I've done well in all my bouts so far and I have definitely proved that I'm on level with Tim, the only other favorite for the actual varsity squad left for me to fence is Austin the other two I have yet to fence are Ben and Colon both are aiming for the substitute spots. Colon is supposed to be my first bout on Monday. I'm really looking forward to that bout but first things first and the first thing is healing my back.
see I have this nasty habit of leaning forward when I lunge and I strained my back on Friday because of it. so this weekend I'm taking it easy. rest and recuperation you know?
now something interesting that was brought to my attention recently is that my style has done a 180. when I first started fencing I took things slowly played defencive and waited for the opponent to make there move. then took the parry repost. but lately my style has changed, shifted away from defence and moved more towards offence. this has met with mixed results my forte is still defence so switching to offence has proven a little difficult, but I'm improving and this change is not without reason Tim's style has gotten far more defencive lately stepping away from offence entirely. so in order for the bout I fence against him to progress at all I've had to just go for it.
not only that but at the USFA tournaments I've gone to, even though I haven't gone to many yet, I've noticed more and more that the top fencers fight offensively. Sure they need to know defence and man are they good at that as well but they have this drive to go after the touch that's what makes them the best they want it so much they can't sit still and wait for it to come to them, they make there own openings create there own chances, if I want to improve I need to be like that.
Sunday, December 5, 2010
Friday, December 3, 2010
Varsity bouts!
OK so the battle for the four primary and two substitute varsity spots started yesterday and I didn't post because I was mentally exhausted and could barely form a complete sentence.
so I got to practice and coach tells me he fixed my blade. I get on the strip for my first 15 touch bout against Zack and it doesn't work, Yellow Card. score five points my back up blade breaks in half. two yellow cards which means red card which means Zack gets a point, lots of running around change body cord from bayonet too two prong type the body cord so I can use the blade I borrowed from coach, body cord doesn't work, another yellow card Zack gets another point. finally get all the necessary pieces of equipment am not at all in the zone and I start fencing again. I won 15 to 10 and Zack scored 8 touches. not to bad considering it took me a minute to get back in the zone after all my stuff breaking.
my next bout was against Tim who is by far my favorite person to fence don't know why but fencing Tim brings out my best never understood why.... Anyway I get out there and I'm doing less than stellar. at one point Tim was winning 13 to 8
then I noticed something. every other or every third time I did a retreat he looked down at the floor his eyes stoped looking at me entirely!! so then it was game on again! I would advance until I was just about in range then retreat a half step and watch his eyes and when they flicked down to the floor BOOM! ADVANCE LUNGE! Haha I kept doing that until the score was 14 to 13 Tim was still winning at that point.
anyway I am so fixed on what I'm doing that I don't even look at the clock, it's a fatal flaw of mine. anyway Tim caught sight of the clock out of the corner of his eye and realized there was almost no time left so he played on that and just kept baking up making sure to make it seem natural. I didn't pick up on it at all so I keep looking for an opportunity to attack but nothing was showing up and then bzzzz time was up bout over. so I lost by a point because I wasn't watching the clock. but I'm not upset it was a great bout and I fenced at my absolute best so I'm not upset. actually I was really happy even when I realized what had happened.
It looks the varsity bouts will take 3 or more days to finish but that's OK after my bout with Tim I am feeling more confident.
finale note for yesterday has nothing to do with me actually it's about Colin last year he fenced JV and this year he had his sights set on one of the two varsity substitute spots he also has his hopes pined on becoming captain this next year well he fenced rather porelly yesterday and was really feeling depressed several of us tryd to cheer him up but no luck well apparently when he got home yesterday he practiced every move he new until 10 or 10:30 that's the kind of dedication you normally only see in a manga. I have to say I'm damn impressed with Colin's response to all of this and I can't wait to fence him.
so I got to practice and coach tells me he fixed my blade. I get on the strip for my first 15 touch bout against Zack and it doesn't work, Yellow Card. score five points my back up blade breaks in half. two yellow cards which means red card which means Zack gets a point, lots of running around change body cord from bayonet too two prong type the body cord so I can use the blade I borrowed from coach, body cord doesn't work, another yellow card Zack gets another point. finally get all the necessary pieces of equipment am not at all in the zone and I start fencing again. I won 15 to 10 and Zack scored 8 touches. not to bad considering it took me a minute to get back in the zone after all my stuff breaking.
my next bout was against Tim who is by far my favorite person to fence don't know why but fencing Tim brings out my best never understood why.... Anyway I get out there and I'm doing less than stellar. at one point Tim was winning 13 to 8
then I noticed something. every other or every third time I did a retreat he looked down at the floor his eyes stoped looking at me entirely!! so then it was game on again! I would advance until I was just about in range then retreat a half step and watch his eyes and when they flicked down to the floor BOOM! ADVANCE LUNGE! Haha I kept doing that until the score was 14 to 13 Tim was still winning at that point.
anyway I am so fixed on what I'm doing that I don't even look at the clock, it's a fatal flaw of mine. anyway Tim caught sight of the clock out of the corner of his eye and realized there was almost no time left so he played on that and just kept baking up making sure to make it seem natural. I didn't pick up on it at all so I keep looking for an opportunity to attack but nothing was showing up and then bzzzz time was up bout over. so I lost by a point because I wasn't watching the clock. but I'm not upset it was a great bout and I fenced at my absolute best so I'm not upset. actually I was really happy even when I realized what had happened.
It looks the varsity bouts will take 3 or more days to finish but that's OK after my bout with Tim I am feeling more confident.
finale note for yesterday has nothing to do with me actually it's about Colin last year he fenced JV and this year he had his sights set on one of the two varsity substitute spots he also has his hopes pined on becoming captain this next year well he fenced rather porelly yesterday and was really feeling depressed several of us tryd to cheer him up but no luck well apparently when he got home yesterday he practiced every move he new until 10 or 10:30 that's the kind of dedication you normally only see in a manga. I have to say I'm damn impressed with Colin's response to all of this and I can't wait to fence him.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Shut up and fence!
that's my matto which is why the next time I fence Austin I intend to duct tape his mouth shut I understand why he does what he does but while it is good for all of us to have a better understanding of the rules examining each touch in extreme detail inhibits ones ability to fence at their best (in my case anyway) so from now on I only fence people who keep the talking to a minimum.
also I was off my game today just plain and simple was not parrying, which is not good.
also I was off my game today just plain and simple was not parrying, which is not good.
Monday, November 29, 2010
First Day of Practice
have very little to report except that I should probably get some sleep which will be difficult seeing as it's been 4 hours and I'm still hyped up on excitement and possibly adrenaline. my one note for today other than we need more fencers is that today I was not only in the zone, I WAS THE ZONE. I blew away Austin and Tim today 5/1 and 5/0 respectively that's right bagel! if I can keep this up my chances for varsity are looking good!
oh unrelated side note, I got all my homework done before 11 tonight! yeah!
oh unrelated side note, I got all my homework done before 11 tonight! yeah!
Friday, November 26, 2010
Debates
The only thing I have learned from debates is that my knowledge of history is limited at best and nonexistent at worst, and I really don't care. History is not half as interesting or as exciting as fiction, and honestly too learn enough about any section of history to be truly knowledgeable you need to read at least three books and usually more than that. With science I can read one book or watch one show and understand the concept behind just about anything and go from there. It's so much easier for me and I don't have the time to read three books about every major point of dispute in history. So I stick to my specialty's which are fiction and science. I can analyse fiction and I can understand science, so I'll stick to those and my personal morals and philosophy's.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Walking Away
If anything is gauranteed to piss me off it is having an adult especially a family member talk down to me like I'm some stupid kid who doesn't understand their responsibilities.
I'm not a kid. yes every kid says that, and they say it again and again and again, at some point it becomes true. even if I'm not an adult, I am certainly not a kid anymore.
So when anyone talks to me like a kid that is a huge insult to my pride. I need my pride. to throw it away would be to throw myself away and become a brain dead vegatable.
So what do I do? I walk away. I'm not going to sit there and be insulted. and they wouldn't get it even if I explained it so I walk away. if they find that insulting, to F'ing bad. That just makes us even.
I'm not a kid. yes every kid says that, and they say it again and again and again, at some point it becomes true. even if I'm not an adult, I am certainly not a kid anymore.
So when anyone talks to me like a kid that is a huge insult to my pride. I need my pride. to throw it away would be to throw myself away and become a brain dead vegatable.
So what do I do? I walk away. I'm not going to sit there and be insulted. and they wouldn't get it even if I explained it so I walk away. if they find that insulting, to F'ing bad. That just makes us even.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)