All quiet on the western front....

I believe it was John Lennon who said "And so this is Xmas and what have you done?" Well to answer the chap honestly, I'd have to say "not a lot in the last couple of weeks my old Scouse mate!"
The Saturday club has finished and I didn't go to the last Norfolk Fencing Club evening due to it being my Dear Lady Wife's birthday. I did get a very detailed report from Abby though so at least I know what's been going on! My fencing activity will be dormant for a week or so now until I return to NFC on the 7th January. I shall miss it but sometimes it's good to take a break in order to develop exciting new lesson plans and strategies.... and a few inches on the waistline I fear; damn that Xmas stuffing!
To return to the opening line of this post, it is a time of reflection and I would like to suggest to all my students that you take pride in your efforts and achievements this year. Sometimes it is difficult and frustrating a sport but fencing does provide some rich rewards in the end; friends, skills and an occasional thrill of victory or a point well made.
So over Xmas try to do the following;
Enjoy your break
Clean your kit
Make sure your foil doesn't stain your jacket in your bag
and don't do anything I wouldn't do!

Catch you later Bill and Ted!

It's a long haul

I've been reading Chris' blog today and two of his posts have kind of combined into this one. I was thinking about the types of fencers and was referring back to a previous post on this blog talking about the fact that there seem to be four types of fencer; fencers, fencers who coach, coaches who fence and coaches. It struck me that I am starting to develop into a fifth type; a coach who coaches coaches. I suppose this is the next logical stage for me and gives me an opportunity to pass on some of my experience of coaching for the last umpteen years. I get a real kick out of helping people to develop both at work and at home and I am now getting a chance to help another generation of coaches and continuing the history of my sport.
This sort of segues into Chris' other point about people wanting things quickly and just wanting the visceral thrill of competition. I was like this when I was younger and really enjoyed the buzz and adrenalin of matches. These days I much more enjoy the satisfaction of giving a lesson that people enjoy and may remember. I like to see people learn. Don't get me wrong, I still enjoy the odd bout and the pleasure of a hit well delivered but it ain't all about that any more for me. I hope to carry on coaching for as long as I make sense (although some would say it's too late for that) and this will probably outlive my ability/inclination to compete, but I firmly believe that this is a past time that I am in for the long haul....
How about you? What do you want to get out of fencing?

What Just Happened?

I was fencing today and noticed that my opponent was keeping his foil in a low guard and tended to react with a parry of octave when I feinted low. I immediately deployed my dreaded low-high compound attack which nine times out of ten would work. In this case however my opponent dodged back and executed a good parry riposte at close range. I shook my head and chuckled to myself, enjoying the exchange of strokes that had just occurred. After the fight I pointed out what had happened to my opponent and he just looked blank and said "Oh, I didn't notice."
I suppose in some ways this is a common occurence. Fencing is a frenetic sport where much happens very quickly and sometimes it is difficult to keep track. I believe that it is a good step for a fencer when they begin to appreciate segments of a fight. I don't think it will ever be possible to be aware of every nuance in a match but when you can plot, plan and execute certain moves and also ascertain your opponent's response to them you are demonstrating considerable maturity as a fencer and have gone beyond the hobby stage.
So next time you are fencing, try and pay attention to what is going on. It adds more pleasure to the whole thing and will greatly increase your knowledge.

The Plague of Bent Arm Fencing

There is a malady sweeping the land, plagueing young and old alike. It is the curse of attacking with a bent arm. So many people forget to advance their point toward the target and it particularly seems to affect tall fencers; those who should be using their reach to full advantage! Maybe it's a consequence of actually being tall when you've had to grow up trying not to stand out in a crowd, but it certainly doesn't help in fencing. It's even more pointless (ho ho) when it afflicts a shorter fencer as it reduces the chance of a succesful hit even more. If only there were a vaccine but until one is found we must rely on patient coaches calling "Get your arm out!" from the sides of pistes....

The fire still burns...

It was end of term Fun Day at the club today and we indulged in our usual free for all of two teams trying to score the most points. As is customary the coaches waded in and accepted challenges from the students. We weren't there to score victories, more as a chance for the students to have a go. It left me a little breathless after three challenges in a row and I was watching from the sidelines as Andy, my Coach and the Fencing Master of the Club engaged in a sabre match with one of our youngsters. It's unusual for Andy to fence much, but I couldn't help but exchange a knowing grin with him when one of his cuts landed just as he'd planned and he let out a cry of triumph. It's good to know that the flame still burns although with myself and Andy it's no longer about winning; more about carrying something out just as you'd planned it. It's a satisfying feeling.

Use Everything

I was at the England vs All Blacks rugby match at Twickenham at the weekend which wasn't a great result for England but was a good day out. During the day I was struck by the difference between the England Captain (Steve Borthwick)and the New Zealand Captain (Richie McCaw). At Twickenham you can buy a ref mike which allows you to listen to what the ref is saying to the players and the decisions he is making; it helps with the more obscure rules. During the game the only time Borthwick spoke to the ref was when he was getting told off for England infringements, which by this time was too late. McCaw on the other hand was in the ref's ear every time the ball went dead, suggesting that England were up to no good. Now some people call this cheating, or at best unfairly influencing, but I don't know; McCaw has several hundred caps to his name and I think he is making best use of all resources at his disposal, including his relationship with the ref. It makes complete sense if you are wanting to win. If you understand that the ref sees the game in a certain way then you can make sure that you or your players don't do it. Likewise you can mention it when the other lot are doing it.
It's not quite the same in fencing and I am not advocating constant chatting to the ref. But you might want to consider how being courteous might help. Or how the ref calls a right of way. Can he differentiate between a beat and a parry? If not, how does this affect your strategy? Does he favour the attacker or defender? It's not the most vital thing to get to grips with when you're fencing but it is yet another resource at your disposal....