Thursday 8 March 2012

Training diary 08/03/12

Good training session tonight. There wasn't much of a turnout at the club tonight (only 10 of us), so we did 'free bouting' in a competition poules format. Two poules, 5 fencers in each. We didn't strictly follow the prescribed poule bout order as a few of us had lessons as well.

My lesson first: ADB remembered to time it this time, so the lesson was a respectable 20 odd minutes. Focus tonight was on my disengage. My circles (or "U"s?) were nice and tight, but as I said to ADB, it's a controlled environment, once we get to "real" fencing I tend to lose form. Something for me to keep an eye on is my left arm. I need to be aware of where it is, throw it back, etc. I tend to have it "hang", which unbalances me.

So now my 4 poule bouts (scores as best I recall):
  1. BMac: V5-4. Plenty of back and forth sparring and lengths of time between points. Plenty of doubles. Not too happy about the foot shot he scored off me, afterall that's my speciality shot! :-D
  2. Anerd: D3-5. Funny how he fences alot more aggressively with me. I noticed this in the last club comp too. Or perhaps it's just becuase I don't fence him very often that I've never noted his style from an opponent point of view. Good to fence him though.
  3. Stretch: D4-5. Scored the first point off him with a disengage to the outside and onto him exposed forearm. I can always see that forearm, but due to his huge reach (doesn't help that he's a pommeller either) can never quite get around his blade. Next point off him was scored due to his incorrect execution of a fleche. Mind you, the bout was decided with a fleche - his! I should have known better as he was practicing these against me on Tuesday night.
  4. SmallBlock: V5-4. Happy with this victory, as it's never easy to fence a leftie. Scored the first points again, which ensettled her. Most of her points were scored by charging, and my counters simply being wrong. I think my technique of dealing with lefties is pretty good: simply keep our blades lined up, let them lead, and counterstrike quickly (i.e. before they can make the touche).
That's all for tonight.

Tally ho!

No comments: