cyranoVR's Journal: Fencing Tournament

I fell short of my placement goal for the tournament, but I accomplished some others.

I fenced hard and well in the preliminary rounds. I went 5-1 in the first round and 4-1 in the second round. This is better than my any of my results in pools at national competitions in a long time.

If I had just been a bit more careful in my first round, I could have been undefeated (I only lost by 1 touch).

My elimination bout to get into the round of 32 was a sure victory on paper, but I lost in a disappointing upset.

I made two mistakes. First, I ate an apple right after my second round pool. This was bad because it was too much to digest, and I got stitches during my bout. Stupid. From now on I will ignore hunger pangs and eat either a single bite of bannana (or if that is not around, I drink some Gatorade). The blood-sugar is the issue, not the feeling of hunger (you want an empty stomache!).

Second, I tried to rest before by bout by lying down and closing my eyes. Unfortunately, this caused my metabolism to slow down. I was flat during my whole bout and couldn't get psyched up to win.

From now on I should stay active and awake between rounds, only resting when I am sure there is going to be a long break (for example, if I lose in the round of 12 and have to wait for the other fencers to fight through repecharge).

Bottom line: my physical problems affected my mental and emotional game. I had been great all day until that 15-touch bout. But then I faultered, and it was all over for me.

Another problem is that somebody gleefully told me that I would "kick [my opponents] ass." I was all "you're gonna jinx me." This definitely had a negative impact. From now on, when somebody says something like this, I will immediately ask: "Why?" and pick their brain for as much information as possible. Plus I will always talk to my friends and teammates about fencers and ask how to beat them.

At the club, I will talk to my teammates about the tournament and trade strategies. We don't do that enough.

So, to sum up: I executed my plan for the tournament up until my DE bout in the round of 64 - during which I choked for the reasons above.

* * *

Also, my injury from last April continues to haunt me. My leg is fine, but I hesitate to push myself both in practice and competition.

I don't think I've done footwork until my legs were on fire even once since I recovered from the injury. Well, sometimes that's what you have to do to win. So it's time to start doing hard core footwork and running exercises again.

* * *

So where do I go from here? Time to set some goals.

Competitive goals:
- Nationals: aim for only one loss in my first round pool. Minimum finish in the top-16.
- Go to at least four major tournaments between now and Nationals. Win at least one, but mainly focus on my routine (good warm up, maintaining alertness and energy throughout the competition)

Training Goals:
- Practice mental imaging: focus on visualizing preparation [see below]
- Lift weights three times a week (we are moving into an apt. building with a gym, so this will soon become a reality).
- End free-fencing early to do 10 minutes of footwork. Focus on advance lunges, retreats.
- On slow nights: fence with the best fencer five-touch bouts x3 and 15-touch bouts x15.

* * *

I encountered a problem with my visualization exercises. Traditionally, I would picture myself scoring strong actions, usually against a good fencer. However, as I have become older and more experienced, I encountered a problem: in Real Life, good fencers will easily counter my actions!

This was a problem for me. I couldn't "believe" my own visualizations - they were Fantasy. For me to believe my own visualization, the image I am focusing has to be PLAUSIBLE.

Whenever I pictured myself executing a strong advance-six-philo-fleche, in my mind my opponent would counter-attack for the touch. Why? Because in Real Life it had happened so many times!

The solution, I have realized, is that I have to imagine myself fencing just like I do when I fence my best.

This means: focusing on my preparatory actions. Keeping things small, yet threatening. Being patient. Taking a minute or more to set up my touches...this is how I was able to do so well at the tournament.

When I picture myself doing this, I don't have to worry about my action ending in failiure, because I'm not even focusing on that. I'm focusing on the build-up to the final action. I'm also focusing on my opponent doing something stupid - and I being ready for it and scoring the touch (nothing wrong with that).

The other thing I realized is that lots of the best fencers are also focusing on the preparation, not the final action. At least, when I watched them fence, I noticed that they have to work the preparation even against the "scrubs."

There's no such thing as a "super-agressive-badass" fencer in epee. Eventually, they'll meet somebody bigger and/or faster than they are, and their agressive style will prove mindless.

* * *

I didn't have any negative thoughts at this tournament. Well, actually, I did...but I squelched them quickly and easily by reminding myself how much I hate losing. Thoughts of "just lose and go home" were quickly answered "ummm...don't you remember how miserable you are when you lose? Time to focus on winning this next match!"

Unfortunately, my problem in my final match wasn't negative thinking, but apathy. I just didn't feel anything, positive or negative.

As stated earlier, I have traced this problem to "food coma" from eating a whole apple during the competition. My brain shut down because some blood was diverted to my stomach for digestion.

So the answer to that problem (once again) is to keep awake, alert and a high-blood sugar level right before the match starts. And no napping once they have posted strip assignments!!!

* * *

I don't have any illusions that I'm going to make an Olympic Team. I don't imagine that I will wake up one day and be the #1 ranked fencer in the country - that I'll start to DOMINATE the national circuit.

I have a modest amount of talent and very little natural athletic ability. I was always picked last for school-yard games (even after the fat kid). I've had to work my ass off and fight and claw just to get the small amount of success that I have.

I'm just trying to be the best fencer I can be while having a career and (in a few years) a family. I want to fence on the national level for as long as I can, because that's where the real challenge is. I'm not going to be happy fencing in just local bullshit competitions that I have a good chance of winning. I want the BIG FISH.

So many people have told me that I can Do It. I can make the final of a Circuit. Not just friends and family, but fencers I respect. Olympic Team members. "Legends."

I've got my career settled for the time being, and we are going to be settled in our new apartment soon with its 24-hour gym on the same floor. So it's time to make things happen.

My goals are realistic. I believe in myself.

Over-analyze much?

[Em Emalb]

Dude,

I am probably the last person you need giving advice, since I do the same damned thing.....but: ;)

Have you perhaps just tried DOING instead of analyzing all the time while doing? Flow bro. Let it flow.

$.02 you didn't want. But comments were enabled. :O

Re:Over-analyze much?

[cyranoVR]

Have you perhaps just tried DOING instead of analyzing all the time while doing? Flow bro. Let it flow.

Trust me:

If you don't analyze before, then you don't know what the hell you are doing during.

I'm not thinking this much while I'm fencing.