from a friend about a year ago and we're trading, so it won't cost me anything.  I'm making him and his wife costumes and he's making me this:







When fighting, I prefer a heavier, wide blade, because I'm not a big girl.  I get pushed around a lot and having a blade with a little more substance seems to cut down most of that.  I borrowed a sword from a friend to determine that, though.  My own blades are pretty slender (3/4" wide).  So yeah, right now, I fight with anything I can, while I determine what I like best and await my custom set of matching sword and dagger.

However, this is really just sort of moot because I'm not currently fencing.  I suffered an injury this summer from a stout blow and haven't really been in the mood to put my body under any more punishment now that I realize damage from play may be permanent.

I just moved to another state and am just beginning my search for a local group.  Maybe my period of rest is about over.  I just need to buy an interim weapon and convert my others, to get me through till my custom work is finished.


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## Tom (Oct 13, 2014)

Are you with the SCA? I've tried for a while to get involved, but the only group in my area is a heck of a drive away. One of my fencing buddies drilled rapier with them. He came to practices with some nasty jabs in his hands, even though they wear leather gloves and gorgettes (spelling?) for rapier fighting.

I fence with a standard no. 5 foil and epee, both with pistol grips. I've never used a custom weapon. (BTW, that rapier is spectacular. Hope you can enjoy it soon!) I have a cavalry sabre from WWI era, but it's way too heavy to do anything but decorate my wall.

 I prefer foil over epee, as foil bouts are explosive and spontaneous. You really have to think on your feet.  

Epee is kind of slow-moving, IMO, and I get nervous going against the taller, heavier fencers who seem to dominate that discipline. I'm rather small and light, which is an advantage in foil, but in epee it's just a guarantee you're going to get pushed around a lot. And have a lot of bruises because your opponent's reach is longer than yours. 

I don't enjoy having an epee sunk an inch into my ribcage. Well, I guess nobody would.


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## Caged Maiden (Oct 14, 2014)

I have been with the Sca fencers for three years.  The thing is, we aren't really "fencing", so we don't use foils or even epees.  We use rapiers and study historical manuals, essentially learning swordplay, not Olympic-style fencing, which happens in a linear plane.  Our bouts are 360 degrees and moreover, we often have field battles which may span hundreds of yards or whole forest clearings.   Yeah, we're more like street-brawlers than fencers in that respect.  But it's loads of fun.

We have serious rules though and follow them very well.  I have seen people thrown out because they either disobey the rules or get hot under the collar when they believe someone else has.  SO I don't know the first thing about Olympic fencing, but I watched a match once and it was very different from what I do.  I'm not sure whether I'd enjoy it that much.  Maybe it was just that those guys were world class.  I dunno.  

I was lucky to have a good fencing group in my last location.  i sincerely hope I can find a comparable group here.  Here's a pic of me fighting.


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## Tom (Oct 15, 2014)

Olympic fencing is VERY different. You're fencing in only two directions: forward and back. Plus in foil and saber there's right-of-way, which helps determine whose point scored and whose didn't, since foil and saber touches sometimes land simultaneously. 

Epee resembles rapier fighting a bit more than the other two disciplines because the epee foil actually developed from the rapier. There's no right-of-way, and you can score a touch anywhere on your opponent's body (in foil and saber you have a limited target area which doesn't include the legs).

I've only watched rapier fencing once or twice, and it is a lot more realistic than Olympic fencing. No fussing about right-of-way or if the touch was on- or off-target to get in the way of the fencing.

I hope that group works for you!


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## Caged Maiden (Oct 17, 2014)

Yeah, when I watched the professional competition between Japan and Italy, it was almost whiplike, the movements.  No, that's not what we do.  We are kinda trying to kill each other.  Like I said, we're like disciplined street brawlers.  In fact, often we fight on "planks" to simulate a ship battle, we use guns in our contests, we do huge hundred-man field battles.  It's pretty awesome.  Fighting in the rain and mud, hilly banks and through trees and ditches.  We use group tactics and even resurrect, so if you "die" you have to go back to the beginning of the field and "resurrect".  Then you can join your team again in battle.  We play some capture the flag-type games and also games that are sort of like king of the hill, where you defend a territory.  Sometimes we have a sort of line battle, like the kid game where teams line up across from each other and try to pull opponents over one at a time, but we do it by picking off one swordsman at a time, by striking diagonally or using taller members to snipe opponents while shorter teammates engage the defenders.

It's loads of fun, but yeah, I don't know a darn thing about Olympic-style fencing.  All I know is that that is so different from what I do, we should stop calling what we do "fencing".  HA!  But it's probably a better title than anything else.  At least it tells people that we play with swords, because otherwise, the majority of people wouldn't have a clue what I mean.  I mean, what other term makes sense to the average person?


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## Caged Maiden (Oct 17, 2014)

BTW, since were talking about fencing and writing, here's a scene I wrote.  it's chapter 17 in the novel, but I just HAD to write a swordsman character.  Yep, a bitter old swordsman who's feeling past his prime and down and out.  http://mythicscribes.com/forums/portfolios/caged-maiden/354-wir-chapter-17-sword-fight.html


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## Tom (Oct 18, 2014)

I really enjoyed that swordfight scene. Very well-written and engaging (plus I'm a sucker for fight scenes). I too like to make my characters swordfighters.
A few of my urban fantasy characters are Olympic fencers. Even though I'm most familiar with fencing/rapier, most of my other characters who swordfight fight in a Viking-like style: buckler, longish single-hand sword. I like the aggressive, underhanded feel of this style. 

We Olympic fencers are also kinda trying to kill each other--the only problem is, our weapons don't allow us to. The best we can do is give someone incredibly painful bruises that will last a month, or if it's saber, break someone's collarbone with a poorly-executed slash (saber allows slashing as well as stabbing). There can be a LOT of aggression in fencing. I've seen people get thrown out of tournaments for being...er...over-enthusiastic.

 I've found that "Fencing" is an older word and isn't so clear a term anymore. Some people will look at me blankly when I've said, "Oh, I'm a fencer", and I'll have to explain it. 

Then there are the people who think I must build fences for a living...Urgh...


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## Tom (Oct 25, 2014)

Just wanted to let you know--the Foil World Cup in San Francisco was last weekend. USA Fencing might still be offering the free streaming of the medal rounds on their website, but if not I'm sure you can find highlights on YouTube.

It seems like the Italians win everything every time.


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