The European Fencing Championship 2012 Legnano

The official site:
http://www.legnano2012.eu/

To watch the championship online visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=gDdyi87JdG4

You can watch the the first part of the championship uploaded here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SxaNUO1reMk&feature=plcp

more fencing and fashion

the first fencing-inspired-fashion post has hundreds of views so here is one more especially for the female public of the blog ;)

On Fencing Competitions

As one of my club's coaches said ''fencing without participating in competitions, is like a soup without salt''. So the time has come to put my fencing skills to the test, early in June specifically. I am already stressed, it's different fencing the same members at the club to fencing total strangers (which are definately of a higher level than I am). But anyway I think it will be a great experience and if I can pass the first round I will be more than happy. I will be joining an individual event. For individual events there are one or two seeding rounds (poules) followed by direct elimination rounds, sometimes with repechage. (see wiki for more info)

A few infos on official comps:

• Given that you have a fencing pass, you need to pay a fee to enter the competition and register yourself.
• Make sure your equipment meets the standards of the competition.
• When you enter the competition your name will be called out when it's your turn to fence. The first person to hear their name takes place on the right of the referee.
• When a leftie is competing he is always on the left side no matter whose name is called first.
• First you salute your opponent and then the ref.
• The ref is always right, don't try and contradict him. If you must, ask him in a polite way why he made that decision.
• For inapropriate behaviour you can get a warning-yellow card (e.g. when you take the mask off without the ref allowing it), a red card (e.g. if you are being brutal) or if you let the opponent win on purpose, and finally a black card which means your exclusion from the competition (e.g. if you change the equipment in some way in order to win, if you don't salute your opponent, if you don't turn up after your name has been called out thrice)
• The new rules dictate that you salute your opponent at the end of the bout as well and then you shake hands.

Complete list of penalties here: http://www.britishfencing.com/uploads/files/penalty_sheet_2012.pdf

fencing student's guide

...that I found snooping around http://fencing.calpoly.edu/Documentation/lessons/alouie1.pdf
It explains a lot of basic things, like what a student should learn and in what order. It's all very nicely explained so that you know what to expect from your coach/club.

                                                                                              me

Trip to Tauber

Just a few fotos from the biggest fencing centre in Europe in tauberbischofsheim, where I went today to watch the german nationals. It was a great experience!

I thought Tauberbischofsheim was a city..but it's actually a small village!

Entering...

It has 3 main fencing halls and one for the finals (see further down).

London calling!

 

The finals hall.

And yes- a fencer's pizza -you can cut it using your saber/epee/foil -no just kidding!

My artwork- silver fencing jewellery

It all started when I thought it would be great to wear a fencing pin but I figured it's very hard to get one, so I thought why not make my own as I am a hobby-jeweller. And here it is!

My lunging epeeist!

The pin was a great success among my fencing friends and I made some more. They are all handmade in sterling silver 925.

My second design is the following, in a salute position:

This one is larger than the previous-about twice the size.

If you are interested you can contact me for orders and details here or at blackrose_86@hotmail.com

errr happy fencing easter!

As I am on easter vacation again away from my town I don't have many fencing news. Fenced again yesterday at my home town-club. Did lots of bad fleches where my epee went straight passed the opponent giving them easy points... uff... Suffice to say that I lost 6-10 to an overweight 40 year old mum! Then I won 10-9 to a girl that has been fencing for 6 years, so that boosted my self-esteem again a bit. All in all I did badly though, I parried a lot of her lunges without reposting and played more defensively than ever. I wasn't so confident so I let a lot of good moments pass and that is really irritating!

I got corrected by a very good coach recently on many technical things but I am sure I will make the same mistakes again unless I get repeatedly corrected upon them ( shifting my weight to the back leg, keeping the shoulder high up, leaning forwards while lunging, not doing an explosive enough attack). It is all nice in theory but when it comes to doing it I am not self-aware enough  to correct myself.

Anyway, I am currently working on some fencing jewellery! I will upload fotos shortly!!!